
The Once Upon A Villain authors present...

'Tis The Season for Villains

We're all on the naughty list!

# Table of Contents

Title Page

Happy Holidays From The Villains

Dawn Ibanez Presents.... | Safe & Warm

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Epilogue

T.B. Bond Presents.... | Four Carats

Chapter One | Tristan

Chapter Two | Ursula

Chapter Three | Tristan

Chapter Four | Ursula

Chapter Five | Tristan

Chapter Six | Ursula

Chapter Seven | Tristan

Chapter Eight | Ursula

Chapter Nine | Tristan

Chapter Ten | Ursula

Chapter Eleven | Tristan

Chapter Twelve | Ursula

Chapter Thirteen | Tristan

Chapter Fourteen | Ursula

Epilogue | Tristan

L. Loren Presents.... | Sinful | (Featuring the characters from her villain romance, Untangled.)

Author's Note:

One | Gugu

Two | Gugu

Three | Sin

Four | Gugu

Five | Miles

Six | Gugu

Seven | Gugu

Eight | Gugu

Nine | Miles

Ten | Gugu

Siren Allen Presents.... | A Grimm Christmas | (Featuring the characters from her villain romance, His Beautiful Grimm Reaper.)

A Grimm Christmas

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

CHRISTMAS

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# Happy Holidays From The Villains

Happy holidays and happy new year from the villains!

For better enjoyment of this villainous boxset, please read the stories in the Once Upon A Villain series. This boxset is a glimpse into those characters' holiday activities. Collect all nine books of the Once Upon A Villain series today! These books are all standalones and do not have to be read in order.

<https://ilovediverseromance.com/once-upon-a-villain-series/>

Featured in this boxset you have stories from Dawn Ibanez, T.B. Bond, L. Loren and Siren Allen.

Season two of the villains is coming in 2020!

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# Dawn Ibanez Presents....

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# Safe & Warm

(Featuring the characters from her villain romance, All That Glitters.)

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# Chapter 1

Snow fell outside of their home in Prague. Ryan watched Kalina as she slept on. She cuddled closer to his chest as he played with her hair. She hadn't said anything, but he saw the way her eyes darted away from the parents with their children as they went out shopping. Holidays weren't easy for many. Then there were some that started their decorations before September even ended. He couldn't understand those people. Halloween was a perfectly decent holiday. Thanksgiving was also something to be celebrated. All of that food to be had for all.

But the closer Christmas came, the more apprehensive Kalina grew. He tried to ask her best friend why, but all Carly said was to give her space.

The hell he would.

Ryan pressed a kiss to her lips. "I'll be downstairs," he whispered.

She moaned softly and curled up into a ball as he slid out of the bed. He glanced at the dying embers in the fireplace across the room and waved a hand. As the fire blazed again, he put on a pair of pants and his slippers.

"Everything okay?" Kalina asked.

He looked at her. Her hair was in tangles from their lovemaking, and her eyes still heavy with sleep. He leaned over to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "What does the woman that has everything want for Christmas?"

She blinked at him before shaking her head. "You don't have to get me anything."

"That is a known trap, Love. Tell me. What can I get you?"

She took his arm and wrapped it around her body. "Come back to bed. You're warm."

Ryan noticed the change in her tone. She was awake now. And she was not happy about it. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I was going to get some chocolate. Do you want to join me?"

She released him. "No. You go ahead."

He continued to hold her as he curled his body around hers. "I've upset you, and you know that I never wanted to do that." He kissed her temple. "You're acting strangely and when I ask, you shut me down." The tension in her body grew as he started to caress her pregnant stomach. "I would like our child to have a happy life filled with celebrations and holidays. But I also would like for you to be here with me sharing in the magic of the season."

She pulled away from him and climbed out of the bed. Ryan frowned as she was covered in a flannel shirt and jeans. Furred slippers encased her feet. She ran her hands over her hair and it was instantly smoothed out. Kalina kept her back to him as she put her thoughts together.

Ryan looked out of the window again and sighed. "Alphonse said he was going to go to France. There is someone he wanted to check on. Would you rather I go instead?"

Kalina snapped her fingers and a newspaper article appeared on the bed next to him. Ryan picked it up. "This is from when your mother died." She walked out of the room without saying a world.

Ryan looked at the paper. It restated everything that was common knowledge. Normal humans believed Jessica Benton was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning and her daughter barely survived the same. People in the magical world knew Jessica was addicted to magic and was regularly draining Kalina of that magic. Jessica was killed when the power she stole from her child backfired. Ryan's shoulder fell when he saw the date of the incident.

Christmas morning.

Ryan climbed out of the bed and went after Kalina. As he passed by the large windows overlooking the maze of the backyard, he saw her. Ryan opened a portal and went to her side. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him with sad eyes. "You think I don't want the baby to have the kind of holidays Carly had? With parents that love them more than anything?"

He wanted to kick himself. "I should have never said that," he said with a nod. "I'm sorry. Come inside, and we can talk."

Kalina held her hand out and watched as snow gathered in her palm. "I think I'm going to go to France instead of Al. I want to have some time to myself and it would be good for everyone to see that I'm not here hiding."

He didn't think that was a good idea at all. "Sweetheart, as Faust, you'll be a target. And we know you haven't fully come into your power yet."

Her eyes rolled as the snow in her hand formed a tightly packed ball. "Please stop treating me like a child."

"Again, I apologize." He stumbled forward when a snowball crashed into his back. He turned and frowned to see if anyone was behind him. He looked at Kalina and saw the slight tilt of her lips. "I just want you to be happy. I didn't mean to hurt you upstairs, and I offered to leave because I know you'll be safe here."

She closed her eyes and allowed the snow in her hands to fall to the ground. "I know all of the whys, Ryan." She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But that really doesn't make any of this any easier."

He ran his fingers through her hair as an idea struck him. "What if you and I go to France, and we leave the mansion in Alphonse's and Tereza's capable hands?"

"You just want to keep an eye on me." She rose up on her toes and kissed him. "And I'll tell Carly she can come and decorate the house."

Ryan laughed. Her best friend would have the estate covered in lights and garland. It would be a winter wonderland nightmare. "I think Alphonse and Tereza will be fine. The gardeners were picking Carly's fake cobwebs out of the bushes from Halloween until Thanksgiving." When she smiled, he took her hand into his. "Really, what is the point of having powerful underlings if you don't make them do your bidding every once and a while?"

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# Chapter 2

Kalina smiled as her brother walked into the main room. "Hi Al," she chimed. "Did Ryan tell you about the change in plans?"

He sat on the sofa next to her. "He said you want to go to France and be seen as the new Faust. He also said you wanted me and your djinn to decorate for the holidays."

"Her name is Tereza. I don't want everyone to keep treating her like she's some sort of criminal. She had to do whatever Faust told her, just like a lot of other people did. Throwing stones is not a good look." Kalina leaned her head on his shoulder. "Just like people give you shit for being sealed away for a couple of hundred years. Give her a chance. Please?"

In an effort to steal his son's power, the demon Faust trapped Alphonse in a crystal he wore at his throat. When Kalina won her own duel against their father, and had him killed, Al was released from his cage. For the past few months, he was becoming the big brother she always wanted.

Including his over-protective nature.

"Do you want me to come with you instead? I can show you where I grew up."

Kalina smiled as she took his hand. "That would be wonderful. But not now. I don't have a great relationship with Christmas and Ryan wants to start making memories."

Al wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned his head against hers. "I spoke with Tereza and the Romani witch that comes through here. I know what happened. I wish I could have been here for you."

"But you are now, and that's what matters." Kalina would make sure nothing would try to come between them. "We can open the Paris house in the spring. If you want, we can take a long vacation there. The baby will be born by then."

He squeezed her hand. "I would like that. I can teach the little one to be a true Parisian Royal." Her expression made him laugh. "What?"

"I don't want my baby to get a big head because of how they're born. They need to work for their own reputation." Kalina smiled when Al waved his hand over the coffee table. A pair of mugs filled with hot chocolate appeared, one with marshmallows, one without. She picked up the one with marshmallows. "You can teach them how to defend themselves. Ryan will probably go overboard with teaching them magic. Carly will show them everything else they shouldn't know."

"Your friend is a rebellious one," Al agreed. He sipped at his own chocolate. "I don't want you to go to France." When she opened her mouth to argue, he held his hand up. "Here me out. You need to stay here, where you are protected. If you need to flex your muscles as Faust, host a ball here. People can come, see your power and you will not have to leave and put yourself in danger."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. In the past few months, he and Ryan seemed to become fast friends. And while Kalina loved them both, she had her suspicions. "Did Ryan ask you to come to me?" she asked.

Alphonse shook his head and laughed. "No, Gold has not." He drank more of his cocoa. "Tereza and I talked it over. She started making some calls, and I was to convince you to stay."

Kalina stood and moved around the room. "And what if I told you I wanted to leave because I felt trapped?" She knew he wouldn't like the word choice, but it was the truth. "Would you try to keep me here?"

He placed his mug on the coffee table and rested his elbows on his knees. "Now you've reached the part that Ryan and I did speak about," he said with a grin.

"What?"

Al stood and brushed imaginary lint off his pants. "I think you may want to talk to Ryan about any further holiday plans. I need to make sure a few ground rules are in place for our guests."

She nodded as he opened a portal and left her alone. A sigh escaped her as she rubbed her stomach. "Looks like Daddy will get to keep us here anyway," she said lowly. She laughed when she felt a small kick against her hand. "I know, I know. It sucks. But we'll make do." Kalina smiled as the snow outside of her window seemed to dance. "Maybe we can convince the guards to have a snowball fight?"

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she leaned back against Ryan's chest. "I wasn't aware you disliked them so much."

There was being protective and then going overboard. "Stop acting like you're going to hurt everyone that looks at me funny. It's not cute."

He pressed a kiss against the side of her neck. "I don't want to take any chances with you or the baby."

She moved away from him. That was everyone's excuse. The baby. Like she didn't care about her own child. Kalina shook her head as she made the mug in her hand, and the one Alphonse vacated on the coffee table disappear. "I spoke with Al. He and Tereza decided to have a holiday party. This way we can check on everyone and I don't have to leave the estate."

Ryan's smile was gorgeous. "That's good."

Kalina nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I'm going to go... somewhere. I just need to gather myself before anyone tries to arrive." She turned and left the great room as her mind ran around in circles.

"Kalina." His voice echoed down the hall as she turned and started for the basement stairs.

He wanted her to stay. They all wanted her to stay. For her safety. For the baby. She reached the bottom of the stairs and looked down the basement corridor. Her hands shook as she wrapped her arms around her belly. She sank to the stone floor as the tears she had been holding back finally fell. "I just want to leave," she whispered into the darkness.

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# Chapter 3

Days passed, and Ryan was at a loss. Kalina was becoming more and more distant. It seemed like everything he said was taken the wrong way. He'd seen similar things happen with other pregnant women, but never to this extreme.

Kalina was currently in the garden maze. She was channeling her magic into the snow to build a virtual city. Anyone that crossed into her sanctuary would be assaulted with a bombardment of snowballs.

Including him and Alphonse.

A knock on his door drew his attention away from the woman he loved. Ryan frowned as he looked at the large man dressed in all black. "What is it Simon?" he asked.

"There's a woman here demanding to speak to you." The guard adjusted his necktie and cleared his throat. "She says that her name is Stefania Lund and that you owe her an audience."

Ryan closed his eyes and sighed. Stefania was the last person he wanted to deal with. "Fine. I'll see her down in the great room."

"And Dorian Gray has arrived with Master Alphonse. He is taking measurements for a Christmas tree."

He stood as he debated going to meet with yet another witch queen or going to see Kalina in her maze. "Tell Gray not to go crazy with the decorations. And please take Stefania to the living room. The last thing I need is for her to start any nonsense with him around."

Simon nodded. He was about to turn to leave, only to pause. "Should I go and tell Kalina?"

Ryan looked out into the maze and frowned when the snow stopped falling. "I think she already knows." He opened a portal to Kalina's side and went through. Simon would take care of the house, he had since he came into Faust's service. Ryan held up a hand and three snowballs froze midair. "We have company in the house."

Kalina looked at him with dark magenta eyes. Her hair was the same shade. He loved that color on her, even if she was still trying to get used to it. "I thought the horse and pony show wasn't for a few more days."

"It's next week." He walked over to her and held her hands. "Alphonse is keeping one of our guests entertained. I needed to tell you about the other." He rubbed her cold fingers and frowned. "You really should have on a pair of gloves or something. You'll get frostbite."

Kalina pulled her hands from his. "I'm fine. What did you want to tell me? Is our guest a king of some sort? Or do I have first dibs on their soul because Faust killed a member of their family or something equally tragic?"

He would have been happy if that was their only problem. "No. The issue with Stefania isn't because she is indebted to you. She's probably after a favor of some sort."

"And she thinks I'll just give it to her?" Kalina stepped back and returned to her snow city. "Let her know the office of favors is closed and Tereza has my full permission to toss her on her ear if she asks for a wish."

Ryan didn't know how to spin this into a positive. The thought of hurting Kalina, when she was already so distant was something he never wanted to do. And this was going to hurt her. Perhaps more than anything else he's ever said to her. "She'll want the favor from me."

Kalina's eyes turned an eerily familiar shade of red, making him inhale. Faust and Alphonse turned that particular color when they were angry. Kalina only once turned into her demon form, and then she was shades of magenta. The crimson her eyes were now, mirrored her father. "Why you?" she asked.

"Because I'm his wife."

Ryan hadn't heard that voice in centuries. The smoky voice that could convince almost anyone into anything. Ryan turned to the opening of the garden maze and saw her. In her full Scandinavian regal glory. "Stefania," he acknowledged. "You were supposed to be in the house."

Kalina walked over to Stefania. Her eyes raked over the other woman's slender and lithe form. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

Ryan could see the rage building in her. The snow swirled around the maze in a frantic dance. He would guess that the only reason why it missed them was Stefania.

"How do you know Ryan?"

Stefania's smile hadn't changed in their centuries apart. It was still as cold and calculating as it was back then. "Riodhr is my husband," she said slowly. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around one of his. "Riodhr Lund, the goblin that hunted in the forest."

Kalina looked at him. One eye was fading to brown while the other was blood red. "Another name?" she asked.

Ryan could see her faith in him dying in her eyes. "Yes."

She nodded and pushed her hair away from her face. It was a brilliant shade of cherry. "Give her what she wants, and then get out of my house," she said.

He expected her to say as much. "Kalina." Whatever he was about to say was cut off when his voice left him.

Kalina looked at him and forced herself to smile. "Better yet, I'll leave. Tell everyone I'll be back if I feel like it. But I want you out of my fucking house when I return." She opened a portal and stepped through it.

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# Chapter 4

Kalina felt lost. She walked through the portal and found herself in the grand ballroom of her mansion.

"Miss Faust," a strange man said.

Kalina blinked at him as he bowed at his waist. When he straightened, she took in his appearance. His cerulean blue eyes were framed by long black lashes and wavy dark blonde hair. His face was chiseled and angular. At any other time, she would have thought he was handsome. "Who are you?"

He smiled at her. His perfectly white teeth made her want to hit him. He crossed his hand over his heart in a salute. "I am Dorian Gray. Art broker and interior decorator, at your service."

She waved his gesture away. "You're supposed to be here with Alphonse."

He nodded. "He asked that I head the decoration for your party. It would be an honor to."

She looked around the room and saw the hideous table her father had in the center. "It's been cancelled." She went to the table and touched it. "I apologize for wasting your time."

"It's no waste at all." His smile faltered as he stepped closer to her. "If you don't mind my asking, are you alright? You don't look well."

The table next to them exploded into splinters. Kalina looked at the table's remains. "I'll be fine," she said in a plain voice.

He reached forward. His hand stopped when it was inches away from her skin. "I sincerely hope you didn't like that table."

"I hated it." She looked around the room and fought the tears that came to her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of this stranger. He owed her his soul, and it wouldn't do for her to have a breakdown seconds after meeting him. "There's a lot in this room that I can't stand."

Gray shrugged as he looked around as well. "It's gaudy and over the top. When the previous Faust decorated it, he just wanted to show off his wealth." He looked at her and grinned. "Could I persuade you to sell some of these things instead of just destroying them?"

"You just said the room is gaudy."

He nodded. "Together in one room like this, it is. But if you look at the individual pieces, then you can have real treasures in your hands." He walked over to a statue of an angle with their hands closed over their heart in prayer. "Take this for example. I know of a cardinal and a couple of vampires that would love to have this in their collection. But here, this just looks like it could only serve as a coat rack." He then turned to a weapon's display case against the wall. "Then there are some other collectors that would sever their own arm to glimpse some of these."

Kalina wrapped her arms around her body as she went towards the window. "Sell all of it," she said in a whisper. "I don't care."

He was quiet as she leaned against the stone wall. She needed to find a place where she could get away for a while. Going to Carly's wouldn't help. Her family would want to talk with her and calm her down. Kalina wanted to be angry. She wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt her.

Gray stood next to her and wiped a tear from her eye. "I now it's not my place, but I don't believe you're fine." He caressed the side of her face. "Should I get Alphonse, or Gold?"

The pair of stone gargoyles poised over the doorway exploded into dust. He quickly stepped between her and any debris that may have flown towards them. Kalina leaned against the windowsill. "I just want to be left alone," she said.

His blue eyes looked her over. "That is probably the last thing you need." He took her hand into his. "But you don't need to be here either. Do you want to leave?"

More than he knew. Her looked out into the back garden and saw the snow had started falling again. "I don't have any place to go."

He snorted. "You are the ruling Faust mon cher. You can go anywhere you desire."

"Except back in time. I got the gist from Tereza."

Gray leaned against the wall next to her. "If you could leave, right now, where would you go?" he asked.

The answer was simple. "Someplace where I wouldn't be lied to," she said. A portal opened in front of her. Kalina blinked as she looked at the small courtyard. "What?"

"I only have a few tricks that the previous Faust gave me. And I also have the unfortunate curse of not being able to lie to any in your bloodline. It physically pains me to do so." He held out his hand. "I can't fix what broke your heart, but I will not let any more harm come to you in my presence."

"Kalina!" Ryan's voice called.

She took a step towards the portal when the baby kicked her. Kalina rubbed her stomach as Ryan appeared in the doorway. "I told you to get out."

His eyes went from her, to the portal in front of her, to the man at her side. She swallowed as his features started to darken to green. "Dorian, if you dare take her from me..."

"She wants to leave Gold. I am an underling to the Faust. Sworn to protect, remember. I wouldn't try to trick her into staying someplace she doesn't want to." Gray looked at Kalina. "The choice is yours Dearest. We can go to the estate, or you can stay here and fight out whatever this is between you with him."

"You told me you wouldn't run anymore!" Ryan shouted.

Kalina looked at her lover and gasped. His handsome features were gone. Instead, he stood in front of her in his goblin form. "I didn't reverse it," she whispered. When she moved to go closer to him, she doubled over in pain. Before she could fall to the floor, two pairs of hands held her.

Dorian helped her stand straight. "Gold, I think you need to take a breather while she gets a chance to collect herself."

"Do not tell me how to speak to my...."

She looked at him, her own vision darkening to anger. "Your what?" she asked in a hiss. Another sharp pain ricocheted through her body. "Your girlfriend? Baby-mama? I know you can't say wife, because you're already fucking married!" The window dressing and furniture all erupted into flames around them. "Let me guess, you thought this one was dead too?"

His face expression lost all the anger in it. "No. I've known that Stefania has been around."

She pushed away from him and Dorian. "And you let me fall in love with you. Knowing that you were married?"

Alphonse ran into the room. He looked at the scene in front of him and went to her side. "Kalina, whatever is going on, we can work this out. I need for you to calm down."

She curled her hands into fists. "I know you haven't really been out in the world long Al, but please, never tell a woman to calm down. Especially when she has every right to burn this whole bitch down around our ears!"

"Ryan! What the fuck man?" a familiar voice called out.

Kalina turned to see her best friend. Carly disappeared from the entrance and reappeared at Kalina's side. "Do not tell me to calm down. I swear, I will lose my shit."

Carly grimaced. "You look like you've already lost your shit." She wrapped her arm around Kalina's shoulders and looked at the men around her. "I am taking her with me. We'll be back later. I'm expecting this place to be ready for the party."

"There isn't going to be one," Kalina mumbled. She leaned her head on Carly's shoulder. "Not while he's here."

Carly looked at Ryan again. "I'm missing something. What am I missing?"

He stepped closer to Kalina. "Give me a chance to explain. Then I'll go, if that's what you still want."

"I want you to leave now. And take your wife with you."

Carly went rigid next to her. "Come on, we're leaving," she said pulling on Kalina's arm. She maneuvered her way between Ryan and Kalina. "We'll watch some movies and you can take a moment for yourself."

"I'm fine!" she shouted. She ripped away from Carly's grip and turned. The sound of stone crumbling reached her ears. Sharp pains wracked her body. She rubbed her stomach and tried to breathe. "I'll be fine."

Spots danced in her vision as her legs gave out from under her. The last thing Kalina saw was Alphonse lifting her into her his arms and Carly grabbing Ryan. She laid her head on her brother's shoulder and listened to his heartbeat as she felt magic wash over them both.

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# Chapter 5

Ryan stumbled back as Carly struck him. He lunged at the death dealer and stood toe to toe with her. "Do not try to keep me from her."

"What the hell did I walk in on?" she asked. She brushed her hair away from her face. "You're married?"

He knew she wanted to know the story. But he wanted to tell it to Kalina. She was the one that deserved his explanation. "Yes."

She looked at him with her arms folded over her chest. It was her protective stance. He remembered her standing against him like that before. "You are a rotten asshole, do you know that?" Carly shook her head. "I'm going to see about getting Kalina to calm down. She's at a dangerous place right now."

"I understand that," Ryan started.

"Do you?" Carly stepped closer to him. "Do you realize her children's lives called me here?"

He felt a cold chill down his spine. "Children?"

Tears filled her eyes as she punched him in his shoulder. "Yes you idiot. She's carrying twins. And they were in distress. Do you know what that means?"

He stood still as she struck him again. "She said she wanted to leave. She was starting to feel trapped."

"And then you spring a wife on her?" Carly pushed him.

Ryan shook his head. "It's complicated."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose as she paced around the room. He was willing to wait for her to gather her thoughts. She knew Kalina best and would know how to handle this situation.

He looked at his hands, relieved to see his skin back to its human shape. Ryan turned and looked at the blonde stomping out a flaming pillow. "Where do you think you were going with her?"

Dorian looked at him with almost as much anger as the death dealer had. "She was upset and wanted to leave. I was only going to take her to the cottage in Marseille. It would have given her a chance to think without seeing you everywhere she turned."

"Does Alphonse know this place?" Carly asked.

Ryan turned to her. "Kalina can't leave here."

"She can't stay," Carly countered. She tucked her short hair behind her ears. "Think. She's stressed out because of the holiday and now this. I know you want her to be safe, but if she can't get out of here and decompress, then she may lose one if not both babies."

He hated knowing she was right. He hated the fact that Kalina didn't want to speak to him. Knowing that Kalina would rather have Dorian at her side than him was something that would never sit well with him. "She doesn't need to stay with you," he spat. "I can take her away."

"You are part of the problem, mon ami." He gestured around the room and for the first time, Ryan saw the destruction in the room. "I could be wrong, but I think the idea of you turning our Faust into the other woman, has made her rather volatile. I was able to calm her to a point, but having to deal with you is not what she wants."

Ryan waved his hand around the room and allowed his magic to flair out. The destroyed statues vanished without a trace. Burning furniture and curtains were extinguished. The grand room was in ruins, and while Kalina was the destructive force behind it, he was the cause. He looked at Carly. "You keep her safe." He then turned to look at Dorian. "And you decorate this place for the party."

She folded her arms again. "Can I assume you will get rid of this wife Kalina was talking about?"

It wasn't going to that easy and Ryan knew it. He rubbed his hand across his chin and sighed. "Make sure she's safe. I'll give her a few days, but I need to talk to her."

The blonde shook her head. "I can't promise that. But I will make sure she's relaxed so that nothing happens to the babies."

It was going the best he was going to get. Carly had a protective streak where Kalina was concerned. Ryan understood it. Some days he even appreciated it. But now he just wanted to fuss over the woman he loved. "Take care of her," he said. With a snap of his fingers another portal opened next to him.

He wasn't going to acknowledge either Dorian or Carly as he left. What he wanted to do was see Kalina. He needed to talk to her and make her understand.

Yes, he was married to Stefania. But he didn't love her. He never loved her.

Theirs was a marriage of nothing more than convenience.

He stepped through the portal and entered the apartment he kept in St. Petersburg. Stefania was standing by the fireplace. Her hands were trembling as she held them out to the fire. Ryan hadn't seen her do something like that in ages. Not since they worked out their little arrangement. "I thought the cold never bothered you."

She looked at him with a hate filled expression. "I went and talked with your witch friend. The one with the mirrors. She said you knew this was going to happen."

"I don't even know what this is. Enlighten me."

She inhaled through her nose and it reminded him of a dragon from long ago. "You and I are supposed to be linked. Your magic saved my life, and in turn, I took your emotions. You were supposed to be cold and callous. The worse you were, the more powerful I became. And now you're with her." She spat the word out and Ryan had to fight to not be offended. "And you feel. So now I am losing everything."

He did the calculations in his head. It didn't take him long to realize what she was talking about. A snort left him. When she snarled at him, he laughed outright. "You came all of this way, to bitch at me because you think you've lost your magic?" Tears came to his eyes as his anger got the better of him. From the corner of his eye, he could see his fingers elongating and turning green. He didn't even feel the pain of his transformation. "You could have fought Satella for the selfish bitch award."

"You ruined me!"

He jumped at her, landing in her personal space. He raised his hands to her neck, but tightened them into fists as he shook. "You could have killed my children!" he shouted in her face. When her eyes went wide, he went on. "I gave you a piece of my magic, yes. I bound you to me, yes. But I was expecting you to either die or become a goblin yourself. Since you hadn't, you made it yours."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"You and I have a relationship more like a vampire and their sire. Your magic reacted to my emotions in the beginning. By now, you can feel what I'm feeling, but that's it. We have no effect on each other."

"Then why have I been so..." she shook her head. "Weak? I have barely been able to sustain my palace. Nico is waiting to take advantage of any opening he comes across. Those little trolls he keeps around have been causing nothing but chaos since you and the Faust hooked up."

He had his suspicions, but he would let her figure it out. Ryan went to the sofa and sat heavily on it. "Nico will do no such thing. You're just being paranoid."

"I am not."

"And his elves are only trying to maintain some sort of secrecy in the age of satellite tracking and global warming." He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "If you would get out of your own head for long enough to listen, Elena probably told you that I had a feeling this would happen. After I left and you had a chance to grow into your own power, doubts would spring up in your head. You would be the one standing in your own way because of the way my magic was transferred into you."

Stefania waved her hand. "You can't really blame me. You were gone as soon as I was able to stand. If anyone should be upset, it should be me."

Ryan looked up at her. It would only take three steps and he would be in front of her again. It would take roughly thirty seconds to snap her neck. If that long. And it wasn't like he would get what he wanted for Christmas. Kalina was firmly out of his reach for now. He waved his hand and a drink appeared in it. He downed the shot and waited for the glass to refill. Once it did, he glared at his wife. "You came into my home and upset the woman I love. The pregnant woman I love. I have also just learned that she has been so stressed out that this news could be the final straw and now our children are at risk." He drank his second shot and then third. "If you dare to try to be the uppity bitch you were three centuries ago, I will gladly show you your intestines, Highness."

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# Chapter 6

Kalina laid across her bed with her head on Carly's lap. She clutched her pillow close as tender fingers ran through her hair. "Twins?" she asked in a soft voice.

"I can feel their magic when I'm in the room with you. When you get upset, they seem to lash out too. But they aren't ready to control the power they have yet. So you need to stay mellow." Carly twisted a lock of Kalina's hair around her finger. "It's been a minute since you've been brown."

She looked at her hand and sighed. Her skin no longer held the crimson color of her demon form. But her head ached and she was terrified for the beings she carried. "Ryan said that he liked it magenta, so I kept it. The magic used was negligible, so it was no big thing."

"Alphonse called Tereza in. He told her what happened and she said that while she could explain what's going on, she would rather you talk to him about it."

Kalina didn't know if she could deal with speaking with him. Not in the near future. More insecurities from her past started to come up as tears fell from her eyes. "Did Dad ever tell you why I never asked to see Jessica's husband?" she asked.

Carly's ministrations stopped. "I know more about you than you want me to," she said. When Kalina looked at her, Carly smiled sadly. "You know we're assigned when our charge is born. Mom was your mother's dealer, then she was yours. But when you moved in, I took on the job."

A sad smile crossed Kalina's face. She closed her eyes as she cuddled with her pillow more. "It would be an honor to have you escort me to wherever I go when I die," she said relaxing against her friend. At least she knew that no matter what, she would be safe. The Harts always looked after her. And with her biological father being a demon, she was sure she was destined for Hell.

It was also a great thing that Lucifer liked her.

In the passing months since she won the game of chance against her father, the ruler of Hell had taken it upon himself to have one of his death dealers deliver a cell phone to her. It was a direct line to him. And he used it. Often. It seemed that he had a minor addiction to various games, and always wanted Kalina or Ryan to entertain him.

Carly chuckled. "The boss will probably make you spend eternity playing Moshi, Moshi, Dance."

Kalina shook her head. "Last round of online play I beat him. He'll find something else." She rubbed her cheek against the pillow. "Maybe I should go and visit him. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind."

"Sorry. Against the rules. No pregnant women. The infants could be possessed and you'd accidentally give birth to the antichrist or something. He won't risk it." Carly slid out from under Kalina and laid next to her. "Didn't Ryan tell you that?"

She sighed as she rolled onto her back. "He didn't tell me much of anything. Only that this would be the best place to protect me and the baby. When I started showing, we stopped going on trips. I would accuse him and Al of keeping me prisoner, but it's not fair to them."

Carly snorted. "Be unfair. Please, be completely unfair to them. It's not like you go anywhere unprotected. If neither of them was attached to your hip, then I would be. Or Tereza, or Xian. You are not lacking in the protection department. And Esme is going to be over the moon when she finds out that you're having twins. Mom already started on a nursery for when you come to visit. They're trying to keep you to themselves and it's not right." She frowned as she glared at the ceiling. "I miss having my friend around."

Kalina smiled. She missed having her around too. "You could always move in. There's more than enough room and you know you're always welcome."

The blonde shook her head. "I don't know if I'd fit here. Your life is changing in ways we never thought it would."

Kalina's smile fell. "That doesn't mean I want to leave you behind."

"You couldn't get rid of me if you wanted to. Remember?" Carly laughed at the expression Kalina wore. "But you're the ruling Faust. If you have a death dealer living with you, the message it sends is a bad one."

"I don't like playing politics," Kalina mumbled. She slowly sat up and rubbed her stomach. "And I get what you're saying. But that doesn't mean I don't want you around."

Carly nodded. "Noted." She frowned and looked at the door. A moment later a soft knock sounded through the room. She went to answer it.

Kalina moved across the room and sat at the small table she and Ryan kept in the corner. The sitting area was something it took a little while to get used to. But having him around made everything easier. She frowned when a text notification chimed. She looked at the door and saw Carly trading whispered words with Simon. She reached over and picked up her phone. It didn't surprise her when she saw Ryan's number. The last time she vanished on him, he called Carly's cell every minute until he got to talk to her.

She looked at the device and opened her text messages. His message was something that made her want to cry, scream and hold him.

I know you're angry. And scared for the babies. I am too. I will stay away until you gain your footing back, but I would like to come to the Christmas party. I'll explain everything you want me to.

Kalina placed her phone next to her and looked at Carly. Her friend carried a covered tray and put it on the table. "What's this?"

"That Dorian guy sent out for some food. Simon said that it's confit de canard. When I asked what exactly it was, he said don't worry about it, it tastes just like chicken." Carly looked at the door and frowned. "I don't think he likes me too much."

Kalina waited as Carly uncovered the dishes. Her friend and guard never seemed to mix well. While she had her suspicions, but she didn't want to confront Carly about it yet. "Simon is just used to the way Faust ran things. He's still figuring out where he fits in." It wasn't completely false. The quiet man was still trying to learn his way around Ryan and Al. Around her, he was as gentle as a breeze and as protective as a bear. Kalina tucked her feet up on the sofa next to her and took the plate Carly held out for her.

They ate in mostly silence. Every once and a while they would talk about Carly's parents. What they planned to do for the holidays. Kalina wanted to tell everyone to go home and leave her be but knew they wouldn't. She would have parties the way she needed to. Friday night, she would have a small private Christmas with the family she chose. The Harts would come along with Tereza and Al to dinner.

Carly wiped her mouth. "What are you going to do about that text?" she asked.

Kalina drank a glass of apple juice. She would have to talk to Ryan. He was still the father of her children, even if things didn't work out between them. She tightened her grip for a moment. She realized what she held and placed the delicate cup on the table. "Do you have any idea how badly I want to just lash out right now?"

A gentle knock came from the door. She snapped her fingers and the door opened to reveal Dorian standing in the archway. He looked at her and smiled kindly. His blonde hair framed his face as he leaned against the door frame with ease. "Would you ladies mind if I joined you?"

Carly frowned as Kalina motioned to the empty chair near them. "We gave you a free pass to decorate how you see fit," she said.

Dorian nodded. "And I appreciate the gesture. But I would rather have some input from the current Faust before I create some sort of monstrosity the former one would have wanted." He bowed to Kalina before sitting in the chair. "You look a great deal better. The duck was a good choice, yes?"

"Yes, thank you," she said with a nod. "You're going to have to hand over the name of the restaurant it came from. I'll probably want it a few more times."

He smiled and nodded. "The chef will be happy to know that."

"Wait," Carly said placing her hand on Kalina's arm. "That was Daffy?" she asked.

Kalina tried not to laugh. As a death dealer, she didn't have to study various languages. If someone started to speak in a foreign tongue, it would only take a few seconds for her kind to pick it up, but they would only hear their native language. "Actually, I think it was more Donald than Daffy."

Carly frowned. "You and I will talk about this up later," she mumbled.

Kalina's smile fell. Normally, she would have asked Ryan to give her friend a bottle of wine, she would be happy after that. Just the thought of him made her chest ache.

Dorian touched her hand. "Let's look at these designs, shall we?"

Kalina moved closer to where he sat as they talked. During the conversation, he pulled out his phone and they looked at various pictures of Christmas trees and other set ups. She picked out the main colors, Red and Silver, opposed Faust's black and gold. She wanted hints of green and white, since the weather called for more snow. The gardens would be decorated and charmed.

Things were falling into place and Kalina couldn't help but wonder what Ryan would think. She sat back and rubbed her stomach. "Can I ask you something?"

He gave her a confused look. "Anything."

Her nails grew into claws as she felt her heart twist. "Is Ryan's marriage common knowledge?"

Dorian shut down his phone and placed it on the table. "I don't want you to worry about what people may whisper."

"Great. I'm a home wrecker," Kalina mumbled.

"Actually, it's the opposite. Most would believe Stefania is being an unreasonable sow and has some sort of hold over Gold." Dorian reached forward and took her hand. "He and I have never been friends, mon cher. But I can tell you, their marriage is nothing more than another business deal. Hell, my reports say they haven't been on the same continent since before Alphonse was born. And even then, neither Stefania nor Gold cared what the other did."

"What kind of marriage did they have?" Carly asked.

He shrugged. "I try to keep out of most relationships. They can be messy." He turned his focus to Kalina and gently squeezed her hand. "No one will think any less of you, no matter what your decision. Kick him out or hold on to him forever. We all know what you've been through to get out from under Faust's thumb. Gold was his favorite at one point. He was under greater pressure than any of his underlings." Dorian leaned back and folded his hands over his stomach. "I haven't seen you two really together, but from what I've been told, you both were disgustingly happy. I would fight for it."

Kalina looked at her phone and noted the small light blinking, showing another notification. She picked it up. Inside was another message from Ryan.

It occurs to me that I probably didn't court you the way you deserved. Please, after we talk, allow me to rectify that.

She didn't say anything as she gave her phone to Carly. Her friend would be the strong one. There was no doubt her best friend would tell him exactly where he could go.

Carly sent a reply and placed the phone in front of her. She smiled as she gestured to Dorian's phone. "So, we're going more winter wonderland than royal Christmas?"

Kalina's eyes narrowed. She knew that expression too well. When she reached for her cellphone, the device disappeared. "What did you do?"

Carly plastered an innocent smile on her face. It fooled no one. Kalina curled her hand into a fist to keep from strangling her. Carly waved her hand and the dishes from lunch vanished as well. "I did nothing you would not have done if the situation was reversed."

She sat back and glared. There were a lot of things she would have done for Carly had their situations been reversed.

Like telling the father of her twins that he should come back before the party to talk.

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# Chapter 7

Ryan allowed the portal to close behind him after he stepped out into the garden maze. He looked around and whistled at the surrounding decorations. Scattered in the deep evergreen hedges were boughs of bright red holly. Snow capped everything off.

Dorian had been busy the past few days. And Ryan couldn't help but be impressed.

Even if he hated the fact that another man did this for his Kalina.

He opened another portal, this one leading into the main room. He took a breath and stepped through. Ryan found himself in front of a ten-foot Christmas tree. It was covered in tasteful color-coded ornaments. "This isn't her."

"No. It's the Faust's Christmas tree," Dorian said as he walked into the room. He inspected the room and adjusted one of the bows on a wall scone. "Kalina has another one she picked out decorations for herself. Right now, they're scarce, but she said the twins can add to it over the years."

That sounded like something she would want. He looked at tree again. "Why red and white?"

"Really? You have to ask?" Dorian curled his nose at a cluster of pine-cones circling a candle. He tapped something into his tablet and continued his inspection. "Red for blood. White for purity and innocence. Green for birth. You should know these things. Weren't you at the first one?"

Ryan rolled his eyes and turned to the doors. Much of the art Faust collected and housed in this room were gone. No doubt some were victims of Kalina's rage the last time he saw her. "How much did you sell?" he asked over his shoulder.

Dorian looked up from his tablet. "I haven't sold anything yet. She wanted to speak with you first." When Ryan's eyes locked with his, he gave him a charming smile. "Part of me wishes Faust sent me to her first."

He fought the urge to wrap his hands around the other man's neck. "You need to stay away from her."

Dorian laughed. "No worries mon ami. Kalina has eyes only for her goblin. She thinks of me as nothing more than a male version of Carly."

The thought of Dorian and Carly together scared Ryan more than he thought it would. "Do you know where she is?" he asked.

"The witch, Esme just left after checking on the babes. She should be in the living room."

He nodded before turning and running down the hall. His desire to see Kalina was riding on him as he rounded the corner. The mansion seemed to get larger the more time he stayed away. His steps slowed as he thought about what he was going to say and do about their situation. Stefania was currently hiding out in an apartment in Austria. She hadn't wanted to return to her home in the north.

"You better have a good reason for being here," a voice said behind him.

Ryan turned and locked gazes with the one person he had been trying to avoid. Reese Hart, the woman that cared for Kalina like a mother, stood behind him. Christmas ribbons wrapped around her hands and fingers as if she were holding a garrote. He swallowed and cleared his throat.

"I asked him to come today Mom," Kalina said.

Ryan turned again and saw her standing in the entrance to the living room. She looked radiant. Her hair was down around her shoulders in chocolate colored waves. Her skin nearly glowed from the pregnancy. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and smiled. "You look lovely," he told her. He looked at Reese again. "And you look murderous. I swear, I will try to clarify this situation as much as possible."

"Mom, we talked about this. You're scaring him." She touched his arm and took his hand into hers.

Reese's expression shifted from deadly to loving as she looked at the younger woman. "I know, Sweetheart. But you don't need this right now. And we've told you, any help you need with the babies we'll be more than happy to provide."

"That doesn't change he's their father."

"Children grow up without parents all the time," Reese said before turning away. "But I will honor your decision. I probably won't like it. But I'll respect it."

Ryan leaned his head towards the woman he loved. "They're going to kill me the moment they see an opening. You realize this, right?" He turned to face her and saw her gaze locked on his mouth. "Kalina?"

She came back to herself and walked into the living room. He followed her and smiled at what he found. The white and gold furniture she always claimed to hate was now gone and, in its place, large sofas that looked like they were made for comfort. Near the fireplace stood a tree not as tall as the one in the main ballroom, but just as beautifully decorated.

This room was Kalina's home. More than anything he ever seen in her possession. Everything had her personal stamp. "I love what you've done with the room."

She shrugged and sat on one of the sofas. She curled up on herself and grabbed a pillow to cuddle. "Thanks," she said softly. "I was tired of trying to always be the Faust, whatever that's supposed to mean. Dorian helped me pick some pieces out."

"He said you think of him as a male Carly."

She laughed. "No. He's a friend. He's no Carly. She has lines. I think I've seen him flirt with almost everyone."

That was Dorian Gray. The immortal known for his hedonistic debauchery. Ryan sat next to her and gently took one of her hands. "How was your check up? Did Esme know why we only ever felt one magical signature?"

Kalina tangled their fingers. "It appears that they're a mischievous pair. They would trade off. While we felt the magic of one, the other would be resting their power. But when I... got upset... they both reacted, badly. I was supposed to avoid stress, so Dorian took it upon himself to be my personal guard while you were gone."

Ryan frowned as he looked at the doorway. "I hate owing him something."

Kalina squeezed his hand and brought his attention back to her. "I never thought I would say this," she mumbled. "Tell me about your wife."

His frown deepened. "You didn't ask your mirror?"

She shook her head. Lucifer's mirror would have showed her exactly what happened between him and Stefania, but she must have wanted to hear it from him. "I don't think I would have been able to handle watching you fall for someone else."

Ryan laughed. "You wouldn't have any worries there. You are the only woman with a claim to my heart." He reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. When she lowered her head, he frowned. "What do you want to know?"

"Did you ever love her?"

Ryan sat back and sighed. "Honestly, no. I never loved her."

Her brows creased. "Then why are you still married to her?"

"You aren't going to like this, but the truth is, when Stefania and I were married, divorce was not a thing. Our marriage was simply a contract to keep her bound and in check while her body adjusted to my magic. After that, I left Iceland and returned to England to do Faust's work, and she stayed behind. Over the years, she became an afterthought. Someone I would think about during a snow fall, nothing more."

Kalina shook her head. "You're right. I don't like that."

He took her hand again. "I promised you the truth. No matter how ugly it may be."

"Why did you marry her if you didn't love her?"

"Political gain. But things went too far. Faust wanted to have access to her kingdom. Stefania was the crown princess. She has always had influence over snow, so there was a possibility. I told her I could share my magic with her, make her more powerful. All I wanted in return was her coffers."

"And she gave in, just like that?"

Ryan looked at her and blinked. "Would you have said no to this face?" he asked.

She fought a smile as she pushed at his shoulder. "You don't have to be conceited about it."

"I was," he confessed. "I was still fresh from under Satella's influence. I wasn't going to let another woman lead me around by my heart, or my cock. To have a princess want anything that I had was a relatively new experience for me. I dangled my power in front of her, expecting her to pant after me the way I did Satella. She didn't. Stefania wanted to know more about magic. Anything she desired from me, personally, started and ended on our wedding night."

Kalina's voice was soft when she asked. "What does she want now? Why did she show up after all this time?"

Ryan laughed. "Would you believe she misunderstood our bond, and thought because I am happy, she was losing control of her magic?"

Kalina frowned. "That makes no sense."

He sighed. "Stefania has always been a cold woman. When we married, and I gave her some of my magic, it amplified what she had. She went from being able to influence snow, to bending it to her will. She's the reason why they created the expression Ice Queen. Since you came into my life, she can feel how happy I am. And that has been throwing her off her game. There is also another factor, but at the moment, she can't control her emotions and blames us."

"She can feel what you feel?" Kalina's frown grew as she moved away from him. "Even when we were together?"

Ryan tried not to laugh. "It doesn't work that way. She doesn't have an instant mood ring keyed to me. While she knows when I'm content, and when I'm not. She has never had a window into when you and I made love. Stefania wanted to know what she could do to get herself under control."

Kalina leaned her head on the back of the sofa as she thought of what he told her. "And you expect me to just accept that you're married to someone else? That she has a cheat sheet to your emotions when I don't?"

He sighed and rubbed his chin. "I really don't know how to stop that second part, unless you want me to kill her, and while she does have her moments, Stefania is not in Satella's league."

"Now that you've said something, the word premeditated will be involved. No murder." Kalina closed her eyes and sighed. "It's been hard trying to sleep without you here."

He moved closer and tucked her into his side. "I'll figure out a way to be rid of the marriage," he promised. "Just, let me stay by your side."

She released the pillow she held and wrapped her arms around his body. "I want to meet her. Then I'll decide."

Ryan sat still as Kalina curled into his side and fell into a light sleep. He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled when the locks turned vibrant magenta. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and adjusted their position on the sofa.

There had to be a way to sever the marriage between him and Stefania. He would do what he could to find it. Then he would pray to whoever was listening that Kalina would take him back.

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# Chapter 8

Kalina woke wrapped in Ryan's arms. They were laying on the sofa in the living room. A blanket had been thrown over her while a covered dish was on the table. She buried her nose against the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent. She could admit it to herself, she missed him while he was gone. The twins hadn't let her rest either. It was like they knew the turmoil their parents were in and refused to let the matter die.

She felt his hand slide up under her shirt and remained still. Ryan could never sleep unless he was touching her. It was something they quickly became accustomed to. Even if she went to bed fully clothed, his hands would find a way to get under her clothes.

Kalina felt the presence of someone at the door and slowly lifted her head. She frowned as she looked at the blonde woman standing there watching her. Before the woman could say anything, Kalina raised a finger. She would have a civil conversation with the woman who believed she was Ryan's wife. But not with him asleep on the sofa.

He groaned when she untangled herself from his arms. After pressing a kiss to his cheek she leaned over to his ear. "I have to pee," she lied.

He moaned once more before falling back to sleep.

Kalina summoned a portal next to Stefania and motioned for the woman to go. As she moved to follow the other woman, a heavy coat covered her shoulders. The socks she wore were encased by a pair of snow boots. She walked through the cloud and looked at the woman that threw her life into a blender.

Ryan said he hadn't loved her. But he did attract beautiful women to him. Kalina took in her thick braided blonde hair, her super model features and wanted to hate her. "Ryan said that you're here because you misread a situation. Is that true?"

An unamused smirk crossed Stefania's face. "You don't want me here, do you?"

Kalina gave her the same phony smile. "I'm pregnant, and the father's wife comes in from nowhere. What do you think? Wouldn't you want you gone?"

Stefania shrugged. "I probably wouldn't care." She held her hand out to the bush next to her and snow started to swirl around her palm. "I don't know if he told you, but I do not have any emotions."

That wasn't the way he phrased it. "Maybe you should. It would save face next time you want to disrupt a happy home."

"I only came to take what's mine." The snow around Stefania's hand fell to the ground in a clump. She looked at Kalina, her Nordic blue eyes resembled the ice she was known for. "Riodhr and I have reached an understanding."

Kalina moved to the side as a portal appeared next to her. She didn't look away from Stefania when Ryan stepped through. "That is not his name anymore. It hasn't been for some time. And as long as you are in my home, I would advise you to use it." She then looked at the man in question.

His lips were pressed together while he wore a familiar expression. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know how she would take it. Kalina moved around him and approached the portal. "Stefania, it would please me if you attended the Christmas ball we are throwing tomorrow night. You will be contacted with the details."

****

Ryan could only watch as Kalina walked through the portal and into the house. Her hair had still been magenta, so he took it as a good sign. Stefania's gaze was also locked on Kalina's back. "Please don't make me kill you," he said lowly.

She smiled at him. "You are too kind Riodhr. Ryan. She is as well." Her smile fell as she focused on him. "I pray the two of you have the strength to stand against what's coming for you."

He reached out and snared her by the throat. He didn't care if anyone tried to harm him. Threats and attacks were something he lived with while under Faust's thumb. But Kalina was another matter. She was his to protect. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Stefania's eyes glowed blue before ice started to encase the hand around her throat. "Think it through. She is Faust now. That girl with more heart than brains is in control of countless souls. If you honestly believe no one will try to chomp at the bit, you are delusional."

Ryan flexed his hand and the casing around his hand shattered. He released Stefania and moved away from her. "Leave. Tonight is for family. You are not welcomed here." He hissed out a breath as he walked through the portal and saw Kalina speaking with Simon. She nodded to the guard before turning her full attention to him.

Ryan couldn't remember the last time he felt under so much scrutiny. He ran his hand through his hair. "Are there any preparations you need for me to handle? I can do that while you and the Harts have dinner."

What he told Stefania was true. Tonight, Kalina wanted to spend time and start making new Christmas memories with her family. He just wasn't sure if he was still counted in that number.

She went to him and opened a portal. Before he could object, she pushed him through. Ryan fell back and blinked as he landed on a bed with thick pillows and flannel blankets. "Kalina?" he asked.

She followed him through and allowed the portal to close. "They'll be fine for a little while without us," she said as she straddled his waist.

They were both fully clothed. Her eyes nearly glowed with passion as she ran her hands through his hair and pulled him closer to her. "Tell me the truth," she whispered. "Is there anyone else that can come creeping out from under a rock?"

He hated the doubt he saw in her eyes. Satella and Stefania were the two biggest mistakes he made, and they both came after her. "If they come out from their rocks, it will be for my head, not your heart." He ran his hand up her back and under her blouse. The feel of her satin skin under his touch calmed him.

She brushed her lips against his. "People think I'm too soft to be Faust." Kalina pressed a kiss to his cheek and buried her face against his neck. "They think I'm weak."

Her shirt vanished and Ryan trailed his hands up her spine. "You can show them different," he replied. He tilted his head to the side and trembled when her teeth scraped against his skin. He grabbed her waist and turned until she was under him. "Kalina," he warned.

Her hair fanned out across the comforter. Passion filled magenta eyes looked at him as she bit her lower lip softly. He couldn't take the doubt in her expression. Over their months together, Ryan learned to read her gaze. He captured her lips in a kiss. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he devoured her mouth. He shifted his hold on her waist and was rewarded with her legs locking behind his back. "I'm not too heavy, am I?" he asked trailing kissed down her neck.

Kalina shook her head. With a wave of her hand, they were both naked. "You feel perfect," she said moving her body under his.

He should have been the one saying that to her. He reached between their bodies and caressed her mound. When she gasped, he covered her mouth with another kiss. As he slid a finger inside of her, she moaned softly. Ryan knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy and wear her out. The first time they were together, she admitted she had never come with a partner. Since then, she had never come without him. He broke their kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. "Sweaty and sated sound good?" he asked.

Kalina pulled on his hair causing him to thrust against her. He chuckled as he lifted her into his arms. "Don't tease," she ordered.

He wanted to play with her. "You know I never do that." He guided himself to her entrance and slowly pushed inside. Ryan groaned at the feel of her body tightening around his. He rocked back and forth, pushing in further. He could feel every muscle in her body twitching when he was completely sheathed in her. "You feel so good," he moaned into her ear.

Her hands twitched as he laid her back down. "Ryan," she begged.

He thrust against her. Her soft gasp was all he needed to hear. He sped up his pace. He could smell the magic around them. He didn't care that she dug her fingers into his back. Her legs held him trapped in the one place he never wanted to leave. He claimed her mouth as they moved together in a synchronized dance.

Too soon, Kalina's back arched against him. Ryan devoured her taste as the air around them became saturated with their combined power. His eyes widened as she returned the kiss. Her magic latched on to his and pulled. He knew he would have hell to deal with when she realized what she had done.

It didn't phase him. She already held his heart and soul. He didn't care if she took all his magic. He didn't care if she left him nothing more than a dried husk. But he knew Kalina would never want to do to him, what her mother did to her.

He broke their kiss and pushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes glowed as she blinked sleepily at him. "Can we cancel the party?" she asked. The sated smile that crossed her face made him grin.

Ryan curled a lock of her hair around his finger and smiled. "It would look bad if you cancelled. Especially this late."

He moved off her body and pulled her close to his side. As she tucked herself against his side, she frowned. "You didn't come."

He took her hand into his and tangled their fingers. "Tonight was more about you than me, Love." He kissed her knuckles and then wrist. "Besides, a few days ago, I didn't think we would be doing this again."

Kalina sat up and looked at him with wide eyes. "I did something to you." Her eyes searched his body. Ryan couldn't help but fold his hands behind his head. "What did I do to you?"

"Keep looking at me like that, you're only making me harder."

"I'm being serious. I can feel a change between us. What did I do?" She touched his chest and was about to move her hands lower when he caught her wrists.

He looked into her eyes and held her. "Stop worrying. There's no lasting harm." He saw the light in her eyes dim when she realized what she did. Before she could protest, he pinned her under him with her hands above her head. "Don't you dare."

"Dare what?" she challenged. She struggled against him, but didn't give any slack. "Dare to use you like she did me?"

"Not the same. In no way is this the same."

She bucked against him. "You don't know what she put me through."

He grabbed both sides of her face and kissed her. As his tongue entered her mouth, his magic pulled at hers. Her struggles lessened as he took the magic she took from him back. He broke their kiss and held her. "Not the same. I can take from you just as easily as you take from me. You couldn't do that with your mother because you were a child. And while I am not ignoring what you went through, I refuse to let you turn something innocent between us into something ugly."

Her eyes filled with tears as she held onto him. "The twins."

He moved away from her and waved a hand. They were both clothed in heavy winter clothes as he pulled her out of the bed. "They have nothing to fear from you. You are their mother and would kill anyone who dared to do what Jessica did to you."

He gently wiped the tear that escaped her eye. "I know I haven't been living up to my end of the bargain but trust me Love. Please."

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# Chapter 9

Kalina swallowed as she and Ryan returned to the house in Prague. He leaned over to her ear. "We need to go to that house more often," he whispered to her.

She nodded as they entered the dining room. Alphonse was talking with Reese as they stood over the table. It still amazed her how quickly Reese took to having Al as a part of their family. He was always courteous to her and Alex. And he bothered Carly just enough that she considered him her older brother as well. "Is everything ready?" Kalina asked. She moved from Ryan's side.

Reese looked between her and Ryan and pressed her lips together. "Not yet. But no worries. Alex will be here in a few minutes."

Kalina went to the other woman and hugged her. "It's okay, Mom," she said. When they pulled away from their embrace, Kalina shrugged. "We're working things out. It may take some doing, but we'll get there."

"Say the word, we'll take out whoever you need," Reese said with a wink.

Kalina gave her a sad smile. She knew Reese was only trying to make the best out of the situation but knowing that she could absorb Ryan's magic didn't sit well with her. "I know Mom."

"A little help here," a male's voice called.

Kalina moved to go to the door when both Alphonse and Ryan stopped her. She put her hands up and watched as they left the dining room and went to the main hallway. "What did Dad say he was doing?"

Before Reese could answer, the mansion filled with the sound of a piano being tuned. Kalina's eyes widened and she looked at Reese's pleased expression. "Did you think we didn't know?" she asked.

Kalina wrapped her arms around the woman that saved her in more ways than one. "I love you guys."

Reese returned her hug and pressed a kiss into her hair. "We love you too." She pulled away and looked into Kalina's eyes. "Are you sure you two are okay? You seem a little... off."

A sigh escaped Kalina. She didn't know how to explain what happened between her and Ryan. Especially when Reese wasn't pleased with him. She tucked her hair behind her ears and glanced at the door. "Death dealers probably don't do this, but have you ever taken any of Dad's magic?"

A faint blush crossed her face for a moment. Her expression then sobered as she realized what hadn't been said. "Oh Honey, is that what happened?"

"These past few weeks? A lot. But yeah."

Reese nodded and sat Kalina at the table. She kept their hands linked together and took the seat next to her. "Did he tell you that a most mated couples can transfer magic that way?"

Kalina shrugged. "He said it was normal. And that I shouldn't feel too torn up about it because I'm not her. And he's not a child. If he needs it back, he can take it back."

"That is true. Ryan has been a lot of things, but never a defenseless child." Reese's eyes then turned to her belly. "And if you're worried about the twins, don't be. I know you would never do anything to hurt them."

Kalina ran her hands over her face and leaned back. Everyone told her that. No one thought she would harm her children. But she would bet money people thought the same about her mother. "That isn't the only problem." Magenta colored eyes looked at the door before confiding in the closest thing she ever had to a mother. "Am I as powerful as my father?" she asked. "In order to beat Faust, you have to be Faust. And there are a lot of people that would want nothing more than for me to fall and their deals would be broken."

Reese lowered her eyes to the table and sighed. "I've only met him once, and I never wanted to see him again. He wasn't like the Sire. The Sire is evil because he has to be. In order to keep those in Hell in line, but he never enjoyed carrying out his duty. Faust, on the other hand, was the opposite. He delighted in watching the light leave someone's eyes when they realized that he owned them." Reese then reached out and touched Kalina's leg. "And knowing you the way I do, you are stronger than he could have ever been. But you do not have his cruelty. And I hope you never gain it. Let the others be cruel for you. Meanwhile, you can simply be Kalina."

She leaned forward and hugged Reese again. "I can't depend on everyone forever," she said softly. As she stood, she looked at the doorway. "How'd you know?" she asked.

The music from the piano continued. Kalina felt something in her heart ease as she listened. She hadn't even told Carly that she loved when Alex played Christmas carols on the electric keyboard he usually kept hidden in their basement.

Reese laughed as she stood. "I watched you. The first few years you were with us, you never came downstairs. But then after the fifth year, you started to come down, only when he was playing." Reese linked her arm with Kalina's. "And then when your new friend Dorian said a grand piano would look spectacular in the ballroom, Alex was all over it."

Kalina smiled as she was led out of the dining room. They walked down the hall to the ballroom. Her smile grew as she went into the huge room and saw Alex sitting at his beat-up electric keyboard and Ryan playing at the grand piano. "I think Dad may have some competition," she said.

Reese laughed as she moved away from Kalina and went to her husband's side.

Kalina smiled as she looked at the room in front of her. The man she loved acted as if he didn't have a care in the world as he joked and played the piano with couple that adopted her. The brother she found only a few months ago quietly argued with her best friend over something. Kalina leaned against the door and gently touched her stomach. "All of this is for you two," she whispered to her children.

"May I have this dance?" Dorian asked from beside her.

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes playfully. "What are you still doing here? Isn't there someone you can spend the holidays with?"

"Alas, too many know of my former escapades to actually want anything to do with me." He held up his offered hand and wiggled his fingers.

Kalina took his hand and allowed him to sweep her around the room. She glanced at Ryan and blew him a kiss as she and Dorian circled the room. She laughed as she was spun around the room. "You were probably a scoundrel, weren't you?" she asked.

He smiled and moved her closer to the gargantuan tree he put in her home. "Absolutely," he replied. He looked over her shoulder. "The only one worse was that fellow over there on the piano."

Kalina was twirled around once more. She looked into Dorian's eyes and laughed. "Well, that being said, he's my scoundrel now."

"Yes, and I'm trying to convince your brother to join me in scoundrel-dom. Unfortunately, Alphonse is still every bit the nobleman. If he hadn't been sealed away, he may have lost his head. Literally." Dorian moved her around the room again. "But I want to show you something." He turned her and pulled her back against his chest. "That parchment ornament in the center of the tree," he told her.

Kalina looked at the piece of paper that seemed to shorten, the grown in turns. "What is that?"

He turned her around and danced her to the other side of the room. "That is a list of those that are betting you don't make it to the new year." Dorian's face lost most of the humor he normally carried. "Everyone knows Alphonse follows your orders. They know you have death dealers looking out for you, as well as your Ryan and Tereza. But they have no confidence in you." He gave her another ornament, this one with a handful of names written in pure gold. "This is a list of those that do."

Kalina read them. They were all her friends, and a few she hadn't expected. "Jasper and Elena? But they were so loyal to Faust."

Dorian whirled her around again. "We had to be. But we want to be loyal to you. Consider that your gift to us. Prove to the world we've thrown out hat in with the right one."

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# Chapter 10

Ryan watched the room as people filed in. He knew there were some beings here that only wanted to gawk at Kalina. She was the new ruler, and they all wanted to test her mettle. Both he and Alphonse spoke about the situation. Someone would try to strike at her, and they all needed to be ready.

"Do you see any of my potential attackers?" she asked.

He turned to her and fought a smile. For the party, she turned her hair Holly green and wore a knee length red dress with white trim. "You look like you could be one of Santa's little helpers." As she spun around, Ryan was struck once again by how beautiful she was. He caught her hand and pulled her close. "I want you to stay near either me or your brother tonight. We've had some troubling reports."

Kalina wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. "I know. And I know someone is going to try something. Can we just not let them screw up the party?"

As she leaned against him, Ryan's hands settled on her hips. There was so much he wanted to talk with her about. Since the dinner the night before she seemed more at peace. He hoped it had more to do with spending time with Reese and less with dancing with Dorian. "I want you to be safe, Love. You and the twins are all that matter to me."

She played with a lock of his hair. "I know, and I'm not blowing off your concerns. But you have to know, I think I've reached my limit of worrying." She stretched up slightly and pressed her lips against his. "Tonight is about showing a united front and to celebrate. I'm not going to let anyone stop that."

He kissed her once more before taking her hand. "Then come on. Let's make our appearance." He stepped away from her and paused when his shirt and jeans changed to a Santa outfit. Ryan looked at Kalina and frowned at her smile. "You can not be serious."

She wrapped both of her arms around his and his clothes became a pair of black slacks and a black button-down. The tie around his neck was a red that matched her dress. "Elena bet me I couldn't do it." She looked over the railing and saw the blonde watching them while Dorian talked with her. Kalina waved happily and the witch raised her glass in salute.

Ryan growled as he flashed Elena his middle finger. He looked at the woman who claimed his heart, and his embarrassment faded. She was radiant as she went to the hidden staircase and stared to descend them. He followed her. When they reached the ballroom floor, every eye turned to her. He placed his hand at the small of her back. His eyes widened as she left his side and made a line straight for the door.

Kalina opened her arms and embraced a surprised Stefania. She whispered something into the blonde's ear and lead her to the center of the room. "Hi everyone, I wanted to thank you for coming. I'm sure you all had plans that didn't include being here, and I appreciate it." She ignored the low rumble around the room and Ryan saw an ornament on the tree lengthen.

"Now, before we really get on with the festivities, there is some air that needs to be cleared." Kalina turned to the platinum blonde and raised their linked hands. "This is Stefania, the Ice Queen, so my consort tells me. She is also his current wife." She shifted into her demon form and Ryan's gaze scanned the room for Alphonse.

Ryan was about to step forward when a hand on his arm stopped him. Dorian shook his head and looked around the room. "She needs to do this," he whispered.

Kalina raised her clawed hand and traced a line along Stefania's collar. "Did you honestly think I would allow you any sort of link with someone who is mine?" she asked softly. She ripped her hand away from the other woman's throat and the blonde fell to her knees.

Ryan clutched at his own neck and gasped for air. The bond he shared with his wife was gone. He looked at where Kalina stood. "What?"

She reached down and lifted Stefania's face to hers. "If you want to hide from your emotions, you do it on your own. You don't use my man." Kalina released Stefania and looked around the room. "As for the rest of you, I have something to say." The ground on her feet raised up. "I know I'm not what you think of when the name Faust is mentioned. My father was a monster, and as I've been told, I'm a marshmallow. But I want you all to know, I have tried to be fair. I've left you all to your own devices since I took over. My brother and consort have been taking care of duties that are supposed to be mine. Yet you all seem to want me gone."

"How do you expect us to serve someone so weak?" a voice called out.

"You allowed the goblin to impregnate you!"

"I have shoes older than you. And you want me to obey the whims of a child?" A witch spat on the floor as she sneered. She just condemned the rest of her coven. He would not allow anyone to disrespect his mate.

Kalina sighed. "Haven't you all realized I'm not my father? I don't expect you to obey my every whim." She disappeared and reappeared at the woman's side. The people around them gasped. Magenta eyes were cold as she pulled a blade of ice from the witch's side. "But you will not come into my house and act like you have no home training." As the woman fell to her knees, Kalina waved her hand. "That's not a wound that will heal." She allowed the weapon to melt. "And yes, I'm young. And untrained. But you all need to stop trying to fuck up a good thing. Because if you want me to become my father's daughter, I can."

Her magenta form turned red as a figure jumped out of the shadows towards her. Kalina raised her hand and closed her fist. The would-be assassin fell to the floor. The blade they carried slid across the tile to her feet. Kalina's eyes glowed as she walked over to the whimpering creature. Ryan's eyes widened as he recognized the youngest child of a vampire clan.

"Kalina," he said as he approached her. When she looked at him, he swallowed. The woman that stood in front of him now was not his playful lover. She wasn't the untrained witchling with demonic blood. She wasn't even the daughter of the most dangerous demon to ever leave Hell.

She snarled as the girl was raised up into the air. "It's Christmas, and people are still trying to assassinate me," she said softly. When a woman's scream echoed in the room, Kalina lifted her hand. "Faust would kill you, wouldn't he?" she asked. "And he would slaughter your family. Make the head of your clan watch as he defiled your mother, and probably you too. And then keep you enslaved to him just to prove a point."

Ryan reached her side and took Kalina's hand into his. "You don't want to do this," he said softly.

She looked at him and shook her head. "You all believe me weak. None of you want to feel like you have to obey me. I never wanted to control any of you. But here we are." Kalina allowed her form to return to normal. "I am going to have a party. My family has argued with me too much for it not to take place. If you want to stay, fine. If you want to leave, I don't care. But if you come after me and mine, I will come for you all."

Ryan pressed a kiss to her hand as carols started to fill the air. He leaned over to her ear. "What are you going to do with your little assassin?" he asked.

Kalina went to the child and looked into her eyes. He looked around the room and saw Alphonse controlling an older vampire by the back of his neck and Simon holding the arm of a woman.

"What's your name?" Kalina asked.

The girl didn't answer at first. Her entire body trembled as she stayed suspended aloft. A soft breath of air left her. "Maria," she said.

"Was this your idea Maria?" Ryan asked.

She looked at him and shook her head. The way she pressed her lips together, he knew she couldn't tell anyone who told her to attack Kalina. He looked at the woman he loved and leaned close to her ear. "She was a tool. It wouldn't be fair to punish her."

Kalina nodded before turning to the two held by Alphonse and Simon. She then smiled. "You two fear my whims, and you don't want to obey any orders I may give you. Aren't you?"

They were both silent. Kalina took it in stride as she turned and looked at Stefania. "I am going to place this coven into your care," she said with a smile. When pale blue eyes blinked at her, she continued. "They will live with and serve you."

"What if I don't want them?"

Kalina shrugged. "Then you can let them turn to ash in the snow when the sun rises. It doesn't matter to me."

Stefania looked at the outraged pair. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the man. "What if they don't want to come to me?"

"Then they will be sent into the mirrors." Gasps rippled through the room. Kalina smiled brightly and looked at the crowd. "Oh, didn't you do your homework? Faust was my father, but the women in my family were mirror witches. I can easily put your ass in some glass and forget you. It is no sweat of my back." She then looked at the vampires. "But you wouldn't be able to feed. Just feel hungry. Imagine spending eternity wanting to eat something, but you can't."

Ryan held back his smirk as he pressed a kiss into her hair. Just as he thought when she defeated her father by counting cards, she could prove her power without flexing her muscles the way Faust did. "What about the girl?" he asked.

"I'll foster her out. I'm sure Xian would like to have an assistant."

Ryan laughed as he waved his hand. The dying witch, the child and the noble vampires all disappeared. The floor leveled out as he pulled her into his embrace. "Either dance and have fun, or leave," he called out.

The music became livelier as he waltzed Kalina around the room. He spun her around and frowned when Dorian caught her up and continued to dance with her. "Didn't you occupy her all last night?" he asked.

"She's going to need guidance," Stefania said softly. "She's too wild with her magic. She could have killed us."

He shook his head. "I'm learning that she knows more about her own limits than any of us realize." He looked on the dance floor and frowned when he saw Kalina dancing with Alphonse. "You're going to have a time readjusting to feeling again."

Stefania shrugged. "I'll adapt. And if I need help, I'll call your mate." She gently touched his arm. "Take care of her. And maybe in the summer you can bring her and the children to the North. They can drive Nico crazy."

Ryan laughed as they parted, and he found himself wrapped up in a dance with Carly. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young death dealer. "They have you out here too?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Someone has to keep an eye on Kalina. It's not like you're doing it," she teased.

He sighed as he glanced around the room. "The witch's coven. Can you find where they're hidden?"

Carly smiled as she tucked a piece of paper into his shirt pocket. "I knew we got along for a reason."

He nodded. The Harts would do everything in their power to protect Kalina. It was time he did the same. "Trade," he said as he spun her out of his arms and caught his love. "Thanks Simon."

Kalina smiled up at him as they danced around the room. "You know they can barely go ten minutes without arguing," she whispered.

He leaned close and pressed a kiss to her neck. "They're mad for each other. They just don't see it yet." He twirled her around and blocked an attempt by Alphonse to cut in. He frowned at her brother. "I'm sure you can find others to dance with," he said over his shoulder.

Kalina laughed and pinched his earlobe. "Al's just trying to have a good time. Be nice."

Ryan smiled. "I am." He pulled her tighter to him and kissed her gently. He let out a pleased moan when he felt her nails through his shirt. "But you realize later I'm going to have to leave for a bit."

She sighed. Some of the joy in her eyes escaped her as they continued to dance. "The witches?"

He nodded. "I can't have you threatening everyone. I need to pull my weight as well." Ryan looked around the ballroom floor. Some people left, but others were standing around watching them act as if they had no cares in world. He brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I was a big deal before you came along."

Kalina laughed as she ducked under his arm again. She came back into his embrace and played with his collar. "Fine. Go earn your keep. Dorian is going to make sure the party goes without a hitch, and then he will go back to Paris. I told him that I'll visit him once the twins are born and can travel."

Ryan dipped her back and kissed her when she stood right again. "I don't know how I feel about you spending so much time with him. Do you know his reputation?"

Her smile was infectious as she teased him. "I know it's nearly as bad as yours. So I'll be in good company."

He couldn't help but laugh. She brought out the best in him, and the worse. He caressed her face and kissed her again. "I love you Kalina, you know that, right?"

She nodded and placed her head on his shoulder. "I did have my doubts. But yes. I know you love me. And I love you Rumpelstiltskin." She giggled before pressing a kiss to his lips and vanishing from his arms.

He frowned as he looked around the room. Kalina never flashed from one place to another. She normally used portals. He glanced at the upper level of the ballroom and smiled when she waved at him from the railing. "What are you doing up there?" he called to her.

She looked around the room. "Everyone, please, enjoy yourselves. But know that Alphonse and Dorian are going to be my proxy. I am going to give my consort his Christmas gift." She blew Ryan a kiss and vanished again.

He laughed as he looked around the room. Many of the people there wanted to see him dead. More wanted to see Kalina and their children wiped off the face of the earth. He made a mental note of all of them. "Good evening," he said before snapping his fingers and vanishing as well.

# *****

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Five women stood in a circle on the coast of Spain. "This can't stand. We have to find a way to avenge her."

"If she were smart, she would have never spoke out against the Faust." The oldest of the group tried to wipe away the blood that saturated her hands. "Everyone was so used to the old one flaunting his power, none thought his daughter would be just as powerful, if not more."

"There was nothing saying she had any natural talents."

"She mated with Gold. And if that wasn't enough, Alphonse has heeled to her." The dark-haired woman looked at her sisters in art and shook her head. "We need to follow their lead. They say to worry about the quiet ones for a reason."

"Very true," a guttural voice said.

The shadows around the witches came to life. Bands of darkness wrapped around their arms and legs, pulling them to their knees. A lone figure appeared in the pool of black. "Tell me, why shouldn't make you all join your sister-witch in hell?" A dimly glowing ball of light revealed Ryan in his goblin form. The witches renewed their struggles against the bonds that held them.

The witch with short black hair glared at him. "Your woman murdered our sister. And you want to punish us?"

He waved his hand and her lips sealed shut. "We are going to discuss what will and won't be tolerated. Again." His eyes nearly glowed when he looked at her. "And if I need to tell your coven for a third time, none of you will need to worry about a coven. Am I understood?"

Four of the witches nodded. The one with the short dark hair wore her defiant glare as she remained in her placating position. Ryan knew he would have to keep an eye on her. But that didn't matter. They needed to know they will not be allowed to disrespect Kalina. Not while he was around.

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# Epilogue

Kalina sat next to the fireplace looking at a picture when he came in. Ryan waved his hand and his outerwear changed to a simple flannel shirt and pajama pants. He pressed a kiss to the back of her hair. "It's done. The witches are sufficiently punished."

She frowned as she traced the faces in the photograph. "That's fine," she said softly.

The tone she used made him lift her into his arms. When she wrapped an arm around his neck, he looked down at the framed photo. It was a Kalina as a child, with a black man and a woman that resembled her. "Where did you get this?"

"I think it follows me." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Every Christmas night, I find this somewhere in my room. It doesn't matter if I destroy it or leave it. The next year, it's back."

Ryan took the picture and sighed. "You never talk about the man you thought was your father."

Kalina shook her head. "When I was about to graduate from college, I looked him up. He had a whole new life. New family, including a pretty little toddler. I didn't want things to be awkward, so I never reached out to him again. It was better that way."

Ryan wanted to hate the man for throwing her out on the streets. He pressed a kiss to her temple and held her close. "This will never be us," he told her.

Kalina's lips twitched. "It won't. As long as you don't have any more wives you conveniently forgot about."

He brought up his hand and smiled when a small box appeared in it. "The only woman I want to spend eternity with is you," he said as he gave it to her.

She accepted the present and gave him a puzzled look. "What did you do?" she asked in a whisper.

He watched as she opened the box and saw the diamond ring. The pear-cut stone was surrounded by smaller rubies in the shape of an infinity symbol. "If you want to get married, we can get married. But as far as I am concerned, you're mine. My wife, my consort, my Kalina. A piece of paper, or some repressed old man blessing our union mean nothing to me. You're my soul, and I want you make sure you know that, no matter what."

Tears filled her eyes as he slid the ring on the third finger of her left hand. "How am I supposed to tease you now? That was so sweet," she said before kissing him. He tangled his hand in her hair, and she pulled her mouth away from his. "Esme and Elena said that if I called you my consort, everyone would consider that a bond deeper than marriage. Then Stefania showed up and you were bonded to her. I hated feeling like she had a better claim on you than I did."

"She doesn't anymore." He played with her hair as she settled her head on his shoulder. "And she won't worry either of us for some time now."

Kalina relaxed against him as she examined her ring. "I didn't think to get you anything fancy to wear like this." She smirked. "I can get property of Kalina tattooed on your chest." Her smile then blossomed into laughter as he frowned at her. "I'll think of something for the new year," she said resting comfortably against him.

"Thank you."

"Merry Christmas Ryan," she said softly.

He smiled and captured her lips in a tender kiss. "Merry Christmas Kalina."

As he caressed her side and pulled her closer to him, he felt something small nudge him. He chuckled as he touched her stomach. "Merry Christmas to you too, little trouble-makers." He looked at Kalina and smiled. "We're going to spoil them rotten," he told her. When she nodded, he kissed her again. "But at least we have others that can reign us and them in."

Kalina laughed as she played with his hair. "I can think of worse punishments."

Fin

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# T.B. Bond Presents....

#

# Four Carats

(Featuring the characters from her villain romance, Ursa Major.)

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# Chapter One

# Tristan

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"How was your boy's night out?" Amber was in full-on little sister mode during our morning breakfast conference. It amazed me that she could still be the mischievous little sister while feeding an infant in a conference room. Feeding a baby or having a business meeting, even if it was informal, her actions in regards to me always lead somewhere. My twin was one of a kind.

But I would not entertain her. Not when I and the gnomes spent much of last night running around at Ursula's bidding. When I got home last night, my mate had a sudden notion to make a full course meal without any help and then spent most of the night experimenting on various potions. Our tadpole made her feel creative, she had said.

I kept a close eye on her since her doctor was treating her pregnancy as human--to be on the safe side. It drove her crazy and the rest of us in turn. I needed sleep to operate at 100%.

"It was fine," I answered.

Less commentary was better when Amber was in a mood. Besides the night out was the usual. Pete and I went out for a beer at Three Sheets in Harbour View. We played a couple of rounds of pool--my game had significantly improved the past few months. Then we went home to our mates.

A change of pace but not some sort of Lovetime movie material that Amber envisioned about how males spent their time. We were simple with our play as we were with our work. The creativity was reserved for our mates who demanded it on a daily basis. We didn't have time for anything else.

"My brother's all grown up. You're making friends, mating, and soon you'll be a father. All this past year." She held her youngest, EJ, in her arms while she fed him a bottle. "You don't do things in halves do you?"

My life had changed the past year. The events had been unplanned--which I despised. But I loved my mate, so all was right in the world. I even managed to plan unplanned days to compensate for when my life slipped out of my control. It did wonders for my sanity. "I'm assuming that question wasn't rhetorical. The answer is no I don't, for the record. That aside what are your plans for Christmas this year?"

Amber's eyes widened. Despite her teasing, she had lost track of the season. Thanksgiving was in a few days. Ursula and I were hosting so Amber probably thought nothing about it. My sister may be more sociable--I would also add more annoying as well in case she listened to my thoughts--but she was every bit as put out when blindsided as I.

She frowned at me. A hot wave of annoyance flitted across our mentalscape before the chilly breeze of anxiety took over.

"That's right, Pia is old enough to open her own presents this year. And it's EJ's first Christmas. I'm a horrible mother. I have been so busy with the New York office since EJ was born and making sure you're okay that I haven't started shopping or planning." Amber's voice rose in pitch. "And what about--"

I would ignore the part about taking care of me. I was self-sufficient and anything I missed Ursula had my back.

"You are not a horrible mother and leave Christmas to me. Last year was a fiasco. Ursula's and I's first Christmas as mates would make a better memory."

Amber's eyes softened. The urge to panic tempered. I still sensed her anxiety on the edge of our mentalscape, but it was no longer the dominant emotion from her. "You're so sweet. It's a good thing you two are already expecting or I'd warn you about the repercussions grand gestures."

I was not opposed to sex as a reward for a good time. Ursula was nearly six months along. Once our tadpole was born, we would be busy cataloging the first year from what I observed from other parents. I would enjoy every moment with her that I could.

"I assume that is a compliment and leave it at that," I said.

I logged onto my ePad. It was too early to battle Amber. Not when I had back to back meetings until lunch. "On the agenda today, our updated staffing requirements."

"In a few months, this will be you." Amber fed EJ while he sat on her lap. Ever since she started her family two years ago, our morning conference breakfast had grown crowded. It was an adjustment, but I managed to keep us both on task each morning despite EJ and Pia's antics.

"I doubt that." I swiped through my ePad. "Ursa won't part with our tadpole until they are probably old enough to split their tail."

Already, my mate had a play area installed in her office. On the off chance that I babysat I also had an area added. It never hurt to be prepared and I was unsure what our child's powers would be.

"Fair. I never let Ethan take Pia to work, but then he doesn't have his own business." Amber kissed EJ. "I'm impressed that you set up a pack-n-play near your desk. What happened to sophistication first and foremost?"

The pack-n-play was the finest in infant care. It was designed not only to keep our tadpole comfortable but to grow alongside them until they were walking age. The playpen was state of the art. It also had magical alarms that would alert me, Ursula, and the gnomes if anything happened or if someone unapproved came too close. My tadpole had the best. "I'm mated. It would stand to reason that I would make certain adjustments, but my standards have not changed."

"Ah," she laughed. "In other words, you planned for it already."

"On the agenda this morning, Jenna prepared a listing of the PO's that we have received. Based on those numbers, I have deduced we are understaffed."

Amber's jovial expression faded and she slid into business mode. "In which areas?"

"IT and investigations have been working an average of fifteen hours of overtime for the past three months."

Amber bit her lip. "They'll burn out. I will have CeeCee contact the Mirror Mage Coven for candidates. Based on the current work and projections for the next five years, we will need ten more IT mages."

"And fifteen more investigators," I added. "We should also look into hiring from our planner pool."

"Good idea." She made a note.

The door to the conference room opened. Jenna gave us a strange look. It appeared a mix of amusement and confusion. In each of her hands, she held a scroll encased in a bubble. "Sorry to interrupt, but these arrived via bubble post."

"Bubble Post? I am unfamiliar." Though I had a strong suspicion that it was merfolk in nature. All my dealings with them were mundane or through the usual Supernatural instamail post.

"It's from the sea," Jenna answered. "I learned about them in school."

"You're a wealth of information Jenna, though I gathered that much." I touched one of the bubbles and it burst on contact. I removed the scroll.

Jenna had been with me for years. Unphased by my comment she added, "From the sea cities. It's probably from Atlantica."

That was highly unlikely. The sea cities considered land-dwelling merfolk as deserters on the whole. Amber and I lived in Baytown when we were young. There was no connection to the capital sea city to me except--

"Let's hope not," I said.

I unrolled the missive.

By order of Poseidon, the King of Atlantic Ocean and his Queen Amphitrite

You and your mate of the Harvenheit school, have been invited to the Centurial Bubble Ball, a celebration of influential merfolk on sea and land. Your attendance at the palace is required at this highly anticipated event at midnight hour on the first night of the winter full moon.

So say Poseidon, Ruler of the Atlantic Ocean.

It was worse than I imagined.

Hades and damnation.

"Wow, a mandatory political party." Amber tossed her scroll on the conference room table.

Then the realization of the invitation hit me. Ursula and I were both invited to her old city by her ex to a mandatory ball. This could not be a coincidence. Was this some game?

"How in the hades is Ethan supposed to attend this?" Amber shot up and began pacing while vigorously rocking EJ.

"We're both upset, but I don't want you shaking up my fully fed nephew."

She handed EJ off to me, not what I expected, then continued to pace. My nephew frowned first then he relaxed. At least the male knew allies when he saw one. His mother may be his favorite person, but she was unstable at the moment.

"Do you want me to take him?" Jenna asked.

I shook my head. I needed more practice with infants. "I advise you to escape before she notices you."

She exited the room.

"Why in the hades is the King of Atlantica inviting both of us?" Amber fumed. "Ethan's Natural."

"Technically, he's Supernatural born with no powers," I said. "That is a subtle difference."

"You're not helping me stay sane." She growled. "Your mate can survive at the bottom of the ocean mine cannot. It's not like this Bubble Ball causes you any issues."

I remained calm. My nephew was in my arms. Any extreme reaction would result negatively in my future. "Amber, take a moment to sense my emotions."

She stopped in mid-pace. I allowed the annoyance, anger, and concern about the situation to flow through our link. Her narrowed eyed expression widened. She nearly doubled over before she mentally withdrew from our link.

My point was made. We were both in a situation. And the one maid that I would seek advice is the one I wanted to protect from the information. I'd table it for later.

"I see your point. What are we going to do?" Amber asked.

"Stop panicking for one. We're life event planners if anyone can pull this off it's us." I handed EJ back to her since she appeared less likely to turn him into a milkshake that could spray the office. "We'll pool our resources and investigate this."

"Yes." Amber focused.

She nuzzled EJ's cheeks with her nose before sitting. A brief feeling of contrition emanated from her when she did it. Then started swiping at her ePad. "The first winter full moon is December 25th. The ball will compromise your plans."

Son of a--

No. I wouldn't let Ursula's ex get to me. Of course, he would select the most inconvenient time. The merman didn't seem to care about anyone's time, but his own. I wouldn't let it affect my plans. "Deviations happen from time to time. I will handle it accordingly."

Amber gave me an appraising look. "Ursula has been good for you. I will have to hug her when I see her again."

"Well, she is my mate."

"It's more than that you and you know it," Amber said. "So are you going to fill me in on why you're so worried about this ball?"

"Yes, but not until I talk with her about it."

Amber glanced behind me. "It's almost eight. I'm going to put EJ down, give Pia breakfast, then get to work. I'll see you at the one o'clock meeting."

I nodded. "Until then."

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# Chapter Two

# Ursula

--------

"What theme do you want for your baby shower?" Braeden asked. She flipped through her phone.

"Anything but under the sea," I answered. "Everyone would be expecting a mermaid to make that choice. It's stereotypical to the point of nausea."

"What about winter wonderland?" Braeden suggested. "Everyone will love it since it's still eighty degrees and Thanksgiving is this week. I love the quirkiness of the weather in this part of Virginia. It makes for an interesting challenge with my plants."

It was different. I'd give her that. Braeden knew more about these parties than I. When she was pregnant, I threw her a simple garden party with her mage friends and some of Colt's friends. It was a Natural event since most of the people that Colt knew were unaware of the Supernatural. The event was mundane, but they both seemed to have a good time.

"And what would this entail exactly?" I asked. "Tristan is going to ask questions."

Braeden smirked. "Where is the fun in that?"

The tadpole shifted in my abdomen. He or she was probably unconsciously defending their father. We were both on the same page. "Don't irritate me or my tadpole. I had a long night."

"Indigestion?" Braeden asked.

"No." How would I explain being suddenly filled with energy and wanting to be creative? It wasn't what most associated with pregnancy. I wasn't even sure the tadpole caused it. Magical disasters, additional powers, nausea, and a heightened sex drive were explanable. A compulsion to be busy was another.

"You and Tristan went at it all night." Braeden waggled her eyebrows. "I have three children. I know how to speak code."

"That came later."

Braeden snorted then sobered. "I'm going to let that one go. About the Winter Wonderland theme, I was thinking sleighs, hot cocoa--hot lemonade for you--and snowflakes. I designed a winter demesne in TiroSidhe once and it came out well if I do say so."

Considering that anything from the imagination could happen in TiroSidhe, I was not surprised. It was the world of the Supernatural after all. "Are you transporting all of the guests there?"

"Of course." Braeden shot me an incredulous look.

It was just a question. I hadn't expected her to use that amount of resources for me. I valued her friendship, however I also knew she kept tabs on me for Urd. We walked a fine line.

"You're my best friend," she continued. "And it's your first child. Besides you think, Tristan would let me do anything else for you if I messed this up?"

She had a valid point. "Thank you, Braeden."

"You're welcome. I waited almost a century for this. I'm going to enjoy my best friend duty," she said.

It didn't hurt that Tristan was preoccupied with his notion of a perfect Christmas for me. Barring our breakup, I enjoyed the last one. I wouldn't mind repeating most of it. Though I was not physically able to do some of the positions we tried that day. I wouldn't mind spending a day in bed.

Knock. Knock.

Braeden and I glanced at the door. Another complication of my pregnancy, I couldn't receive messages through pre approved mental connections. The only person I could hear was Tristan--and Amber when she was close to me. My assistant had to communicate with me through other means. When I had the next one, I was going to do a few things differently, "Come in."

The door opened and one of my human employees opened the door. Tia was the only Natural on my staff. I found her demeanor and eagerness at learning refreshing. "Look what came."

She held a scroll inside a bubble.

My tadpole backflipped. A bubble post. I hadn't seen one in decades and never addressed to me. I held out my hand. "I take it that's for me."

Tia nodded, The bubble burst on contact with its recipient--me. I unraveled the scroll. A quick glance at its contents and I was annoyed. "Poseidon has a new queen--touching."

I tossed the scroll on my desk.

Tia's face sobered. "That's it. All the maids were excited when they saw it. I thought it would be more than that. His contract with her is old news. Oh well. "Bye."

She spun on her heel then left.

"Braeden,--" I turned to the silent mage then shrugged when I saw her reading the socialized invitation Posiedon sent. "Your thoughts?"

Braeden knew my past. Almost as well as Urd. I hadn't seen Posiedon in nearly a century. The last time ended badly. Mindless revenge was not good look on me and time showed me there was no point. Retribution came back eventually.

I was at my most perfect. A handsome mate on my arm, obvious procreation in progress, success at my business. It was clear that I moved past the event that had nearly destroyed me. If my invitation was about him being petty, he'd experience the crushing defeat he deserved at his own hand. If not then I was invited to another party.

Simple as that.

Braeden placed her hand over mine. I hadn't noticed it had been shaking.

"Things are different now," she said as though she were trying to sooth me.

I had indigestion. Other than that, I was fine. Well, maybe a tad anxious. But still fine. "I know."

"I just wanted to remind you." She squeezed my hand then released it. "As for my thoughts, I don't think this is a retaliation tactic. This is the second one of these balls. The first one he threw was before you moved to the surface. If you want I can put an enforcer on your detail, I highly advise it."

That hurt. I hadn't tried to hex anyone without cause in centuries. Her role as Urd's lead enforcer was the reason I had kept so much distance. Over the decades, I thought I had proved my intentions. "Don't you trust me?"

Braeden shook her finger at me. "Oh, no, we're not going backwards. We're friends. I'm not going to let you slip away easily. I always provide VIPs in my jurisdiction with enforcers at major events. Besides it's Tristan that I'm worried about."

Coolness spread through me. I hadn't considered his reaction. He was a master at politics. My mate would handle the situation appropriately. "He will be fine."

Braeden shrugged. "Watch him. He's territorial as a shifter at times and he's best friends with the were Alpha. I wouldn't be surprised if Pete didn't try to assign an enforcer of his to your detail to make sure everything is on the up and up."

That was well within Pete's character and apparently Braeden's too. It was comforting to know those of influence. "I'd like to say it would not be necessary, but you pose some valid points."

"Well I may have some experience over the years," she said modestly. "Don't let this youthful face fool you."

True. She was a powerful earth mage and as such she aged like a shifter. Braeden was older than me so it was difficult to tell. And getting a serious answer about her age was unlikely.

"So now you have to break the news to Tristan that you and he have been commanded to attend the Bubble Ball," Braeden said.

"I doubt it. Poseidon has to legally invite each responsible party in order to enforce his magic as a consequence." At least my time with my ex had yielded some fruit. I knew much about him and his magic. I doubted there was a lot of change over the decades staying cloistered in the sea didn't lend itself to diversity of situations.

"That is horribly inefficient. He must be very powerful or exhausted all of the time," Braeden commented.

"I'd wager both considering he never leaves his seat of power for long periods." Poseidon should be glad that I no longer wanted to take over. I'd be a better monarch than him, but then I wouldn't have my shop or a moment to myself.

"Let's move on to something less stressful," Braeden suggested. "At your shower, what type of food do you want?"

And right on cue, the indigestion abated and the hunger began.

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# Chapter Three

# Tristan

--------

I stood at the bridge between my office and Ursula's. After considering the issue for most of the day, I decided to call our first family meeting. Despite my personal thoughts on the matter, Poseidon was the technical local authority for merfolk. Those who lived on land tended to follow the Supernatural Council's laws, but we were under the law of our ocean. He controlled it and would know anytime we entered it so there was no avoiding a command. Fortunately, they were rare and few. I thought he had all but forgotten we existed.

I wish he had.

Then I wouldn't have to bring up the past for Ursula. There was no telling how she would react. She never mentioned Poseidon and I was fine with that. He came off as self-important in her brief depiction of him and the invitation supported it.

I wanted to have a pre-meeting with Ursula because I knew she hated surprises. Blindsiding her was a bad idea. She had a temper but given a warning beforehand, even a brief one, she remained the witty, intelligent maid that I mated and married.

I knocked.

"I'm alone," she answered.

I opened the door to her office. As always her sentries sneered at me briefly with their rows of sharp teeth before they took on the appearance of clownfish. all the walls of her office building or plexiglass aquariums. Her sentries were still warming up to me even after a year. I miss the days when I thought there were just clownfish, but at least I knew my mate was in their safe fins.

Ursula stood when I entered her office. She wore a designer suit tailored for her swelling abdomen. Heat filled me at the sight of her in what I called her signature color. Purple. The dark purple suit and black boots were so her and they were sympatico with my wardrobe. It seemed that we matched everywhere we went. We had been dubbed a power couple by a few social circles. I couldn't deny that we made an impression when we arrived.

It was probably what drew Poseidon's attention.

And my mood is almost ruined.

She slid into my arms. Her tadpole bump poked me in the stomach as I leaned in to kiss her. Our lips brushed lightly. It was hard to keep it chaste. I still had my memories of the morning to keep me on task. The maid was a dynamo in bed, more so the past few months. The move she did this morning--

"Easy, Tristan." She kissed my nose and eased away. "Although it does do my ego good that you still desire me in this way."

"Well, I did promise you that I would make sure you never doubted my love again."

Her eyes sparkled. "True and there's always tonight. If you're not too tired that is."

My body responded to the possibility. Any other time I would take her across her desk and show her how tired I was. The other reason the sentries were annoyed, they hated being dismissed.

Business first. Pleasure later.

"Rain check on that?" I asked. "There's something we need to discuss."

She quirked an eyebrow then leaned against her desk. "I bet you got one of these."

She lifted a scroll from her desk.

"The Bubble Ball," I said.

She nodded. "You saved me the trouble of breaking it to you. What's the plan?"

I loved her.

"I had planned on us discussing it at dinner with Amber and Ethan. They were invited to the ball as well." I stepped closer. "But I wanted to brainstorm with you first."

She smirked. "You mean you wanted to warn me first. Lemon points to you on considering me in your pre-plans."

She lowered her lids in that false demure look that I loved.

"Maid, you are pushing buttons that we do not have time for at the moment."

"We don't?" She asked pulling at my suit jacket. The buttons gave at her gentle touch and my skin heated at her caress over my dress shirt.

I wanted her, but I couldn't let her distract me. Not at least until I could ascertain her state of mind. "How are you?"

"Oh, that invitation got to me if that's what you're really asking."

Her hands were on my belt. I covered mine with hers and made eye contact. "I'm here for you."

Her eyes widened then darkened. Determination danced in her eyes. She was about to defy me. Deter me. I could sense her sudden desire in our mentalscape. She tried to overwhelm me.

"Ursa--"

She kissed me, hard--demanding.

I put my hands on her shoulder when she gripped my desire in her palm.

"You're playing dirty." I panted.

"Villain," she replied as though it were obvious as she fondled me. "Right now, some reassurance is needed then we'll talk. I promise."

She had no argument from me. I suckled her bottom lip. If I was reassuring her of my feelings, then I might as well do my best.

For our relationship of course.

I made quick work of undressing us then paused at her nakedness. Her swollen belly carried my child. She trusted me to help carry on a joined line. I never grew tired of the sight.

I kneeled before her. Sensing my intentions, she parted her legs. Anticipation danced along our mating bond. One of the perks of making Ursula mine was that I sensed her moods and emotions. So when I drank from her essence with all the intensity of my desire, I knew I had succeeded in my mission to assure her.

With slight deviations of course.

Deviations that I thoroughly enjoyed as I lathed at her folds and she trembled against me. I supported her balance as she shuddered through her climax. She had me on the brink. Her sweet center and her consuming emotions, while I made love to her, overwhelmed me. No matter how many times I had Ursula my thirst was never slaked.

I managed a few hours of productivity each day before my thoughts turn to sex at best. A fact she frequently tested in our relationship. I would not disappoint my mate.

Once Ursula's breathing return to normal--a demonstration of discipline on my part--I tugged her to me and settled us so that she was straddled across me. Right where I wanted her.

"Tristan," she said into my mind.

I didn't answer. I raised her hips then aimed my swollen cock at her warm slit. I hissed at the hot, velvety sheath surrounding me. Every time we physically connected, I got a rush as I eased past the first tight ring of muscle. Then I slid inside as though it were home. My control ebbed away. The only discussion I wanted was our bodies. I answered her summons with thrusts that would lead to one of us calling out. I was determined it would be her.

Ursula moaned aloud as I set a brutal pace. Our mating bond took out most of the guesswork in pleasing her but it tended to reduce me down to a near mindless maniac as we moved together. Her hypnotizing breasts jiggled in my face begging me to touch her except my hands were occupied at her hips.

I did the next best thing and buried my face into her chest. I'd pay proper homage to them later.

Ursula hissed. Her body clamped around me. She was close.

I adjusted the angle of my hip slightly. She loved it when I--

"Hades, Tristan." She called out squeezing me closer in the throes of her orgasm.

Magic brushed along my skin. Summoning magic. I was too close to my own release to care. My back arched in her grip as magic and pleasure surrounded me.

Then I came back to my senses. The smell of lemons helped.

Ursula's aquarium office now had a garden. The floor sprouted grass and the plexiglass walls were covered in vines. A few small lemon trees blossomed into existence. Ursula's use of summoning magic was occurring more and more. I had been informed by the doctor that it was common in mixed magic matings and that it was temporary. Our tadpole's power was immense and I would have to spend the rest of the afternoon correcting Ursula's office.

"You smell good." She nuzzled against me. Her eyes were closed.

Having just had her, my discipline was somewhat strong. But a male could only stand so much when the love of his life rubbed her naked body against him. Then there was the fact that I was partially inside her. It wouldn't take much to stoke the fire.

"It's the lemon trees and vines you summoned from your emerald."

Her eyes popped open. They widened the narrowed as she met my gaze. "That's what happens when you try to sex me into submission. I cannot be tamed."

"Was that comment supposed to cow me?" My voice sounded rougher than I intended. We were a breath away from another round.

"Later." She kissed my nose then stood. "Shower and then fix my office."

I was at her side. I would win her challenge. "Shower sex, fix the office, then meeting. Perfect agenda."

"That's not--"

I kissed her into momentary submission.

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# Chapter Four

# Ursula

--------

"Thank you for coming to our very first family meeting." Tristan stood at the dry erase board in the firm's conference room. He was in full board meeting effect. His posture was rigid as he spun a marker in his hand. Did he plan to illustrate his points on the board? I didn't think that was necessary. We would be fine,

Considering how we spent the majority of the afternoon, I thought he would have been more relaxed. Then again planning and strategizing was his way of distressing. Though we both enjoyed our after lunch pleasure, it didn't leave much time for talking. My whims were becoming harder to control.

One moment I was exhausted, the next I could conquer the world or wanted Tristan with the worst sense of debauchery, and then an entire afternoon of work was lost instead of the hour I had allotted to stroking his ego in the wake of Poseidon's invitation.

"You know we could have done this at home, right?" Amber asked.

The voice of reason. It was a scary thought.

Tristan gave her the side eye. "Noted for the next time."

Then he loosened his tie.

My heart nearly leaped into my chest. Was my mate relaxing?

How unpredictable of him.

How... sexy.

As if hearing my last thought--with him I can hardly tell. The male was entirely too good at sensing my moods. Tristan met my gaze with a questioning look. But I caught the green taking over the hazel in his eyes. He was interested.

"Okay, newlyweds, I get it. Just so you know the sex tones down a notch once the ba--tadpole comes." Amber rolled her eyes. "I'd say get a room, but that wouldn't be enough. Seriously, EJ and Pia are too young for another sibling. Quit it."

Ethan put his hand on Amber's shoulder. "What Amber means is we need to stay on topic."

"Later," I said to Tristan through our bond.

I got the heated promise of his feelings then he went into professional mode.

"We have been commanded to attend the Bubble Ball. First, I want a consensus of our actions before we work through the obvious issues. Are we complying or not?"

"I don't see how we can get out of it unscathed," Amber answered.

"I agree," Ethan said.

"I want to show you off." I gifted him a leer. He flushed at my comment.

I loved that.

Tristan cleared his throat and Amber whistled.

"Did I mention how much I love you, sister dear?" Amber grinned.

Even more reason for me to attend, I had allies. Poseidon was nothing when I was surrounded by family and a handsome mate on my own arm.

I glanced at my mate's mischievous sister. She was just as protective of Tristan as me, even with her machinations. And if not for her contracting a date through PST my life would have remained the same. "You did."

Amber made the shape of a heart with her hands.

"If you two are done?" Tristan tried to sound put out as evidenced by his patronizing tone. I knew better. The crimson was still on his face.

"Then we have one obstacle to come through," he said. "Amber's kiss can protect Ethan while she remains close to him--"

I nodded. "Yes, I know. The protector spell was not meant for long-term excursions."

"Is there a potion we can use?"

His voice was hesitant but there was no condescension. A far cry from when we first met and he called my practice "discount magic." I still wanted to smack him over that except I moved on. He understood his mistake.

"There is. Breathing in the ocean is easy all we need is some nevilleweed ground into a tea. But it won't improve his swimming skills," I said.

Amber put her hand over Ethan's. "We'll swim slow."

"Even at your slowest pace you and Pia leave me behind," Ethan said. "There has to be some sort of spell to enhance my abilities."

"I was getting to that." I turned to the two of them. They both held each other as though all was lost. It was no way near. If I could force age a tadpole so the bratty princess could split her tail and go to the surface, then I could certainly help a Natural swim in the sea. "Mutatio. I have done some experiments over the past year and I'm ready to test."

"Mutatio? Is that a potion?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, it changes your appearance," Tristan answered.

"Very good." I shot him a grin. He had been listening after all. "But you also take on the scent and properties of what you become. If I use Ethan's and Tristan's essence then I should get a merman that looks a combination--"

Choking panic stole my words. My vision blurred. Tristan's arms were around me as I fought for consciousness.

"Ursa!"

His voice was far away. No matter how hard I tried to fight, he never got closer. My limbs grew heavier in his embrace. At least he held me.

"Ursa!"

Then I lost and oblivion officially claimed me.

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# Chapter Five

# Tristan

--------

I shook Ursula several times. There was no response as her head lulled to the side lifeless. "No!"

I held her to me. Her heart beating against my chest kept me from going over the deep end. She was alive, however, her breathing was shallow. I needed to do something. "Amber." My voice croaked.

"Ethan is already on it." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "He's at the mirror calling for EMTs. In the meantime, I need you to calm down. You're choking us with your emotion."

I met her gaze. "I did this?"

Amber didn't answer just pressed the side of my head to her abdomen. The way our mother did when we were young. I wasn't a child. I was an adult and my mate was in trouble. "The best thing you can do for Ursula and your tadpole is to relax. She's still new to the bond. Sensitivity is not unusual. Ethan went it through too."

So it was me. I caused the situation. I would fix it. I cleared my mind of all thought except Ursula and our plans for the week. It was Wednesday night. We planned to get dinner at our favorite sub shop, Five Brownies, and get our usual order. She and I were to officiate our first gnome mating on Thursday as part of our sentinel duties. Friday, I planned to take her on a double date to the movies with Braeden and Colt.

Ursula coughed several times then eased into her regular breath pattern. It worked. Almost. Her eyes fluttered a little, but she didn't open them.

I would take it.

"The EMTs are here," Ethan announced.

Two females hurried into the conference room carrying a stretcher. One of them, a shivati, walked over to us holding four of her six hands in placation. "We mean no harm. We want to help your mate. I'm going to place one of my hands on your shoulder. You're going to feel a little numb but your cognitive functions will remain."

She held my gaze. The irrational side of me wanted to take Ursula and run. I was her mate. I could care for her, especially since I caused her malady.

"Tristan, you know I am watching. I'm here," Amber said into my mind. The cooling sensation of trust flowed over me.

Everything became clear. Ursula needed help. The EMTs couldn't do their job with me in the way.

"I'm watching," I said to the shivati.

"I don't doubt it." She wrapped her fingers around Ursula's wrist. "She's fine and the baby is healthy."

The other EMT spurred into action by laying a strip of cloth across Ursula's forehead. The spell on the cloth glowed green and the EMT, a mage most likely, removed it. "She's not in any danger. We can safely move her to Sunrise."

"Why won't she wake?" I needed explanations. If Ursula was fine then there was no need to take her away from me unless there was more that they needed to check.

"The doctor will advise," the shivati replied. "Though I expect her to come around soon. She will want to see you when she wakes."

Finally, something I could do. "That is acceptable."

The shivati released me then assisted the other with putting Ursula onto the stretcher. "We have a few questions about your mate."

Anything to move the process along. "What is it?"

"What type of Supernatural is your mate?"

"Her father was fish folk of octopus variety and her mother was merfolk." Ursula may not have been ready for Amber and Ethan to know about her fish folk side. I'd ask for forgiveness later.

"Thank you for the information."

They lifted the stretcher. Ursula remained silent, but her chest rose and fell to a blissful rhythm. She reminded me too much of when she was under a sleeping spell. It was the worst week of my life trying to revive her. But the two of us got through it. And the memories were not helping. I had already overloaded her once.

"Come with us," the shivati suggested.

I followed them through the emergency mirror in the hallway to Sunrise Creek General Hospital. The few times I had been to the healthcare facility, were the maternity ward and the doctor's office. The emergency room was vastly different. There was a sedate efficiency with which everyone moved. Not at all the frenzy, I imagined.

Patients arrive moaning and screeching then they were quickly scuttled to various areas for care. Others paced about anxiously in a waiting area of couches, perches, and a pool. In the center of the chaos, a lone figure directed the incoming patients. The Supernatural was genderless and resembled water vapor in a humanoid shape. There was no face but they managed to convey intentions nonetheless. When we arrived, the instructions of "Second-floor room 2514. Dr. Atiq is on the way" cut through the noise of pain and movement.

I took Ursula's limp hand. Calm flowed over me as I walked with her stretcher.

"Tristan, we're fine."

Thank the goddess. We had a connection again. Her silence on our mentalscape had unnerved me more than anything. "Ursa, I'm so sorry. Come back to me."

"I told you before that I wouldn't let you off that easy." She chuckled in my mind. "I need a little more rest. Love you."

"Love you," I said as she drifted away from our connection. I still sensed on the edges of our mentalscape unlike when she fell ill. She really would be fine.

All I had to do is wait.

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# Chapter Six

# Ursula

--------

I woke up in a bedpool of lemon-scented ocean water and Tristan by my side. His head rested next to my arm. It was similar to the time I passed out at the wolf compound in Surry, except the water tasted better and he was awake. It was the little niceties that made convalescing easier.

Yesterday--I hoped it was still yesterday and not days ago--I made the mistake of blindsiding Tristan and I paid for it. I hadn't expected such anxiety from him about having a split tail. I should have known better considering I had a similar issue about my octopus form. Mentioning using his assets to help change Ethan into a merman was callous. Next time I would take better care.

I still planned to use Tristan's essence for Ethan's Mutatio potion. My mate was handsome and all his forms. He was the father of my tadpole. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to show him off. The entire Atlantic Ocean would know that he was mine and that I didn't care what they thought about it.

Tristan raised his head. "How are you feeling?"

I caressed his face. He didn't deserve anyone's disdain except maybe mine if I was in a mood. At least I wouldn't take it too far. "Waking up to a sexy male and the smell of lemons, what more could a maid ask for?"

"A mate who isn't damaged," he answered.

Wait. Hold the clamshell.

"Tristan Matthew Harvenheit, are you saying that my good taste is flawed?" His statement would not stand. I understood self-deprecating from others. I could even tolerate some humility from him, but not a straight out tear down.

It was outrageous, egregious, preposterous, and other verbose words that helped me manage my temper instead of hunting the one who hurt him.

He grinned despite himself and cool confidence swept across our mentalscape. His eyes darkened to the familiar lusty green hue that I enjoyed. "No, you don't as I have been reminded."

"Then heed my words. I love you and I generally hate intimacy. It took Braeden and Maven decades to get close to me and you are at my center. I bound myself to you. You may be many adjectives, damaged is not one of them."

He leaned in to kiss me and I put my hand between our faces. "The beginning of change is the admission of truth. Who is going to be on the receiving end of my curse?"

His eyes widened in obvious incredulity then he laughed. It was a sad one, but I could sense the genesis of his wall breaking. Lucky for both of us that I was still woozy from his emotional attack. I had noticed a section of our mentalscape that was unavailable to me. I never got around to asking him about it since there was so much change in our lives. It was high time for a confession.

Tristan touched my face with his forefinger. "I wish I had known you when I was young."

We were both young by merfolk standards and I had seventy-five years on him. A near-century ago I was in a bad place. I would have used him up and broken him because I could. Misery adored company. "You're still young and no you wouldn't have."

A softer approach was needed, then later I would get names and do a little cleanup to balance the universe. Just a minor potion nothing overt or too deadly. I had learned some restraint over the decades.

"Take your time, lemon drop, I'm here." I squeezed his hand for good measure. The soft approach went further with Tristan. It lulled him into a less defensive state. I wanted answers more than anything. And if he alpha'd up to save his pride then I'd go back to strong-arm techniques.

He sighed. "I don't want to hurt you again."

"You're not dealing with your problems. Not sharing with me hurts more than bottling it up." I let all of the concern for him into my face. He could sense it anyway. I might as well let him see what he meant to me. "I know you're strong. You have a plan for everything. I don't have to worry about our family being protected, but I'm the only one who can protect you. We are one soul."

"Maid, you make it tough for me to focus," he said.

Good. He did the same to me. "It's because we're perfect for each other. Now tell me what happened."

He squeezed my hand again then fixed his gaze on my abdomen.

"You already know that I am a split tail," he began.

I nodded then braced myself for whatever he said next.

"Amber and I were born in Virginia Beach. Baytown was a few leagues away. My parents chose it because there were other hybrid couples there." He paused.

I pulled him down to join me on the clamshell bed. After some rest, I was better equipped to take care of him. We were in the hospital after all. I lay my head on his shoulder then urged him to continue by snuggling up next to him.

His arm tightened around me.

"I was the only one in Baytown with a split tail. The others would discuss how I was a failed aberration and that I should have been killed at birth. Amber and I were constantly in fights in our classes with the other tadpoles. She has one hades of a kick." He ran his hands through my hair. "We handled ourselves well enough that the arguments tapered off. Then one day a maid grabbed me and Amber kicked her into a patch of lime anemones. Her backside was full of spikes."

"Well deserved." I didn't want to think too closely at his obvious edit of events. I doubted that the maid simply "grabbed him" as he put it. Amber was high strung but she wasn't violent. He glossed over atrocities as though they were simple mischief and ignorance.

I sensed his mood as he retold the events. I knew the emotional truth. He couldn't hide from me.

"It was, but it didn't solve anything and it made an enemy of her."

"Oh?" I asked.

"She lured Amber into a trap then I endured torture to get my sister back."

"Torture?"

The tone of my question must have startled him because I caught a brief flash of memory. I saw a maid with black hair and brown eyes laughing then a sting on my back--Tristan's back. He had light scars there. I had wondered about them but he never spoke about it. I assumed it was male mischief from his youth. I never expected him to be injured protecting Amber. It further explained her protectiveness of him. Twins and trauma.

Well, I had an answer along with a face and a name, Coral Seashell. And she would feel my wrath.

"We moved to Norfolk after that," he said in a quick attempt to finish up the story.

I stared up at him. "Where you rose above all of your enemies to become the most sought-after life event planner and you mated me."

"Exactly," he said.

"I love you as you are." I squeezed him gently. "And you have me at your back as well."

He kissed my hair. "It's just baggage. Don't worry I won't lose control again. It's in the past."

Tristan wiggled out from under me. "The doctor said I could take you home when you awoke. I want to get you in our bed with a hot lemonade."

"That's my line. I'll do it if you join me. I'll even let you watch that show you like."

He gave me a quizzical expression. "You're going to sit through an episode of The Lapidary Brothers? Maybe we should stay in hospital a little longer."

For him, I would. "Yes, we need a break from this crazy day."

He gave me a genuine smile and took my hand. As we swam to the surface of the bedpool, I channeled my inner Tristan and formulated a plan. I would call it "cold dish" in honor of the old Natural maxim about revenge. If I got the right ingredients not only could I clean Tristan's house, I could take care of mine as well.

Neither side would know what hit them.

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# Chapter Seven

# Tristan

--------

I leaned against the kitchen counter of the Moonlight Diner while Pete prepped for lunch. The werewolf alpha grunted as he moved through his tasks at record speed. Apparently, he was still annoyed that reorganizing his workspace and labeling ingredients and cabinets had increased productivity. It had been the same way for fifty years and there hadn't been an issue.

Except for the Moonlight Diner, with the new set up, serviced three times the crowd and remained at top efficiency when he was not there. They moved into food delivery because of the consistency. There were on both the Kitchen Dash and the Fubar Eats apps. Pete grumbled each time he prepped a meal set, but I knew well enough. He was pleased.

At least one of us is in a good mood.

"I know you're not here to gloat over your improvements to my kitchen and your scent is not bitter enough to have had a fight with Ursula. Do you plan to tell me before or after lunch?" He asked.

He did have a point. I had been there for twenty minutes already. "I received an invitation from the king of the Atlantic Ocean. It was more of a summons. Ursula and my sister received one as well."

"Any particular reason?" He asked.

"A Ball."

"That's not the reason for the anxiety." Pete pounded the ground beef in the flat patties on wax paper that covered a metal tray. "Boardrooms and ballrooms are your battlefields. The king is an opportunity."

"He was once involved with Ursa. It ended badly." There I said it.

"You're her mate. He is inconsequential." Pete handed me the filled tray of meat and pointed to the refrigerator.

Mating was unusual amongst merfolk. We typically did contracts similar to Natural weddings. Matings typically occurred on the surface where binding one's magic to another was viewed as a strength. The sea was a fish eat fish world.

"Merfolk view mating differently." I opened the stainless steel industrial refrigerator and place the tray on an empty rack.

Pete growled. "I would find it unacceptable if he tried to take Ursula from you."

Heads would roll. I'd make sure of it. "He has a queen so I doubt he would try."

I made sure she understood her position in my life--regularly.

Pete's nostrils flared. "Yes, you more than staked your claim on your mate and she on you. Newlymates."

I ignored his grumbling. We both would do anything for our mates. I had a finite amount of conversation with Pete. I didn't want to waste it bantering about that olde subject. "It's obvious that my father was not merfolk. My heritage tends to distract when I'm in the ocean."

"Ah." Pete crossed his arms. "We used to be the same with shifters and turns, focusing on the difference, but silver bullets kill us all. They will get over it, or you can rise and take his power. I'd rather have you as an ally than him. You'd lead all your people out of the Dark Ages instead of just the ones on the surface."

"I'm not interested in dividing my time between the land and the sea," I said.

He turned back to the counter and grabbed another chunk of meat to make more patties. "I can understand that. More territory is not necessarily better. I prefer you on land anyway. And Maven would miss Ursula."

"So with a coup out of the question, I'm back to the outline stage." I picked up a shaker of salt and studied it. The container was aluminum with a handle on the side for ergonomic ease.

"I'll send two enforcers. You and Ursula are pack and I would not take a misunderstanding well," he said.

"That is not necessary." I put the shaker down. "I am more than capable--"

"Add them to your plan then. I owe you a favor for your assistance with the gift for Maven. Besides, I am interested in the king as a matter of strategy." He kept his back to me while he worked. It was a sign of trust and dominance.

I didn't want to accept. We were friends due to interest, not his position. There was a fine line I didn't want to cross. We already did business together. We had lunch on Wednesdays. And we hung out when our mates pushed us out the door for time away from work. He was a land king for all intents and purposes. His territory was the Mid-Atlantic. There were only two large packs on the East Coast. Pete's political influence was heavy as pack alpha. "I'm going to--"

He handed me another tray to put in the refrigerator.

"I will put it another way. I take pack seriously. Your role as my advisor and handling the life events of other pack members makes your well being my business."

I held the tray sensing his Alpha personality. Part of me wanted to press the issue. Wolf leadership magic was impressive all on its own, but the conversation was over as far as I was concerned. I had my pride. I could more than provide for my family.

Then I remembered the idiocy that caused me to nearly lose Ursa. Pete was one of those who tried to convince me that I was on the path of error and admit my feelings for her. I didn't listen, and I left us open for my ex to break us up with treachery. Resourceful as I was, there was no way I was on par with a king. Pete's backing would even the playing field. At the end of the day, I would win if I played it smart.

"I accept your offer." I walked the tray to the refrigerator.

Pete grunted then started to fill up another tray. He had reached his speaking quota for a while. Apparently, Maven and I were the only few who got sentences out of him that weren't orders.

"Need me to hang around while you finish up?"

"No," he said.

And like that my visit was over. I had a better sense of how I would approach the problem and my friend had my back even though I could manage.

Hopefully, convincing Ursula about the enforcers wouldn't be difficult and we could talk about the potion without her losing consciousness. I would master my emotions when we talked. I was an adult. The opinions of others didn't matter. I was confident in my skills. My firm was a pinnacle of excellence. The plebes were nothing.

I had the situation under control.

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# Chapter Eight

# Ursula

"You still haven't told me what we're doing here." Bubbles flew out of Braeden's mouth as she tried to talk as though we were on the surface. We were on the outskirts of Baytown about ten leagues from the coast and she was starting to get the hang of it.

Braeden covered her mouth. "I forgot that doesn't work. I just have to think it."

It wasn't traditional telepathy. The ocean served as a linkage to all that could access the magic of it. We spoke in a series of tones and squeaks that emanated from our gills, but we interpreted it like words in our minds. Remaining outside of the ocean the difference was prominent. We understood and spoke all of the Natural languages. If she were in the ocean and me on land, merspeak would come out as heavily accented words interspersed with squeaks."You've only been a maid for half an hour."

She did a backflip with the energy of a tadpole. "I wish I could have assigned myself to you. This is so cool. Don't get me wrong. I like being me, but this is seeing first-hand the life of merfolk."

"Thank you for trying out my experiment. If you feel that anytime you start turning back into a mage, grasp at your throat or speak if you can. My kiss will protect you until we get back to the surface."

"Aye aye, captain." She saluted. "So are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Baytown. Ethan will have to travel all the way to Atlanta. I want to know if it is possible for him to make it this far and then we take a sea train."

"I see." She cocked her head to the side. "And? I feel like there's an "and" in there somewhere."

I shrugged. There was no need to lie.

"And there is an old coral seashell I wanted to check on." I adjusted my bag strap. "Shall we?"

We set off towards Baytown proper and arrived in what seemed like a few flicks of our tails. The sea town had an urban meet small-town flair similar to the Tidewater area of Virginia where we lived. There were a few surfacescrapers--apartments I assumed--in the center of the town. Several schools of merfolk bristled around in the late morning traffic.

Finding my quarry would take more effort than I expected. I should have known. Procuring information under stress was always suspect. I knew Tristan had edited his story, watered it down to keep me from being upset. He knew I would become angry on his behalf and he was right.

Tristan was unflappable except in dealing with his family or his split tail. Our very first swim together, I realized there was trauma the moment he shifted his eyes and seemingly braced himself for censure. When I didn't insult him, he gave me such a wide-eyed look that I wanted to know more about him.

I understood the need for emotional armor. As his mate, it was my job to support him and eliminate his enemies. But first I had to make sure the wench was not still a threat. I had a promise to Celeste to maintain after all. A fact that had escaped me initially when I first concocted my plan.

I missed the freedom of swimming off the deep end. In some ways, it was easier, but it was lonely.

"Is this a sea city?" Braeden asked.

She's spiraled around in joy, curiosity, or some other positive emotion. She was springier than usual. The potion worked too well. Using Amber's essence gave Braeden too much youth. I would have to take the source into account whenever I made the potion in the future.

"It's a large town. Most of the sea cities are three times this size and Atlantica is even larger." I answered. "Let's do some sightseeing."

Earlier, I had visited Amber's office under the guise of Christmas shopping for Tristan. I had asked a series of vague questions that would not alert her or Tristan but still revealed information about their life in the sea. Once I was in the clear, I had confirmed, via my cauldron, that the town directory had several Coral Seashells living in the city. I had a listing for all twenty of them. I'd check them all individually and Braeden would make sure I didn't choke the correct one on sight.

"Are you going to tell me why you have that "off with her head" evil queen expression?" Braeden asked.

The mage knew me too well. "Because I briefly lost restraint."

"Thinking about the real reason we're here?" She crossed her arms.

"It is as I said. I'm looking for Coral Seashell and you're trying out my potion while also reminding me of restraint when I find her." All truth.

"Her?" Braeden's eyebrow rose."Another old girlfriend of his? And for the record you made me think you were looking for a seashell."

Been there. Done that. "No, she's an old enemy that I am making sure doesn't resurge."

Braeden touched me. Magic danced down my arm. In the ocean, her magic was obvious and had a lack of subtlety that she had on land. It was a testament to her power that her craft even worked. I hadn't been sure that it would.

"Is she targeting him as the ex did?" she asked.

"Not that I know of, but I believe in a preemptive strike." The incident with his ex was still a fresh wound. The two of us underestimated her, then at our most vulnerable, she had attacked our relationship. I nearly lost Tristan because I didn't take proper precautions.

"You are on your second chance. If the maid is actively attacking, that's one thing but if she isn't..."

"I won't be caught off-guard again," I said.

I rubbed my abdomen. There was more at stake than just Tristan.

Braeden tucked me into a hug. If she thought the gesture would stop me from my search, she was overconfident. I would do what was necessary.

"Okay. But if she's currently innocent you'll walk away. Well, swim away. You worked too hard to throw it away on petty vengeance on an old bully. It's beneath both of you."

Hades. She had a point. The wench was nothing. Tristan was more powerful than her with influence alone. There was no reason to be bothered by her. Something was wrong with me. "What did you do to me Braeden?"

She released me from her embrace then motioned for me to follow after her.

"Answer me."

"I removed Tristan's fear from the equation. Without it, you can think straight or straighter anyway. I understand the need to protect your mate, but I don't want you to upset the applecart."

The impulse to take care of the matter had abated. I was still pissed, however, I no longer felt threatened. It concerned me how difficult it was to discern his emotional state from mine. Clear headed or not, I still wanted to find the wench who taught him to fear what he was.

In the back of my mind, I could sense him calling me the "potts" to his kettle. He used to love that dry joke on my old last name. Though I hadn't heard it since I changed my last name to Harvenheit. It had left him jokeless.

"Applecart?" I asked.

Braeden grinned. A crimson brushed her maple colored cheeks. "Yes, would you have rathered a nautical reference?"

"No, I'm just giving you hades. Let's go. We are wasting time."

She nodded and we swam into Baytown. I had a clear head but that didn't mean I wouldn't do what was necessary to protect my family.

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# Chapter Nine

# Tristan

--------

Knock. Knock.

I clicked the "place order" button in my Valkyrie.com shopping cart then closed the browser window. There were few that could get past my assistant, Jenna, and knock on my office door without notice. All of them had gifts on my Christmas list. "Come in."

I came into the office on a Saturday to shop for gifts without interference. I wanted to keep a sense of surprise, unlike the previous years where Amber tried to poke around our connection until she figured out what I purchased. I sensed neither Amber nor Ursula, however, Amber had decades to the practice of hiding her feelings from me. Either way, my surprise would not be ruined.

Taking a deeper dive into our bond, I sensed the humor and exasperation that was commonplace when Ursula spent time with Braeden. And my sister was preoccupied. Given the unusual silence in her portion of our mentalscape, she had to be doing her own Christmas shopping. My secret was safe for the moment. I closed the confirmation screen of my purchase then prepared to greet my visitor.

Ethan entered my office with EJ dozing comfortably within a baby harness. With two tadpoles, the dark-haired male was the epitome of domesticity. Once upon a time, I would have hassled him. Not too much because the male had to be good to my sister, but a little for being on daddy duty. In a few months, it would be me, minus the baby harness. It would wrinkle my suit jacket.

"Doing time?" I quipped. Perhaps my harassment days weren't over just yet.

Ethan shut the door behind him. He flipped me a middle finger then sat in one of my chairs.

"What brings you to my office?" It was becoming more common that I spent time with him without Amber hovering. Colt too on occasion. We seem to be forming and male coalition since I joined the fold as they claimed.

"I need advice on a setting for Amber." He gently shifted EJ's head to the side before relaxing in the chair. "I can't give her just any type of jewelry."

True. Amber was particular about her gems. More than me. His request for advice surprised me. He had previously asked me once about a surprise for Amber.

"A carving of you and the tadpoles in sapphire for her desk," I suggested. "I can apply the perfect summon to it when you are ready."

"Thanks, man." Ethan continued to sit.

My suspicion was aroused. Apparently, there was more to the visit. My sister's mate was a male of few words. Unless there was a conflict, then he turned into the resolution facilitator. He jokingly told me that he didn't start arguments, he just finished them. His skill had been useful to me on more than one occasion especially with Ursula. There had been plenty of times when I opened my mouth and inserted my fin.

Some days I was amazed that the two of us worked so well despite how we started out in our first meeting.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked.

Other than daydreaming about my mate like a lovesick dolphin. "Yes."

"You know you can talk to me too."

I know he was trying to help but I hardly saw the need for such comments. I had the situation under control. There was no need for Amber to meddle through Ethan. "Good to know."

He stood with an almost sad resolve. "You know where I am when you're ready."

Ah. I understood. I passed up a bonding opportunity. The sentiment was nice but unnecessary. "Thanks, and you can tell Amber that I'm fine."

He frowned. "It would be faster if you told her. Besides, she doesn't know that I'm here. I just thought you'd want to talk to a kindred spirit."

"No offense, Ethan, but you don't know--"

"--what it's like to be different?" His voice had an edge to it. "To not be like the rest of my family?"

And again I inserted my fin into my mouth. "Point taken."

Ethan waved me off. "You're going through a lot. I figured I'd become your conflict partner, but I hadn't counted on my emotions being so close to the surface."

"You don't have to manage me, Ethan." I didn't know why Amber--and Ethan apparently--were so insistent that I air out my past. It wouldn't change nor would it affect the future.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, work creeps into my relationships sometimes. I can't turn it off. But I didn't want you to think that you were alone or meltdown and take us all with you."

"I've got it under control. It was a momentary loss of discipline."

"Just so you know I've been where you are," he said. "I came from a Supernatural family and I have no power. I barely remember my parents and my aunt refused to believe that I was a Natural. The way some looked at me--"

"--like you're an abomination or you made them uncomfortable?" I had been there too and had the scars to prove it.

"Exactly." He adjusted the straps of the harness and EJ's head lolled to the other side without him opening his eyes. "And I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my high school principal at Mavis Academy. He talked to me and help me find my way."

I snorted."I am well past high school."

"I'll leave that one alone since I don't have a retort that wouldn't hit Amber," Ethan said. "The point is, you now have backup and none of us give a damn whether you have one tail or two."

My stomach flipped as a weight lifted from my shoulders. He had a valid point and I would prove it at the ball. I was no longer a defenseless tadpole. I had my family, power, and influence.

My sister's choice in a male was even more impressive. "You went to a goblin ran academy and that's your pep talk?"

Sensing my humor, he smiled. "Well you don't owe me money or a favor, so the stronger together talk is all I have left."

He held out his hand and I grasped it. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

I shook EJ's little hand. "You don't need a shield to talk to me either."

Ethan narrowed his eyes then schooled his facial expression. "In a few months, attempt to leave the house on a weekend alone then think back on this moment."

"Advice for the future?" I asked.

"Especially if you want to surprise Ursula. It will also make her more appreciative."

I got his meaning. At some point, Ursula and I would settle into domesticity then we would have to grab snatches of time. I had already planned for the occasions.

Being sentinels to a colony of gnomes had its perks. They could watch the tadpole while the two of us reconnected. "That's what the gnomes are for, helping out around the house."

"True, they have made things easier," he admitted. "But certain tasks I want to do myself. Besides even they like breaks. They left me a snack the other day and appreciation and they washed my car."

I hadn't considered placating the gnomes in that way. I'd look into it. "Interesting."

"This will be you soon." Ethan chuckled. "From harnesses to the tea party."

I didn't know about the baby harness, but I had already been through the tea party experience when Pia wanted to sleepover at our house. It wasn't so bad though I drew the line at Pia's clothing choices. I was not a bonnet wearer.

I wore a suit, athletic wear, or leisurewear. Not bonnets. She took the news well and I had to drink a gallon of lemon tea. Thank the goddess for small favors including my niece no longer wrinkling my suit jacket. Pia finally moved past the stage where she sucked on my lapels. Her brother, however, took after her. EJ went right to them whenever I held him. "Tea parties are doable. But a harness is not my style."

A gleam in Ethan's eyes told me that I would have more teasing from him. That was fine. I was well equipped to serve retorts. Besides, it added a new dimension to our relationship.

Ever since Ursula came into my life, my experience with everyone had been different. It was as though I saw everything for the first time.

"Thinking about Ursula?" He asked.

My face heated as I adjusted my jacket. I braced for the honeymoon comment or some other censure about devotion to my mate." perhaps."

"Glad to see you a happy man," he replied. "I'll catch you later."

I relaxed and clapped him on the back before he left. It wasn't Ethan's way to criticize. Of course, it wasn't his way to talk to me either. I would have to evaluate.

But first and foremost, I had to take control of the situation. He and Ursula were both right. My life was different.

I was different.

So I would face my issue head-on--in Baytown.

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# Chapter Ten

# Ursula

--------

I swam over to the keel of an old sunken crane ship. In its day it would have been the pride of any ship captain. It was a throwback to the late 1800s by the look of the large steam columns and bearing. Most of the hardware appeared to have been stripped off from the look of it.

A decommissioned ship. Poor thing belonged in a museum not cluttering up the Atlantic Ocean floor. Is served as a curiosity for maids and males that should have had their focus on other matters and not abandon natural antiques.

"Does she live here?" Braeden asked. "If so I think fate has already dealt with her."

We had searched for longer than I expected. I should have already found her. Coral Seashell's whereabouts alluded me. None of my potions that would have found her worked. Fate conspired against me--well at least Urd did.

That female was always in the thick of a situation especially when it came to me. And while I hadn't seen her in weeks, I put nothing past her. That one played the long game down to the last detail.

It was just as well

The Coral wench must not present a threat to Tristan, else I would've found her. I had no issues tracking the other one that sought to break me and my mate apart. I had managed to curse her for her treachery without resistance from Urd or Braeden.

I hated that they policed me. Actually, I hated that they had to do it. But I did strike up a bargain to give up my villainy. I supposed a certain amount of caution was prudent. I had a blindspot where Tristan was concerned. My covenant may not allow me to strike first, but I certainly could conclude the matter. The final move had the most value anyway.

"No, she doesn't live here," I replied to her earlier question.

"Okay, then did you change your mind?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes. "We both know that there are restrictions upon me or I would have found her by now. No need to patronize me."

"Like restraint could stop your determination." She put her hands on her waist.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." I did appreciate the gesture. We had a precarious dance with her being an enforcer for Urd. I understood the subtle nuances of choice and duty. Braeden didn't have to get to know me or even care. At first, I disliked her for it, but a maid had too few allies in life.

"Sincerity," Braeden corrected. "And it's true. You may have found a loophole."

"Oh, I did."

Braeden's eyes widened. I'd let her puzzle that one for a while.

"As for why we are here, it's the scene of the crime," I said.

She drifted away from me to study the crane ship. "What happened here?"

As much as I wanted to answer her, I knew I shouldn't. "That is for Tristan to tell. It's a source of shame for him though it was really one of his bravest moments."

"Only you would see it that way," Tristan said from behind me.

I spun on my tail. "I thought you were Christmas shopping."

He crushed me to him. "That was supposed to be a secret activity."

When would he learn? He would never be as clever as me. "Then I will feign surprise when the time comes."

His eyes narrowed. "Challenge accepted."

"I expected no less, lemon drop." I kissed him.

Braeden cleared her throat. "So then the experiment is over? You two make me miss Colt and my foals."

Baby unicorns and her mate filled her world. Soon my life would be the same except for that I would have tadpoles.

"Thank you, Braeden. Amber and I appreciate your help," Tristan said.

"Not a problem. Besides, it will allow me to prep my enforcer on what to expect when she accompanies you to the ball," she said.

Tristan met my gaze. I hadn't mentioned that Braeden put an enforcer on our detail. "About that. Braeden suggested that we have an enforcer accompany us."

"Yes, to make sure there are no misunderstandings," Braeden added. "The two of you are precious after all."

Tristan rose an eyebrow. "So it would seem. Pete is providing two enforcers for us. A bit overkill isn't it?"

I kissed his nose. "It makes the perfect statement for the Harvenheit and Jewelrose family. We are influencers to the wolf Alpha and Urd Agape."

"You make us a sound impressive," he said.

"We are."

"Okay. You two are disgustingly cute. I'm out of here." Braeden swam away then turned. "When will this form fade?"

"When you get to shore," I answered.

She shook her finger at us. "You two have fun. Make sure you talk at some point."

Tristan's cheeks reddened. My heat was elsewhere. As much as I loved the idea of erasing Tristan's horrible memories and replacing them with good ones, we couldn't unless the abandoned crane ship had an air pocket so I could split my tail.

I glanced at the ship as it lay on its side. Maybe there was a possibility. I grabbed Tristan's hand. It was a spur of the moment plan, but it suited my needs. "Come with me."

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# Chapter Eleven

# Tristan

--------

The dilapidated ship held no joy for me except Ursula. As youths, Amber and I explored every nook and cranny that we could. It was a rite of passage for the local merfolk. In my day it was rare not to see several poking about the crane ship. The fact that none emerged from any of the smokestacks or peeped through various holes in the bow of the ship said volumes.

I snatched Ursula to me as I searched for danger. My jeweled guardians on my pinky ring and earring flared to life. An emerald shark and a diamond octopus surrounded us.

Ursula pushed against me.

"There's danger. Be at the ready." I released her from my grasp. My first thought was to protect her. It was instinct. The idea of losing her or our tadpole didn't sit well with me.

"Whatever it is we can handle it."

Ursula slid from my embrace then swam behind me. With my back pressed to hers, I sensed she would be fine and I could focus on whatever threat came from the abandoned ship.

"What did your guardians see?" she asked.

"Nothing yet," I answered. "I summoned them. The crane ship is a hangout for tadpoles. I had been so focused on my surprise at your presence that I didn't notice that the area was empty. A predator may have scared everyone off."

"I didn't know you were so hyper-aware. I underestimated you, lemon drop."

The impressed tone in her voice softened my resolve somewhat. It would have hardened other parts of me if I were in human form. As it stood my bottom half tingled. It was not the time to preen like suitor eager to please. "Later, Ursa, when we defeat the threat I'd be more than willing to show you more of my base nature."

"I'll hold you to that."

She was playful. I appreciated it as an anxiety reliever. There was even a reward at the end. "That is a promise I will enjoy."

"Then I can see to you. I put up a barrier to keep folk out and Braeden removed the ones already there. We have the ship to ourselves."

I spun around and met her gaze. "I got through your barrier."

She lowered her lids and reached for my face. As she traced my jawline, she said, "My potions will never keep you out unless I desire it."

I closed my eyes. There were no threats. We were safe. The crane ship would not witness my weakness again.

My flaws.

"I was also defeated in the past. It was infuriating and it never made me weak." She leaned forward and brush her lips across mine then gave me a demure expression. "I came here to destroy your enemies but that was the wrong tactic--"

She was about to do what?

I took her by the shoulders. "What about Celeste's spell? If you defied her, I could lose you."

"You know what to say at the right time, but then you were always good with your tongue." She winked at me. "And you are right. Once Braeden shielded me from your emotions for a few clarifying moments, I realized what I had to do."

I was to blame. She nearly broke her word.

"No, stop." She smoothed my forehead.

Apparently, I furrowed my forehead again like a "handsome pug" as she put it.

"But this cannot continue--"

"I know," she said. "That brings me to my new tactic. This place holds terrible memories. I want to make a good one here. Since it's empty and you're already here, we can do it now."

The crane ship was not my favorite site. I appreciated the sentiment, but I didn't see how making new memories would change the impression of a place for me. I also wasn't going to turn down sex with my mate.

Perhaps it would work.

I took her by the hands. She wanted to help. She was determined. It couldn't hurt to let her try. I would enjoy her effort.

"New memories, eh?"

She smirked. "I already sense your anticipation over the idea"

"I can't resist you." There was no reason to hide it. Our relationship started off with fireworks, I wouldn't ignore them. It was part of us.

"Oh, you'll learn, but until then I'm going to enjoy having my way and occasionally letting you have yours." She laughed and pulled me along.

My circling guardians returned to my jewels in a puff of mist as we set off towards the deck of the crane ship. "Occasionally?"

"Yes. There are times when your plans are more productive than mine. I can't do all the heavy lifting between us," she said.

"Glad to be of service to my queen then."

Ursula tossed me a pleased look before focusing on her destination. "Yes, and you are my king."

We swam into a cargo hold. When this ship initially saw it was full of containers, but since then it had been pillaged by the Curious. Myself included. I still had a conference on my desk at home that I hadn't parted with after the incident. The symbolism of it was not lost on me.

"Why thank you, my queen. I thought for sure I would be the consort."

She released my hand in the semi-darkness. My eyes adjusted to the view of her caressing her abdomen. Our tadpole. She's speared me with an open unguarded gaze.

"I may only say this once but my actions will always show it. You mean the world to me, Tristan. You literally changed my life. I was happy alone with my accomplishments, but you added another dynamic that I had previously underappreciated."

A dark slush formed at the tops of her cheeks. Seeing her vulnerability was not commonplace. "Ursa--"

She raised her hand. "You need to hear this as much as I have to say it. I never thought I would have a mate. Have a husband, yes--"

I didn't like the idea of her with someone else.

"--but you showed me that life was unexpected and I didn't know what was in store for me. I love all of you--including the annoying parts."

She smiled. I half expected her to have a straight face as she listed my supposed failings.

"Those from your past shaped you and their role is over. You survived. They can't hurt you anymore and if they do, we can handle them."

I closed the distance between us. She had my back. It was sexier than I initially thought. I loved a capable female. Hades, I loved this capable female.

"You love all of me?" I leaned in and kissed her neck. "Should I create a bubble or would you like to do the honors?"

"My plan. My bubble."

Quite capable.

I swam behind her to give her a room. Not too much. I was wound too tightly to give her any real personal space. She pressed her backside against me and reached for my hand. She laced her fingers with mine then rested our grip on her tadpole bump. The feel of her body along with the warmth of her words did me in. The moment the bubble surrounded us, I kissed her favorite spot on her neck. She shivered against me while she expanded the bubble to the size large enough for both of us.

My need poked her from behind when I returned to my human form. I'd have to remember that the tingling sensation in my tails meant arousal in the future.

"You were trying to ruin my concentration." She purred.

Oh, when her voice got like that, I knew she was on the edge. The first time I heard it, I lost my mind for a brief second.

Or for a few hours. All I remembered was us in a satisfying tangle of limbs on the floor of her lab.

My desire for my mate consumed me. And she did not disappoint. Ursula turned in my grasp then gave me a soul-searing kiss. Her tongue invaded my mouth with the ferocity of a maid that had been in the desert and just found the sea. Our emotions blazed across our mentalscape. She wanted me with all of the intensity that I wanted her.

I found myself on my back when I finally needed air. She stared down at me with hungry eyes. "Here's to new memories," she said.

Her sultry eyes darkened. They were my only hint before she slid down my body and took me into her hot mouth. Pleasure seized through me as she stroked my staff with her hand and wicked tongue. I reached for her wet hair and she tightened her delicious grip on me.

I lost focus. I may have even blacked out briefly because all I remembered was a consuming wave of pleasure then shivering in the aftermath. Ursula kissed her way to my chest.

She gave me a lick. "We're even."

Not if I could help it. I rolled the two of us over then hovered over her on my hands and knees. I wouldn't dignify her with a verbal response. I was too far gone for that.

I cupped her between her legs. She was wet for me as usual. Of course, I wanted her as usual.

"This is my rodeo," she said.

She tried to come off petulant. At least it appeared that way, her voice was too husky to succeed. It also didn't work well with a leer. I was taking charge.

"You can--" I lifted her legs to my shoulder then pushed into her tight slick space. "--ride me later."

She would be the death of me someday.

Her moans didn't help. They egged me on. Each time she called out my name, I thrusted harder. And with the promise of a climax on the horizon, I moved faster. My head spun with the sensation of being inside of her. I leaned into her as much as I safely could.

In our mentalscape, I could feel her on the cusp of release. "Come for me, Ursa."

My voice came out like a growl. It was what she reduced me to when we were together--pleasure and instinct.

"When I... please." She stuttered out.

She wouldn't defy me. Not in this.

I shifted her legs to the crooks of my elbows. I used the extra room wisely. Ursula sucked in a huge breath of air at the same time her orgasm tore across our bond and took me with it. An aura of white bursting in my eyes at the same time a bolt of ecstasy staked me in place. For a moment in time, we were one in pleasure, then awareness exploded.

I nearly fell on top of her but managed to fall to the side. Magic danced along my skin. I fought not to twitch from the sensory overload.

"I think I did it again." Her breathing was still hard.

And it was my fault. A strong argument to take her again once she recovered.

"Yes, you did and I plan to get you to do it several more times."

"Not that, dolphin." She smacked my arm playfully. "I meant jewel magic."

I glanced around. Fortunately, there was nothing I needed to correct. "It's just salt crystals. They will dissolve eventually."

She sighed. "Good."

I lay on my side watching my beautiful mate. Her kiss swollen lips and sex glistened skin inspired me. I wanted her again. I leaned in for a kiss as my hand dipped between her thighs. "Thank you for the memory, but I'm quite stubborn and will need a few more experiences to make sure the memory sticks."

"You," was all she managed to gasp out before we were at it again.

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# Chapter Twelve

# Ursula

--------

Standing in the waves outside of our beach house in Corolla was not how I envisioned spending Christmas day. Not after a beautiful Christmas Eve with Tristan and our family. I know he hated moving up his plans, but the day had been perfect.

We had the beach Christmas I wanted our first year. Time with the family and then a romantic rendezvous on the sand with hot lemonade--and cocoa for him--while the fire pit blazed. I still tingled from making love under last night's winter moon.

No matter how much I had him, I still craved more. The pamphlet the doctor gave me warned that the craving would happen. The doctor also warned that towards the end of my pregnancy it would become worse. I had been dubious.

Tristan and I had sex regularly. I didn't see how it would increase. But the past month, lust warred with discipline. Every time I turned around, I wanted him. He could be working quietly in his office at home and I would want to jump him. And by the goddess, when he tried to seduce me...

It was due to our magic, and our tadpole being part human. While pregnant the tadpole needed the reinforcement of Tristan's aura, which is strongest when we coupled. I could think of worse ailments. Craving Tristan was better than morning sickness. I just had to find balance.

In a few months, our bundle of joy would arrive. Just in time for the allergy and wedding potion-making season to begin. The gnomes were about to see an increase in workload.

"Are we leaving soon?" Ethan shivered in the ocean.

I gave him a potion vial along with Pete's leary wolves and Braeden's dubious water mage. All of us except Ethan had a Supernatural means to process the chili December temperature. It had already stretched his comfort to stand naked in front of us. There was no need to freeze him.

"Drink this. There is no noticeable effect until submerged. Based on experiments, you may have a brief choking sensation then it's fine," I said.

Amber took Ethan's hand as he downed the potion. For the event, we wore our shiniest jeweled baubles since merfolk typically hated clothing and were bare. But we loved jewels and shine which was a major perk of being mated to a jewel summoner.

Tristan wore just a few rings and his earring. Cocky the way I loved him.

He seemed at peace since our unexpected two-day tryst in the cargo hold and our Christmas eve. I was sure having his holiday plans go off without a hitch, along with a new ePad I gave him, didn't hurt. The true test would be on the sea train to Atlantica.

"Please feel free to consume the vials along with the contents. I used sugar glass for this. I don't need trash on my beach or the ocean," I said.

Ethan gave me a look of surprise and popped the small vial into his mouth.

"How do you feel?" Amber asked him.

"A little high from the sugar but good," he replied.

"Good." Tristan took my hand. "Let's go."

We leapt into the water and began to swim. We hadn't gotten more than five hundred feet when Tristan paused. He stared at me with his mouth slightly parted in shock.

"Yes?" I twirled in my octopus form.

"You're--"

"I can't ask you to do something that I'm not willing to do myself." Well, I could, but I was no longer Ms. Potts to his kettle. At least not on that subject. Tristan loved me. I loved him. We would go to the party as ourselves.

To hades with the rest.

"What is it?" Ethan asked as he swam up next to us.

Again with the shock. Tristan. My sweet mate.

His mouth dropped open at the sight of Ethan with a split-tail. There was no hint of anxiety mostly due to his surprise. "Ethan, you do know that a split tail is not considered favorable."

"Tristan, you do know we're family and I don't care if my appearance is considered "favorable." I may not be able to wield magic, but I have a strong left hook if the situation should break down," Ethan said.

An overwhelming sense of gratitude pushed against my emotions. It wasn't debilitating, but it made me want to jump the waves like a porpoise. I settled on a backflip instead when Tristan hugged me squashing the idea. It was just as well.

"We should get going," he said.

"Then let's go."

Our entourage continued on to Baytown Station. On the way, a zing of heat flowed over me. I glanced at Tristan to see him eyeing the crane ship in the distance. Our time there went better than I had planned. I had to admit that even my impression of the place had been changed. It was there that we both let go and then we got it on. So worth it.

We finally reached the station without issue. The potion performed well within expectations. Ethan and the others were swimming like true merfolk. My brother-in-mate appeared to enjoy himself as Amber pointed out bits of scenery. She may not admit it, but I saw the joy on her face at being able to show Ethan her old sea town. I'd brew up more potion so that they could have it whenever they wanted to go for a swim.

Baytown station was located in an outcropping of the continental shelf a league down from the town proper. Barnacles covered the outer edge of a huge opening. Starfish the lounged about the entrance. The glow of bioluminescent lighting was the only indicator of business so late in the evening.

Inside the cavernous station, small schools of merfolk swam about. A few of them stopped and stared at our late night entourage. We ignored them. I guess they had never seen a pregnant female octopus with her mate. Tristan and I made quite a couple. Amber and Ethan were okay too.

A station attendant approached us. She was a nervous maid with brown tresses that flowed about her head in the shape of a starfish. "Welcome to Baytown station. You are the Harvenheit and Jewelrose party I presume."

She extended her hand with a smile.

"I am Tristan." He grasped her hand.

The maid calmed visibly. "And this is your mate Ursula Harvenheit, your sister and her mate, Amber and Ethan Jewelrose. The rest must be your security detail?"

"Yes," I answered. "It won't be a problem will it?"

The maid shook her head. "On the contrary. It's expected for such important guests. We are honored you chose to board at our station. I'm here to direct you to your private car."

She made a gallant gesture for us to follow.

"Private car?" I looked at Tristan.

"I scheduled a private car, but not the service," He said to me. "Did you say something to them?"

I should have, but I saved the theatrics for Atlantica. It hadn't occurred to me to start in Baytown.

"That was me," Amber answered. "I know a thing or two about making an impression. I figured the station authority would want to know they were conveying two influential couples to the King's ball."

Amber gave us a proud look that often I saw Braeden wear when I underestimated her. Amber was a professional in her own right. I stood corrected. My mate was part of a set. It would stand to reason that she too would work to make the event flow as easily as possible. She loved Tristan almost as much as me. "What else do you have cooked up, dear sister?"

She winked at me. "I may have done a little promotion of us along the sea train route while doing my Christmas shopping."

"That explained your lack of snooping this year." Tristan smirked. "Excellent forethought."

"Well, I'm your partner. I couldn't have everyone think it was nepotism that got me the invitation," She said. "Besides, it's good business. You never know when folk might decide to live on the surface."

I squeezed Tristan's hand. "True."

If not for my revenge failing, I wouldn't have left my grotto where I sulked for decades. My life would have been limited to my role as an exile. My shop and family wouldn't exist.

"This should make for an interesting trip," Tristan remarked.

The maid swam up to the platform of the sea train. A chain of coral cars waited patiently as passengers boarded a continuous stream of bubbles floated from each of the chimneys stacked on top of each car. Similar stacks protruded from the front of the first car and the back of the last. Golden lighting glowed from sea glass passenger windows.

"Amazing." Ethan swam over to the car to examine it.

"We are very proud of the sea train," the attendant said. "It is both mechanical and magical. The sea train was invented in the year 1M808. The first used a potion driven engine but a magical only solution drew the attention of Naturals once they started exploring the seas. We now employ both mechanical and magical means so that when detected, Naturals assume that it is mundane and origin."

"Won't that induce curiosity then?" Ethan asked.

"In some cases yes, but that can be managed. Hunters on the other hand..." She trailed off dramatically and changed the subject. "This is your car"

She entered.

The inside had two large sea glass windows on either side of the car, several bubble cushions for leisure, and a large vase of purple and anemones. It was a luxury car similar to one I had ridden in during my days as royal potion's master. Tristan had excellent taste.

"Do you like it?" Tristan asked. "I knew you couldn't travel without purple somewhere."

I should have known he'd find a way to tease me. He always complained about my love for the hue. The fact that my--our door in Corolla was purple bothered him for some reason. So were my kitchen cabinets for that matter. Another point he found amusing. For all his complaints, he surprised me at Christmas with a purple door for our Ghent house.

"It's my signature color so of course." I caressed his chin with my tentacle. "Are you buttering me up for later?"

His gaze darkened to his lusty green. He kissed my tentacle and a shiver of pleasure rippled through me. What the hades?

"All right you two break it up," Amber said moving in between us. "I already have a baby at home. I would like him to be at least walking age before the next one."

Ethan reddened. "Amber."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know tact goes a long way in the de-escalation of a situation, but they were about to go over the edge."

Ethan wrapped his arms around her.

"Your car has all of the amenities for your trip including a courtesy privacy bubble through that doorway." The attendant pointed to the opposite end of the train.

Good to know. Even though Amber ruined the moment, there were possibilities for later. The trip to Atlantica took three hours by train. Or I could hold it over Amber's head for using me to embarrass Tristan.

I could go either way. "Thank you, lady. You didn't mention your name."

"Dolphine." She bowed her head. "If you need anything while the trip is in progress, feel free to summon me. Enjoy your travel."

Once the maid left, the wolf enforcers moved to guard each of the doors and the mage stood by the window. The entire time the three had remained silent and focused.

"Do you want to sit by the window?" Tristan asked.

I nodded and he led me to the bubble cushion with the best view. He sat across from me. "I don't know what Poseidon will remember about me and what he won't. Don't react to him either way."

"I know how to behave, Ursa," he said.

I shot him a look. He said that without knowing what the response would be to my presence. We both knew he would risk making Poseidon an enemy to protect me. I didn't want Tristan to go down the path to villainy. "Be that as it may. I'm reminding you, mate."

"Duly noted."

I wasn't in the mood to antagonize him. We had been through a lot the past month. Poseidon's little ball meant nothing. We'd attend, make our rounds, then leave. End of situation.

"Will you be alright?" He asked.

"Fine as lemonade." My past was just that--in the past. "I move forward not backward."

The train vibrated as it spurred along the tracking. The next fin of our travel had begun.

"Then I have no problem."

He said that but his rigid posture said otherwise. At least he wasn't filled with anxiety. My Tristan was very much back to himself. "And I can enjoy the view."

He waggled eyebrows and gifted me with a leer. So much for just holding it over Amber's head. Or for maintaining discipline. At least I had an excuse. I was with tadpole after all.

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# Chapter Thirteen

# Tristan

--------

Ursula rested at tentacle over my hand as we watched the seascape speed by the window of our private sea train car. I kissed it sending tremors through her. Something new that I learned on the trip.

"Stop trying to distract me," she said.

There was no heat in her voice. At least not a scolding one. She had already tried to lure me to the private bubble once, but I had to keep a clear head. The disappointment from her crushed my heart. I would make it up to her.

"I wouldn't dream of it." I gave her a half-smile. It was what I could manage.

"At least you're not brooding." She sighed then glanced over at the empty cushions on the opposite side of the car. "And she complained about us."

Amber had always been contrary that way. "She keeps me on my fins."

"Fair," she agreed. "How are you doing?"

"Surprisingly well."

The fear was always greater in the mind than in reality.

"So what is the plan once we leave the sea train?" She asked.

She knew me so well.

"Don't give me that look." She scoffed. "I'm your mate and I know you."

"That's why you're my mate."

"And now you're trying to charm me instead of answering the question," she said.

"I would never do that."

Her eyes narrowed at my attempted innocence. "Tristan."

"Ursula," I said in a similar tone.

She sat up straight. "I see what you're doing."

"Do you?"

I doubted that she did. My motivations at the moment had nothing to do with the Bubble Ball. Perhaps a little to do with it.

It was Christmas and I had one more gift for her. The opportunity to give her the present hadn't occurred until the moment. We were either preparing for the ball, working, or seducing each other. I didn't just want to hand it to her without ceremony. However, my time was at an end. The train would arrive at Atlantica Station in the next hour. There was no time like the moment.

Magic surrounded my hand as I opened a small portal to retrieve the clamshell I hid in TiroSidhe then I released the magic.

"That was unexpected," she said. "It's not contraband is it?"

"It's my last Christmas gift to you." I opened the clamshell.

Ursula slid from her cushion. My mate was speechless. I took out a long string of pearls. The lavender iridescent gems shined in the bioluminescent lighting of the train. I placed the necklace around her neck in a double chain. I adjusted the diamond octopus charm when her hands covered mine.

"How?"

I met her gaze. "I'm a male of many resources, Ursa, you know that."

She lifted a section of the chain of pearls and studied them more closely.

"In fishfolk culture, a chain of pearls is presented to the mate when she is with tadpole as a symbol of her rarity and worth. I procured lavender because no other color fit you," I said.

"And the diamond?" She asked.

"Because I wanted to show you off wearing my magic." I waited for weeks to toss those words back at her. The torture was worth it.

"You know I can't let that pass."

I hope she wouldn't. "Well, lavender freshwater pearls and a four-carat diamond don't appear every day. I would imagine the gratitude would amount to an immense compensation."

Ursula primly to the cushion. "You are correct, however, we have an engagement in an hour as well as an audience. I will exact my gratitude at a later date."

Her eyes darkened as her gaze born to mine. A brief image of me staring up at our ceiling again and the warm ripple of pleasure from my groin sizzled my senses. "Ursa?"

"That is only the beginning," she said.

The intensity of her stare sent chills of anticipation through me. I knew she'd love the gift, but not this much. Her look promised me an experience. I shouldn't poke the bear but I couldn't resist. "And should I take any days off?"

"Just inform Jenna that something came up after the ball and you'll return once you've handled it." She emphasized each innuendo with a flare of her eyes and a grind of her hips.

I was in trouble and I could not wait.

"On that note, the plan is that we do our obligatory meet and greet then we egress with haste." Even I could hear the anticipation in my voice.

Ursula laughed. Her pearls shook over her ample chest catching the light. They twinkled like little stars.

"Something you want?" She teased.

Absolutely, but I wouldn't admit it. At least not yet. My tails were tingling and my body was on the edge of a cold sweat. Being in the ocean had its privileges. I would have guppied about and fallen for her whims on land, however, in the sea I could tease. "Plenty. I've always been an ambitious male."

She gasped outwardly then shut her mouth.

Gotcha.

I made her forget where we were. I looked forward to repeating the experience. If I was going to provoke her to lust, I could at least get her properly aroused. I could always pay for it later.

# ***

The situation still moved according to the plan. The sea train arrived precisely one hour before midnight and our conveyance, a bubble carriage, waited to whisk us off to the palace. Our group received arresting glances the entire way. It was unnerving but expected. What was not expected was their stares were solely on Ursula. My mate was exotic for the capital city. We caught the eye and murmurs of all of our passersby.

We ignored them as we held hands the entire way.

"There are a lot of people here," Ethan stared at the queue of summoned guests.

"Given the size of the city--" I began.

"--it could have been more," Amber finished.

Fantastic. Amber succumbed to the nerves. Nervousness and excitement were the only times she finished my sentences. It was a safe space for her, for both of us, relying on our twindom. Except we had mates and families. We had to--

Ursula squeezed my hand. "Everything will be fine. We are a family. We will perform our civic duty then we can leave."

"Exactly," I said then nudged Amber with my elbow. "We do this often. Our skill didn't change because our environment did."

"My brother, the consummate professional has returned. I missed you," Amber said.

"Just like I missed my rambunctious sister." I had to slide at least one dig or I wouldn't be me

"You make me sound like a child." Amber frowned. "How about energetic and engaged?"

"At a minimum." I could give her that much. It was obvious that she was focused on just about every task she did from work to harassing me. "Regardless, we will handle whatever is thrown at us if anything."

Ursula squeezed my hand. "Well-spoken, lemon drop."

"Lemon drop?" Amber said.

"Out of bounds," Ursula warned.

Even I wouldn't push her with that tone. Not that I had to worry. I knew well enough not to piss off my mate.

"You're lucky this time, brother," Amber said.

"Every time." I kissed Ursula on the side of the head. I would get the details of the exchange later.

We moved forward in the queue. Once we arrived in front of the palace gate, we exited the carriage. A male valet with dark hair and a trident pendant on his chain bowed to us. He held out his scroll with barely a glance. "Your name my lords and ladies."

"This is my mate Ursula Harvenheit," I said.

"And this is my mate Tristan Harvenheit," she added.

The valet marked names on the list then glanced at us. He made a sudden movement as though shocked.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"No, Lord Harvenheit." His eyes were on Ursula. "I was just--have a good evening."

I didn't trust myself to comment so I ushered Ursula into the grand foyer of the palace. The sooner we made our presence known the sooner we could leave.

Decorated with red and green and anemones, the large room was the junction to the major wings of the palace. A steady stream of merfolk flowed straight ahead towards what I guessed was the ballroom. Huge doors that went to the palatial ceiling were opened to allow guests to come and go.

Amber and Ethan joined us while the rest of our entourage flanked us in a triangle formation. Several merfolk lingering in the foyer openly watched as we moved. It was unnerving but necessary. They could stare all they wanted as long as they kept their comments to themselves.

"Apparently, they are still unused to seeing other Supernaturals." Ursula pulled me forward. "I can't show you off if we don't go inside the ballroom."

"You are right, my lady," I said.

Then we swam in the proverbial den of sharks.

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# Chapter Fourteen

# Ursula

--------

It was clear that the only bright spot in the ball from hades was going to be my family. Nothing had changed since my days as the royal potion's master. Court life was still as treacherous as a century ago. Anyone different or the toast of gossip was treated as though they were in a fishbowl for everyone's entertainment.

The crowd parted around us as we entered the room as though we were covered in a bad case of algae. My tadpole did backflips in my stomach giving me indigestion. I was on the verge of vomiting, but that would have made Tristan go into protective mode. It would have complicated the situation further.

It was bad enough that it was the first time everyone saw me in the form that I was born in. Their response had been less than stellar, but at least nothing was thrown. I was half merfolk and half fishfolk and they could see it. The world didn't come crashing down but the stares drove me crazy. I had a strong impulse to ink, grab everyone, and run. Sadly inking an entire palace was out of my range. And it wouldn't do for me to ruin the Harvenheit name. It was just stares. I could stare too.

And I would take note of any troublemakers. As long as I didn't make the first move, I would keep my pact with the celestial witch and Urd wouldn't protest.

Tristan squeezed my hand. "At least the music is still playing."

Sure enough he was right. A symphony along the wall continued to play a soft melody that allowed mingling and talking. "There are levels to everything I suppose."

"Always," he said.

"So how do you want to play this?" Amber asked. "Divide and conquer or back-to-back?"

"Divide and conquer," I said. "There's no reason we all have to be in the spotlight."

"Agreed," Tristan said. "You and Ethan can mingle. While we--"

"We are not lurking." It was a stereotypical octopus move. The old me did that and folk decided a reputation for me. Not this time.

"We'll take the other side of the room," he said.

"Sounds good," Amber agreed and they swam away.

Braeden's enforcer met my gaze. I nodded once to let her know that it was okay for her to follow them. She may have been there for me, but I didn't want anything to happen to Amber or Ethan. I made the water mage understand on the ride that I would become troublesome if they were hurt. We came to an understanding. Pete's wolves on the other hand would not hear of letting Tristan out of their sight. I wasn't willing to explain to Pete any deception so we were stuck with the two bodyguards. "Let's mingle or attempt to anyway."

I spotted a maid with a brown speckled tail next to a male with a gray-scaled tail. They weren't giving us the stink-eye or doing an impression of a pufferfish. They would make the perfect ice breakers to the silence around us. "This way."

We moved through the crowd towards the couple. The upside of being a pariah, we didn't have to push through the crowd. We reached the couple with no effort.

The maid pressed her hands to her chest as though she were surprised but she didn't appear terrified. A good sign.

"Hello, this is my mate Tristan and I'm Ursula." I hated introductions but I held out my hand anyway. She grasped it immediately then smiled. I thought for sure she would hesitate.

"Imelda and this is my mate Hermes," she greeted. Our mates clasped arms. "I take it this is your first time in Atlantica."

Interesting comment. More like the first time I had been seen in this form. "No, it isn't. What makes you say that?"

"The stares. Or are you famous? I was telling Hermes you looked familiar, but I couldn't place it."

I hoped to the goddess she wasn't talking about that movie that Celeste cooked up as part of her second chance spell. Not all octopi looked alike.

"My mate is the proprietor of Ocean's Potions," Tristan said proudly. "The number one potions retailer of the Mid-Atlantic."

My face heated. Tristan bragged on me. As he should but it was still nice.

"Yes, that's it. I saw both of you in the Chamber of Commerce newsletter. We are one of your suppliers on Valkyrie.com." Imelda clasped her hands.

Really. Of all the folk to select. "Messenger Supply Co. or Potion Hunter?" I asked.

"Messenger Supply Co.," Hermes answered.

They provided premium ingredients for my staple potions. "I didn't realize you were local."

"It's a Small World." Imelda laughed. "If--"

"Excuse me, ladies and lords, but his majesty has requested the presence of Lady and Lord Harvenheit." The servant bowed.

So the idiot remembered me after all.

I wrapped my arm around Tristan's then followed after the servant to the throne at the other end of the cavernous ballroom. The Atlantean throne was made of gold carved in the likeness of coral. It rested on a giant clam-shell dais where Poseidon could oversee everything. I never understood why a surfacephobe like him would have a throne of material associated with Naturals.

Overcompensating?

And there he was, my ex. The chill of his gaze on me like a shark. He always did have a flair for dramatics. His trident, the symbol of his office beside him. His wife--another redhead but not Melody--also followed our approach. Poseidon had a preference for flamed headed females. Though this one didn't have pale skin like Melody and their bratty daughter. Her tone was closer to mine.

Interesting.

I wouldn't dwell on it however interesting the concept was.

On either side of the King and Queen were the princes and princesses. The one he had with Melody was there with her consort holding a tadpole. I noticed that it wasn't the male that she had come to me about in my sea witch days.

Amusing.

The princess didn't focus on me until we got clear of the school of onlookers. Even when she did focus on me, there was no familiarity in her eyes. I never showed my octopus form, true. My torso was still the same. If not from Celeste spell She would have recognized me.

Tristan wrapped an arm around my waist. I wanted to lean my head on his shoulder for comfort, but I wouldn't give Poseidon the show. I would present myself as the confident, successful happy maid that I was and then we'd be on our way.

"So this is what you were hiding," Poseidon said without ceremony. "You are fishfolk."

I remained calm. "I am half and I chose not to disclose my heritage due to the social climate at the time."

Poseidon ran his hands through his long auburn beard. "Yes the class system. Dreadful point in our history. The separation did not serve us well."

From what I could tell they had further to go. "Well at least you're on the path."

He gave me a quizzical expression. And I could see he was gearing up for one of his debates when his wife put her hand over his.

"Darling, your guests," she said.

"Valet, introduce the lord and lady."

"Your Majesties, Lord Tristan and Lady Ursula Harvenheit from the land city of Norfolk." The servant bowed then eased into the onlookers.

We also bowed per social etiquette.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady," the queen greeted.

"It has been an experience for us as well, Your Majesties" Tristan replied.

The Queen's mouth twitched. "Yes, I imagine it has. It's the reason we have this ball. To learn and celebrate our subjects' experiences. I'm sure that as two of the most influential merfolk on the surface you have much knowledge that would benefit us."

That was a loaded statement. I sensed a subtle plot unfolding. It didn't feel nefarious, but that didn't mean it wouldn't annoy me when I figured it out.

"No politics tonight, wife." Poseidon patted her hand. "However, there is one order of business. I am revoking your exile, Ursula."

Tristan's body grew rigid. I hadn't mentioned the exile since I received my own invitation. Poseidon couldn't very well enforce my exile and magically command me to attend his ball. I'd explain to Tristan later. The revocation of my exile chilled me. Poseidon was up to something or he matured. I found the latter hard to believe. "And the reason?"

There were several murmurs from the crowd about my lack of gratitude. They didn't know me or my past with Poseidon. I'd give him some niceties as my technical ruler, though at the moment I wasn't feeling charitable.

"Do you not have any respect for your king?" Melody's daughter asked.

I didn't want to focus on her. She looked so much like my ex-friend. All of the regrets in my life threatened to surface and I didn't have time for it.

Tristan squeezed my waist in support. I was more than glad that I had my mate by my side.

"My mate is with tadpole, Princess, and she's very tired."

I noticed that he didn't make apologies for me. That's my mate. I had underestimated him. Then again, Poseidon did not swim out of line. I wanted to keep the record clean.

The princess nodded with spoiled magnanimity. "I understand that not all bear the experience well. Next time be more respectful."

At least she didn't have a tirade. I suppose she had grown up some.

"It's fine," Poseidon said. "Ursula was once a high member of the court. She has a complicated history. She is drawing on that past."

The hades I was.

"Your Majesties is there something that you require of my mate and I? As mentioned, I'm with tadpole and I would like to join the rest of our family."

There eat it up. I have a mate, a tadpole, and a family. I and my skills did not need Poseidon's influence or his approval. And my mate was sexier than him.

Take that.

"Not at the moment." His tone had a hint of salt.

Aha! I knew it. He wanted to gloat about his family. Who cared?

Not me.

"Then by your leave, Your Majesties, we will depart." Tristan and I swam away before Poseidon could come up with anything else to drag out the encounter.

Poseidon was always slow anyway. Besides, I had damage control to do. "Tristan?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine but I'm ready to leave."

"Me too." After weeks of anticipation for the moment, it was over. We could close the chapter for another hundred years. "You're not angry, are you?"

I didn't feel anger from him--anymore.

"No, everything went better than I expected if I'm honest," he said.

"For the most part." The Queen seemed to have an agenda separate from Poseidon. It didn't raise the hair on the back of my neck, but I didn't want to be a part of anyone's machinations either. Urd was enough. "Let's collect Amber and Ethan."

"And then we'll talk about your behavior on the train," he said.

The innuendo was not lost on me. I still owed him my gratitude for my pearls. But for that "your behavior" comment, I would make him miss a week of work. I had much I wanted to discuss.

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# Epilogue

# Tristan

--------

"Braeden, the shower was well done." I would give credit where credit was due. The Winter Wonderland themed wasn't one I would have chosen since it was February, but it gave me an excuse to nuzzle my mate under the guise of keeping her warm.

The guests loved the sleigh rides through the snow-covered forest to a large cabin where the event was held. Inside the cabin, the smell of lemons permeated despite the fact that the cabin was decorated in snow-covered pine trees. Little white and lavender lights strung up around the party area and in the tree were a nice touch.

In the center of the room, a large table had been set up with silver candles in a place setting for two. We were instructed to sit there while we proceeded to watch a reenactment of our birth announcement during our wedding. I was depicted as less than flattering. I doubted that I look shell-shocked with a gaping goldfish mouth. I had more grace than that.

All in all it was a memorable experience.

"That's a high compliment coming from you," Braeden said.

I watched Ursula at our table opening presents. I had stepped away to offer Braeden my compliments. "Only the best for her."

"I know, that's why I helped you get her back when you messed up," she said.

That had been the biggest mistake of my life. "You're never going to let me live that down or are you?"

"I'm going to harass you until the babies come. I can't have the girls think their father has poor judgment," she laughed.

Wait. What? We didn't know the sex of our tadpole, but there was only one. "Braeden?"

Her eyes widened then she sighed. "I know the doctor told you one but I detected two when I touched Ursula. It was while we were in Baytown."

"A doctor would have noticed two heartbeats especially at this stage." My heart raced. What if Braeden was right? "Not that I wouldn't love them, but I hadn't prepared for twins."

"You're half mage, your children might have a throwback power that is messing up the doctor. It happens from time to time," she said.

I hadn't considered the possibility. Amber and I knew nothing about our father's line. Male jewel summoners were uncommon unless they were a male and female twin set. He never mentioned details about our aunt or any other family. We assume that they all perished. There was no telling at this point. We were nearly eighty years old. Depending on how powerful they were, they could be still alive or have long passed.

It was a project for me to look into later. It was high time that Amber and I revisited the past.

"You're not freaking out are you?" Braeden asked.

"No. More for me to love," I answered. "Besides, Ursula help me face the past. She and I can do it together. And she will be annoyed that you held an information from her."

Braeden closed her eyes. "Well, I threw her a fabulous party and I'm sure you can slide the truth in while you're sliding something else into her."

"You are just as trying as Amber." My face heated.

She waggled her eyebrows. "Please, I'm senior to all of you. Consider me the big sister. Run along and continue to make my friend happy."

I was surrounded by quirky females. At least I had some allies on my side.

I joined Ursula at our table as she lifted a present wrapped in blue paper from a sea of purple and lavender covered items.

"This one has your name on it." Ursula plopped the gift in front of me with an expected expression.

I took it that she wanted to shift the spotlight for a while. I begged to differ. She deserve the attention and more as my mate. But I complied. I was curious as well.

The box was medium-sized. It either held tadpole toys and clothes or it was some sort of furniture. Given Braeden's news, we would need every gift and more.

And how to tell Ursula?

"Let's see what is inside."

I'd enjoy our baby shower and we'd talk about it later.

I ripped the wrapping paper off to reveal a brown box from Valkyrie.com. It didn't take much effort to open the box. I lifted it out several strappy contractions. They resembled the pattern and fabric of several of my suits. I was at a loss.

"A tadpole harness," Ursula announced for onlookers. "Who is it from, Tristan?"

I plucked out a note from the bottom of the box, but I already knew. "Ethan and Amber."

There were several claps before Ursula moved on to the next gift. From across the room, Ethan lifted his cup towards me.

That was when I read his note.

Congratulations to both of you.

Tristan as one modern-day father to another, I got you your own harness. I hope you enjoy varieties since you admired mine so much. I figured it would suit you for when you are on daddy duty.

Your brother in fatherhood,

Ethan.

Touche.

I kissed the side of Ursula's head as she opened another present. It was more complex than I originally planned, but I loved my life and I knew whatever happened next Ursula and I would face it together--in style.

--------

The End

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# L. Loren Presents....

#

# Sinful

# (Featuring the characters from her villain romance, Untangled.)

by

L. Loren

## This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

--------

Published by

Lisa W. Tetting Books

Copyright (C) 2019 L. Loren

## All Rights Reserved

This book is dedicated to every couple who has worked their way through issues.

- L. Loren

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# Author's Note:

This story is a follow-up to my novella, Untangled Book 9 in the Once Upon A Villain Series. In that book, Celeste DuBois, The Eternal Witch, appears to grant the villains a second chance on life. In this follow-up, she and her husband Rip appear again as secondary characters. They are the creation of author Siren Allen and appear courtesy of her. They originally surfaced in the book "Into the Darkness", available now on Amazon.

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# One

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Gugu

"Damn it, Gugu! Why must you keep bringing these depraved acts into our bed?"

I looked at my husband wondering where the man I fell in love with went. There was a time when my man would smack it up, flip it and put it down. Ever since time was rewound and Sin's memory was wiped clean of our villainous relationship, things haven't been quite the same. It was like sleeping with a stranger. I wanted wild, hot passionate sex and he wanted lukewarm vanilla relations. Lately, there has been a freeze on all sexual activity. Something had to give, or I was going to go crazy.

"Sin, baby I don't think going down on you is depraved in the least. It's called foreplay. I would think you would be grateful. Do you know how many men would kill for their wives to enjoy giving them head? I remember a time when you used to enjoy it."

"It's not that I don't enjoy you giving me pleasure, Gugu."

"Well, you could have fooled me. Every time I get anywhere near your penis, you go limp. Explain."

"It's strange. I can't explain it. I find myself wanting you. I think about you all the time, and I get aroused when I do. However, when it comes time to get into it, my body doesn't cooperate. It's the strangest thing. This has never happened to me before. I could always get it up, but lately. I just don't know what to tell you."

"Are you really standing here with your pants around your ankles telling me that you can't get it up? It sure looked hard until I touched you. That means your dick works, it just doesn't work for me! Well, just who is it working for if it's not me?"

I was done. I thought I would give that mother fucker a nice little treat, but his ass can't even appreciate it. I stood from my position in front of his flaccid cock and straightened my dress. Gathering what little pride I had left, I stalked into the bathroom, locked the door and turned on the shower. I stood there looking in the mirror wondering what cruel joke was being played on me. My life was not going like I imagined it would. Turning back time was supposed to allow me to get my happily ever after. But this? This shit was for the birds. Here I was, a gorgeous virile woman whose husband wasn't interested in fucking her. In what world was this happy?

After undressing, I stepped into the shower and let the warm water cascade down my body. Plucking my clit sucking vibrator from the built-in shelf on the shower wall, I inserted one end, and attached the other to my clit. Level two was just the setting I needed tonight. I had read several gut busting reviews about the vibrator online and couldn't wait to get my hands on one. After weeks of going unsatisfied, I finally broke down and purchased it. My first go with the thing, was all the proof I needed. I remember it like it was yesterday. Well, it had only been a week since I got it, but it felt like I had known it my whole life. I snagged it from the delivery man, raced up the stairs and unwrapped it. It took two hours to charge, so I distracted myself with work. Oh, but you know your girl set the alarm.

Two long torturous hours later, I sanitized it. Don't judge me. I am not putting anything in my cooch without cleaning it first. Then I laid out a towel on the bed. The ladies from the reviews warned that I may have an extra wet experience, so I took precautions. I laid down on the towel and started the device. I needed to test the different setting to see which one fit my needs. Let me tell you that was fun. Being the head of a product line has taught me to methodically test things out. I had my LoveRotica Sex Journal and pen on hand so I could document my experience. I wanted to detail the different combinations of settings from the vibrator and the clit sucker.

You should have seen me. I had my glass of wine thinking I was going to have a chill evening. Baby, when I tell you I wasn't ready, believe me. Despite all the crazy online reviews, I had no idea what I was getting into. First up, setting number one. Zzzzzt! My body jolted like I was being electrocuted.

This thing was the truth! In fact, I started calling it the truthteller. It was like Wonder Woman's™ golden lasso. One round with it and the truth spilled out of every orifice in your body, whether you wanted it to or not. I was in heaven. The only thing that could make it better was if my husband was the one using it on me. So tonight, when Sin turned me down once again, I had no doubt it could do the job.

Within two minutes the magical device treated me to a screaming orgasm. I did not even attempt to stifle my excited utterings. I wanted Sin to know exactly what I was doing to myself. He would regret putting me on some imaginary pedestal. This wasn't the Victorian era where women were looked down upon for enjoying sex. This was modern day 2019 and women around the world were getting their freaks on. I would not be subjected to such an outdated way of thinking.

By the time I left that bathroom, my skin was pruned, my cooch was sore, and I had a stupid satisfied grin on my face. I crawled into bed, naked as the day I was born and turned my back to my husband. Sin was pretending to be asleep, but I knew he was awake. I hoped he was hard as granite with no way to relieve himself unless he did something "depraved". Being around him was starting to wear on my nerves. I loved the man more than anything, but a healthy sex life was something I needed. I shouldn't have to beg my husband to fuck me. As much as he liked to think he was showing me respect and love, all it did was frustrate me and leave me wanting. How did my life come to this?

The next morning I got up and readied myself for work. I had an important meeting and didn't want to be late. I rushed through another shower and grabbed my yellow maxi dress that hugged my body in all the right places. It had peek-a-boo shoulders and the sleeves belled out into tiered ruffles. Classy, yet sexy, but still appropriate for work. I was hoping to entice my husband into a lunch date. Maybe even have a little afternoon delight. Why fight if we weren't going to engage in hot makeup sex?

Rushing down the stairs, I smelled the unmistakable aroma of bacon. Sin must be cooking. His side of the bed was empty, which was normal for this time of morning. The man rose with the chickens to start his workday. Being the CEO of a major corporation was no easy task, but he made it look easy. I entered the kitchen to make my morning tea but was surprised when Sin handed me my favorite travel mug.

"Good morning, sweetheart. I made you breakfast and here's your tea. Honey Lavender, your favorite."

I was still a little irritated with him, but I could never stay mad at Sin. I loved the man more than life. Besides, he didn't have to make my breakfast or greet me with my favorite morning elixir. He could have just left and went to work without a word. I smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss. The surprised look he gave me was a bit comical.

"Thank you, baby. I appreciate you doing this. You didn't have to make my tea."

"I don't mind. I like to see your smile in the morning. I hate it when we fight."

"So do I, but if you don't mind, I am going to grab a few pieces of this bacon and jet. I have a meeting with that new diversity consultant, and I need to get moving. Can't be late. My boss would not be pleased."

"Gugu, I went through all this trouble to make your breakfast and you aren't even going to eat it? Just gonna grab some bacon on the way out the door. I guess I can't do anything right, huh?"

I took a deep breath to keep from attacking him. The man was on my nerves already. He needed to grow a pair and stop whining. There was nothing worse than a whiny alpha male. It was his company I was running off to. Not someone else's. I really didn't have time for this drama.

"Don't start that 'poor Sin' bullshit this morning. If anyone has the right to be angry it is me or did you forget last night? I was trying not to bring it up, but you won't let me do that, will you?"

The look my husband gave me almost stopped my heart. I didn't mean to be so combative, but it came naturally to me living all those years as a villain. I was used to getting my way and when things didn't go as planned, I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around. To keep from hurting his feelings even more, I clamped my mouth grabbed my bag and headed to the door.

"Oh, so you're just going to leave and not kiss me goodbye?"

"So, now you want my lips on you."

It was a cheap shot and I knew it, but I was sexually frustrated, and I was wearing my petty boots this morning. Looking at him over my shoulder, I glared at Sin and proceeded to walk out the door, slamming it. I looked up in my mirror and saw him getting into the town car that always took him to work.

It turned out anger, hurt and resentment were pretty good carpool buddies. I had enough time to stop at the store to pick up my assistant's birthday card that I forgot to get the previous night. I made it to work in record time. My stomach started growling as I walked through the lobby, so I stopped at the little cafeteria on the ground floor and grabbed a bagel and a hot tea. In my haste to leave the house, I had forgotten the one Sin made for me. As I was exiting the elevator with my breakfast in hand, I ran smack dead into Sin. The look he gave me when he saw the food could have stopped time if he was a magical being. He said nothing, just looked at me like I was the sorriest piece of shit on the planet. At least that's what I felt like under his scrutiny.

"Enjoy your breakfast, Miss Brown."

The only thing I could do was nod and retreat to my office. It wasn't that I didn't want to eat his food. I just didn't want to be late. Now I had to deal with more of his hurt feelings. Miss Brown? It bothered him that I still used my maiden name at work. He made a point of calling me Mrs. Maddox. He only called me by my maiden name when he was furious with me. I wasn't that bitch. I knew my husband assumed I was being vengeful, but I was just trying to do a good job for his company. I wanted to be a good wife, but I could only take so much.

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# Two

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Gugu

--------

I tossed the bagel in the trash as soon as I entered my office. I lost my appetite when I ran into Sin. Sitting behind my desk, I powered up my laptop and worked on clearing some emails before my meeting. I must have lost myself in my work because I nearly jumped out of my skin when my assistant buzzed my phone.

"Miss Brown, your nine o'clock is here. Shall I show him in?"

"Yes, Chanel. Please do."

I straightened my dress as I stood up. Brushing my hand over my braids, I moved toward the front of my desk. As I plucked an errand string from my blouse, my office door opened. The atmosphere in the room changed immediately as the tall, handsome man glided in. He smiled and I had to blink to keep from being blinded by his beauty. The man was GQ cover worthy. Dressed in an impeccable designer gray suit, he strode over to me with his big hand extended. I won't even lie to you. If I was a single woman... But I wasn't, so there was no need for that kind of thinking. I shook off the naughty thoughts and plastered my businesswoman smile on my face and greeted the man.

"Mr. Black, it is so nice to finally meet you in person. Welcome to Maddox Corporation. I look forward to seeing what you can contribute to the SinFul! Brand."

"Thank you, Miss Brown, but please, call me Miles. We'll be working closely together so it seems sort of formal to use last names."

"You're absolutely correct. Please call me Gugu. Have a seat." I gestured my hand toward the chairs in front of my desk. As my hand waved in front of him, a sexy smell of sandalwood wafted to my nose. Lord help me, a good smelling man was my weakness. "Can I have my assistant get you anything?"

"No, thank you."

Chanel finally tore her eyes away from Miles and retreated out of the room, closing the door behind her. I shook my head at the way she had been squeezing her thighs together while gawking at the man. Who could blame her? However, I was a married woman, and though we were going through some things, I would never betray Sin. Not even for this sexual god that was tempting me.

For the next few hours, Miles and I got acquainted as I caught him up on the role he would be playing at the company. We needed his opinions on how to market specifically to men of color for our latest products in the men's care line. For the Christmas season, we were launching skin care for men who suffered from razor bumps and ingrown hairs, along with shampoo for more coarse hair types. We also had beard balms and oils, as well as solid colognes and shower gels. We even developed a line of beard butters that contained either shea butter or cocoa butter to help maintain healthy skin.

Miles was there to help us develop the right marketing campaigns and how to strategically place the ads to maximize sales. He was an expert in this area, and we were lucky to get him to work with us. He had made a name for himself as a consultant in the men's care world and he did not come cheap. He'd better be worth the money! I had no problem telling him so.

"Alright, Miles now that you have seen our line of products for the holiday season, what do you think?"

"Well, I would need to do some research. You know get some people in here to test the products and do some surveys."

I laughed at his assessment. He must think he was dealing with an amateur. I leaned into his personal space to intimidate him a bit. It was a tactic I used in my villain days and it always worked.

"Miles, let me re-introduce myself. Gugu Brown, head of SinFul! Men and VP of Product Development. Surely you must realize I have already had these products tested way before bringing you onboard. Now, your reputation proceeds you. That's why I agreed to pay the hefty fee you charge, but don't think for one second you can blow smoke up my ass and tell me it's a BBQ. You are going to earn every penny I am paying you. I hope you weren't banking on floating by on your good looks and reputation, because I guarantee you won't last five hours here. There better be something to back it up."

He quirked a devilish smile at me and leaned in closer than I expected. It made me uncomfortable, but it was a power play. I refused to lean back to let him win. He looked me in the eyes, licked his juicy lips and opened his beautiful mouth.

"I have no problem backing it up."

As he was saying those words the door to my office opened causing my head to turn to see Sin walk in. He took one look at the proximity of Miles to me and turned a shade of red that I hadn't seen since he was a demon. Fuck! Now he would get the wrong idea. His face wore a scowl as he stared through me. I stood up and walked over to him with a smile on my face.

"Mr. Maddox, what a nice surprise." I smiled pretending what he just saw wasn't awkward and trying to convey through my eyes there was nothing going on.

"Is it? Looks like I was interrupting something."

Sin glared at me and it made me shiver in a good way. Maybe he needed to get mad more often. The way he was looking at me was making me hot and bothered, but I tried to remain professional. That all went out the window when he snaked his arm around me and kissed my lips. I melted into a puddle in my husband's arms.

"Here, I brought these for you. I thought maybe we could have a lunch date."

He released his hold on me and handed me a box of long stem roses. He stayed close enough that our arms were touching but allowed me enough space to inspect the beautiful bouquet. It had been a while since I had gotten flowers from my man and I felt like crying. I wrapped my free arm around his neck and planted another kiss on his mouth, this time forgetting we were at work. His arms instinctively engulfed me, and I allowed a moan to escape my lips. Someone cleared their throat pulling me out of my lustful haze. I stepped back and wiped my wickedly evil lipstick from Sin's mouth.

"Excuse me. Baby let me introduce you to our new consultant, Miles Black. Miles, this is my husband and CEO of Maddox Corporation, Sinclair Maddox."

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Maddox. I have heard nothing but great things about you and your company."

Miles stood, making his way across the room. He offered his hand to shake, but Sin just looked at him, glaring. Eventually. Miles caught the hint and lowered his hand.

"I am sure my wife will keep you in line. She's sharp as a tack, this one. Doesn't stand for any shenanigans like what I just walked in on. Be sure to keep your time together all about business."

What the hell? Sin has never acted like this. I know he didn't feel threatened. We needed to go to lunch and sort some things out. I squeezed his hand silently asking him to behave and then moved to my desk to retrieve my purse and put my roses down. I walked back over to Sin, who was still glaring at Miles, and took his hand.

"Miles, go ahead and take your lunch break. I'll be back in an hour or so. There's a cafeteria on the first floor or if you're not into that, Chanel can make some suggestions."

I turned to Sin who was now looking at me with adoration and love and it warmed my heart. On the way out I asked Chanel to place my flowers in some water and informed her I was leaving for lunch.

"If I am not back in an hour, have Mr. Black get set up in his office. He can start going over the red files on my desk. That will keep him busy for the remainder of the day. Thanks, Chloe."

Turning to Sin, I nodded that I was ready to leave. He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me toward the elevator. He knew I loved it when he touched me there. That shit was possessive and damn sexy. It made me feel loved and wanted. Exactly what I needed from my husband at the moment.

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# Three

# ![A picture containing mask

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# Sin

My wife had my emotions all over the place. She had been complaining about the frequency and intensity of our love making. She wasn't satisfied. That message was received loud and clear. She wanted wild adventurous sex that I all of a sudden wasn't comfortable partaking in. At least not with her. Don't get me wrong, I love my wife and would rather cut my dick off than to cheat on her. I just couldn't look at that beautiful woman and defile her like some strumpet on the street. She was my wife. The chosen one. She deserved respect and I would make sure she was placed on the pedestal she deserved. That meant no getting on her knees, not even to please me. She was above that.

Problem was, I couldn't get her to understand my way of thinking. How could I if I didn't understand it? My woman felt rejected. That little stunt she pulled last night with that vibrating contraption was just a cry for attention. I knew that. It made me feel like less of a man for not being able to give her what she needed. Gugu wanted me to do perverse things like fuck her in public places. That was not happening. No wife of mine was going to be treated like a common street walker, even if she asked for it.

If I am being honest, I liked all the things she suggested. They were taboo and exciting and stirred something in me. If it had been any other woman, I would have fucked her mouth with wild abandon, but not my Gugu. I liked to think of her in a certain way and nothing was going to change my mind about that. Funny thing was, I don't remember thinking like this before the wedding. Something was going haywire in my brain.

I felt bad about the frequent arguments we had been having. I loved my wife and I wanted peace in our home. She loved flowers, so I thought I would try once again to apologize. When I walked into her office to bring her the flowers, I almost lost my mind. She was sitting in a chair talking to a very handsome man who looked like he wanted to devour her. I hated him immediately. No man gets to look at my Gugu like that. No man except me! Then it clicked. I hadn't been looking at her like that, not in a very long time. She must feel neglected.

Well, I knew one damn thing, I was not about to let Mr. Miles Black slide into my spot and take my woman. I decided then and there I was going to step my game up. Sometimes we had to do things in life that we didn't want to in order to make the person we love the most, happy. Well, I was willing to at least try.

The way she kissed me when I gave her the flowers let me know she was still in love with me. She still wanted me, and I had not lost her. I really don't know what I would do without my wife. I love her more than life itself. If I had to show a little more affection in public and indulge in a bit more risque sex to keep her, then I would just have to learn to do it.

Walking into the restaurant I had a plan. I would ask for a secluded table and get a little frisky with her. Then I would leave her wanting me for the rest of the day. And finally when she came home tonight, I would fuck her with wild abandon. Well, that was the plan anyway, but things don't always go as planned.

"Sin, I am so happy you asked me to lunch. There are a few things I wanted to clear up. Baby, I am so sorry about this morning. It wasn't my intention to blow you off. I simply didn't want to be late, so I didn't take the time to eat the breakfast you cooked for me. When I got to work, I saw that I had plenty of time before my meeting, so I stopped and grabbed a bagel in the cafeteria. I didn't want my stomach to growl in the middle of my presentation. I should have apologized as soon as I saw you at the elevator. I was wrong and I am sorry."

Wow. That knocked me for a loop. I wasn't expecting an apology. I looked at the sincere look on Gugu's face and knew she meant every word. This was the perfect time for me to begin practicing my new love of public affection. I leaned over the booth and captured her lips with mine. I wanted to devour her, so I just went with the feeling. I let my hand flow over her breasts, and she moaned in my mouth. I had to admit it was exciting to touch her like this in public.

I pulled my mouth away from hers so I could look at her. I needed to watch her face as she got more and more turned on. Getting more confident, I let my hand drop to her thigh and started sliding it toward heaven. Just as my fingers brushed the lace trim of her panties, the server interrupted us to take our order. Unfortunately, that snapped me out of my lustful haze. I removed my hand like it had caught on fire. If the waitress noticed, she said nothing. My arousal was evident, and I wanted to finish what I started. Once the waitress was out of earshot, I leaned into my wife and whispered in her ear.

"I'm headed to the rest room. Care to join me?"

The heat in Gugu's eyes told me her answer before she could respond verbally. In fact, she said nothing, simply stood up adjusted the skirt of her dress and started walking away from the table. When she turned over her shoulder and gave me that sexy smile I almost came in my pants.

"Are you coming or what?"

She didn't have to ask me twice. I jumped up from the table and almost injured myself. My erection was prominent and as I stood it bumped into the table. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but one look at my wife's ass in that yellow dress and the pain was forgotten. I tried to calm myself to keep from running behind her. I imagine it made for a comical scene to any onlooker who was paying attention. I was walking around with a hard dick trotting along behind my woman like a hound in heat.

Gugu strolled into the men's restroom without a care in the world. She had no shame. She didn't even check to see if there was anyone in there. Thankfully, there wasn't. I made sure to check each stall as my wife tugged on my arm trying to get me to come to her. After my inspection was complete, I allowed her to pull me between her legs. Her dress was hiked up around her waist and she was sitting on the countertop in front of the mirror. She looked delicious. I lowered myself between her legs to have a taste. She smelled enchanting, and my mouth watered in anticipation, but Gugu had other plans.

"Later baby. If I don't get you inside me right now, I feel like I might die. It's been too long, Sin. I need you."

My god the woman was sexy. She knew exactly what I wanted to hear. The way she moaned my name was enough for me to commit murder just to get to her. I pulled her panties to the side and slid my finger between her lips. She was soaked. My beautiful wife closed her eyes and threw her head back as I touched her. I couldn't wait to feel her walls squeeze my manhood.

I entered her slowly, but with force. She felt so damn good I needed a minute to keep from spilling my load. Then suddenly my body betrayed me. Out of nowhere a tingling sensation came over me and my cock deflated like a balloon that was out in the sun for a couple of days. Limp! What the hell was going on? I wanted my wife so bad I could taste it. My cock was rearing to go and now this. If I believed in magic, I would say someone had cast a cruel spell on me. I was pissed and Gugu sat there disappointed once again.

"Sin, what's wrong? Why did you stop?"

I hung my head, too embarrassed to tell my wife I couldn't maintain my erection. Instead I said the first thing I could think of.

"Gugu, this isn't right. We shouldn't be doing this. Not here. I conduct business meetings here. I would hate to have the staff knowing about this. Let's just go."

I stepped away and tucked myself back into my pants, too afraid to look my wife in the eyes. She could always tell when I was lying to her, not that I did it often. It was just that sometimes, I was trying to protect her feelings and I didn't give her the raw truth. I couldn't continue to let her think I didn't want her. It was the furthest thing from the truth, but I guess what I said didn't make it any better because she hopped down from the counter, adjusted her clothes and stormed out of the bathroom.

She was pissed! I have never seen Gugu this angry before. I should have just told her the truth, but no, my ego kicked in and I couldn't. I washed my hands to allow enough time to appear that we had been in separate bathrooms and then I made my way back to an empty table. Well, not exactly, the food we ordered was there, but my wife was missing. The waitress came by to check on me.

"Sir, did you need anything?"

"Yes, did you see where my wife went?"

The waitress, whose nametag said Shay, gave me a sad look and shook her head.

"Yes, sir. She left."

"Left? Alright, can you please pack this food to go for me? I need to get back to the office. Thanks."

The first thing I was going to do when I got back to the office was to have my assistant, Jill make an appointment with my doctor to see what was going on with my cock. Of course, I would not tell Jill about my issue. She didn't need to know all of that. The next thing I needed to do was have Jill take Gugu her lunch. I was being a coward, but my wife was mad, and I did not have it in me to face her wrath right then. However, she still needed to eat.

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# Four

# ![A picture containing mask

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# Gugu

I couldn't believe what had just happened. My gorgeous virile husband had invited me into the bathroom for a little afternoon delight and it turned into my worst nightmare. What the hell was going on? He was excited. I know he was. The way he touched and kissed my body had me so hot and bothered I was dripping. I had no doubt he was going to give it to me good right there in that men's room, but he stopped. He was rock hard when he entered me and then it just went limp. Now I know good and damn well Miss Kittie was fresh. I washed and had on cotton panties so she could breathe.

Maybe he was having a medical issue and was too embarrassed to tell me. Whatever it was, I was dying. I needed cock and I needed it yesterday! If he didn't give me what I needed soon, I was going to go insane. I needed to expel some demons before the old Gugu reappeared. I couldn't let that happen. There was no way I would turn villainous again. Life wasn't supposed to be like this. I made a deal with a witch, not a genie. Those tricky bastards always had a hidden clause, but witches were straight forward. At least my girl Celeste was. I had a feeling something magical was at play and I needed to clear my head before I said or did something that could permanently damage my marriage.

I took a car service back to the office, but I didn't feel like working. I was angry. I needed to vent so I plucked my trusty mirror from my drawer and called out to my friend for a little girl chat.

"Celeste Dubois, The Eternal Witch, give your man's cock a break. I need you."

Ever since she changed my life for the better giving me this second chance, Celeste and I have been good friends. She is one person who understands my dilemma. Not even Sin knew about time being rewound so we could be together. Celeste was my go-to. She understood what it was like to be a villain and have to change your ways in order to have the love you longed for and deserved.

"Gugu, now you know I am not trying to hear your drama this afternoon. I am trying to think of ways to make my man scream in pleasure."

I rolled my eyes at my girl. She was wearing her favorite green headwrap that brought out the caramel undertones in her mocha skin. She had a sparkle in her eyes that I recognized. She was glowing from good sex. I was happy for my friend but couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Her man lived to please her while mine couldn't even stay hard long enough to get himself off.

"Do I have to hear about your raunchy sex life?"

"Girl, you sound like you haven't had any in a hot minute. You need to jump on Sin and ride him into submission."

"I wish I could. That's exactly why I am calling. Something witchy is going on in my household and I need your help."

The smile that was usually plastered on her face quickly faded and she adjusted her posture to a more serious pose. One thing about Celeste, she knew when to joke and when to take me seriously. This was no laughing matter.

"What do you mean something witchy is happening? Spill!"

I took a deep breath and looked around the room to ensure there was no one within ear shot. Yeah, I was in my office, but sometimes the walls had ears around here. After I was satisfied that we had privacy, I poured my heart out to her.

"Well, it's like this. Sin and I have been having some issues in the bedroom lately. It's like he's a totally different man."

"What is it? He wants to try some weird shit or something?"

"Celeste, I pray for weird shit. How about he can't or won't fuck me! We haven't screwed in over two months."

"Bitch, what? Two months! I would lose my mind."

"Now you see why I'm calling your ass. At first it was like he was tired from work. Then he started making excuses like he wasn't into what I wanted."

The line was unusually quiet for Celeste, but then I heard her clear her throat.

"I am almost afraid to ask, but what were you trying to do to the man? You know your ass is a big ole freak."

"Girl please. Trying to give my man a blow job does not make me Tina Snow."

Celeste started laughing but then caught herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, but that was funny. So Sin is trippin' over a blow job?"

"Girl, yes. He calls it depraved, as if I haven't sucked the skin off that fucker before. He's acting strange and it's not a function issue. He can get it up, but he can't keep it hard. The straw that broke the camel's back was this afternoon. We've been fighting because you know when I don't get my back blown out, I am an evil beast. So anyway, he came to my office and got jealous over this new consultant I hired."

"Why? Is he hot?"

"Girl, fine as wine, but that doesn't matter. I would never cheat on Sin. The thing is, he got in his feelings and wanted to take me to lunch. The whole time we were in the car the sexual energy was poppin'. When we got to the restaurant, he was sporting a woody and couldn't keep his hands off me. I was like yes, finally."

"Did your nasty ass fuck your man in the restaurant? It sounds just like something you would do."

"You damn right I would. I thought it was going down. He had his hand in my treasure and the shit was feeling good. Then he whispered for me to meet him in the bathroom. Now you know my clit almost left my body when he said that shit."

"Gugu you're a fool! So what happened?"

"We get in there and he's hard as that new math in school. I tell you I was ready for my man to fuck me good. He puts it in and nothing. His shit went limp as a wet noodle. I was livid, but more than that I was hurt. Celeste, we used to have the hottest sex around when I was a villain. It's as if when you turned back time, you turned the heat off in the bedroom for us. What gives? Is this a side effect of the spell? If so, I want to go back to being a villain."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"At least then my man was dicking me down on a daily. And it wasn't some weak ass sex. That shit was phenomenal. I wish Sin could remember how we used to literally burn the bed down."

"Gugu, that's no reason to go back to that life. And to answer your real question, no there weren't any side effects to the spell. I wrote it myself and it was flawless. Whatever this is, I can assure you it is not of my doing."

"I wasn't trying to place blame on you. I am just at my wits end and don't know what else it could be."

This weird look came over her face. Celeste hesitated and looked down as if to avoid looking me in the eyes. She better not be thinking..."

"Gugu, have you ever thought that maybe this wasn't supernatural? I hate to say it, but could Sin be having an affair?"

A timebomb exploded in my head. I had no idea if Sin was cheating, but we were a united front. I would never insinuate her man was cheating, so why was this the first thing my friend said to me?

"You know what, Celeste. I think I need to go before I say something I can't take back. I have every faith in Sin that he is a faithful husband. Whatever this is, it is not that. Okay?"

"Yeah, alright Gugu. I didn't mean anything by it. I am just grasping at straws here."

As she was saying that, her husband Rip, the former witch hunter appeared onscreen. He was never too far from Celeste and I wasn't surprised when he popped up. I already knew she would tell him my business, so there was no need to get upset about his nosiness. He smiled and waved, but then his face went white as a ghost. I thought it odd until the line went dead and I felt a presence in the room. I turned to see Miles standing there.

"How long have you been standing there eavesdropping on my conversation?"

I was pissed! There is no reason for him to be in my office so the only thing he could be doing was listening in on my private conversation. Where the hell was Chloe? I spun around to read this sucker the riot act. He must have felt my energy shift because he started backing away from me.

"Cat got your tongue? Listen Miles, I don't know how it worked at other companies you worked for, but here in this place of business you do NOT enter my office unless you have an explicit invitation to do so. Why the hell were you creeping behind me listening to my conversation? I need an answer now!"

"Um, I am sorry Gugu, but I needed to get some folders from your desk, and I didn't know you were back from lunch."

The lying little prick couldn't even lie straight. He had forgotten he spoke to me when I came back from lunch. I smelled a rat and he was dressed in a designer suit looking like a snack. Why hadn't I seen it earlier. The way Rip's face paled, he must have recognized him. I would have to call them back later to confirm. I wouldn't show my hand just yet. I needed more information, but I was sure something was amiss here.

As I was lighting into Miles' ass with a fury, Chloe chose that exact moment to knock on the door.

"Come in! You see that, Miles? That is how you enter this office. You knock and wait for a reply. If you do not get invited in, leave and come back later. I will not have this conversation with you again. I do not tolerate insolence and I damn sure don't like nosey motherfuckers snooping around listening to my private phone calls."

Chloe, who was walking towards me with what appeared to be a takeout bag in her hand, halted her steps and glared at Miles.

"Miles, I thought I told you earlier that you couldn't just enter her office at will. What are you doing? Trying to get me fired? Miss Brown likes her privacy and though you are new, it is no excuse. You may be new here, but this is not your first job. You would never have done anything as brash as walk into a male boss' office, so why did you do it to Miss Brown?" She continued with her tirade giving him no opportunity to answer. Not that he would have a good response anyway. "Let me inform you of something. Your life will go a lot easier if you stay in your place. It is NOT your place to walk into this office unannounced or uninvited. I'm not losing my job because you want to be nosey. Got it?"

Well damn! That's what I'm talking about Miss Chloe. Shit, she might have just earned herself a raise.

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# Five

# ![A picture containing mask

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# Miles

My plan was working! Well, until it wasn't. I had to be more careful when I did my recon. That bastard Rip gave me away. I had been tucked into Gugu's office listening to her whine about her lack of sex life to her newfound friend and one of my worst enemies, Celeste Dubois for a good ten minutes before he spotted me. It sounded like my plan to reverse The Eternal Witch's magical spell was working. Then that assistant Chloe had to open her big mouth and snitch on me, too. That bitch better watch her back. Stitches are coming her way and soon. Nobody talks to me like that. That would have to wait, because I had goals.

My main mission was to reverse all of the spells on unsuspecting villains that were cast by Celeste, The supposed Eternal Witch. How dare she decide to wage war on villains by brainwashing them into believing there is something wrong with their outlook on life? Just because she didn't enjoy the scandalous world of being a villainess, doesn't mean we all have to feel bad about ourselves. Villain shaming is getting to be as popular as fat shaming and I will not stand for it. I take pride in my evil spells and my bad attitude. I will not let some witch who thinks she is better than us make me feel bad about myself.

Plus, who is she to talk? She married a witch hunter. The man has killed more witches than the Salem Witch Trials and here she is trying to make me feel bad about my little evil deeds. Nope! Not having it.

I intended to make the spells appear to have gone awry with hidden backlash and repercussions. That would cause the villains who Celeste had been 'helping' to doubt her magic. Gugu was my test run. Everything was going according to schedule. I had already infiltrated their company so I could get close to her and Sin. According to the conversation I overheard, the spell I cast on Sin was working like a charm. He could get his dick hard, but it turned out to be useless because it would deflate as soon as he touched his wife.

I studied Gugu and found she thrived when she was happy, but when her sex life was out of whack, she always returned to her inner villain to help her get through. That type of behavior was ingrained in all of us villains. It was as normal as breathing for us. As soon as something went wrong in our lives, we resorted to our nature. Gugu was prone to bouts of violence and lots of sarcasm. She also thrived when she was angry, throwing herself into work and ignoring her man. It was the perfect plan, if I say so myself.

I was a bit worried about that witch hunter seeing me. We had had run ins in the past. Thankfully my magic allowed me to cloak my appearance. Because of my cloaking spell I appeared to be a tall, dark and handsome man with a killer smile and a body that made women salivate. I should know, I was all woman. The man I stole this look from was delicious. I mean that literally. He and I had a wild tryst before I captured his essence for my spell. His body tasted divine when I licked him. It was a shame I had to shrink him in order to get what I needed. Now he was like all the others, three inches high and dipped in wax. My little wax figurine was a good time before I stole his identity for my scheme. Maybe when this was all over, I would reverse my magic and have another go at him.

Meanwhile, I had to wrap this mission up quickly. Gugu was getting suspicious and there was no telling if that brute, Rip recognized me through my cloaking. Only time would tell, and I didn't have any of that to waste. I needed to kick this into phase two so I could break Sin and Gugu apart. Once those ties were broken, Gugu would return to her original form - Villain extraordinaire. When that was complete, I would move on to Grant Dufort, the next villain in the group.

If I planned everything just right, I would be able to reverse Celeste's magic before she could figure out it was me causing her problems. The nine villains she had worked her magic on would return to their beautiful natural state and the world would be right again. There is a natural imbalance right now. The Universe needed villains just as much as it needed heroes. Otherwise, everything would be a utopia and what was the fun in that? It had been tried before and failed miserably. The goody two-shoes of the world needed bad asses like me to offset their mundane lives.

The best part about this whole scheme would be seeing Celeste's face crack when she realized she had failed! That was going to be the best day of my life. As I was ruminating over my diabolical plans, I noticed Gugu leaving her office. Now was my chance to sneak into her office and steal that magic mirror she used to contact Celeste. I would need that to gain access to her plain of existence. I am coming for you Celeste. Be afraid! When I am done with you, you will know that Villain is a bad word! Time for a little fun!

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# Six

# ![A picture containing mask

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# Gugu

That situation with Miles had my mind spinning. After he left my office, I found out the bag Chloe was carrying was from Sin. He sent my lunch to me after I left the restaurant. Even though I was angry and disappointed with him, he still managed to show he cared by making sure I ate. As I sat down to eat my salad, I decided to pick up the phone and call my husband.

"Sin Maddox."

He answered the phone as if he didn't recognize my number. He always greeted me by name and did so happily. What was up? I was about to speak when I heard a female voice giggling on his end of the line. I sat quietly as the woman laughed and told him how funny he was. He chuckled and then the line went dead. Now, I can take a lot of things, but my husband holed up in his office with some vixen giggling was not one of them. Especially not when his dick wasn't working for me and he acted as if he didn't know who was calling. I stood from my desk, grabbed my mirror, phone and purse and went marching to his office like I was going to war.

As I arrived at the outside of his office, I was greeted by his assistant who had a look of trepidation on her face.

"Hi Miss. Brown..."

I waved my hand and kept walking. Usually I was friendly and carried on a conversation with his assistant, but I had other shit to attend to at the moment. Pushing the door open, I walked in on this buxom blonde hussy with her hands on my man. To anyone else it would appear as an innocent touch on the arm, but to a woman who was dick starved, she may as well have been on her knees sucking my man's dick.

Sin knew I was a possessive bitch, so when his eyes recognized me entering the room, he took a step back from the woman and cleared his throat. The blonde hussy, who was clearly flirting with my man, was either dumb or brazen. It really didn't matter to me. Her ass was about to be handed to her. Sin must have recognized the anger in my eyes because he caught me mid stride and hugged me tightly around the waist.

"Gugu, sweetheart, this is a pleasant surprise. Did you get the lunch I sent you?"

Crickets! I glared at him and his hand began to shake. However, his grip tightened around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. Brazen blonde took the opportunity to introduce herself to me as if I cared who the hell she was. All I wanted from her was to never see her in my husband's presence again. I stared at her like the piece of shit she was until she caught the hint and excused herself. I turned to my husband and waited for an explanation.

"Why are you so upset, Gugu?"

I gave him a look that could have catapulted him into a coma if I was a witch with powers. Sin was in danger of me choking him out. I was having all kinds of violent thoughts rising within me. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. Not since Celeste had cast her spell for me to become an anti-villain. I needed to take a deep breath and calm down before I seriously laid hands on my husband. That would not be good.

"Why the fuck did you hang up on me?"

"What are you talking about? I never hung up on you."

"The fuck you didn't. I just called you and heard that trollip giggling in the background, talking about how funny you were. Then the fucking line went dead."

"Babe, I had no idea that was you on the line. Why didn't you say something?"

"I was too busy listening to you flirting with another woman in my damn face. What was going on in here, Sin? Why did that bitch have her hands on you when I walked in here?"

"Gugu, you need to calm down. I will admit there may have been some innocent flirting, but I promise you there was nothing going on between me and -"

"Don't you dare say her fucking name in my presence. Whoever the fuck she is, she needs to stay away from you."

"That may be a little difficult since she works for me now."

I stood there looking at my husband. He may be the CEO, but I was not going to let that shit fly. Usually I didn't care who worked for him, but that bitch had side chick written on her from the top of her bottle blonde tresses to the soles of her pedicured feet.

"Now you know that is not going to work for me. She has fuck me written all over her forehead. The question is, have you?"

"What the fuck, Gugu? How dare you come into my office making demands of me and accusing me of cheating on you?"

"What the fuck do you expect? You certainly aren't giving up the D at home. You must be slinging it somewhere else. Are you fucking that hoe?"

"Gugu, keep your voice down. I don't need my workers knowing our personal business."

"I don't care if they hear me. Why didn't you answer my question?"

"Because it doesn't deserve to be addressed. I have told you a million times, I would never cheat on you. My dick doesn't work for anyone but you."

"Well, it's not working for me either."

I was enraged at this point. I don't care what he said. That bitch was looking at him like he was a can of that gourmet popcorn from Chicago and it was bring a snack to work day. She had no idea what wrath I would bring upon her if I found out she had been with my man. I was done with this pointless conversation. I turned heel and marched out of his office and into the elevator and didn't stop until I was standing on the sidewalk on front of the building.

Since I was outside already, I decided to make a b-line to the parking deck. I jumped in my car and headed to the one place that always brought me solace. The badlands, as I affectionately referred to the deserted part of town, was a place I could disappear in. I would reminisce about my days as a villain and the first time I ever met Sin. He didn't remember the first time we met. He still thought we met when I came to interview at Maddox Corporation, but I remember the real first time.

I was taking a walk on the wild side of town, as usual. Even then it was my favorite place to think. I was contemplating my life choices, specifically how I made a deal with Lucifer, the devil himself. I had never intended to sell my soul, but I was at a crossroads and was desperate. Like most who make this kind of deal, I needed something, and he wanted something in return. At least his deal had no fine print. My soul was the price for fame, fortune and beauty. It was all I ever wanted, so I signed on the dotted line and was an overnight success.

That was the day I met Sin. He was gorgeous with these mesmerizing gray eyes. He was Lucifer's minion and had been assigned to my account to ensure I didn't crawfish the bet. Sin was newly deceased, and I was his first account. We instantly felt a spark for one another. Having to hide our feelings for each other had been exciting and added fuel to an already overheated relationship. We fucked any and everywhere we wanted. There was no satiating our lust for one another. The man fucked me every which way he could, and I loved every second of it.

I missed those days. It was too bad Sin had no recollection of those times. Once I agreed to leave that life behind, time was rewound. I was the only one who remembered everything from my past and that was only to keep me from repeating my mistakes.

I was sitting on a rundown retaining wall thinking about my relationship gone bad when I remembered I needed to call Celeste back to see what was up with Rip. I pulled my magic mirror out of my purse and opened it calling out to The Eternal Witch.

"Gugu, I am so happy you called back. Rip and I have been discussing your situation and I think you may be right about it being magical."

"Yeah, I think I know the culprit behind it too. I just can't figure out why."

At that time Rip came into view in the mirror and gave me a sad smile. He was never nice, so I knew I was in trouble.

"Gugu, you need to be careful. Are you in your office right now?" His voice was filled with concern.

"No, I am across town, we are safe to talk. No one is around."

"The reason I clicked off the line before was because I could feel the magic in the room with you. Whoever that person was in your office was eavesdropping on your conversation. He is using some sort of cloaking spell to mask his true identity. I have seen this before when I was hunting witches. The magic is dark, which means the entity you are dealing with is evil."

Now dealing with evil beings was nothing new for me. I tangled with the devil himself when I was trying to save Sin's life. I literally walked through the fires of hell. I was not easily scared. However, I was not stupid. I knew I wasn't immune to this magic and the darkness. In fact, I was probably in more danger than I was before because I didn't want to take the chance of falling back to my old habits. I had already started to let the anger rise within me. That's when it hit me.

"You guys, what if this being, or whatever it is, wants to make me turn back to my old ways."

"Gugu, I don't think so." Celeste started before I cut her off.

"Just think about it for a second. What is the one way to bring my beast mode out?"

"Lack of sex!" Both Celeste and Rip answered at the same time.

"Exactly. What if they knew, and cast a spell on Sin's dick to keep him from sexing me? They knew it would be the one thing to send me over the edge. It is no secret that I love to fuck my man. It makes total sense if you think about it."

Celeste looked at her husband and he nodded his head in agreement. Then she turned to me and smiled.

"Okay, say this is all true, who would have that big of a vendetta against you to do this?"

"I don't know. Since you rewound time, I really don't have any enemies because all my transgressions were wiped clean. I have been a good girl since then so I can't think of anyone who would want to do this. Maybe it isn't about me. Who else knows about your deals with the villains?"

Celeste appeared to be thinking but couldn't come up with an answer. We decided we were on the right track. Rip would put his research and tracking skills to the test and try to come up with something. The thought of his beloved being in danger was motivation enough to get him moving. We made plans to talk again when one of us had news or next Monday, which ever came first. In the meantime, I would need to watch my back, front and undercarriage. Whoever this person was, they were not playing around.

It was late and being December, the sun had set a while ago. I loved the holidays but had always hated that it got dark so early in the day. I was sure my husband was wondering where I was. I didn't want to argue anymore. I wanted to love on my man. I decided to try and break this spell Sin was under. I just needed to make one stop on the way home and then it was on. Watch out baby, mama's coming, and she won't be denied!

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# Seven

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Gugu

After stopping at the store to snag a bottle of orange Gatorade™ I made my way to the bedroom where Sin was laying across the bed watching TV wearing nothing but a towel. He looked damn good splayed out like that, especially when he chuckled at the program that was on. My body was already on edge, but the way he was looking all sexy and still a little wet from his shower, I wanted to attack him.

"Hey Gu. Where have you been, darlin'?"

The sultry voice of my man brought me out of my thoughts. I looked into those gray eyes and swooned. Yeah, I know I am extra, but the man was damn sexy. He may be a little older than me, but he kept his body in peak physical condition. I cleared my throat and allowed my eyes to molest his deliciousness before meeting his eyes again.

"I was in the badlands thinking."

"Baby, I have asked you not to go out there alone. I know you like to go there to think, but it is dangerous."

"Sin, I don't want to fight with you tonight. Can we please take a night off from that?"

"Whatever you say."

Damn, he was irritated. That was not the way for me to get what I wanted tonight. I desperately needed to be close to him.

"I am going to take a bath. It has been a long day and I am drained."

Sin jumped up from the bed startling me. He moved swiftly into our bathroom like a man on a mission. The next thing I heard was the water running. I stood there trying to figure out what he was doing as the scent of lavender caressed my nose. He was running my bath for me. He used to do that all the time, but lately I hadn't felt like relaxing in the tub. I walked over to my side of the bed and placed the drink I purchased at the store on the nightstand. I crossed the room to grab a pair of boy shorts and a tank top from my dresser drawer, wanting to be comfortable after my bath. After disrobing, I placed my dirty clothes in the hamper and sauntered into the bathroom in all my glory.

Sin's eyes devoured me as I walked closer to him. My man was aroused, but I wasn't taking any chances tonight. I couldn't handle another disappointing night. Instead of going straight for the gusto, I decided it would be better to tease him a bit. Make him salivate for me. Maybe if he got all worked up, his cock could defy the spell.

The spell! I hadn't told him about that yet. That should make things between us a little better. As I got within touching distance, Sin reached out and took my arm in his hand. He groaned at the skin to skin contact. The only thing between us was a towel and a shared smile. His cock was standing up for me, but I ignored it. Sin stood and helped me into the tub. Then to my surprise, he took the washcloth, soaped it up and began washing my body.

"Mmm, that feels so good, baby. I missed your touch."

"I missed you too. Gu. I don't want to fight with you. It physically makes me sick. I need you to be happy, and I am sorry about the shit that's going on with my cock. I can't explain it, but I promise you it is not intentional. I want you so bad it hurts. There is no other woman. Since the day I laid eyes on you, there never could be anyone else. You own my heart, my soul and my cock. I just need you to be patient with me until this thing is figured out."

"I know you love me, Sin. That was never in question. I was just frustrated. You know I need my orgasms. However, I know it's not your fault." I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get upset. Okay?"

"You can't ask me something like that. It's not fair. I have no idea what you're going to say."

I sighed deeply as his hand brushed over my nipple. Damn, that felt good. Focus Gugu!

"Alright, but I want you to know I only did it to get help for us."

"Only did what, Gugu?"

He removed his hand from my breast, but I quickly grabbed it and put it back where it belonged. Mmm, that's better. I needed his hands on me to get through this news.

"I was frustrated when I came back to the office from lunch. I needed to vent and that's what girlfriends are for." I was babbling. Get to the point Gugu. "I sort of told Celeste what was going on between us to see if she could help."

"Fuck, Gugu! You told that woman? You know her husband is nosey as fuck. I bet he was listening in, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but wait, before you get too upset, he may be able to help."

"Gugu, I am not going to sit around talking to Rip Van Winkle about my cock! Forget about it. It is not happening. PERIOD!"

Ooow, he was mad at me. I needed to make him understand what was really happening.

"Sin, baby, listen to me. Celeste and I think there may be a connection to this new guy Miles. There are too many signs pointing to it. You told me the other night that you felt weird right before The Hammer stopped working, right?"

He chuckled at the nickname I called his penis. I named it after Thor's infamous Mjolnir™ because he really brings the thunder in bed.

"That's right. I got aroused, but as soon as I attempted to enter you, it instantly softened. I usually feel this tingling and then it stops working."

"Well, while I was chatting with Celeste this afternoon via Skype™, I was interrupted by the new guy, Miles. Apparently, he had made his way into my office without me knowing. Rip popped onto the screen to say hi and saw him in the room."

I couldn't tell Sin about the magic mirror that I used to contact Celeste. It would cause too many questions to pop up. He knew Celeste was my friend, but he had no idea she was a witch or that those things even existed.

"I'll kill that mother fucker. What is his deal, Gugu? You said he came highly recommended. If he's doing this type of shit, he has to go. Get rid of him and I mean now! He can't be trusted."

"Baby calm down. I can't fire him yet because I need to figure out how he is doing this. He may have an accomplice or maybe he managed to slip something into your food or drinks. I don't know. Rip is looking into it for me. In the meantime, I need to keep our enemy close. I want him to relax and think everything is fine. If he has even an inkling that we suspect him, he'll bolt. If that happens, we'll have to worry about him attacking in the future. That's no way to live our lives. I want this shit shut down once and for all."

Sin rubbed his beard which meant he was in deep thought. His eyes took on a darker gray color making them appear smoky. Sexy as fuck! I hadn't even noticed my hand moving down my body until I felt that familiar jolt of electricity that happened whenever my clit was awake and needy. I began rubbing a circle around my little bundle of nerves, trying to calm the little hussy down. All it accomplished was me getting hornier. My eyes drifted closed as the pleasure began to increase. My mouth dropped open and my head fell back against the edge of the tub. A slight moan may have escaped my lips, too.

"Gugu, what the hell are you doing?" I jumped as his deep voice filled the room. "We were supposed to be talking about a serious matter and here you are petting Miss Kitty."

He chuckled, causing me to open my eyes and smile up at him. All I wanted was for him to make me scream. Take me in those big strong arms and make me remember why I called that appendage between his legs The Hammer. Hell, I would settle for a good finger fuck and a snuggle session. I just wanted my man's hands on me.

"Baby, maybe you should finish up in here on your own. I'll be waiting in the bed so we can continue our talk."

Sin rose from his kneeling position next to the tub and left the room without even a glance back at me. It was in that moment that I realized just how selfish I had been. My man was hurting just as much as I was. He hadn't been avoiding me because he didn't want me. It was just the opposite. I finished washing, got out of the tub and moisturized. Since it was nearing the holiday season, I was into peppermint scented bath products, but Since Sin but lavender in my bath, I used the corresponding lotion.

As I entered the bedroom, I noticed Sin had taken his previous spot on the bed. The TV was still on, but he was reading a magazine. The glow from the television illuminated his face and my horniness returned. I joined my man on the bed, we both were sitting there naked as can be. I was never very good at keeping my hands to myself, so I snuggled up next to him and kissed him on the cheek. He embraced me by wrapping one arm around me as he continued to read.

I adjusted my body to get more comfortable. As I sat up, he turned to say something to me and we both froze. Our faces were millimeters apart. We stared into each other's eyes as his mouth hovered over mine. I could almost taste him. He was so close. The sexual chemistry was sizzling in the room. I needed my husband and he needed me. I leaned in just enough for our lips to make contact. Sin immediately took over and devoured my mouth like it was the last time he would ever kiss me. My body reacted to his touch like it was on fire.

He pulled me onto his lap, and I began rubbing my clit against his manhood. The friction felt so good I couldn't have stopped if he asked me to. Only he didn't ask me to stop. Instead he encouraged me to keep going. His body was reacting to mine, causing a deep moan to escape his chest. Sin's hands were everywhere as he kissed and licked my neck and chest. He latched onto my nipple and brought me to the brink of orgasm. I leaned back to look in his eyes. I needed for him to see how much I wanted him.

"Baby, I want to try something with you."

He nodded, trusting me explicitly. I had wanted to try this for a while but was so in my feelings about not getting hammered that I had resorted to pleasing myself. Not tonight. Tonight I needed Sin's hands on me. I needed his mouth on me and I needed to feel wanted.

"Lay back and get comfortable, Sin."

He did as I asked. Crawling up his body, my juices left a trail of my essence from his stomach, over his chest and finally mixed with the coarse hairs of his beard. I hovered over his face and didn't have to say a word. He knew what I wanted and happily obliged. That was the thing about Sin, he loved to please me orally. In fact, I believe it was one of his favorite pastimes. I retrieved the drink from the bedside table and cracked the top as his glorious tongue went to work. Aaah, Thirst Quencher! He dove right in, flicking my bundle of nerves and then sucking it into his mouth. I was in heaven.

I was already on the verge of bathing him with my release when he gripped my hips roughly. The feel of his rough hands against my soft skin caused my legs to tremble. God help me I was coming already. He just felt so good.

"Fuck baby! I'm coming! Oh god, Sin, don't stop. Don't ever stop."

I think I lost my mind with that orgasm. My baby was relentless. Usually he would give me a chance to recover, but not tonight. He kept right on licking my pussy into a puddle. I could feel the wetness seeping between my thighs and settling in his beard. The noises my man made were intoxicating. He was enjoying this as much as I was. My body exploded over and over, but he wouldn't release me. I drank my beverage while he drank me. I treated Sin to three back bending orgasms before I lost count.

By the time he was finished, my braids were out of the bun I had them in, my body was sore, and Miss Kitty was purring like she was curled up in front of a cozy fireplace. I attempted to stand up and move away from him, but my legs failed me, and I ended up falling backwards onto the bed. My ass landed on his lower thighs, leaving my pussy directly inline with his cock. Sin reached out trying to catch me before I fell, but gravity was too quick for him. We both laughed as I got on my knees and dismounted him. I wanted so badly to ride him, but I wasn't taking any chances. Tonight was going to end on a good note.

I made the mistake of brushing up against his erection as I was moving. I could tell he needed a release in the worst way so I figured I would try something.

"Babe close your eyes for me. I'm trying to see something," I said to him before lowering my mouth to his cock and licking the tip.

He groaned in pleasure as I lapped at him like a thirsty little vixen. His erection stayed intact, so I continued my stimulation. Afraid to move too quickly, I tentatively took him in my hand and began jacking him off. He stayed hard so I sucked him into my mouth and bobbed up and down like a mad woman. I was afraid he would go limp again before he could release so I gave it to him hard and fast. He was hitting the back of my throat in seconds.

The feel of his hands grabbing my braids and tugging on them was like heaven. His moans rang out into the room as his hips raised off the bed. I increased the pressure of my jaw and proceeded to suck the life out of him. The scream that left his body when he finally came was satisfying. I loved performing blow jobs for this exact reason. The way he looked at me afterward made the whole ordeal worth it. Sin kissed me deeply, not caring that I still tasted of him. He held me tightly as he drifted off into a deep sleep. Everything was right between us again.

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# Eight

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Gugu

Two Weeks Later...

Things at home had been going great since we found the loophole in that spell. Sin still couldn't remain hard when he tried to fuck me, but we made it work. As a matter of fact, we found all kinds of freaky ways to pleasure each other besides penetration. The spell, as inconvenient as it was, was also a blessing in disguise. It forced Sin to look at me like a real woman. He finally took me off of his imaginary pedestal and faced the fact that I had sexual needs and there was nothing perverse about that. It even allowed him to stop pretending that he didn't enjoy receiving oral.

We found new and exciting ways to incorporate his love of blow jobs into our daily routine. Let's see... I blew him in his office while his assistant was right outside the door. She even busted me getting up off my knees as he was zipping up. I forgot to lock the door. Oh, well. What else? Oh, I worked on my gag reflex by lying on my back while he stood over me feeding his long cock down my throat. I even sucked him from the back, and even ate a bit of groceries while I was in the vicinity. Neither one of us enjoyed that.

I still missed the D, but the oral took the edge off. It was enough to tide me over until we found a way to reverse the spell all together. As a matter of fact, I had a meeting with Celeste and Rip this afternoon. The day of reckoning was here for Miles. It was time for him to pay the piper, but first I needed a little tonguing down to remind me what I was fighting for.

I wore a black pencil skirt that had sexy snaps up the front for easy access. My black shirt was sheer, and the red bra I was wearing, popped. Of course, I only showed that to Sin. I wore a jacket that covered my bra when I wasn't in his office. My body was on fire as I anticipated the feel of his mouth covering my lips. I could barely walk as wet as I was. I walked into his office and he just knew. I didn't have to say a word. He knew I needed him, and he immediately started unbuttoning his shirt. His already loose tie was snatched over his head and I watched as he peeled his shirt from his perfect chest.

Damn, my man was fine!

Not one word was exchanged. He licked his lips and patted his desktop, sliding his chair back to allow me room to sit down. I unsnapped most of the closures on the skirt and let it flow over the desk behind me. Opening my legs for him, my husband smirked when he noticed my lack of panties. He licked those sexy lips one more time and dove in for his treat. He tossed my legs over his bare shoulders and made me squirm. I had to bite my lip to keep from screaming out his name. I tried to whisper it, but it was more like a stage whisper.

"Shhh." He mumbled against my clit as he continued to please me,

I couldn't help myself as he fucked me with his tongue and bit on my clit on the downstroke. That was his signature move and it always caused my orgasm to start building in the pit of my stomach. A few more licks and I would be shoving my hips off his desk and calling to the heavens. One lick, two lick, three lick... OH! I fell over the edge with wild abandon. I clawed at his back, squeezed my thighs around his head and just about died right there on his desk. My orgasm was so damn strong I didn't even hear his assistant walk in. The only reason I knew she was there was the loud gasp that left her mouth.

I turned to see her retreating from the room. Sin raised his eyes to mine, and we laughed. Though my body was covering what Sin was doing to me, I had no doubt she knew exactly what was happening. I guess we would be the subject of office fodder for the next week. It didn't bother me. Let those bitches know my man goes down on me in his office. What could they do? Nothing.

Standing from the desk, I adjusted my clothes and smiled at my husband. "I better get back to work. If my boss finds out about us, he won't be pleased." I loved flirting with Sin like that. He was my boss and he was definitely pleased.

"Fuck your boss. Send him to me if he has a problem. I'll handle it."

I leaned in and kissed my juices from his mouth. I handed him a bottle of beard shampoo suggesting he get cleaned up. He smiled at the bottle and excused himself to his private bathroom. I took that as my cue to leave. I smacked him on the ass as I walked past him and exited his office. Jill was nowhere to be found.

The bottle of shampoo I handed Sin was from the new product line SinFul!. I had been working on it day and night to get ready for the Christmas launch. The products had been selling out in stores and online since we released it. Our manufacturers were working overtime to get replacements shipped to the stores and warehouses for the final shopping rush.

I couldn't have asked for a better launch, no thanks to Miles. He was not who he claimed to be at all. I was catfished at work. Who does that? It was obvious he knew nothing about marketing, which was the main reason for him being hired. The ideas he presented were awful and the marketing team looked at him with a permanent side eye. I would have fired him the first week, but I needed him close until Rip finished his investigation. Speaking of which, I had ten minutes to hike back to my office to make the meeting on time. This was going to be one for the books.

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# Nine

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Miles

I was in the breakroom getting a bottled water when I ran into Jill, Mr. Maddox's assistant. She was gabbing on and on about how she just walked into her boss' office and caught him giving Gugu head. She said he was going at it with a fury. They were so into it they didn't even notice she was there until she made herself known.

"I tell you I have never seen anything like it. There she was sprawled out on his desk, legs draped over his naked shoulders. His shirt had been removed and was hanging on the back of his chair. His face was buried in her snatch and he was going to town. He must have known what he was doing because she was writhing all over that desk. I tell you I wanted to ask if they wanted a third to join in. They were so hot!"

I stood there looking at Jill like she had lost her damn mind. What did she mean they were having sex on his desktop? I had cast a spell... Oh shit, I only cast the spell on his cock. I had forgotten about oral sex. How could I be so stupid?"

"What happened when they found out you were in the room?"

"Well, apparently she had just had a major orgasm because she was clawing at him. Her head was lolled back on her shoulders and she was screeching like a banshee. I cleared my throat and his head popped up from between her legs. He was dripping in her juices. I mean they were all over his beard. She looked at me over her shoulder, but I retreated out of the room before they could say anything."

"Damn!"

"Well, what's your problem? I know you didn't think she was interested in you. I see the way you stare at her when you think no one is looking. That woman only has eyes for her husband and after seeing him in action, I don't blame her."

"Well don't you get any silly ideas. I doubt he'll be lowering himself to eat your little cooch out."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I have no problem finding someone to take care of my needs. I don't lust after my boss like some people. I just liked watching them. I better get back to work. I don't want to miss her face when she walks out of that office."

I was pissed at myself. How could I forget about oral sex? It had been so long since I had been with anyone. I was practically a virgin again. It was time for my meeting with Gugu, so I grabbed my water and headed to her office.

As soon as I entered the office, I felt like something was off. The lighting was weird, and it smelled like she had been burning some candles or something. Since she was late to the meeting, I figured she was on her knees in her husband's office. Now was the perfect chance for me to find that mirror. I rummaged through the top drawer on her desk where I had seen her put it. Damn, it wasn't there. I turned to look around the room to see if she had any other hiding spots and saw a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at me.

"Fuck!"

"Looking for this?"

Gugu held out her hand and in her palm was the treasured mirror I needed. She had a nasty look on her face and then it dawned on me. The scent of the candle. It wasn't a candle after all. It was sage! She had trapped me. How did she know sage would work against me? There were games afoot. Magical games.

"Gugu, I was just looking for a notepad to let you know I was here but needed to leave early. I have a family emergency."

I turned to leave the office and ran smack dead into Rip, husband of my mortal enemy, Celeste DuBois. I had to be careful. Wherever he was, she was sure to be close. He stood in front of the door and locked it to prevent me from leaving.

"I don't think I'll let you leave here today. You have some explaining to do," that bastard Rip said.

Before I could react by casting a spell on his murderous ass, I heard chanting coming from behind me. It was that bitch Celeste. I should have known. She was casting a spell of her own, a decloaking spell. How the hell did they know? My magic was strong and my spell flawless.

The smell of sage increased and I started to feel woozy. That's when that bastard, Rip rushed me and clasped my wrists in irons.

"Oh my goodness, Miles is a woman? A very tall woman with one eye!" Gugu called out in shock.

"Be careful! She's a Cyclops. I have dealt with her kind before," Rip warned his woman.

"Cyclops? It can't be. I thought they were all males," the stupid witch exclaimed.

"No honey. The famous ones are males, but just like any other species, they need females to procreate. They are capable of great magic. It's a good thing you enchanted these power stripping cuffs. They should hold her for a while."

So, the witch hunter was an expert on my kind. Good for him. It won't be when his witch is crying out in pain. Maybe she will learn to leave well enough alone. Just wait until I break out of these cuffs and slit his sorry throat. It will be exhilarating to see her bear witness to the death of the witch hunter. Gugu Brown started asking questions, bringing me out of my stupor.

"What is your name?"

I wanted to ignore her, but there must have been a truth spell mixed in with the anti-cloaking spell that allowed them to see the true me. I tried to ignore her, but pain ripped throughout my body. I knew this spell. If I refused to talk, the pain would get worse and worse until I passed out. Pain was not my friend, so I gave in to her.

"Ceren, my name is Ceren Getty."

They all chuckled. Yeah, I knew my name sounded funny to them, but I didn't care. It was a beautiful name. It was my grandmother's name and I was named for her.

"Your name is Serengeti, like the desert?" Gugu asked.

"No bitch, Ceren is my first name. Spelled C-E-R-E-N. Getty is my last name, G-E-T-T-Y. Got it? Good!"

I had low tolerance for these fools now that they knew my true identity.

"So, Ceren Getty, I'll give you a pass this once, but don't ever talk to me like that again. You have no idea who I used to be."

I smirked a she said this. I knew exactly who she was. She was no match for me, just because she walked through the fires of hell and came out unscathed.

"Don't I? For your information, villain, I know exactly who you are and what you're capable of. It doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, we could use some more of that around here."

She was shook. Old girl was clutching her pearls like I was a mind reader or something. I was very disappointed. I expected her to be more vicious from her reputation.

"Well, since you know so much, why don't you clue me in. What is this whole thing about? First you cast a spell on my husband, so his dick didn't work, then you wormed your way into a job at our company that you weren't qualified for. Now you're trying to steal my mirror. What gives?"

I tried my best to ignore her question, but there was no way I could endure the pain. After fighting for about five minutes, I gave in. My lips parted like a hooker's on pay day. All my tea was spilled that day.

"Truthfully, it has nothing to do with you. You and your husband were just collateral damage. My issue is with you, witch!" I turned towards Celeste who had a shocked expression on her stupid face. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? Who told you to take it upon yourself to start changing the order of the world? Nobody!

"You just had the idea to start villain shaming. You decided that being a villain was a bad thing and started changing us into the good guys. Well, news flash, witch, you need villains in the world! The natural order of things is unbalanced now that you have interfered."

She stood there staring at me like the fool she was. Her brute of a husband stood behind her in a protective stance. I had to be smart. Pick my battles wisely. New strategy! I needed to get her to offer me the same deal she had the others. Then when she let her guard down, I would take her out. Once she was dead, all of her magic would be reversed, and the villains would return to their evil ways.

"Let me kill her! Cyclops are very cunning. She will find a way to get what she wants. The only way to keep you safe is to chop off her head and burn it."

That motherfucker! He was hell bent on killing me. I didn't see this coming. I needed a way out of this, and I needed it now. As I was trying desperately to figure a way out of this predicament, I hear the witch speak up.

"Rip, you know I can't just go around killing creatures anymore. I turned over a new leaf. I think we should offer her the same deal as we did the others."

"But Celeste, you just heard her say she wanted to destroy everything you've managed to accomplish. She doesn't deserve a second chance."

"Well, some could say the same about you and me. I say we at least offer it to her."

"Damn right you should. The last thing I want is to be decapitated. Maybe there is something to this second chance thing."

That truth spell must have been wearing off because I easily lied to her without a hint of pain. I would take her stupid second chance, let her rewind time and then when she least expected it, she would die at my hands.

"I still don't trust her, Celeste, but if you're sure I will go along with it."

The Eternal Witch looked at me trying to dee if I was sincere. I had only one eye and that one had good practice in deception. The three of them turned to me as Celeste asked the question.

"Well, what say you? Would you rather give up being a villain, have a second chance to make your life over or would you rather die? Your choice, but you have to decide now."

"I don't really have a choice, do I? I don't want to die so I accept your offer, witch. What do I need to do?"

"There is nothing for you to do at the moment. I will say a spell to rewind time. It will erase all the evil you have done in this lifetime and you will be granted a second chance. If you mess up that life, you will have one final chance to get it right."

Gugu walked closer to the witch with a confused look on her face.

"Celeste, when you say the spell, will things for Sin go back to normal?"

"Of course. In fact, he won't even remember there was an issue. You guys will just continue living your life. You will remember it all because you had the same deal."

Celeste, Rip and I traveled back to their realm of existence via Gugu's magical mirror as time rewound and things returned to normal on the earthly realm. I hope they didn't get too comfortable. I would be back soon and when I arrived, I was bringing a shit storm with me.

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# Ten

# ![A picture containing mask

Description automatically generated](d2d_images/image001.png)

# Gugu

Christmas Eve...

I was snuggled up to my man after a long night of wild passionate sex. Sin's cock was working better than ever. He had no idea that anything had been wrong, and I was thankful for that. A blow like that could mess with a man's ego. He didn't understand my insatiable libido, but he damn sure was enjoying it. Last night we went several rounds before he finally passed out from exhaustion. I fell asleep with a huge smile on my face and a huge wet spot on the sheets.

"Good Morning Gu. How's my beautiful temptress this morning?"

I smiled at my husband's greeting. I was so fucking happy to be back in the saddle again I would have given him anything he wanted. Leaning up to him, I planted a sloppy wet kiss on his face and jumped out of bed. I took off running toward the living room, knowing he would chase me. He hated it when I kissed him like that, but he enjoyed punishing me afterwards. When my man caught up to me, I was laughing uncontrollably.

"You think you're funny, don't you? I should spank that gorgeous ass of yours to teach you a lesson."

"Yes please!" I beamed at him as he shook his head.

"You have no shame woman. Now give me a proper kiss and I'll let you open one present."

"Sin, you never have to bribe me to kiss you. However, since you offered, come here big daddy."

I reached up and softly pecked his lips. I grinned at the disappointed look on his face. He was so spoiled. I leaned back in and kissed him properly. Neither of us had brushed our teeth, so I kept the kiss chaste. When I pulled back, he handed me an envelope.

"Here, this is the present you get to open."

"Wait a minute, I thought I got to choose." I pouted as he laughed at me.

"Woman, you will open that present or none at all. Your choice."

I opened the envelope and almost passed out. Sin had surprised me with a vacation on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean. We were going aboard the Beluga, a 170-foot yacht helmed by the famous captain, Mateus Gallo. He was on one of those reality shows that followed the lives of the crew as they served the rich and the famous.

"OMG! Sin, I can't believe this. You chartered a yacht for Christmas Vacation?"

"That's right baby. We leave tomorrow morning from Miami. Pack your bags. Our flight leaves in three hours."

I started singing "I'm so excited" and started dancing around the room. Sin started laughing and joined in. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. Just a few days ago, Sin and I were in real trouble in our relationship. Now, we were headed for ten days of fun in the sun on a private yacht with a full crew to take care of our every need. This was going to be epic! I planned on fucking my husband on every inch of that boat. This was going to be the best SinFul! Christmas ever!

Fin

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# Siren Allen Presents....

#

# A Grimm Christmas

# (Featuring the characters from her villain romance, His Beautiful Grimm Reaper.)

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# A Grimm Christmas

#

Note to readers: For those of you who've read the first edition of His Beautiful Grimm Reaper, please know that the title of the book and some characters' names in this story and that story have been changed to protect the innocent. But, it's still the same fairy tale you fell in love with.

I hope you enjoy A Grimm Christmas.

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# Chapter One

#

"So, none of you have heard of Christmas?" Addasyn asked again.

Seated on the bar counter, she stared around the room. Iris, Petal, Flower, Eddie, Fou, and Grant all stared at her with blank expressions on their faces. How could they not have heard of Christmas?

Sure, Christmas wasn't a traditional holiday on this plane, but surely, they'd heard of it. The looks of confusion on their faces told her they hadn't. Addie had to remind herself that the rest of them hadn't traveled to different planes of existence as she had.

This was why it was important to get out and see the world. If you spent all of your time in one place, you'd never understand the true meaning of life. You'd never understand different cultures, or taste different delicious and unique foods. She was going to have to school her new crew on what Christmas was.

"It's just like Creator's Day here," she explained.

"Ohh." They said in unison.

"Why didn't you just say that in the beginning, love?" Grant asked as he approached her.

"Because here, on Creator's Day, we don't give gifts. We simply light candles."

When Grant reached her, he picked her up off the counter and sat her on her feet. He then leaned against the counter, pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. With her back to his chest, Addasyn faced her friends while Grant held her.

"You just want gifts," Iris accused, as she twirled a strand of her blonde hair.

Addie faced the green-eyed elf. "Not true. I just want to celebrate Christmas in the traditional way. I want to do the whole nine. I want to decorate a tree..."

"A tree?" Fou frowned. "Why?"

"A Christmas tree. Not a regular outside tree."

"Sooo," Flower tapped her chin. "Do trees change on Christmas and become some type of special tree?"

What the hell? Flower and her sister, Petal, were pixies. Surely, they knew a little bit about Christmas.

"Of course not," Addie told her.

"Then how is a Christmas tree any different from a regular tree outside?" Flower asked, hands on her hips. "By the way, FYI, we can't decorate the trees outside. The woodland creatures wouldn't like that."

"We could kill the woodland creatures," Grant suggested.

"Boss, that's just wrong," Fou chastised him. "What did the woodland creatures ever do to you?"

"If my mate wants a tree, I'll kill whoever I have to in order to get her one."

She stared over her shoulder. Grant smiled down at her, clearly proud of himself and the horrible statement he'd just issued. Once a villain, always a villain. Grant must've read her mood from her expression.

His smile faded. "I can kill someone else to get you this Christmas tree if you don't want me to kill the woodland creatures."

Addasyn sighed. Explaining Christmas to them was going to take longer than she'd thought.

"You don't have to kill anyone to get me a tree, sweetie." Addie patted Grant's hand that was resting on her abdomen. "We can just go into the forbidden forest and chop one down. I saw a field of Fir trees out there."

Grant frowned. "You sure I don't need to kill someone?"

"Yes."

"You positive?"

"Yes, Grant."

He nodded. "Then I'll go out and chop down the biggest Fir tree I can find."

"Thank you," Addie smiled up at him.

That handsome grin returned to his face. "Anything for you, wife." He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Even the sound of clearing throats didn't interrupt their moment.

It wasn't until Petal yelled, "I'm going to vomit soon," that they pulled apart.

Addie glared at the pixie. "Stop being dramatic."

"You're the one being dramatic with this whole Christmas thing. If it's like Creator's Day, let's just celebrate Creator's Day."

"But during Christmas on the mortal plane, the festivities are awesome. Eddie, you're from New Orleans on the mortal plane, right? Help me explain Christmas to them."

"I got you," Eddie nodded to her. "Listen up kids. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of the Creator of all planes of existence."

"Just like Creator's Day," Flower pointed out with a shrug.

"The only difference is, humans created festivities to go with the holiday. Like the lighting of the Christmas tree."

Iris smiled. "We get to set a tree on fire? I am sooo down with that."

Addie groaned. "No, Iris. We're not setting a tree on fire. We buy Christmas lights to put on the tree. And no, they're not regular lights that become special on Christmas day, Flower."

"I didn't ask that. I was about to, but I didn't do it."

Ignoring Flower's eye-rolling, Addie went on to explain Christmas. She told them about the decorations, gift-giving, and Santa. It was Santa that made them burst out laughing.

Clutching her stomach, Petal said, "Wait..." More laughter. "Wait.... So, an old guy rides a bunch of reindeers through the sky." More laughter. "And he breaks into the humans' houses and instead of taking things, he leaves things behind. Reverse stealing!"

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal," Iris chimed in before laughing so hard that tears dripped from her eyes.

"Even if it's not illegal," Flower said. "I wouldn't trust him. He sounds suspicious." Flower chuckled.

"Hey! No laughing at my wife," Grant came to her defense. "Hey. Stop. Whoever laughs at Addasyn again is fired."

Everyone ceased laughing. Watching them try to hold their laughter in made Addie laugh. Her laughter opened the giggle gates back up and everyone started laughing once more, completely ignoring Grant's glares.

It took a while, but Addie finally finished explaining Christmas to them in a way they understood. It was the thought of playing Secret Santa and eating a feast that finally got everyone on board.

"I'll prepare a feast," Eddie told them. "I'll add some Cajun dishes from my hometown, New Orleans. I'll also add some other traditional holiday treats. Who wants to help?"

"Not it," Flower said.

"Not it," Petal added.

"I'll help," Iris volunteered. "We have some tasty elven dishes that I'd like everyone to try."

"Thanks, Iris," Eddie told her. "We'll start working on the menu tomorrow. If that's all, I'm going to head out."

"That's it," Addie told them. "Thank you, guys, for staying late to listen to my idea. And be safe going home. I heard from one of the villagers that there have been a few attacks that happened last week. Two people were almost kidnapped."

"I heard that too," Iris told her. "I heard someone tried to kidnap a little boy from his front yard."

"Yep, heard that too," Petal said. "I heard that a woman was walking home from work and was almost abducted in an alley. If it wasn't for another guy heading in her direction who screamed at the culprit to leave her alone, she would've been taken."

Addie shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, but be safe."

"We're magical," Flower reminded her. "I wish someone would try us. It would give us a chance to use our abilities." Flower smiled wickedly.

"Just be safe," Addie told her.

"I will," she said as she followed the others to the front door of the tavern. "Goodnight guys and dolls."

"Goodnight," Addie called out and waved to the staff of her and her mate's tavern. "I wonder what kind of weird gifts they're all going to give each other?" Addasyn mused aloud.

"I know what I'm getting you," Grant leaned down to whisper in her ear as the others rushed from the tavern now that their 'end of the shift' meeting was over.

"What's that?" Addie turned to face him. Wrapped in his embrace, she stared up into her husband's handsome face.

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

"True. Honestly, I don't want much." She wiggled against him. "Just a little dick."

"Ain't nothing little about this dick," he growled.

"I didn't mean..." She yelped when he scooped her up. "Grant, what are you..."

"It seems you've forgotten my size."

"How could I forget? We had sex last night."

"That was almost twenty-four hours ago. It seems I need to remind you."

"We have to lock up."

"Use your magic," he told her as he carried her toward the back of the tavern.

Addie whispered a spell that locked all the doors, windows and activated the tavern's alarm system.

"What if Fou comes upstairs to ask you something?"

"He wouldn't dare enter our room after hours."

"What if..."

"Your ghost friend knows that our room is off-limits."

"How did you know I was about to ask about Zarina?"

Grant kissed her forehead. "Because I know you, wife. It seems you've forgotten me though. No worries. I'm about to remind you."

"I have not forgotten."

"You called my dick little."

"I didn't. I said I want a little bit of dick."

"Using little and my dick in the same sentence offends me, wench."

"I'm sorry, mighty lord Grant," Addie said sarcastically as he carried her up the stairs. "I'm sorry I didn't use the proper title when describing King Dick. Forgive me my handsome alpha wolf."

"Apology not accepted, Grimm witch."

He easily positioned her over his shoulder so he could free up a hand to open their bedroom door. A wicked smile spread across her face. Every time he reminded her of how strong he was, it turned her on.

Whether it was him toting her around their tavern as if she weighed nothing, or him lifting up their big bed so she could look under it to find her shoes. It all turned her on. He kicked the door shut behind him and inhaled deeply. A low growl rumbled through his chest.

"You smell good enough to eat." He slapped her on her ass.

His words caused a shiver of anticipation to race down her spine. "Prove it," she challenged.

He stalked across the room and tossed her onto the bed. She quickly pushed her wild curls out of her face so she could watch him. He removed her socks and pants in record time.

"Wife, please tell me you didn't leave the tavern without panties on again today."

"I wore panties today, Grant. When I came back from my Grimm duties, I showered and forgot to put panties on. I was in a rush to get downstairs and talk to everyone before they went home tonight."

"Mate...."

"I promise I wore panties while doing my Grimm duties, husband. I was just in a rush when I returned home. I rarely get to see my friends here anymore, which is crazy because I live here. My new Grimm duties are taking up a lot of my time."

"Whose fault is that?"

"Don't start. You know I'm part Grimm. This is who I am. This is what I do."

"I know. All I ask is that you wear panties while doing it."

"I do, love. I showered quickly, threw on clothes and forgot that one article of clothing. I wanted to tell everyone about the Christmas festivities before they left."

Her excuse didn't erase the scowl on his face. She knew something that would get rid of it. Moving slowly, she eased her legs apart. His gaze drifted down her body. Lower and lower until...

Her wolf's growl filled the room. Bingo. He gripped her ankles, pulled her to the edge of the bed then went to his knees in front of her. The first swipe of his tongue against her center had her eyes sliding shut.

By the third swipe, she was moaning his name. By the... she lost count. Soon, she was writhing and rubbing her pussy against his tongue as he devoured her. Pleasure radiated over her body.

Gripping the comforter, Addasyn arched her back. Her orgasm was close. She could feel the first tendrils of her climax crawling over her, igniting all of her nerve endings and causing her body to tremble.

"Grant, Grant... I'm about to..."

He slid two fingers inside her heat. Addasyn exploded. There was no controlling her body. She jerked as he continued to lick and finger her. He didn't stop until her trembling subsided. She sighed when he pulled his fingers from her and raised his head to stare up at her.

"On your knees," he commanded.

"I can't," she told him, drained of all energy.

"If I have to ask again, you know what that means."

She did. But she honestly couldn't move right now. He rose to his feet and stared down at her. She was still wearing her T-shirt but nothing else.

"Wife, you have five seconds to get on your knees. If I have to position you..."

"Give me ten seconds," she whispered, still unable to breathe normally. She'd just cum. A witch needed time to recover.

"Five."

Damn it. He was counting. She watched as he stepped out of his boots and unbuttoned his pants.

"Four." He took his pants off then unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside. She would turn over before he got to one.

"One."

"No fair..." He grabbed her and flipped her over onto her stomach. "You skipped three and two."

He pulled her to her knees then pressed his large palm against her back and pushed down, lowering her head to the mattress, putting her into position. Ass in the air with the side of her face pressed against their black comforter, Addasyn smiled.

She knew what was coming next. She'd made a promise to him last week. If he wouldn't complain about how much time she spent taking care of her Grimm duties, she'd obey him in the bedroom.

She was slowly getting accustomed to being a fulltime Grimm. Which meant she spent a lot of time at the Grimm castle training with her dad and less time at home with her husband and their friends.

The 'no complaining deal' had been her idea. She was more than willing to obey him in the bedroom during their naughty fun time. But only at night. Any daytime sex was not part of the deal.

She didn't have to obey him during the daytime hours. So far, he hadn't complained about her working long hours at the Grimm castle nor about her leaving at all times of the day and night to go collect a soul.

He was keeping up his end of the bargain. However, she'd just violated hers by not going to her knees when he told her to. She wondered how he'd punish her for being a wicked witch?

The mattress dipped when he joined her on the bed. On his knees behind her, he gripped her hips and pulled her against him. His hard cock pressed against her bottom as he bent over her to whisper in her ear.

"You disobeyed me, witch."

His sexy voice caused a delicious chill to creep down her spine.

"I'm sorry, wolf," she whispered innocently.

"Apologies don't work. You disobeyed me and now you must suffer the consequences."

"Oh noooo," she purred.

He chuckled and climbed off the bed. She raised her head to stare behind her.

"Head on the bed," he ordered.

She obeyed and returned her face to the mattress. Excitement drummed through her. He rubbed his hands over her ass. Addie closed her eyes and arched her back. Her eyes snapped open when he smacked her ass.

So, this was his plan, his punishment. A spanking. He rubbed her ass again then smacked it. She gripped the comforter when he smacked her again.

"I love watching your ass jiggle," he told her before spanking her again then again.

Soon he had her moaning his name as he spanked her harder, causing her ass to sting. A sting that left her wanting more. A sting that had her growing wetter, that had her arousal rising higher.

Her mate gripped her hips and growled, "I think you like this punishment more than you should."

"I don't," she lied. "Keep punishing me. I haven't learnt my lesson."

Grant climbed back onto the bed. He removed her T-shirt from her body and tossed it aside. On his knees behind her, he slid his cock between her slick folds, rubbing it against her heat, coating his length with her essence.

She leaned back, hoping to cause him to slide into her. She was surprised he'd let her off the hook so easily with that simple punishment. But she was also happy because she was ready to feel him inside of her.

Her body was hungry for him. And her mate seemed just as hungry for her. Gripping her hip with one hand to keep her from moving, he positioned the tip of his cock at her entrance.

"Now," she moaned. "Do it now."

He growled, then slid the tip in.

"Deeper," she groaned. He slid out of her. "Grant, I need..."

"My greedy witch," he chuckled. "This is part of your punishment."

"Huh?"

He bent over her to whisper in her ear. "Did you really think I would let you off that easily?"

Damn.

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# Chapter Two

#

Oh, how wrong she'd been.

She should've known he wouldn't let her off with a simple spanking. She should've known her naughty wolf had more tricks up his sleeve. He slid into her again, just the tip. She groaned in frustration.

"Grant, I need..."

"I know what you need." He pulled out then tapped his cock against her heat, increasing the need that was already consuming her.

"Grant, I won't disobey you again," she promised.

"Swear it." He slipped into her yet again, sinking deeper, but still not deep enough.

"I swear," she vowed.

"You'll obey me whenever we're in this room, right?"

Addasyn nodded. At night, she thought.

"Use your words, mate."

"Yes, Grant. I will obey you while in this room." She paused. "At night."

He growled then thrust into her, filling her completely. His cock stretched her in the most delicious way. She gripped the comforter tighter and rocked back to meet him for his next thrust.

He set the pace and she matched it. Thrust after thrust she met him. The friction of their sparring made her toes curl. It made her gasp for air each time their bodies collided beautifully.

She bit the comforter to keep from crying out. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Her body was ready to wave the white flag and surrender to the pleasure her mate was delivering.

Her legs trembled. Her knees felt weak. As the pleasure was rising higher and higher, her body was sinking lower and lower until she was no longer on her knees. Doggy style had turned into, flat on her stomach, unable to throw it back style.

Her mate didn't miss a beat. He kept driving into her, showing her body no mercy. As she sank onto the mattress, his body followed her, keeping the same pace, keeping the same intensity that was quickly sending her over the edge.

"Don't run from it," he growled in her ear, fucking her as she lay flat on the bed, unable to do anything except take it, enjoy it, appreciate it. "Mine," he growled before kissing the back of her neck.

He slid his hand underneath her and massaged her clit as he pushed into her. That was too much for her body to take. Trembling, she cried out, screaming his name as her body came undone. Her essence rained over his cock. He continued to slide into her slick heat that was gripping him tightly.

"You feel so good, mate," he growled in her ear, body pinning her against their mattress. "I can feel you coming on my cock. Don't stop. Not yet. I want to come with you."

His words only increased the magnitude of her orgasm. He rubbed her clit and shoved into her until his body started to tremble. In wasn't long before he too jumped head first over the cliff and joined her in bliss.

Sweat beaded their skin as their bodies trembled uncontrollably, caught up in the throes of passion. He held her close, continuing to dick her down while whispering incoherent words in her ear.

"Damn, baby. I... will... never... shit... get.... Used.... To this.... Fuck... feeling."

His words turned to growls as they rode the wave of pleasure. He pushed into her until every drop of him filled her, until both of their bodies were completely drained and sated. And even after that, neither of them moved.

They laid there for a long time. Her, flat on her stomach. Him, with his chest pressed against her back and his semi-hard cock still inside her. If you would've told her a few months ago that she would one day be mated to an alpha wolf, a former villain, she probably would've called you a liar and tried to stab you.

Now look at her, all hugged up with the wolf of her dreams. And she couldn't be happier. She felt him raise up. A slight moan escaped her lips when he slid out of her. Even that felt good.

She didn't say anything when he retreated to the bathroom. She heard the shower come on. Her eyelids felt heavy. Keeping them open became a struggle. She hadn't even realized she'd drifted off to sleep until she felt him picking her up.

He carried her to the shower. Standing in front of him in the shower, the water felt great on her skin. For a few minutes, he simply held her in his arms as the water cascaded over their bodies. She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. After a while, he spoke.

"Long day at Grimm castle?" He asked.

"The longest," she mumbled.

"I missed you today."

"Missed you too." She wished she could spend each day, all day, with him.

Unfortunately, she was a working woman now. And her work didn't involve him. Her dad was finally allowing her to step into the role of a fulltime Grimm. She had to make sure she lived up to the high expectations her brothers had set.

She couldn't mess up the way she'd done in the past. If she did, she'd be demoted with the quickness. And she'd probably never be able to work her way up to full-time Grimm again.

"Is the training hard?" He asked as he held her.

"Not really. It's just intense. I already know how to do the job. But my dad is insisting that I freshen up my fighting skills."

Grant tensed. "I thought you only had to collect souls. Who do you have to fight, mate? Shit. Do I need to go with you when you collect souls?"

Addie chuckled. Her mate was so protective. "No, you don't have to go with me. My dad is just overprotective like you."

"Are you sure there is no danger in this?"

"I mean, there's danger in everything. I'm good at avoiding danger though, mostly. Remember when I was sent to collect your soul. That witch, Celeste, was there to give you a second chance at life. I didn't interfere. But if I had, she and I would've gotten into a fight. She's a powerful witch, I'm a powerful witch. I'd like to think I would've won. But who knows? My dad wants to make sure I'm ready for situations like that."

"I think you could've taken Celeste down, mate."

"I probably could've. I'm glad I didn't though. I'm happy you didn't die that day. I'm happy she gave you a second chance, a chance to turn your villainous life around. A chance to meet me and fall in love. I'm thankful for that witch, Celeste."

"So am I. Without her, I wouldn't be standing here naked with you in the shower."

"Nope, you'd still be chasing after the beast and that other chick. What was her name?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You do. What's her name again? Bella? Belladonna? Issa? Isadora? Isadonna? What was it?"

"Addasyn. That's the only name I know. Addasyn Grimm-Dufort."

Addie raised her head to stare up at him. "Good answer." She took a step back. "We better shower before the water grows cold."

They quickly showered. As usual, their shower time together led to them having bubbles all over them and her laughing as he tickled her. Bubble fights were becoming a part of their nightly routine.

After they showered, rinsed off the excess bubbles and left the shower, they chatted as they stood in front of their double mirrors and double sinks to finish up their nightly routine. Brushing her teeth, she listened as he told her how his workday went.

She actually missed being at the tavern with him and the others. She missed it way more than she'd thought she would. After they finished brushing their teeth, they returned to the bedroom where Addie donned one of his pajama tops and he donned the pajama bottoms.

It was a long time before he drifted off to sleep. They continued their conversation in bed with her snuggled up against him, listening to the deep timbre of his voice. They talked about the Christmas festivities.

She told him about the ornaments she wanted the staff to make. After talking for about two hours, he finally fell asleep. Her, she remained awake. She couldn't sleep. There were things weighing heavily on her heart.

Things she wanted to share with him, but couldn't. They hadn't been married for long. It was too early in their relationship to be adding extra stress. They were still in the honeymoon phase.

Despite the fact that they rarely saw each other these days, things were going well. She didn't want to mess that up. Sighing, Addie kissed Grant on the forehead then rose from the bed and walked over to the dresser to find a pair of shorts.

Once she was dressed, she walked downstairs to the kitchen where she prepared herself a cup of coffee. Fou wasn't around. He was probably in his room asleep. With no one to talk to, she turned to go into the dining room and stopped when she saw a ghost float into the kitchen.

"I thought I sensed you in here," Zarina said.

"Zarina, you nearly scared me to death."

"Yay. If you die, you can become a ghost, like me. Then we can hang out all the time."

"Whatever." Addie proceeded to the dining area with Zarina following behind her.

"I don't like the fact that I'm not allowed in your bedroom," Zarina told her.

"I do."

"That's so mean. I be needing to chat with you and I can't do that if you stay locked up in your room with your wolf."

"You and I chatted earlier today."

"For a few minutes. If you're not trapped in your room here, you're trapped in the training hall at Grimm Castle. And I've been banned from both places."

"I wonder why."

Zarina rolled her eyes. "It's hard out here for a ghost."

Chuckling, Addie took a sip of her coffee. It tasted and smelled divine.

"I miss coffee," Zarina complained. "My uncle used to bring a special brew from the mortal plane. Is that from the mortal plane?"

Addie nodded.

"I miss it," Zarina groaned.

"Sorry, Z. It's good too."

Zarina leaned forward and inhaled. "I'm sure it smells good too, doesn't it?"

Addie nodded and took another sip of her hot beverage.

Pouting, Zarina shook her head. "I'd do almost anything for coffee. I'd give a goat shifter some head for one sip of coffee."

Addie almost choked on the hot coffee. Wiping her mouth, she said, "Really, Zarina?"

"Girl, yes." Zarina floated into the seat across from Addie. "Notice anything different about me?"

"Yes. You're sitting down. Someone has stolen a spirit recently. Human or animal?"

"Guess?"

"If you've stolen a beloved soul from my brother..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's going to banish me from this plane. I know. It was an animal. I followed some hunters earlier and stole the souls of those animals. When you take over this region as the fulltime Grimm, I hope you share your beloved souls with me."

"Not happening. I love you, Zarina. But if you get in my way..."

"Say no more. I'll stick to a deer and cattle diet. The butcher at the market place is keeping me energized. So, let's talk about you. Why do you look so down?"

Addie stared down into her cup. "Down? I don't look down."

"You're literally looking down right now. As soon as I started the conversation, you stared down into your coffee. Come on. Spit it out. What's bothering you?"

Addie sighed. "It's my marriage."

"You want to kill him, don't you? He is kind of irritating."

"What? No! And never say that again. My husband is the best husband in the world."

"Oh. Then why does your marriage have you down?"

"I don't feel married."

"But you are. I was there when your father married you to Grant. Yeah, it was kind of a shotgun wedding. It still counts though."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the time I spend with Grant. We rarely see each other. And when we do see each other, it's at night. We have sex, shower and chat a bit before falling to sleep. Then in the morning, I'm heading to Grimm Castle before he wakes up so I can start training."

"And then you're there all day. Trust me, I know. I miss spending time with you also."

"I feel like being a Grimm has consumed my life and I don't have time for anything else. Now, I see why my brothers never date and why they don't have any friends. They don't have time for that."

"This is what you wanted though. You've wanted this for a long time. You've worked hard to get your father to stop treating you like a baby. Now you have that. You should be happy."

"Before I met Grant, I would've been happy. I would train all day and night with no problem. Now, I feel like..."

"You feel like you're failing at balancing your work life and your home life. You feel like you're failing as a wife because you're never home. You feel like you're putting work before your marriage."

Eyes wide, Addie asked, "Have you become a mind reader?"

"No, silly," Zarina chuckled. "This is what all women feel. I may be dead, but I remember what it felt like to be alive. I remember dating guys who would get mad at me if I made more money than they did. I even had one guy dump me because he said I acted like I wore the pants in the relationship. My friends even told me to cut my hours and go part-time, just so I could keep a certain guy in my life."

"What did you do?"

"I said fuck that. I was not about to lessen myself to please a man. Unfortunately, he dumped me anyway. And then I died a few months later. Now, here I sit."

"Oh, that turned dark quickly."

Zarina laughed. "Life is too short to not live it the way you want to. Find out what you want in your heart, what you really want and focus on that. If you really want to spend more time with Grant, do so. If you really want to work more as a Grimm, do so."

"I can't have my cake and eat it too."

"Yes, the hell you can. Women do it all the time. Women work just as hard as men and then they go home and make sure their families are good too. You can do both. You just have to find balance."

"Balance?"

"Yes. Balance. Until you find balance, you're going to be one stressed out Grimm. And you're going to start messing up things at work and at home. Once you find balance, yeah, you'll have some stressful days, but mostly you'll feel accomplished. Like yeah, I fucking rock at being a working woman and a wife."

"So, I don't have to be like my mom and be a stay at home wife and mom?"

"Of course not. You've been to the mortal plane. Those bitches over there work and manage to have a stable life at home."

"They also have a high divorce rate over there."

"Oh, forget those bitches then. Um..."

Addie chuckled. "I get what you're saying, Z. For me and Grant, there is no such thing as divorce or breaking up. We're mates. We're mated for life. I just have to find a better way to balance both parts of my life. I can do that. I have no choice but to do that."

"You can do it. I believe in you."

"Thanks."

"Has Grant complained about you training all day long?"

Addie shook her head. "Not yet. But I can tell it's bothering him. He tells me he misses me every day. And it breaks my heart every time he says it."

"Awww... the beast does have a heart."

"Of course, he does. And it belongs to me. It's my job to care for that heart. And I feel like I'm failing at that. But I'm going to do better. My new goal is to work smarter, not harder. My dad wants me to be at a certain level before I start working fulltime. I'll work harder to prove to him that I can do the job. And once I've done that, I'll have more free time to spend with my wolf."

"And with me. Don't forget me."

"I could never forget you. Thanks for this chat. It really helped me."

"Anytime friend. Oh, uh, by the way... if you get a message from your brother saying that I stole a beloved soul... um..."

"You did steal a soul from him, didn't you? You liar."

"Gotta go." Zarina disappeared, leaving Addasyn alone with her lukewarm coffee.

That was okay. She wanted to be alone. She had a lot to think about.

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# Chapter Three

#

Ax in hand, Grant stared at the field of trees.

For his wife, he would find the most perfect Fir tree in the forest. He would make sure she had a special Christmas. The fact that she wanted to include him in this Christmas celebration made him proud.

On this plane, on Creator's Day, families lit candles to celebrate. Three candles to be exact. One candle was lit to celebrate your loved ones. One candle was lit to celebrate yourself, your career or anything special you'd achieved that year.

The final candle was lit for the Creator. That candle was a candle of thanksgiving. It was tradition to thank the Creator for everything he'd done for you that year. To thank him for watching over you and protecting you.

The candle was lit to thank the Creator for all he'd blessed you with that year. In all his life, Grant had never felt watched over or protected. In all his life, Grant had never lit a candle for the Creator. Not one.

This year would be the first. He had so much to be thankful for. He had his mate. For her, he would light a thousand candles. All he had to do was stare into her eyes to see how blessed he was.

He was no longer bitter about his past. Everything he'd experienced, everything he'd endured, every burden, every setback, every time he fell, the Creator gave him the strength to get back up so he could continue moving forward, heading in the direction of the woman meant for him.

Their love was no chance meeting. No accident. They were destined to be together. This was destiny. Many had tried to keep them apart. They all failed. He'd endure another lifetime of hurt if it meant he'd end up here, with her. For her, he'd endure anything.

Standing in the center of the forest, Grant stared up at the trees surrounding him. The trees in this area were the trees his mate described. Smiling, he sought out the perfect fir tree. When he found it, he stared at it in awe.

His mate would love this one. He could already picture the beautiful smile she'd gift him with when he returned with this tree. He raised his ax, then paused. This tree was special. He wouldn't use a raggedy ax to chop it down. He'd use his claws.

We don't want to damage the tree, his wolf spoke up. Use the ax. Make a clean cut.

"It would be more special if I cut it down with my claws."

Use the ax. Don't mess this up. This is our first Christmas with our mate. With our wife.

Wife. That word always brought a smile to Grant's face. Addasyn Mariah Grimm-Dufort was his wife. The badass Grimm princess who wore her hair braided to the back and always had on baggy black clothes was his wife. No man on any plane had a better wife than him. And he'd killed anyone who tried to say they did.

Our wife is everything to us. That's why we should use the ax. We need to make this Christmas everything our wife dreamed it would be.

True. Ax it is then. Grant gripped the ax tightly as he eyed the tree. You're about to go down buddy. Grant prepared to swing the ax.

Make sure there are no woodland creatures in it first.

He paused. "What?"

Our wife is going to ask you if there were any creatures in the tree.

"If there are, they'll scamper away as the tree is falling."

Let them get to safety first.

"When did you start caring about the safety of others?"

After I married a female who cares about the safety of others.

"Our mate is a Grimm. She deals with death every day."

Which means her appreciation of life is great. Last week, she saved a cat from a wolf shifter.

His wife had indeed done that. Grant stared the tree up and down. He could hear creatures scampering around. He could hear their claws digging into the bark of the tree. Well damn.

"Hey, rodents," Grant called out. "Go find another tree to live in."

Nothing. They didn't obey. There was one sure way to get them to flee the tree. He breathed in deeply then roared. Birds took flight, fleeing the tree. He could hear the footfalls of what sounded like deer running in the opposite direction of him.

The creatures in the tree leaped to the branch of the nearest tree and then scampered away. Finally, they were gone. He raised the ax and swung with all his might. The ax cut deep into the tree.

A clean cut. One swipe. The tree tottered then began to fall. Dropping the ax, he raced forward and gripped the midsection of the tree to keep it from hitting the ground. He didn't want any of the branches to break.

He took a deep breath then called on his wolf for extra strength before hoisting the tree over his shoulder. He could feel his eyes heating slightly, glowing with the power of the alpha. His wolf was present.

With the tree resting on his shoulder, Grant headed back towards town. He found Addasyn seated on the back steps, awaiting his return. A smile lit up her face when he stepped from the forest.

"It's gorgeous," she said, rising to rush over to him.

This was that smile he was hoping for. "The tree is a beauty, isn't it?" Grant beamed down at her, proud of his haul.

Her hands rested on his cheeks. "I was talking about you, handsome."

He'd never blushed this much until meeting this woman.

"You look sexy as hell carrying that tree like that. And your eyes are glowing. I love it."

"You like this? Step back and watch what else I can do." After she stepped away a safe distance. He tossed the tree up and caught it.

"My husband is amazing," she squealed. "I have to make sure I light a candle and thank the Creator for blessing me with you."

This woman. Damn, he loved her. He never thought he'd see the day that someone would light a candle for him.

"Come on," she told him. "Let's take it inside. There weren't any woodland creatures in it, was there?"

Told you, his wolf bragged.

"I made sure they were safely away from the tree before cutting it down."

"That's why you're my hero. Do you think it will it make it through the door?"

"If not, I'll cut a hole big enough for it to fit in."

"Fou would kill you if you did."

"That demon would surely try."

To his mate's pleasure, the tree fit through the door. The tavern hadn't opened for lunch yet. Fou helped him put the Christmas tree on its stand. Not that he needed help. The little demon just wanted to feel like he'd contributed in some way.

Grant spent the next hour moving the tree and stand here and there as instructed by the ladies of the tavern. Though he was growing irritated, he kept his cool. He was doing this for his mate.

"Put it in the corner by the bar. That way it won't be in the way," Iris instructed.

"It should be in the center of the room," Flower added her two cents. "That way everyone can see it. What's the point of having it if everyone can't see it?"

"I say put it out front, so customers can see it when they first come in. No, wait, the center of the room is a good place. Put it in the center of the room."

Frustrated, Grant sat the tree down and turned to his mate. "Wife, where do you want your tree?"

"Hey, this is everyone's tree," Flower told him. "This is the tavern's tree. We should decide as a group."

Ignoring her, Grant repeated the question to his wife. She smiled and then kissed him on his cheek.

"Where do you want it to go, Grant?" She asked.

Still holding the tree and stand, he stared down at his wife. This woman. Would she ever cease to amaze him? Would his pulse ever cease to quicken when she stepped into a room? He didn't think so.

"I want," he leaned down and kissed her on her forehead. "Whatever you want," he whispered against her head before pulling back. "Where do you want it, mate?"

A wicked grin crossed over her features.

"The tree," he quickly added. "Where do you want the tree?" His naughty mate. He liked the way she thought.

"You two are nasty," Petal said. "Just tell him where to put it so we can get it decorated before the lunch customers show up."

His mate tapped her chin. She looked to her right and then shrugged. She must be talking to the resident phantom, Zarina.

"What's Zarina saying?" Grant asked.

"She wants it in the corner. Out of the way, but still visible enough so everyone can enjoy it. I agree with Zarina. Let's put it in the corner."

"Yay, I won," Iris shouted.

"This wasn't a win or lose situation," Addie told her.

Iris shrugged. "I still won."

Shaking his head as Flower and Petal argued with Iris, Grant took the tree over to the corner near the bar and sat it down. They still had an hour before lunch started. They spent that hour decorating the tree.

Addasyn had returned to the Grimm castle this morning and brought back art supplies and craft items for them to make their own ornaments. Grant wasn't a crafty person. But for his mate, he tried to be.

He ended up gluing his hand to his shirt, twice. Then he ended up getting glue in Fou's hair. Scissors were needed to fix that problem. This was the first time Fou had ever cursed him out in his demonic language.

Eddie growled at him when Grant caused glitter to fall all over the gator shifter. That was going to be hard for the old man to get out of his beard. Yet, it did make Eddie look friendlier. Who knew pink glitter would look good on Eddie?

"Grant, it's almost time to clean up for lunch and you're the only one who doesn't have an ornament ready," Iris taunted.

"I have four." Flower raised her ornaments up to show everyone. All of her ornaments looked like fairies.

Grant stared down at the mess he'd created. It was supposed to be a wolf with a slender hooded figure seated on his back. The alpha wolf and the Grimm princess. So, why did it look like a lopsided snowman?

"Grant, what is that?" Fou asked. "Is it a birthday cake with many layers?"

Grant growled and shoved Fou away from him.

"I know what it is," Iris called out. "It's a... it's a.... I got nothing. Boss, what is that?"

Grant looked to Addasyn who was smiling at him. "What do you think it is?" He asked her.

She reached over and touched his picture. "This is you," she pointed out what was supposed to be a wolf. "And this is me."

"What?" Fou snatched the ornament. "Where do you see that at?"

He turned the picture sideways then upside down. The others stood behind Fou. They too were examining the ornament, trying to see what Addasyn had seen. Unlike them, she hadn't looked at it with her eyes. She'd looked at it with her heart. This woman. His woman.

"Is that what this is?" Eddie asked.

Grant nodded.

Eddie faced Addasyn. "How did you figure that out?"

"Because the wolf has wolf ears and the creature riding his back has on a hood. Who else would it be?"

The others stared at the picture again. A few minutes passed before they said in unison, "Ohhh, I see it now."

"We'll put his on the backside of the tree," Flower announced.

He didn't care where they put it. He was just happy that his wife had seen his vision when others hadn't. Fou cleaned up their mess while the ladies decorated the tree. Eddie returned to the kitchen to check on the food he had in the stove.

Grant leaned against the bar counter and watched Addasyn laugh and giggle with the other ladies as they hung their ornaments on his tree. He chuckled when Flower tried to place his ornament on the back and Addasyn snatched it from her and placed it up front, next to the ornaments she'd created.

"Perfect. Now time for the lights," Addie announced.

She raised her hands and started chanting. He loved to hear her chant. It was music to his ears. When she was done, the tree was lit up with red, green and gold lights. Grant approached his wife and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's beautiful, love."

"Thank you."

"I love it," Flower clapped her hands together.

"This is so exciting," Petal chimed in.

"Should we do another tree?" Iris queried.

"One is enough," Addie told her. "We should get ready for lunch. Remember, we have to put gifts under the tree."

"The customers may try to steal them," Fou called out.

"If they do, they'll die," Grant growled.

"They won't," Flower told them. "They're too afraid that Grant will ban them from the tavern. We should be good."

"Great." Addie clapped her hands together. "Let's get ready for lunch. Today, I'll be waiting tables with Iris."

"Let's go chick. It's good to have you working with us today." Iris grabbed an apron from the table and tossed it to Addie.

Addie caught it with one hand. As Addie tied the apron behind her back, she stared up at him. "You ready to charm the crowd?"

He nodded. More importantly, he was thankful that she would be spending her entire day with him. "Try not to flirt with the men who are here."

"Look at me, I look like a boy. The men don't even notice me."

"Try not to flirt with the women. I'm tired of the bimbettes fawning all over you."

"They flirt with everyone."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "When are we going to tell the villagers you're a girl and that we're married?"

"Not until it's time for you to get rid of the glamour and leave for a while. Then we'll do as we said. You'll return as the son of Grant Dufort. And I'll return as your wife. Then there won't be any more need for a glamour and for lies. We can be ourselves. Well, I can. You'll have to pretend to be Grant Jr."

Grant hugged her. The decision to keep his glamour in place had been his own. Now, he was regretting it. "I'm ready for the world to know you're mine."

"I'm yours." She came up on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "You know it, I know it, and that's all that matters. And tonight, when we're alone," she whispered. "I'll show you just how much I enjoy belonging to Grant Dufort."

A growl rumbled through his chest.

"You two," Iris called out. "It's time to open the doors. Stop being nasty."

Laughing, Addasyn stepped away from him. He missed her warmth instantly.

"Let's get ready for work, boss." She winked.

"Okay, wife."

"Don't call me that when I'm working."

Grant headed toward the back of the tavern. "Okay, wife," he called over his shoulder.

"Grant!"

Laughing, he jogged upstairs to take a shower and change into his work attire; a nice suit that would impress his customers and make them want to continue coming to The Most Handsome Tavern and spending their money.

Though he was happy, there was something weighing on his heart. He hated wearing the glamour now. At first, it had been a necessity. He'd felt like he couldn't succeed without it. After the battle with the trickster and almost losing Addasyn, he no longer wanted to hide behind a façade.

He wanted to be himself. He didn't give a damn whether the world accepted him or not. His mate accepted him and that was all that mattered. And at first, he and Addasyn had been prepared to say goodbye to the façade and to leave the tavern and travel.

They'd actually gone as far as leaving this plane and going to a place called New Orleans. It was Fou who called them back from the Mortal Plane to this one. In his absence, the tavern had started to decline.

Business was no longer booming. Customers started to spend their money elsewhere. No customers meant his workers weren't making any money. He'd known the tavern was highly successful because of him.

Because of the fake appearance he displayed and because of the fake charm he exuded. But he'd hoped it would continue to thrive in his absence. It had not. He and his wife returned home from their short trip.

And to keep the tavern thriving, he'd had to resume sporting the glamour. This time, he didn't use a trickster to put the glamour in place. This new glamour was thanks to his skillful wife, the witch, the Grimm, his heart, Addasyn.

Her spell allowed everyone to see him as the male he used to want to be. They saw the version of him he'd wanted to portray. The handsome aristocrat who everyone loved. The charming businessman with a smile that could melt hearts.

Even other creatures of the lore saw the image he wanted the world to see. Only his staff, his wife and her family could see the real him. The large, rugged, shifter with the deep gravelly voice.

The alpha wolf who'd been unloved by his parents. The male who'd been unloved by this world. That is, until he found the witch of his dreams. And now he no longer needed the glamour.

He was happy in the skin he was in. But, to keep the villagers from becoming suspicious of him and questioning his motives and such, he was keeping the glamour. He was keeping up the charming rogue act, for now.

And the glamour his witch had given him was just as good as the glamour he'd paid an arm and a leg for years ago. That was a testament to how talented his mate was. He should be happy he could live in both worlds.

His glamour made him appeal to those who were obsessed with the universal standard of beauty. Then at night, he went to bed with his woman, who was in love with the real him. The beast. The being whose looks made most creatures tremble in fear.

Addasyn loved him for who he was. He should be happy. He was happy. Yet, there was a part of him that no longer wanted to live in two worlds. He just wanted one world. A world where only he and Addasyn existed.

No tavern. No glamour. No lies and deceit. Just him, the real him, and his woman. That would be heaven for him. Yet, his mate enjoyed being at the tavern. She enjoyed hanging out with the ladies of the tavern.

She enjoyed helping Eddie in the kitchen. She enjoyed talking to the customers. This was fun for her. Here, she got a chance to be away from the darkness of Grimm Castle. She was happy.

He couldn't take that away from her. He couldn't drag her back into the darkness. He couldn't hide away, just her and him, locked up together, shutting the world out. That was what he wanted.

But his mate wanted a chance to live in the light. The darkness would have to wait. His desires would have to wait. He could endure a few more years of living as Grant Dufort, the charmer, the gentleman, the great hunter, the businessman.

He'd smile, laugh and pretend he still enjoyed this life until it was time for him and Addasyn to leave. He'd allow her to keep helping at the tavern when she had time. And keep working as a Grimm for the rest of the time.

But one day, a time would come when they'd let this life go. She'd give up her jobs, he'd give up his. Then he'd have his mate all to himself. Smiling, Grant entered his bathroom and proceeded to shower and get dressed.

It was time for Grant to greet the patrons of the tavern. It was time for him to wow and charm the villagers with tales of his great hunts and grand adventures. Today, he would be Grant the tavern owner. One day, he'd get to be just Grant the husband.

He couldn't wait for that day to come.

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# Chapter Four

#

There were no souls to claim today.

Plus, her father, the Grimm Reaper, had a meeting to attend to with the Committee of Collected Souls. Which meant, she didn't have to spend her entire day training. Therefore, she was free to work at the tavern.

Which was just an excuse to hang out with her husband and friends. Right now, her hubby was missing in action. After charming the crowd for a while, he always had to take a break and recover from all the fakeness his job required. Poor Grant.

She really wished he could give up the glamour and live a quiet life. Unfortunately, he didn't have to think of just his own well-being. He had a staff who depended on him to keep this tavern running so they could stay employed.

One day, they would be able to live a quiet life. She felt kind of bad for enjoying working here so much. Especially, since she knew he wanted to quit now that they were married.

She'd just have to work extra hard to make sure he was happy for the time being. Addie wiped a table down as Zarina stood next to her, telling her about the guy she was dating.

"He found us two souls to claim," Zarina thought-shared with her. No one else could hear their mind to mind conversation.

"Humans or animals?" Addie asked.

"Animals."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm on a strict animal diet now. My guy doesn't believe in taking human souls."

"Good. Maybe he can change you."

"Tsk," Zarina scoffed. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Don't do anything to mess up this relationship. He's keeping you out of trouble. You haven't stolen a soul from me or my family in a while now."

"True. Is the king pleased with me?"

"He is. He doesn't want you to know though."

"Am I allowed back in the castle yet?"

"He's not that pleased with you."

Zarina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I have to go. My guy and I are going squirrel hunting. And then we're going to hunch a little."

"I didn't need to know all of that."

"Shut up. You and Grant be hunching."

"Incorrect. Grant and I fuck."

"Rub it in then. If I had a physical body I could fuck too."

"Woe is you."

"Yes, woe is me. My guy has a big dick."

"You've seen it?"

"I can see the print. He died in jogging pants."

"Lucky you."

"I know, right. I have to go chick. See you later. The Christmas tree is nice."

"Thank you. Have fun." Addie watched Zarina disappear.

"Talking to Zarina?" Iris approached her.

Addasyn glanced around the room. "Was it obvious?"

"No one noticed. I heard you chuckle, so I figured you were chatting with her. Is she here? Tell her I said hi."

"She's gone. She has a date."

"Wait. Ghosts can date?"

"Yep. They can hunch too."

"Oh my gosh. I've heard it all."

Addasyn laughed. "The crowd is thinning out. I'm going to go see if Eddie needs help with the dishes."

"Okay, girl."

Before Addasyn could move away from the table, the door opened and a pale-skinned woman with slanted eyes entered the room.

"Shit. It's her. She hasn't been here in a long time," Iris whispered.

"Who is she?" Whoever she was, she was gorgeous.

"You don't know her? Oh, right. You're not from this village. She's the woman who owns the castle on the outskirts of the forbidden forest."

"The only castle I know about is Beast's castle." She really needed to start using Beast's real name. He was no longer a beast now. True love had broken the spell and he and his friends were back to their true selves.

"The dark castle. The one with the gargoyles on the steps."

"Oh, you mean Lady Gabriella."

"So, you do know her?"

"I've never met her or seen her before. My father forbade me from going near her land. Apparently, the Grimms have never gotten along with her family."

"Oooh, is she your mortal enemy, well, immortal enemy?"

"No, silly. How can I be her enemy when I've never met her? My dad told me to stay away from lots of places. You've met him. You know how strict he is. He probably just thought she was bad company. Actually, she does give off a bad vibe. I can't put my finger on it yet, but there's something strange about her."

Iris leaned close to whisper, "She's a vampire. I have to go show her to a seat."

Iris rushed to the customer to show her to her seat. Addasyn stared after her, still shocked by her last words. A vampire. A real, live, well, not live, but a real vampire. She'd never met a real vampire.

Her dad hated vampires. They defied the laws of nature. They were dead, yet, they lived. Grimms hated creatures who didn't follow the natural order. No wonder her father wanted her to stay away from Lady Gabriella.

It was true what they said about vampires. They were beautiful. Her skin was a very light brown color. And she was pale. It was a strange combination but it worked in her favor. Her long hair was black and dropped down to her waist.

Her eyes appeared to be light brown. Very light. So light, they almost seemed to glow. Her eyes made her look like she was of Asian descent. To sum it up, she was gorgeous. And she was a vampire.

A real vampire. Addie fought to contain her excitement. Iris showed Gabriella to her seat then headed to the bar to get her a menu. This was Addasyn's chance to meet a real vampire.

Addasyn strode over to Iris who was searching for a menu. "I'll wait her table." Addie grabbed a menu.

Iris gave her a weird look. "Are you sure? You can't use that menu. She has a different palate."

"Oh, right. She's a V." She didn't want to say the word vampire, in case one of the humans heard her.

"Here," Iris handed her a menu. "This is our raw diet menu. The boss had Fou put it together when we had a lot of vampire customers at night. That was when the bar used to stay open late. Only, the boss didn't say they were vampires because he didn't want us to know what they were. He didn't realize that we already knew what they were."

Addie stared at the raw diet menu. It was just like the regular menu, except that the meat only had medium rare and extra rare options. Oh, and there were no vegetables. And the only drink on the menu was Bloody Mary. Addie pointed to the word Bloody Mary and showed Iris.

Iris nodded. "Real blood. Animal blood drained from whatever animal Grant went out and hunted down. And always fresh. Whenever a Bloody Mary is ordered, the boss goes out and catches an animal so Eddie can prepare it for the drink."

"How exciting." Addasyn grinned.

"Exciting? Try disgusting," Iris whispered. "Vampires are disgusting."

"That's just mean."

"No. It's the truth. They're mean, vicious and deceitful."

"Maybe they're that way because of the way people treat them."

"Don't be pulled in by the vampire lure."

"The vampire lure?"

"That's how they lure in their prey. They're beautiful creatures and if you stare into their eyes for too long, they can lure you in. When you take her order, stare at the menu, not at her."

"I've heard of the lure. My brother called it the vampire's seduction."

"Same thing. They can seduce you with their gaze and pull you under their spell. They'll have you doing all type of shit. You'll become their puppet. That's why I call them disgusting and dangerous. Don't let your excitement get you caught up with them. Grant will have a fit if anything happens to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm a Grimm."

"Okay, Grimm. Go forth and be awesome. Don't get caught up in the vampire's web."

"She's not a spider."

"She might be."

Addasyn rolled her eyes and headed to the vampire's table. She kept her smile at bay. She didn't want to come off as creepy to the lady. When she reached the table, the woman looked up at her.

The woman's eyes widened slightly. "You smell..." She inhaled deeply and then sighed. "Like death."

That would offend most people. Not Addie. And she was glad the woman recognized that she was a Grimm.

"Thank you," Addasyn replied. "There's no need for me to pretend not to be what I am then. Hi, I'm Eddie..."

"Eddie?" The woman chuckled. "Why would a mother give such a pretty girl a boy's name?"

Shit. She knew she wasn't a boy.

"And why would such a pretty girl be dressed like a boy? What secrets are you hiding, dear girl?" A red ring formed in the woman's gaze. Addie found herself moving closer to the table. A smile spread across the woman's face. "Tell me your secrets, dear."

I have so many, Addie thought. I can see dead people and it's my job to usher the dead into the Afterlife. I'm part Grimm and part witch. I come from a dark castle that's inhabited mainly by the ghosts of my ancestors.

My best friend is a ghost named Zarina. I dress like a boy because it's what I'm used to. I grew up with six older brothers. This is the way they dressed, so, it's the way I decided to dress.

Don't even get me started on the fact that my mother is a spirit who resides in the Grimm Castle and can only take on a physical form after midnight. I'm full of secrets. They're practically a part of my DNA.

"Your will is strong," the vampire told her. "I see your mind working but your mouth hasn't moved. It's okay. You can tell me all of those secrets you're thinking of. Say them out loud. It'll make you feel better if you share them with a friend."

Would it? Would telling this woman that she sometimes felt her dad was giving her so many training lessons on being a full-time Grimm because he wanted her to spend less time with her husband make her feel better?

Would telling her that she knew all the time she spent away from the tavern was frustrating to Grant, but he never complained because he didn't want to seem clingy or controlling?

Maybe confiding in someone would help. And lady Gabriella looked like someone who would be easy to talk to. She had an innocent smile. Addasyn opened her mouth to speak, ready to lay all of her troubles at this vampire's feet.

Before she could utter a word, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a warm embrace. Grant. Addasyn blinked. Now that she was wrapped in Grant's arms, she felt like she was being pulled out of a haze. She felt dizzy and light-headed.

"Gabriella, order, eat and leave," Grant's deep voice washed over Addasyn.

She knew she should step away. She was dressed as Eddie, the waiter. The customers knew her as Eddie, the waiter. They knew her as the young man who worked at The Most Handsome tavern.

Grant was ruining her disguise. He knew better than to embrace her in public, especially while she was dressed like this. She should step away from him, but her feet wouldn't work.

"Is this young, man," Lady Gabriella chuckled. "Is he your latest plaything, Mr. Dufort?"

The vampire. Addasyn blinked again, finally fully out of the trance she'd been in. She'd forgotten about the vampire. How had she forgotten about the vampire? Addasyn pushed away Grant's arms that were wrapped around her.

Thankfully, the tavern wasn't packed. Still, there were enough people there to spread rumors about Grant hugging his male employee. Close-minded people would have a field day with that.

Addie's gaze slowly slid left then right. People were watching. However, they were looking at Gabriella, not her and Grant. The vampire's lure. Iris had warned her about looking directly into the woman's eyes.

Addie had brushed the warning off. She was part Grimm and part badass witch. She couldn't be lured by a vampire's charms. Or so she thought. She'd thought wrong. For a second, she'd felt the strongest desire to do whatever, be whatever, Gabriella wanted.

Anger flooded her system. That bitch had dared to use her powers on her. Addie shook her head to clear it then shoved Grant away from her, preparing to give Gabriella a piece of her mind.

Grant gripped her wrist. "Go to the back. I need you to check the inventory," he told her.

The fuck? Did she look like Fou? The look she gave him must've told him just that.

"Please," he whispered.

Gabriella's soft voice filled the air. "How sad, you have to beg your staff to do their job. This particular staff member smells a lot like.... You. I don't like it. I don't like it that this staff member has your scent on... him."

Addasyn whirled around to face the woman. The vamp's eyes began to glow. Addie lowered her gaze. You won't get me twice, she thought before saying, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try that again, ma'am." There, she was polite to Grant's customer and she was getting her point across.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" the woman drawled.

"You know exactly what I mean," Addie said, voice low, threatening.

"Grant, please send someone else to wait my table. You know I detest rudeness. As a matter of fact, why don't you serve me? I like it when you serve me, Grant." she cooed. "I rather enjoyed it when you used to serve me all the time."

Addasyn saw red. Blood red. Lady Gabriella's blood. Addie slammed her hands down on the table. "What the fuck do you mean by that? Why the fuck would he serve..."

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her into the air so forcefully, it knocked the wind out of her.

"A server will be with you soon," Grant told the woman before turning away from the table while carrying Addie in his arms like she was a football.

"Grant, put me down."

"Be silent."

"You don't tell me..."

"Eddie, people are watching."

Addie stopped trying to wiggle out of his embrace and went silent. People were watching them. The majority of them were smiling.

"That Eddie is a feisty one," one woman told her friends.

"He seems like a troublemaker," another woman replied.

"He's a good kid. I'm hoping he'll take a liking to my daughter," someone else chimed in.

Addie rolled her eyes. Yet, she remained silent. She had a lot to say to this husband of hers. As soon as they were behind closed doors, she was going to let him have it. Who was Gabriella to him?

Why did she think she could just ask him to serve her in that tone of voice? Addie could read between the lines. And the lines were telling her to whoop Lady Gabriella's ass STAT. Grant was still carrying her when they made it to the bar.

"Iris," Grant said. "Take over with Gabriella. Don't look directly at her."

"I know the drill, boss." Iris came from around the counter and tugged on one of Addasyn's braids. "I told you to beware of the lure."

Addasyn smacked her hand away, partially embarrassed that she'd been pulled in by the vampire. No wonder her dad had told her to avoid their estate. She ignored the giggles coming from Flower and Petal as Grant carried her to the back.

"We're in the back now, you can put me down," Addie shouted.

"I'll put you down once we reach our room."

"Why?" She yelled, body jostled by each step he took up the staircase.

Grant didn't answer her and he didn't put her down until they were in their bedroom with the door closed. Standing on her feet once more, she straightened her clothes on her body, all the while glaring at her mate who stood glaring at her with his arms folded over his chest.

"How dare you carry me..."

"How dare you serve her?"

"Huh? Are you really mad at me for..."

"Stay away from her."

"Uh..."

"She's not someone you should be around."

"Yet, she's in your tavern. And she seems to know you. Apparently, she's been around you before." The tick in his jaw let her know she'd irritated him.

"Addasyn, on this one, do not argue with me."

Her eyes narrowed. If he knew her better, he'd know what that meant. It meant she was about to go the fuck off.

"Please, mate."

A fraction of her anger melted at his plea. Still, she needed answers. "Why do I have to stay away from her? Who is she to you?"

"She's no one to me?"

"Then why..."

"She's a dangerous being."

"If she's so dangerous, why is she allowed in your tavern?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it. That only angered her more.

"Who is she really?"

"I told you, she's no one. She's just a vampire."

"If she was just some vampire you wouldn't be acting like this and she wouldn't have said the things she said."

"I'm not responsible for the things others say."

"But you are responsible for how you react. If she was no one, you should've told her you had no intention of serving her."

"I own a tavern. Sometimes I serve people."

"When? I've never seen you serve anyone."

"It hasn't been that long ago that we realized we were mates. In truth, we've just met. You just got with me. We just got married. We just..."

Addasyn sighed. "We just don't know each other."

"I'm not saying that..."

"Yeah, you are." Addie took a step back, barely able to believe those words had come out of his mouth.

We just met. The fuck? After all they'd been through together. Near-death experience with a trickster. Surviving her father and brothers' wrath. And he had the nerve to say they just met. If she could rip his heart out without killing him, she would.

"Addasyn..." He reached for her. She took another step back. His hand lingered between them before he dropped it to his side. "All I'm saying is that you haven't been here at the tavern long enough to see all that I do around here. Each day is different. You haven't met all the customers that come here. You don't know all the ins and outs of..."

"You're saying I don't know you."

"You don't know everything about me. You don't know..."

"Fuck that. Since I don't know you, Grant Dufort, that makes you a stranger. I don't fuck with strangers. Christmas is canceled. I'm going home."

"Wife, you're at home."

"I'm not just your wife. I'm also a Grimm princess. My home is a castle. Remember that."

She didn't wait around to hear what other bullshit lies he would try to feed her. Addasyn disappeared and reappeared outside her family's castle. She was back on Grimm territory. Back in the darkness.

Shit.

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# Chapter Five

#

--------

She disappeared.

She fucking disappeared right in the middle of an argument. Their first real argument. Grant kicked the dresser, causing some items to go crashing to the floor. Shit. Addasyn's new perfume. He stared down at the shards of pink-tinted glass.

The scent of flowers filled the room. She was going to kill him when she returned home. That was her favorite bottle of perfume. He'd have to buy her another bottle today. Wait. Fuck that. He wasn't buying her anything.

Had she been there, this wouldn't have happened. If she was there, he wouldn't have gotten so angry that he kicked the dresser. If she was there, her perfume wouldn't be on the floor, making his room smell like a damn garden.

If she was there... Grant sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair. If his wife was there, he would be able to apologize for being an asshole. His mate was right. He should've reacted differently to the vampire.

He should've just tossed Gabriella out on her ass. Every time the leech showed up, she caused problems for him. She'd never shown up for lunch though. In the past, she only frequented his tavern when it used to stay open until the wee hours of the morning.

She'd come there an hour before closing and order the same thing. A Bloody Mary warmed up and meat, any meat, rare. Not just rare. Extremely rare. She liked her meat to be fresh.

Which meant he'd had to go out and catch an animal for Eddie to basically heat up and serve to her. She hadn't been to the tavern in months. Mostly because he no longer stayed open until the wee hours of the morning.

He'd forgotten all about her. He was surprised she'd stepped into his tavern today. While it was true, she was one of the vamps who could walk in the daylight, she normally didn't like to.

What made her show up today of all days? He should've told Addie about Gabriella. Honestly, she was no one to him and he hadn't thought she was worth mentioning. She was just a leech who wanted to sink her fangs into his cock.

Even before he met Addasyn, his cock had been off-limits to Gabriella. He could only get hard for one woman, one witch, one Grimm princess, Addasyn, his mate. She was his first, his last, his always.

Maybe, he should've said all that to her while she was here instead of the foolish words he'd uttered. Grant straightened his blazer on his frame and walked over to the mirror to stare into it.

If his mate wanted to run off like a spoiled child during an argument, so be it. He had a business to run. He had an image to uphold. He had... fuck. Why did she run off before he got a chance to explain clearly?

Lowering his head, Grant placed his hands on his dresser and closed his eyes. A dull ache was taking up residence in his head. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. If he and his mate were far away from here, living their lives together, none of this would've happened. He flinched, when his wolf howled, making his presence known.

"What?" Grant growled.

You let her leave like that?

"It's not like I could've stopped her."

Go after her. Explain.

"I want to. But I have a business to run. I have responsibilities. Maybe she needs some time away to calm down and see things my way."

You're going to push her away.

"Impossible. She's my mate. We can never push each other away. We can never break up. She's mine forever."

She's yours for as long as she wants to be.

Grant raised his head and stared into the mirror. To his wolf, he said, "She's mine. Nothing and no one can take her from me."

That doesn't mean she can't leave you.

"She wouldn't dare."

She would dare. Did you not hear her? She's a Grim princess. Her home is a castle. She doesn't have to live on the top floor of a tavern. She's royalty.

"She's mine," Grant shouted so loud, the glass in the mirror cracked. Shit. "Beast, you're out of line."

No. You're out of line. That vampire put our mate in a trance and...

"And I stepped in and I got her out of the situation."

No. You stepped in and flirted with Gabriella. Which is what you always do to placate the vampire.

"I didn't flirt."

You did.

"I didn't. I was there. I know what I did. I would never flirt in front of my mate. Even though I have to be charming to the female customers because it's expected, I never outright flirt with them."

To our mate, it looked like flirting. And it looked like you were taking the vampire's side over hers.

"The customer must be placated or they won't return. Rule number one of having a successful tavern. I can't make my customers feel unwelcomed."

You made our wife, our mate, our life, feel unwelcomed. That's why she left.

"She'll be back. This is her home."

Apparently, you don't know our mate. Well, you did 'just' meet her and all.

Grant opened his mouth then closed it. He opened it again, only to snap it shut so hard his jaw ached. Finally, he sighed. "I shouldn't have said that 'just' part."

You need to apologize. Sooner, than later.

"I will. If she's not home when the tavern closes, I will go to Grimm territory."

Go now.

"I can't. I can't leave Lady Gabriella here with the others. I don't trust her to behave without me present. She's a vampire. Vampires can't be trusted."

Our mate needs us.

"I know. I just... I'll go later."

His wolf continued to argue with him. Grant massaged his temple and tuned his beast out. He knew he needed to apologize. He knew he needed to explain how he'd met Gabriella and why she used to like coming to his bar.

He would do that. Just not right now. A knock on his bedroom door disturbed his moment of silence. Grant strode over to the door and jerked it open only to find Fou staring up at him.

"You okay, boss?"

"No. What is it?"

"First off, your roar earlier caused some of the glasses to shake on the tables downstairs. The villagers are calling it an earthquake."

Shit. "Sorry."

"No worries. Iris began spreading the rumor that it must be some hideous monsters battling it out in the forbidden forests. The villagers are buying it."

"Good."

"Second, Gabriella would like for you to serve her. And, she wants fresh deer for her meal."

Grant groaned. "Okay."

"And she doesn't want to see Eddie, well, Addasyn, while she's here eating. She said it would ruin her appetite."

His beast growled.

"Her words, not mine," Fou rushed to say.

"I'll be down in a moment. I'll first go hunt her down a deer."

Fou nodded before walking away. Grant closed his bedroom door and leaned against it. The quicker he served Gabriella and got her away from there, the better off he'd be.

I miss my mate, his beast growled.

"So, do I, wolf. So, do I."

#

Lady Gabriella

--------

Lady Gabriella took a sip from her flute.

Her hand shook slightly. It took her a moment to calm down enough to still it. She hadn't been this angry in a long time. A very long time. Usually, when she got this way, people died. Lots of people. She eyed the waitress in front of her.

"Enjoy your beverage," the elven girl told her before turning away and walking off.

Though her words had been polite enough, the look in her eyes had been disrespectful. Bitch. Gabriella had never liked that one. She'd never liked any of the females her Grant hired. The only reason she tolerated them was because Grant hadn't seemed interested in them.

His gaze never lingered on them. Nor did it linger on any of his customers. Sure, he sometimes kissed the back of the hand of his female customers, but that was as far as it went. However, this new temptation, this new boy-girl was different.

His gaze lingered on that one. She hadn't cared when one of her minions told her that Grant had a new staff member. Nor had she cared when she'd been told that the member was residing in the tavern.

That news hadn't really piqued her interest. Then she'd gotten reports that Grant often smiled at the staff member differently than he did the others. And that he often left his tavern and walked into the forbidden forest with that staff member to have lunch.

That bit of news had lured Gabriella from her coffin. She hated being pulled from her coffin before it was time. Only half of her year was spent awake. The other half was spent in slumber.

That was the only way for her to survive on this pitiful little plane. Gabriella took another sip of her fresh blood. Animal blood. She swallowed it down, but she'd much rather have the real thing.

Human blood. Or Fae or shifter or... even a Grimm. Gabriella smiled. She wanted fresh blood from a live, frightened, hopeless victim. Straight from the source. And she didn't want her minions to hunt it down for her.

She wasn't too pretty to get her hands and mouth bloody. Just thinking about it made her hunger for the real thing. Settling, however, was how she stayed off the radar of the vampire hunters and the Grimms.

Settling on animal blood was also why she had to slumber for half the year. Animal blood left her feeling weaker than she'd like. It left her feeling vulnerable and it made her allures weaker.

Hence the reason why she hadn't been able to get the truth out of that waitress before Grant rushed over and literally scooped her up and away. The patrons may believe that he rushed the woman away in order to appease Gabriella.

She knew that wasn't the case. He'd rushed that woman away because he hadn't wanted Gabriella to use her powers on her. He was protecting the Grimm bitch. And that made her extremely angry.

Angry enough to kill. She stared around the tavern at the customers. A few of them were looking her way. One guy winked at her. Another smiled shyly. And another raised his mug to her.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's all she saw when she stared at them. Gabriella smiled at the men then went back to ignoring them. They were food, nothing more. But Grant, he was more. He was a wolf shifter. An alpha wolf shifter.

The blood in his veins would keep her from having to slumber half the year. If he bonded with her, she'd only need a few sips of him every day to keep her healthy and strong. Before being forced to slumber, she'd tried to woo him.

She'd used all of her charms on him. All of her allures. Her allures didn't work on alphas. A pity, because he was one alpha she'd love to sink her pretty fangs into. And she already knew his taste would be divine.

Yet, no matter how hard she flirted, he never treated her any differently than he treated the rest of his patrons. And that only frustrated her more and made her want to possess him more.

She was no regular bitch and she didn't like being treated like one. She was Lady Gabriella, formerly Princess Yi Haekwon of the House of Yi. That is, until her father's concubine cursed her to this plane of existence.

Her father's concubine hadn't done it out of jealousy. No. The woman had been more like a mother to Gabriella than her own mother had. The woman had cursed her here after realizing that Haekwon had been bitten and changed into a creature of the night.

If the hunters of her land would've found out, they would've staked her, chopped off her head and burned her body for good measure. Overkill. Seung banished her here to protect her.

She'd even given her a choice. She could be banished here or to the Frostlands. The Frostlands was a frozen wasteland filled with nothing but death and destruction. Gabriella had chosen here.

The lesser of two evils. Yet, over the decades, she'd come to hate this place and its people so much, that she was tempted to try and destroy the entire damn plane. It would give her something to do.

It would be something to take her mind off the mundane existence she called a life. Well, life after death. Gabriella sipped from her flute. Whispers arose around the room. That could only mean one thing.

Grant was near. Moving slowly, she turned her head toward the back of the tavern. Sure enough, emerging from the door that led to the staff area was none other than Grant Dufort. In his hand was a tray of food. For her.

A smile spread across her face. He exuded confidence. She didn't have to get him naked to know that he had a big cock. She could tell from the way he walked, from the way he carried himself.

Yeah, the glamour he wore made him attractive. But it was the rough, rugged, beast underneath the glamour that she liked. Today, she couldn't see the side of him that she liked. She could only see the glamour.

He must've found someone to reinforce his glamour. Someone more powerful than the previous magic user he'd hired. A pity. She rather liked staring at the real him. Oh well. She'd take him any way she could get him.

The glamour only altered his looks. It didn't affect his blood. His blood was still alpha blood. And she wanted it. No, she needed it. She refused to go to coffin again. She hated slumbering for that long.

This time, she would lure him in. Even if it meant she had to resort to not so pleasant tactics. Before it was time for her to return to her coffin, Grant Dufort would be hers. Licking her lips, she watched as he approached her table looking good enough to drink.

She must have him.

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# Chapter Six

#

Grant set the tray down on the table.

He plastered his most charming smile on his face and hoped Gabriella couldn't see through it. Truthfully, he was irritated. Irritated with her, with his beast, with himself, with his wife, with the whole world.

At the moment, he should be explaining himself to Addasyn. Not placating a vampire diva with too much time on her hands. Duty calls. So here he was. Grant waved his hand over the tray of bloody delicacies.

"We've prepared your food just the way you like it, Lady Gabriella."

Her eyes never strayed for him as she talked. "It looks and smells delicious."

"I'll be sure to share your compliments with the cook." He placed his hands behind his back and bowed slightly. "I'll get out of the way and let you enjoy your meal."

"Sit down," she purred.

Grant gritted his teeth. He'd known escaping her quickly would be impossible.

"I'll be happy to," he lied before taking a seat across from her.

"Would you mind cutting my food up for me. You know I don't like putting a lot of meat in my mouth... unless I'm in bed." She smiled.

His stomach churned. "As you can see..." he pointed to the food she'd yet to look at. "Our cook remembered how you liked your food and went ahead and cut your meat into bitesize pieces." Thank you, Eddie.

Gabriella's smile faltered a bit. She recovered it and said. "Did he also make it extra rare?"

"He did."

"Did he only cook it for thirty seconds on each side?"

"He did."

"Did he remember to not add any seasonings to it? I like to taste the meat."

"He did," Grant told her.

"Hmmm, I'll be the judge of that." She picked up her utensils and forked one bite of the severely undercooked meat into her mouth. She closed her eyes and sighed. "It's divine."

"I'm glad we've prepared it to your liking. I'll go and allow you to finish your meal alo..."

"I don't want to be alone, Mr. Dufort." She opened her eyes. "I'm so tired of being alone."

Not my problem.

"Aren't you tired of being alone, Mr. Dufort?"

"I'm rarely alone, Lady Gabriella."

"I'm not talking about during your work hours. I mean at night, when your staff has gone home."

"I have guests who rent the lower level rooms. As I said, I'm never truly alone."

"Hmmm," was her only reply.

She forked another bite of meat into her mouth and chewed it slowly. Her eyes remained on his as she did so. The red ring at the center of her eyes seemed brighter today. She swallowed her food.

"Grant, have you missed me? It's been a while since we've seen each other."

"You haven't been to the tavern in months. Where have you been?"

"Resting."

"I hope you had a good rest."

She shook her head. "I hate resting. Life passes me by when I'm resting. For instance, imagine my surprise when I awakened and learned that you had hired a new waitress. More competition for me." She pouted. "It broke my heart."

"I haven't hired a new waitress. I hired a new waiter."

"Come, Grant, you and I both know that little Bringer of Death isn't a boy. For starters, she's too pretty to be a boy. I'm sure you've noticed." Gabriella took a sip of her beverage.

Grant didn't reply. He kept his face void of emotion as he watched her.

"Tell me about her. Where is she from?"

"Who?"

"The Bringer of Death, of course? She's a Grimm. I can smell the sweet aroma of death on her. But, it's not an evil scent. It's not malicious. Which means she doesn't cause death. So, she has to be a Grimm. Where did you find a female Grimm in these parts?"

Grant didn't say anything. Most creatures who knew Addie's father, the Grimm king, thought he had seven sons. They didn't realize the youngest child was a female. His mate was that seventh child.

"I know the Grimm king," Gabriella continued. "Well, not personally. When I first arrived here, he did send a message to me. Something about never coming near his territory and never feeding on humans or creatures of the lore on this plane." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "This plane is so boring. Because of his decree, I have to live like a... a... what do you call those people who don't eat meat?"

Grant frowned. "A vegan?"

"Those things. I have to live like those things." Gabriella shuddered.

"So, you're on a plant-based diet?"

Gabriella chuckled, a musical sound that caused people to stare her way. "No, dear. I'm simply using them as an example. I have to live off animal blood, instead of the blood I really want." Her gaze drifted to his neck.

"It's better that way. That way no one gets hurt. No one dies. And you get to keep your head and not end up on the Grimm king's radar or the vampire hunters' radar. Isn't that better than killing innocents and ending up being hunted?"

She shrugged her slender shoulders. "Do you want to know what would be even better?"

He did not. "What?"

"Having a live-in meal. Someone whom I can sip on whenever I feel thirsty. Which isn't often. I'm an old one, though I don't look it. I'm not like these new, basic vampires who have to feed three or four times a day. Once a day works. And if I have a heavy breakfast, I can go two or three days without needing another meal. But, where's the fun in that? If I had someone powerful, someone who's blood was magical enough to sustain me, I wouldn't be tempted to kill. And, I wouldn't have to go to coffin for half the year."

He already knew where she was going with this. "Gabriella..."

"I made you a deal once, Grant. If you would be mine, I would give you all the riches you desired. I've lived for a long time. I have a lot of riches."

"I've lived for a long time also. I'm good in that department. Lady Gabriella, I'm thankful for your friendship..."

"We're not friends and stop treating me like you treat these silly girls who come in here to drool over you."

Grant shifted in his seat. His eyes darted to the bar counter where Flower was watching them. She had the tranquilizer gun ready just in case Gabriella was unable to control her emotions.

Vampires tended to get a bit bitey when their emotions ran high. They were also fast creatures. Though he was sure he could take her down, he wasn't sure he could do so before she killed someone.

"You've changed, Grant."

"Have I? How so?"

"I used to sense nothing but darkness in you. It was like your heart was an abyss of sadness, regret, anger, and self-loathing. I loved it. It reminded me of myself. It drew me to you. You were like a volcano just waiting to erupt. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be present when you erupted. I wanted to be the reason you erupted. Now, you're different. I no longer sense the darkness, the anger, the sadness. There's a hint of regret. Nothing like before though. The self-loathing has decreased a great deal. There's a spark in you now. I don't like it. Where did it come from?"

"Gabriella, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm the way I've always been."

She drummed her long black nails against the table. "If you continue to lie to me, it will make me angry. I don't like getting angry in public, Grant."

"I don't want you to get angry, Gabriella. But I can't give you an answer because I don't know what you're talking about."

Nodding, she stared down into her beverage. A slight chuckle escaped her lips, but it held no humor. Grant didn't like the energy she was exuding. Though she appeared somewhat calm, he felt this was just the calm before the storm. He wasn't doing a very good job of placating her.

"Lady Gabriella, how about I pour you a glass of wine laced with your favorite beverage..."

"How about you pour me a glass of you," she said, raising her eyes to meet his. Her eyes were redder now.

"Lady Gabriella, you need to calm down and..."

"I'm tired of living this way," she told him. "Tired of pretending I'm one of them."

The amount of disgust her voice held when she said them, bothered him. If he didn't turn things around soon, this wasn't going to end well.

"We all have to pretend a little," he reminded her. "It's how we survive."

"We should focus more on thriving, not merely surviving. I'm tired of merely surviving, aren't you?"

"I'm content with..."

"Bullshit. No one is content with their lot in life. That's just a bullshit way of saying I can't do better so I'll settle for what I have. I've never been the type to settle. Yet, once I arrived on this plane, in order to survive, I had to settle. No more. I want to thrive. I want to be treated like royalty. I deserve it."

"You do deserve it, but..."

"And as royalty, I have a right to demand certain things. I have a right to issue certain decrees."

"Gabriella..."

"Here is my demand, Grant Dufort. See, I tried seducing you. I tried winning you over with my charms and my intellect. I tried using humor and being nice to your filthy staff. I've gone above and beyond what I'm accustomed to in an attempt to win you over. I'm done playing around. I want to thrive. I want to reclaim my royal title. I want to live the life I was born to live..."

"That's just it, Lady Gabriella, when you died, the old you died."

"That's not my fault," she shouted, causing more patrons of his tavern to look their way.

"Calm down, vampire."

"I didn't kill myself. I was attacked. Right in my own garden. My own guard was the one who bit me. The person who was charged to protect me made me this way. A person who claimed to love me. A person I thought I lo..." She cleared her throat. "That's not important. What's important is that I didn't do this to myself. And I refuse to continue to be treated as if I'm a carrier of a plague. I'm no different than you, shifter, or those pixies you have working here. You all get treated with respect. Yet, I have to hide in the darkness. Even that Grimm creature gets treated better than I do in this world."

"If you want to change peoples' perceptions of vampires, violence isn't the answer."

"Violence is always the answer. I felt like the old you understood that. I mean, the old you used violence to get where he is today, right?"

He gritted his teeth. She was right. He'd used violence, blackmail, and other underhanded tactics to achieve the success he enjoyed today. But he was changing, for his mate, because of his mate.

"I'm no longer that man..."

"I see that. I don't like it. I want that man back. The man who would've made a great king. A man who could've sat on the throne next to me. That's the version of you I want. And I intend to get him. See, that man is part of my ultimate plan. This man, the one sitting before me, he isn't in my plans. I'd planned to take my time with you, Grant. But, seeing you with her, seeing the way you look at her, I've had to change my plans. No more wooing, no more making deals. I want you. And I will have you. You can either choose to be with me or I can force you."

She's a problem, his wolf growled. A problem we need to get rid of.

"Lady Gabriella, I've told you numerous times, I don't do love..."

"I'm not asking for love."

"And I don't do relationships."

"I'm not asking for a relationship. Neither am I asking for a partnership. That was the old deal. The new deal involves ownership. I want to own you. I will own you."

"Not happening. And with all due respect, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave my tavern."

"I need your answer in two days."

"Leave, Lady Gabriella, while we're still on decent terms."

"That's just it, Grant. I'm done being decent. I see you have a tree set up. That means you know what Christmas is. Join me at my castle in two days, Christmas morning, and swear fealty to me."

"And if I don't?"

"Things will get..." She trailed her finger around the rim of her glass. "Bloody," she whispered.

"I don't like being threatened."

"It's not a threat, Grant Dufort. It's a promise. Plus, it's not you I'm threatening, it's those around you. Starting with that little Grimm...."

"Careful," Grant growled.

Her eyes flashed red. "That reaction is the reaction that's going to cause that bitch's death."

"Join me outside, Gabriella." This had to end now. Threatening him was one thing. Threatening his mate was something different.

Kill her, his beast growled.

"With pleasure."

"I don't want to fight with you, Grant. You want me to leave, I'll leave. But my decree remains the same. Join me or people will die. Starting with the Grimm."

Grant stood up. "Let me escort you out, my lady."

She downed the rest of her beverage in one gulp then sat the flute down on the table. "I'm a big girl. I know how to see myself out." She stood up.

Grant remained standing, watching her, ready, just in case she tried something.

"I came here to see an old friend," she purred. "It seems like I've made an enemy. A pity. But in the end, it'll be worth it. You may hate me now. You'll probably hate me later also. But, as long as I'm happy, that's all that matters. Two days, Grant. Be there or..."

"Leave," he whispered. He wanted to force her out of the building. Too many customers were staring.

"Or the little Grimm dies," she continued with her threat as if he hadn't said a word. "Oh, don't growl at me. You don't want your precious unsuspecting customers to find out what you really are, do you? Two days, Grant," she reminded him. "Maybe I should give you an example of what will happen if you don't show up." She smiled.

"Don't..." Before he could get the sentence out, she'd already dashed across the room and grabbed the hand of a male who was holding a knife to cut his meat.

Before Grant could reach her side, she'd forced that man to slice the throat of the woman sitting in front of him. A loud pop rent the air. The tranq gun. Using vampire speed, Gabriella raced out the front door of his tavern before he could do a damn thing.

"I got this," Flower shouted as she ran toward the couple's table.

Growling, Grant went after Gabriella. When he exited the tavern, he saw her standing a few feet away from his establishment. Her hand was at her neck. Blood seeped from between her fingers.

"That bitch bartender of yours shot me." She swayed. "She'll be the second to die if you don't show up. The Grimm is first. Two days, Grant. I can't wait any longer than that." She turned and fled.

Grant took off running after her. She headed toward the forest. He followed. Once he was hidden from the public by trees, he shifted. He'd be faster in his wolf form. Stopping to shift caused him to lose sight of her.

His wolf immediately picked up her scent. He followed the stench of her blood. He pumped his legs faster. Neither he nor his wolf was willing to allow this vampire to live. Not after she'd threatened his mate.

She must die today, his wolf growled.

Grant agreed. He raced through the forest, dodging low hanging branches and leaping over boulders. He skidded to a halt when he came to a stream that ran through the forest. Damn it, he could no longer smell her.

Grant raced up and down the stream, even crossed over to the other side. He still couldn't pick up her scent. Fuck! His howl of frustration caused birds to take flight from the tree branches overhead.

We failed. We lost her. Now, our mate is in danger. So is our staff. We have failed them.

"We know where she lives. We will get her. First, we need to check on the tavern."

We should check on our mate.

"Fou's magic can send us to her quicker than running will get us there. We will have him send us to our mate."

With one last look across the stream, Grant took off running back toward his tavern. He kept running until he reached the clearing in the woods where he kept his change of clothes. It was a place he and his mate liked to go on their lunch breaks.

He shifted back into his human form then found the hidden chest and snatched some clothes from it. After getting dressed, he ran back to the tavern, entering through the back door. He found Flower in the back, washing her hands in the back sink.

"Did you catch her?" She asked as she washed blood from her hands.

Grant shook his head. "How is the customer?"

"She'll live. Iris worked her magic."

"In front of the other customers?"

"No, we escorted her to the back. The husband doesn't even know what happened."

"What?"

"The leech used her allure on them. All of them. Petal went out to feed the other customers some bullshit excuse and they all stared at her like they had no idea what she was talking about. They were out there eating and talking like nothing happened. I hate vampires."

"As do I. What does the husband remember?"

"He said he remembers dropping his knife and that's it."

"How is that possible?"

"The wife remembers nothing either. She said she just remembers passing out. And she thinks she passed out because she's been staying up late with her new baby boy. Today, the grandmother is babysitting so that the husband and wife can have some alone time. Gabriella almost killed that new mom. Something has to be done about her."

"I know. Did you hear the conversation between Gabriella and I?"

"I tried listening in until Iris informed me that vamps could mask their conversations. I had no idea they could do that."

"Old ones can. Powerful ones."

"She's been coming here for a long time. She's never acted like that. The way she was looking at you was creepy. She seemed desperate."

That she did. "When the restaurant closes, don't leave. We need to have a meeting. Tell the others. I need to go find Fou."

"What do you need Fou for?"

"It's personal. Don't leave after work. I'll be back soon."

Flower sighed. "Okay, boss."

Grant went in search of Fou. No matter what it took, he would protect his mate and his staff from a vampire who was hell-bent on killing the people he cared for. It took him forever to find Fou, who'd gone to the village to visit a friend. When he finally found the demon, it was dark outside.

Thankfully, Fou was more than willing to help him get to Addasyn.

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# Chapter Seven

#

That bitch shot her.

This was beneath her. Gabriella leaned against a tree. Damn tranq needle was large as hell. She flinched as she pulled it from her neck. Blood poured from the wound. She bit the tip of her finger, freeing some of her venom from her fang.

She placed her finger against her neck. Her skin sizzled as her venom sealed the wound shut. No longer losing blood, she sank to the ground. The wolf was no longer following her.

A pity. Part of her had wanted him to follow her all the way home. There, she could've imprisoned him in her tower and kept him all to herself. She was sure in a few years she would've been able to place him under her allure.

Leaning her head back against the tree, she stared up at the tree branches and the pretty blue sky. This was her life now. Gabriella sighed. Things had to change soon. Living this way was not the way she wanted to live her life.

This was no life for a princess, a future queen. But she couldn't be a queen without her king. She wouldn't be able to stay awake and be a queen if she didn't have the proper blood to sustain her.

Her king would provide that blood. Grant was an alpha wolf. Only he would make the proper king for her. And he'd be hers, no matter what she had to do. A smile spread across her face.

He'd looked so pissed off earlier when she'd threatened his little Grimm. Though he hadn't admitted it, she knew he was fucking that bitch. Why could that woman get the dick and not her?

It had taken everything in her power for her not to slice his throat with her nails. She was proud of herself for resisting. It meant she cared about him. It meant she was practically in love with him.

He was the one for her. They were meant to be. And they would be together. For better or worse. The worse would happen first. But things would get better with time. And they had nothing but time.

This world would be theirs. And they would change the way supernaturals, especially vampires, were treated. First, she had to return him to his previous mindset. She wanted dark Grant. This happy looking male was not for her.

First, she needed to break him down. Tear him back down to the sad beast he used to be. Then she would make him happy. She would be the reason he became happy. Gabriella yawned.

She was too weak to fight off the tranq. Soon, she would succumb to the drug and fall asleep. She was so tired of sleeping. Closing her eyes, she tried to reach out to her minions. She was their creator.

She turned them centuries ago. When she called, they came. But she was weak. And she wasn't close to home yet. She didn't know if they'd hear her call while she was in this state. Gabriella mentally reached out to Halstead and Unisa.

"Hear me. Hear my call. Hear my cry. Follow my voice. Come to me. Come...Come..."

Her eyes drifted shut. She fought through it. But it was no use. The drugs took over her. The darkness took her away. When she opened her eyes again, she was staring up into the black eyes of Halstead.

"Madam, are you okay?"

Gabriella opened her mouth to speak then hesitated. Hunger pangs stabbed her, causing her to double over.

"Madam, your neck was covered in blood. We think you lost too much blood. Drink this." He handed her a cup. "The blood of five squirrels."

She snatched the cup from him. As soon as the blood passed her lips she gagged.

"Madam, what's wrong?"

She shoved the cup back at him. "I'm sick of animal blood. I want a human. I want it now."

"But madam..."

"I want a human," Gabriella snarled.

"We've tried kidnapping humans. We haven't been able to..."

"Try harder. You're vampires. Unisa is part witch. It shouldn't be this hard for you to snatch one or two humans."

"Madam, it's not as easy as you think to capture a human."

"Figure it out."

Halstead sighed. "If we mess this up, the hunters will be on to us. This isn't like the other small villages we've lived in. Here, the people know each other. Here, they communicate, they help one another."

"Fuck that. Bring me someone or I will kill you. Where is Unisa?"

"She's hunting for deer."

"Tell her to go hunt me a human."

"Madam..."

"Tell her to seduce someone if she must. I want a human for dinner tonight. Now!"

"Yes, madam."

She snatched the cup from him. "And tell her to use vamp speed," Gabriella screamed after his retreating form.

With him gone, she stared into the glass. She needed to drink this garbage to stop the hunger pangs. Ugh. She was tired of it. She was tired of all of it. If something didn't change soon, she'd end up staking herself.

Closing her eyes, she downed the contents of the cup. It didn't erase the pangs. It only made them more bearable. It tasted bitter, unlike human blood that tasted sweet, so very sweet.

It had been almost two years since she'd had the sweet taste of human blood. She'd tried being the good vampire. She'd tried staying secluded in this village with her minions, living like... what was that word.... A vegan.

No more. She would have humans again. And to hell with the hunters. Her minions had never tasted human blood before. After turning them, she'd only allowed them to drink animals. They deserved a chance to taste the ring thing.

They would get that chance. So would others. She would turn more. There would be more minions. An army. That was the only way she'd be able to stand against the hunters, the Grimm Reaper, and his sons, the Grimm Brothers.

That army would be led by her husband, her king, the alpha wolf, Grant Dufort. Once she was strong off human blood, she would make this a new world. Only she would be able to pull this off.

Only she would be able to put all the pieces together to make this possible. Only she would be able to create a world that didn't look down on her kind. It wasn't the vampires' fault that they needed blood to live.

Most of them didn't ask for this. If given the choice, most wouldn't have chosen this life of darkness. They wouldn't have chosen a life of incessant hunger. A life of killing. In the beginning, Gabriella hadn't wanted to kill.

Once she learned how many creatures wanted to kill her, she realized she had no choice but to defend herself. She had no choice but to kill, not just to feed, but to survive on the streets. Her, a princess struggling to survive. This was not the life for her.

This was not what she deserved. Gabriella threw her glass at the wall and watched it shatter into pieces that dropped to the floor. Laughter bubbled up inside her. That was what she was going to do the little Grimm and the others if Grant didn't show up here in two days.

Her laughter became hysterical. It grew louder and louder as she plotted out her future. Finally, she was going to start truly living. It was a pity that for her to live, others would have to die.

A pity.

#

Addasyn

--------

Addasyn was pissed off.

She couldn't recall the last time she'd been this upset. And the words her mother was spouting were making her angrier.

"Forgiveness and understanding are an important part of marriage," her mother told her. For the third time.

"Yes," Zarina agreed. "Tell her again mama."

Addie whirled around. "She's not your mother. She's mine."

"She said I could call her mom."

Addie rolled her eyes and resumed pacing in front of her bed.

"Dear," her mother said. "Couples argue."

"Not Grant and I."

"Even you and Grant."

"No. We've never argued. Not once."

"Because you two just met, dear."

"Ugh," Addie groaned. "There's that just met statement again. We've been together for a few months now."

"That's really not that long, sweetie"

"It's long for me. I know him. Well, I thought I knew him. I know what he looks like when he's angry. I know how he looks when he's hungry. I know when he's upset. I know when he's sleepy. I know when he's frustrated. I can feel it when he's having a bad day. He doesn't even have to say a word. And I can feel it when he needs me to just hug him. Or, when he needs me to talk to him about my bad day to simply take his mind off his bad day. I know him. I love him. I love him so much. And I truly felt like he loved me too."

She couldn't keep herself from choking up. Blinking back tears, she said, "I felt his love. I felt it in my heart, in my soul. I felt it in every fiber of my being. And today, today I watched the man I love side with another woman over me."

"He did it to protect you."

"It doesn't matter. He did it. That's what matters. And when he did it, something inside me broke. I felt it." Addie placed her hand against her chest. "I felt it break in me. It felt like..." She blinked back more tears as she tried to come up with an answer.

"Sweetie, it felt like your pride was wounded."

Addie looked at her mother. "Pride? What? No."

"Yes," her mother nodded. So did Zarina.

"Listen, you guys..."

"No, you listen, daughter. You love him. He loves you. You can feel what he feels. You know when he needs you. Guess what, he knows when you need him. That's how mating works. He wanted you away from her because he wanted to protect you. He's your mate. He's an alpha wolf. Your safety comes first for him. Before your emotions."

"Before my emotions?" What the hell.

"Yes. Because emotions can run high or low. They change often depending on the situation. Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you're sad. If you're sad or mad, he will have time to make you feel better. But when it comes to safety, there's not much time to ensure that. Sometimes it's touch and go. Sometimes people have to make a decision within three seconds. And you know how you are. You would've gotten into a fight with that vampire. Right there in front of those customers."

Addie grabbed one of her braids and tugged it. "I... I..."

"You would've fought that bitch," Zarina interrupted her. "I know you."

Addie sighed. "I wanted to throat punch her sooo bad. She had the nerve to use her lure or charm or whatever it's called on me. Me!"

"See," her mother said. "Don't you think your mate could sense that? Don't you think he could sense how angry you were? So, he intervened."

"But the things he said..."

"Hurt your feelings. Wounded your pride. As I said, he didn't break your heart. You know that man loves you. He wounded your pride. That's all. The sooner you admit that, the sooner you'll stop feeling hurt."

"Basically, what she's saying is," Zarina joined in. "Stop being a baby. Stop being a spoiled Grimm princess. You're a grown-ass woman. You're married. You're the witch who doesn't run from anyone. Yet, one little argument with your husband and you run home crying to mama."

"Hey!" Addie shouted.

"You know I'm right. Instead of staying there and talking it out, you ran."

"He wasn't saying anything I wanted to hear."

"That doesn't mean you need to run home," her mother told her. "Are you going to do this every time the two of you argue? What about when you start traveling? Are you still going to jump planes just so you can come talk to me when he upsets you?"

Pouting, Addie said, "Yes. You're my mom. You're supposed to be okay with me jumping planes to come talk to you."

"I am okay with it. But your mate probably isn't."

"If he was worried about me, he'd be here. If he was worried about me, he would've come to check on me. He would've come to apologize. He would've..."

"If your dad and I get into an argument and then suddenly, he's called out to collect a soul, what do you think he'll do?"

"He'll have to go collect the soul. He only has a certain amount of time... oh, I see what you're doing."

"You understand your father's job because it's your job also. You understand that he'd have to leave in the middle of an argument to handle business because you know how important his job is. You wouldn't expect him to coddle me and avoid his work. Well, guess what, Grant's job is important also."

"I know..."

"You don't."

"Ma!"

"Addie! You don't know how important this is to him. You understand that he came back to from your travels so that you two could save his tavern. You know he wanted to do this so that his employees would not lose their jobs. But do you realize that he's struggled his entire life to get to where he is today?"

"Of course, I realize that..."

"Then, you understand why his job is just as important to him as your father's job is to him and this family."

"I know, ma."

"Then you should understand why he couldn't come chasing after you right away. Your feelings were hurt, and that's important and I'm sure he's extremely worried about you right now. But he had a vampire in his bar. A vampire who sounds like a loose cannon. What if he would've come after you and angered her to the point that she killed everyone there? Would that have made you feel better?"

Addie sighed. "Of course, not, ma. I'd never want that to happen. I love them. All of them."

"And if you were in his shoes, what would you have done?"

Addie stopped pacing and leaned against her dresser. Hearing the truth frustrated her. She'd expected to come here and have her mom and Zarina take her side. That was not the case. But the things they were telling her were right. She was behaving like a spoiled princess.

"In his shoes, I would not have chased after a spoiled brat of a wife," Addasyn admitted. "I would've stayed and made sure everyone was safe. And my feelings would've been hurt by the fact that my mate left me at a time like that. A time when I probably could've used her back up if things went south. I should've stayed and handled the situation better."

Her mother smiled and looked at Zarina. "It seems your sister has matured into a grown woman."

"A grown-ass woman," Zarina said.

"What she said," her mother told Addie, smiling. "Now, go back. You've been here too long. I'm so glad your brothers and father weren't here. Your anger probably would've sent them after Grant with pitchforks. And I have another bit of advice for you, dear. There's nothing wrong with you apologizing first."

"Excuse me?"

"Pride can ruin a marriage, Addasyn. Don't let your pride come between you and your mate."

Addasyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You're right." She opened her eyes. "I don't even mind when he's charming to the ladies of the bar. Hell, I'm charming to the ladies of the bar because they think I'm a dude. It was just, well, this vampire pissed me off. I wanted him to be just as pissed off at her as I was. And he was. I could sense it. But he didn't react the way I wanted. Because of that, I got mad. And a tad bit jealous because the vampire is gorgeous and girly and..."

"Bitey." Zarina gnashed her teeth.

Addie rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I wanted him to take my side and do things my way. Instead, he took my side but handled things his way. I should've listened more and not let my feelings cloud my judgment. Truth is, we are still getting to know one another. We didn't date. Within two weeks of meeting, we realized we were mates and ended up married. It's been a whirlwind ever since. Then, boom, we have our first real argument and I can't handle it. As long as things were going well, I was good. One problem and I bolt. I can handle taking souls, I can handle fighting demons and tricksters. But, apparently, I can't handle my mate being mean to me."

Addie shook her head. "And he wasn't even mean. He was simply being protective. I should go back. I should go home. And I should apologize."

Zarina started to clap.

"But he better apologize to me also."

"Damn right!" Zarina shouted.

"Go home, sweetie," her mom told her. "Go be with your mate. I would hug you, but I won't have a physical form for another few hours."

"It's okay, mom. I think I'll go hug my mate. Thanks, guys, for talking me off the ledge." Smiling, Addie started to whisper the spell that would return her home when suddenly a loud roar rent the air.

"Mate, come down here now. We're going home."

That couldn't be...

"It's your mate," Zarina exclaimed.

"He came for you," her mother said.

"Yeah, but he sounds pissed off."

"Addasyn Mariah Grimm-Dufort," her mate roared.

He used her whole name. Yeah, he was mad.

"So, I should probably go downstairs."

Her mother and Zarina laughed at her. Addasyn rolled her eyes as she whispered the spell that would take her to her angry mate.

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# Chapter Eight

#

There she is, his wolf roared.

Finally, he could breathe again.

"Why are you yelling?" Addie shouted. "You better be glad my dad isn't home."

Grant grabbed his mate's hand and pulled her in for a hug.

"Grant, too tight."

He didn't loosen his hold on her. He couldn't. He was glad to have her in his arms. If anything ever happened to this woman he would lose his mind.

"I'm sorry," Addasyn whispered.

Grant tensed.

"I'm sorry for running away instead of staying home and talking it out."

Grant loosened his grip on his mate so he could stare down at her. This beauty was all his. The beautiful woman with her kind heart and sweet smile was his to protect, his to cherish, his to love. She shouldn't be apologizing, he should.

"Don't apologize. You were right. I should've put Gabriella in her place. My only excuse is that I didn't want to risk upsetting her and endangering..."

"I know," she told him. "You don't have to explain. I know."

"And when I said that we'd just got together and..."

"Grant, I know. There's a lot we don't know about each other. But, the fun part is that we have a lifetime to figure it all out. And during that time, you will piss me off and I will piss you. But, let's promise to not act out in anger. I don't like being separated from you because of anger."

"I promise, mate. Promise me you'll never run from me again. My wolf and I cannot handle it."

His mate smiled that sweet smile of hers. "I promise."

"Now go home you two," his mate's mother shouted from the top of the stairs.

Grant looked up to find Addie's mother in spirit form staring down at them. He smiled at her. He was thankful that his mate had come up with a spell that would allow him to see ghosts, but only when he was on Grimm territory.

It had been those ghosts who'd told him that his wife was here, at the castle, instead of at her cottage. Luckily, her father wasn't here. He and the Grimm king got along better now, but they still had a long way to go.

Grant smiled at Addasyn's mother and her spirit friend Zarina. "I'm here to take my wife home."

"Be my guest," her mother told him. "And Addie told me about the Christmas you're planning on having. Be sure to light a candle for us here at Grimm territory."

"We will ma," Addie told her mom.

"Be safe, both of you. Vampires are conniving creatures.

So Addasyn had already told her mom everything.

"And vampires don't think logically," her mother told them. "Well, not like normal beings do. They're dead. And when they become undead, very little brain activity returns. And what does return only allows them some of their memories, very little emotion but a great deal of hunger. And hunger becomes their top priority because it's what they feel the most. They make most of their decisions based on their level of hunger. If this woman hasn't had real blood in a while, human blood, her decision-making skills will be terrible."

Noted. "Thank you," Grant said to his mother-in-law.

"One more thing about vampires," Addie's mother said. "They're cold ones. They hate the heat. If you ever need to slow down their vamp speed or weaken them, use fire. It won't kill them. Only a stake to the heart will do that. But it will slow them down. Remember that. Now go, you two. And enjoy your Christmas."

"Bye guys," Zarina waved. "Have a Merry Christmas and even Merrier Make Up Sex."

"Zarina!" Addasyn shouted before grabbing his hand. "Let's go."

His mate whispered the spell that would return them home. A second later, they were standing in their bedroom. Home, together, at last.

"Grant, I..."

"Addie, I..."

They chuckled.

"You first," Addie told him.

"I'm sorry I made you feel unimportant. And I'm sorry I made it seem like I was siding with Gabriella. It's just that, I've known her for a while. Not personally. But she has come on to me a few times."

"I knew it."

"I always turned her down. I've never wanted anyone until I laid eyes on you. In the past, Gabriella took my rejection in stride. Now, it doesn't seem like she's willing to accept my rejection."

"The bitch has no choice."

Grant smiled. "You're right. But she issued an ultimatum to me. If I don't show up at her castle in two days..."

"Christmas?"

"Yes. If I don't show up, she's going to start killing people. Starting with you."

"Fuck her. Who does she think she is?"

"She's unstable. She's also threatened my staff and the patrons of the bar."

"We're not going to let her hurt our family."

"No, we're not."

"And you're not sacrificing yourself for us."

"Never. However, I can't risk putting the customers in danger. So, until I end her I'm closing the tavern down and saying it closed for remodeling."

"That's the excuse we're going with?"

He nodded.

"I guess I can use magic to add another room to the place. My mother should have a spell for that."

Grant smiled. "Thanks, mate. There's more. Because I'm worried about the safety of the staff. I'm sort of kidnapping them and forcing them to stay here until I end Gabriella."

"Until we end Gabriella."

"No, mate," Grant told her. "This is non-negotiable."

"Grant, I'm not letting you fight a vampire by yourself."

"You are, mate. You will not become involved..."

"I will."

"You won't."

"Yes, I..."

"I'm done discussing this..."

"Are we arguing again, already?"

Grant opened his mouth then closed it and sighed. "We're not arguing. We're having a tiny heated back and forth and we are doing it with love."

A grin spread across his mate's face before she burst out laughing. Grant smiled.

"A tiny heated back and forth that we are doing with love?" She laughed harder. He chuckled when she laughed so hard that tears fell from her eyes.

"It's not that funny, mate."

"Grant, it... is..." She could barely talk, she was laughing so hard.

He couldn't help but join in. If there was a fly on the wall, it probably thought they were crazy for standing in the middle of their bedroom laughing like that. A knock at their bedroom door helped somber them up.

Still smiling, Grant strode to the door, unlocked it and pulled it open. It was Fou. His eyes strayed past Grant to Addie. The little demon attempted to step into the room. Grant moved to the side, not allowing him entry.

Fou folded his arms over his chest. "The staff is getting restless. Can we start the meeting now?"

Grant nodded. "Thank you for using your demon magic to send me to her," Grant whispered.

Fou nodded. "I hate using it. But, this is important. Let's start the meeting and get it over with. I have to prepare the rooms," Fou whispered.

"You haven't done that yet?" Grant snarled, in somewhat of a whisper.

"I've been downstairs making sure the staff didn't leave. And um, something happened while you were gone."

"Is someone hurt? Should I take my mate back to Grimm castle for her safety."

"No. Not right now. Just hurry downstairs."

"Okay. We're coming," Grant whispered. He waited until Fou walked away before closing the door. He turned around and bumped into his mate.

"You're not taking me back to the castle. What's going on, Grant?"

"Eavesdropping, huh?"

She had the audacity to say, "Yep, if it concerns you, it's my business. Spill it."

"I'll tell you downstairs when I tell everyone else."

"You're lucky I don't want to have another tiny heated back and forth of love."

"When you say it like that, it sounds sexy. Just take the tiny part out."

Addie pushed him aside. "Come, keeper of my heart. I'm ready to hear the bad news. And it must be bad news from the way you and Fou are trying to keep it a secret."

He watched her walk away. It was going to be a long night. He doubted they'd have any love time tonight. In fact, he was one hundred percent sure she wouldn't want to love on him tonight.

She can't deny us our love time, his wolf growled. We need our love time. We've been separated from her all day.

"Let's just be happy she's here," Grant told his wolf as he followed his mate downstairs.

It will definitely be a long night, his wolf snarled.

All Grant could do was nod.

#

--------

Grant massaged his forehead.

Why did they have to be so loud? Didn't they realize that he was only issuing this order because he was concerned for their safety? And they should be too. Especially, after the bad news Fou delivered.

They all already knew that there had been a string of failed kidnap attempts in the village. Tonight, there had been a successful one. The butcher's young son had gone missing. A mob of concerned citizens were out looking for him now.

Grant feared that the entire mob was in danger. He also feared that Gabriella and her minions were behind this. The boy wasn't dead yet. Addie contacted her father and he said that no new names had appeared on the death list for the village.

The boy was still alive. But he was probably wishing he was dead. Even knowing of the dangers, even knowing that Gabriella was targeting them, his staff still insisted on behaving recklessly.

"Look," Grant shouted over those who were talking loudly amongst themselves. Standing behind the bar counter with his staff seated on bar stools on the other side of the counter, Grant told them, "I know you all don't agree with my decision. However, I feel this is the only way I can make sure you're all safe."

"Forget that," Flower yelled. "I can protect myself. Thank you, boss, but no thanks. I'm going home." The pixie stood up.

"Flower, the meeting isn't over," Grant yelled.

Flower whirled around. "It's late. We've been talking for hours and we've gotten nowhere. I'm sleepy. And no, I will not stay in one of the extra rooms here. I want to go home, to my own bed."

"Gabriella has issued a threat."

"Fuck that vampire. You told us what Addie's mom said. Fire slows them down. I got it. Can I leave now?"

"No, Flower. She's doing this because of me. She wants to use you all to get to me. To force me to be hers."

"Not happening," his mate said from beside him.

"No, it's not happening," Grant agreed. "I will destroy her. But I won't be able to focus unless I know you all are safe. Addie can put a spell on this place that will keep the vampire from entering. You'll be safe here."

"Why can't she spell all of our homes?" Iris looked to Addie.

"Well," Addasyn said. "That many open spells at once will leave me weak and vulnerable. I'd rather not be weak right now. Not when there's a vampire out there who wants to rip my throat out and fuck my mate. Excuse my language."

Iris smiled. "I happen to like your language. And you're right, you don't need to be vulnerable right now. Not when us staying here can make things easier on everyone."

"You're agreeing to this?" Flower asked Iris.

"I don't want to stay here. I will though. Not just because Grant wants to keep us safe. I'll stay and help protect this place from that bitch and her goons. If I leave, I'm at risk, yeah. But Grant, Addie, and Fou will also be here, at risk. I think we're stronger together. So, if I have to stay here for a few days and protect my family, because you guys are my family, I will. Count me in, Grant. I need a room and some clean sheets and a nice warm glass of milk. Oh, and some cookies."

Before Grant could say anything, Eddie spoke up. "Well, I guess I need to stay too. Iris is greedy. Someone has to be here to cook for her or she'll be out here eating the tables and chairs."

"Would not," Iris said, laughing.

"Thank you both," Grant told the gator shifter and the elf. "I really appreciate it." He looked to the pixie sisters, Flower and Petal. "Will you two please stay?"

"Please," Addie said from beside him. "It can be a two-day sleepover and on the last day, we can get up and open Christmas presents."

"We don't have any presents," Flower pointed out.

"I have a spell where you can write down what you want, put it in a box under the tree and on Christmas morning, what you wanted will appear."

"Will that weaken you?" Flower asked.

"Nope. This is a minor spell."

Flower looked to Petal. "We've never been to a sleepover."

"True," Petal responded. "If we stay, we get presents and if a vampire tries to attack, we get to fight. Gifts and fighting. It sounds like a fun sleepover to me."

Flower nodded and faced Grant and Addie. "We're in. But the day after Christmas, we're going home."

"And we demand cookies," Petal pointed out.

"Raisin cookies," Flower added. "With walnuts and cinnamon."

"Lots of cinnamon," Petal added.

"I have all of that in the kitchen. I'll get started on a late-night snack now." Eddie rose and headed to the kitchen.

"Ladies," Fou said. "I will show you to your rooms."

"Let's all stay in one room," Iris suggested. "Like a real sleepover."

"Yeah," Petal agreed.

"I guess. I hope you don't snore, Iris," Flower said.

Iris shrugged as they followed Fou to the extra rooms. "I don't know if I snore or not. I guess you'll tell me tomorrow."

"Ugh," Flower groaned.

Grant watched his staff disperse. It had taken a while but he'd finally gotten them to agree to stay. That took some of the weight off his shoulders. He faced his mate to find her staring up at him.

"Thank you, love, for helping me convince them to stay."

"I want them safe too," Addie told him. "You're right, here is where they should be. But I know that Iris lives with her mom and sister. So, I will put a spell of protection over her house to protect them."

"Won't that make you vulnerable?"

Addie shook her head. "During my bathroom break, I motioned for Iris to meet me in the hall. I convinced her to side with us and I told her I'd say a spell to keep her family safe. I even used a spell so she could send a message to her mom to let her know what was going on. Her mom and sister are going to stay with her aunt for a few days and I will spell their house and their aunts, just in case anyone shows up at either house. Iris agreed to help convince the others to stay."

"My mate, you never cease to amaze me."

"Ditto. I'm grateful to have a mate who is so concerned for his staff."

"They're family."

Addie nodded. "Yes, they are."

"In the past, I didn't believe in family. I didn't see the point of it. All family does is hurt you and tear you down. Then I met these jokers and then I met you, now I realize that family doesn't necessarily mean blood relation. Family means love. The people I love are under this roof and safe. My family is safe. That makes me happy."

"It makes me happy also. Just know, your family has your back. So, don't expect us to just let you go off to fight a vampire on your own. That's not happening, Grant. Just like you want to protect us, we want to protect you. That's what family does. Understand?"

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. If anything happened to you, mate, I would die. I can't live without you."

"What do you think would happen to me if you died or got hurt? Grant, you're not the only one who loves hard. I love you, hard. You're mine, just like I'm yours. It's my job to protect you too. I'm not a damsel who you have to hide away and protect. I'm a Grimm, a witch. I don't run. I don't hide. I fight. And I will fight for you, beside you, forever. You knew that when you married me. I haven't changed. I won't change. You're stuck with me. You're stuck with a fighter. Can you handle that?"

Grant grabbed her hand and pulled her close. She rested her head on his chest. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I can handle it, mate. I love you just the way you are."

"I love you too."

As Grant held his woman close, he admitted to himself and to his wolf, that he was terrified. His wife was indeed a fighter. And she never ran from a fight. No matter what he said, she'd fight alongside him. Because that's who she was.

And that scared the hell out of him.

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# Chapter Nine

#

--------

Lady Gabriella sighed.

Already, she could feel her body growing stronger. Already, she could feel her thoughts becoming clearer. Already, that drowsy feeling that came over her when it was time to go to coffin was disappearing.

And it was all thanks to the boy Unisa had kidnapped for her. She stared down at her unconscious meal. He'd passed out about ten minutes ago. A pity. The blood tasted sweeter when it was accompanied with fear.

Gabriella used her venom to seal up the bite wound on his wrist then she pushed him away from her. His limp body rolled down the stairs that led up to her throne. Seated on her throne, she watched him.

He looked so helpless. He probably had a family that was worried sick about him. They should stop worrying, it would only cause them to have wrinkles. They would never see this boy again.

She was going to drink on him for a few days and then she was going to turn him. He would be the first member of her new army. Giggling, Gabriella leaned back in her seat and stared down at her hands.

The color was returning to her skin. The pale look of death was almost gone. She was becoming tan once more. It was true what they said, human blood did a body good. She touched her cheeks.

They no longer felt hollow. She rubbed her hands over her sides, admiring her slender curves that hadn't been there yesterday. She was returning to her former glory. Perhaps Grant would like her better once he saw the real her.

Perhaps her allure would work on him now that she was stronger. To increase her chance of luring him in, she'd send her minions out to capture her another human. The more the merrier.

Excitement flooded her system when the door to her throne room opened. That excitement ebbed when Unisa and Halstead entered alone. No human in sight. Just the two of them.

"Where's my snack?" Gabriella asked.

Halstead and Unisa bowed their heads. It was Unisa who spoke up.

"Madam, we've encountered a couple of problems."

Gabriella flexed her claws. "A couple of problems? What problems?" She yelled.

Unisa flinched. "Well, we into the village and we were able to use our charms to lure the addresses of Grant's staff...."

"King Grant," Gabriella corrected her. "Get used to saying that."

"Oh, right. Yes, Madam. We lured the addresses of King Grant's staff from the villagers. But, when we went to their homes, none of them were there. All of their homes were empty."

Gabriella balled her hands into fists. She'd wanted to get a head start on her plans. She'd wanted to capture Grant's friends tonight so she would have some leverage over him. The alpha wolf must've warned them.

It seems her future husband was one step ahead of her. She should be mad. She was, but just a tiny bit. She was impressed with her King. This simply proved that he was worthy to rule beside her. But queen trumps king.

He would have to learn his place. And she was just the vampire queen to teach it to him. This proved that he cared about his staff. Destroying them, all of them, would bring him to his knees. She couldn't wait to see him kneel before her.

"I'll take care of Grant and his staff. They're probably holed up in that tavern of his. They may think it's strength in numbers." Gabriella laughed. "My numbers will soon be stronger than theirs. What is the other problem?"

"Well," Halstead raised his head to look at her. "We went in search of more food for you. It seems the villagers have rallied together and formed a mob. They're looking for the boy." He nodded to the teenage boy who was still unconscious on the floor.

"Humans and their mobs." Gabriella shook her head. "What do they hope to accomplish with this mob of theirs? They will see the boy again soon enough. And when they do, they'll wish he was dead. Well," she giggled. "He will be dead to them. He'll be the undead come to feast on their blood."

"What will we do about your food and your army?" Halstead asked. "If we hunt now, the mob will find us. We're not strong enough to fight off a mob of that size."

"That's because you're weak from only drinking animal blood. We can change that."

Halstead and Unisa looked to the boy. They licked their lips. She smiled at the hunger she witnessed in their eyes.

"Take him, he's yours. Do not kill him. He will be one of us. Drink slowly and carefully. Don't break or bend him. I do not want a deformed creature on my team. Go. Take him."

Halstead stepped forward, picked the boy up and tossed him over his shoulder. Her two minions fled the room with their meal. It felt good being able to give gifts to her children. Gabriella placed her hand over her chest. She felt like a proud mama.

Staring around her throne room, she imagined how it would look in a few days. It would be filled with vampires. She'd throw a ball to welcome them all to the world of the undead. And she'd use humans as servants.

Only, they wouldn't be going around with trays of drinks and food. They'd be going around, offering up their veins to her guests. Gabriella giggled. It was going to be a perfect world that she created.

She looked to the empty seat next to her. Grant's seat. She wouldn't change him. No. That would pollute his blood. Vamps couldn't drink from other vamps without growing sick. She would make sure her tribe knew that their king was off-limits.

His blood would belong solely to her. Everyone else in this little village was fair game. Once more she stared out over the empty room. She could hear the music playing. She could feel the excitement of her guests.

She could picture them dressed in their elegant attire. She could see them dancing around the room, laughing and talking, fangs out and blood staining their lips. They would love her and thank her for her gift of immortality.

It would be the perfect world. And she would be the perfect queen. She wanted that. She wanted the life her imagination had conjured up. She knew she'd given Grant two days. But that seemed so far away. She wanted her perfect world and she wanted it now.

And what the queen wanted; the queen got.

#

Sleepover: Day 1

--------

Addasyn was having a blast.

But she knew that she and the other ladies of the tavern were driving Grant crazy. With the tavern closed and no customers around, she and her friends were able to be as loud as they wanted to be.

And having a dance-off led to lots of yelling and loud bouts of laughter. It was great. But, every now and then Grant would growl, and they'd quiet down. Only for someone to do a ridiculous dance move and cause the laughter to rise again.

She stared across the room to where her mate was. He was seated behind the bar along with Eddie and Fou and all of Addie's brothers. The Grimm Brothers hadn't hesitated to answer her call when she needed them.

Together, the men were going over a battle plan. They wanted to be ready for when the vampire bitch and her minions attacked. Addie's protection spell was in place. But, according to Flower, there was a woman on Gabriella's team, Unisa.

Apparently, she was a witch before she was turned by Lady Gabriella. Her powers were the reason the vampire turned her. She'd wanted a witch on her team. There was also a man name Halstead on her team.

He was a hawk shifter before being turned by Gabriella. Vamps were able to keep their previous powers after being turned. And Unisa and Halstead were turned centuries ago. Which meant Addie's crew had an ancient witch on their hands and a shifter who could be hiding in the trees outside of the tavern right at this moment.

It was the witch that Grant was worried about. They couldn't predict how strong her powers were. Addie didn't know if she was a match against her or not. That wouldn't stop her from going to war with the witch.

Addie had been using a spell to communicate with her mother and father. Her dad knew what was going on. That was how her brothers ended up here. Her dad had also informed some vampire hunters about Lady Gabriella's activities.

The hunters stormed her castle this morning. It was empty. No vampires. And they didn't find the teen who was missing. Neither did they find the two other people who'd gone missing in the middle of the night.

They did, however, find a message on the wall, written in blood. It read, You don't have to look for us. We'll come to you, soon. Cryptic and disturbing. Learning that only added to her mate's stress.

Part of her wanted to go out and find Lady Gabriella and rip her freaking head off. The ladies of the tavern wanted the same. But Addie forced herself to be the voice of reason. They wouldn't go looking for trouble.

They would wait and see what her brothers and her mate came up with. And they'd go along with their plan. Even though waiting around was irritating as hell, she'd do it. She'd do it for her mate.

He was trying to figure out a way to keep everyone safe while bringing Gabriella down. She wanted that too. She wanted their family to be safe. That was their first priority.

"Ugh," Flower groaned. "I hate staring at those presents under the tree and being unable to open them. There's one with my name on it. I want to know what it is and who my secret Santa was."

"Tomorrow night we can open them," Petal told her. "Be patient. And we have two gifts down there."

"Really?" Flower stood from her chair and walked over to their tree that was magically lit up for the holidays. "We all have two presents. Who is the other present from?" Flower asked.

Addie shrugged, even though she knew that Grant had gotten them all a present. She couldn't tell them that. She looked to her mate to find him looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

She blew him a kiss. His smile widened before he turned to answer a question her older brother asked him. The tavern was crowded but no one seemed bothered by that. It felt nice. No one was arguing or trying to kill each other.

This disaster was bringing them closer together. The Grimm family and the tavern family were becoming one big united family. It warmed her heart.

"You don't have to keep staring at him. He's not going to disappear," Iris whispered in her ear.

Addasyn chuckled. "I wasn't staring at him. I was admiring him."

"Yuck," Iris told her. "You two are too lovey-dovey for me."

"You'll be that way as soon as you find you a boyfriend."

"Whatever you say. Don't you think we should be over there strategizing with them? Why are only the men strategizing?"

Flower replied, "Because men need a plan. Women, we work off instinct. When bitches run up, we shoot them down. Simple."

"I hope it's that simple," Addie added. "Three people are missing from the village. Gabriella is on the loose. She's probably turned people and creatures from other villages. We don't know how many people she will show up with."

"I'm glad your brother brought weapons from the mortal realm. The vamps won't be expecting them," Petal told them. "We have to remember to aim for the heart, no matter what. Head shots will put them down for a second, but if you don't stake them, they will get back up."

"If you can't hit the heart because they're moving too fast, shoot the head or legs," Addie instructed. "Slow them down so that you can stake them or shoot them in the heart. Don't worry about wasting bullets. My brothers brought a shit load of weapons."

"Your brothers are slowly winning me over," Flower said. "I like those katanas your baby brother brought. I think I will use one of those. Maybe two."

"I want the flame thrower," Iris chimed in. "Fire slows them down. I can light them up and then shoot them in the heart."

"See how we came up with our plan without all that strategizing they're doing," Flower pointed out. "This is why women should rule the world. We make shit simple. Get in, fuck shit up and get out. Done."

Addie laughed, but stopped when she heard a noise outside. Everyone stilled. She looked at Grant. From the look on his face, she knew he'd heard it also. So had her brothers, Eddie and Fou.

Everyone remained quiet, listening, waiting. No other sound was made. Her oldest brother, Alaric, slowly rose to his feet. Addie watched him, but she didn't move, she didn't say anything. Just kept listening out for noises outside.

Her brother opened the cabinet underneath the bar counter. That's where most of the weapons were stored. There were also some all over the house and a few stored in places outside. In case they got separated.

No matter where they went, there would be a weapon for them. Her brother pulled out two weapons at a time. He raised them up and waited for someone to claim them. He pulled out the flame thrower.

Iris raised her hand. And she did a little pow-pow jester, signaling she wanted a gun also. Alaric nodded then looked back under the cabinet. When he raised up again, he had a gun. Iris nodded.

Alaric looked to Addasyn. "Teleport," his lips moved but no sound emerged.

She knew what he wanted. She'd been training with her brothers all her life. She whispered a spell and reappeared at his side. She grabbed the two weapons then disappeared only to reappear next to Iris.

She gave Iris the weapons she'd wanted. While she and her big brother distributed weapons, Grant stood up and walked to the front door. He leaned his forehead against it and inhaled.

As she distributed weapons, she kept looking to her mate. He remained that way for a long time. Addasyn chose a gun and a dagger for herself. She also had her magic. She should be fine. When her mate finally turned away from the door, he looked around the room.

He raised eight fingers and then pointed to the door. That meant there were eight creatures outside. He raised two fingers and pointed to the right side of the tavern. Then he raised two fingers and pointed to the left side of the tavern.

Two more fingers signaled there were two creatures in the front and then two more signaled the last of the eight creatures were in the back. They were surrounded. Eight wasn't bad. They could handle eight.

Her mate raised his fist. That meant wait. He placed his forehead against the door and inhaled. He stayed that way for so long that Addie and the others began looking to one another with worried expressions on their faces.

When Grant raised his head, he too appeared worried. He raised his hands again. All ten fingers this time. He closed his hands then opened them again. Ten more. So, twenty. He closed his hands then opened them again, and again, and again.

Her oldest brother, mumbled, "Shit," under his breath. "I got some daggers," Alaric told them. "Everyone should take a few," he whispered. Addie and her brother began passing out daggers.

This wasn't going to be as easy as they'd thought.

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# Chapter Ten

#

So far, so good.

She spoke too soon. Addie had just handed Flower her two daggers when a loud noise rent the air. She covered her ears as the ringing noise grew louder and louder. Grant was by her side in an instant.

"Mate, what's wrong?"

The ringing sound was making her head ache. "You don't hear that?" she asked. "Ugghhh, I feel like my head is about to split open. It's so loud."

"I don't hear anything, mate."

"Princess," Alaric said. "Tune it out. It must be the witch trying to take you out of the equation before they attack. Tune out the noise."

Grant gripped her hand. "Use your magic," her mate told her. "Send the noise to me, I'll bear it for you."

Addie shook her head. She wanted to tell him no, but she was finding it hard to think over the noise in her head. She would've dropped to her knees if her mate hadn't wrapped his arms around her.

"Send it to me, mate."

"No," she screamed. "You need to be strong to fight."

"Mate..."

"No," Addie said again. "I can take this. Just...." The noise intensified. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Fuck this," Grant roared. "Take her to the back. I will finish this witch who dared hurt my mate."

"No," Alaric told him. "That's not the plan. We said we'd make them bring the fight to us. The witch is trying to weaken Addie so she can weaken the spell of protection on the tavern. It's up to Addie to fight off this mental attack."

"Can't you see she's hurting?" Grant yelled.

"She's not weak. She can fight it off. Fight, princess. You are stronger than her."

Grant pulled her into his arms. He forced her hands from her ears. Addie struggled to put them back. They didn't stop the sound, but they muffled it a little. A tiny bit. Grant wouldn't let her cover her ears up.

He whispered in her ear. "Tune out whatever noise the witch is attacking you with. Listen to my voice, mate. Focus on me. Only hear me."

She wanted to, but the noise was so loud. She clung to Grant, wishing he could erase the pain that was accompanying the noise.

"Addasyn," Grant said. "I love you. I am here for you. If I could take this pain from you, I would. I can't. So, you have to fight it. No, don't fight it. Use it, mate. How dare she fucking do this to you? You're not going to take it. You're the Grimm princess," he told her. "The strongest witch I know. Call on your Oz power. Use it to send this sound, this pain, this attack, back to her."

His words were filtering in through the pain. Use her Oz power. She could do that. She could use her power to send this pain, this noise, this attack back to the witch it belonged to. Clinging to Grant, she fought through the pain and called on her Oz magic.

As usual, when she used her dark magic, a chill crept over her. Grant tightened his arms around her. His warmth chased away the chill. Trying her best to ignore the pain, she called forth the power of her ancestors, the witches of Oz.

Yes, it was dark magic. A magic that she only used when she absolutely had to. In this situation, she absolutely had to. She could feel the darkness swirling around inside of her. She could feel it bubbling up inside of her.

"There's a green mist surrounding her," she heard Iris whisper.

"Stay back," Alaric instructed the others. "Let her do this."

The dark magic in her veins did not like the fact that she was being attacked. She could feel the dark rage inside of her like it was a separate entity. Her, but not her. Another side of her. A side she would never unleash fully.

But a side she needed right now. She allowed that dark magic to do its thing. She pictured herself taking hold of the noise, of the pain. She reached out to it, called it to her, embraced it. Wind swirled around her as she embraced the pain.

She let the pain become one with her. Her entire body vibrated as the sound washed over her, becoming hers, no longer belonging to the enemy witch who'd created it. Through it all, Grant kept a tight hold on her, refusing to let her go.

"She's seizing," Grant yelled.

"I'm fine," Addie said.

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded dark, evil. She continued to call for the ringing sound until it belonged solely to her. A smile spread across her face when it was all finally in her possession.

"I control it now," she said, voice still sounding foreign to her. She pushed against Grant's chest, needing some space.

He reluctantly released her. "Are you okay?"

"I am," she told him.

"Your eyes are green."

"I know," she smiled.

"Don't let it take over you, the darkness. Don't let it consume you."

"But it feels so good," she purred.

"I know, sweetie. But you can't let it take over. If you do, it will destroy you. And I cannot live without you. Without you, I would die, mate."

The thought of him dying hurt her soul. Addie nodded. Her voice sounded a little more normal when she said, "I won't let it take over me. But I will use it to fight back. That witch deserves a taste of her own magic."

Grant nodded. "And you're just the Grimm witch to give it to her."

Damn right. Grant stepped aside. Addie closed her eyes and raised her hands. The energy, the sound, the pain she'd bottle up was released into her palms. It looked like a swirling mass of destruction in her palms.

She looked toward the front door. Out there, was a witch who was trying to weaken her. A witch who was trying to destroy her and her family. Not today, bitch. Addie pushed her hands out, casting the dark ball of destruction out.

Sending it back to where it had come from. Back to the bitch who'd wanted to hurt her. Not even a minute later, a loud scream from outside filled the air. Target hit. Problem was, that ball of destruction also blew out the windows in the tavern.

Screams from within the tavern filled the air as glass shattered and her friends rushed to get away from the windows. Grant jumped in front of her, shielding her from the debris of glass. Damn, she hadn't meant to do that.

"Is the pain gone?" Grant whispered.

"Yes," Addie told him.

"Good mate. Now let go of the dark magic. Come back to me."

The wind blew harder. She tried to call it off. But the darkness didn't want to leave.

"There's a green tornado headed for the tavern," Flower yelled.

Shit. Why did her dark magic always conjure up a green tornado? Damn Oz magic.

"Mate," Grant growled into her ear. "Let your magic know you'll let it out to play again later."

Okay. She tried to push her magic down. It fought to remain in control. Grant held her tighter. His warmth embraced her. He kept talking to her, whispering words of encouragement.

"It's closer," Flower yelled.

"You got this, mate," Grant told her. "I believe in you."

He believed in her.

"We do too," Alaric said from behind her. "Always have. Always will."

Her mate held her in his arms and she could feel her brothers' presence around her. Tears welled in her eyes. They believed in her. They believe she could do this. She just needed to believe in herself.

She just needed to believe that her light magic was stronger than her dark magic. Addie squeezed her eye shut and forced her dark magic down. She was thankful for it. It was a part of her.

She didn't deny that. But it could not take her over. If it did, she'd destroy everything and everyone she loved. She pushed it back into the dark depths of her soul. It fought to regain control.

"The tornado is gone. But we have another problem. Vamps are incoming," Flower yelled.

Screams filled the air.

"Don't worry about them yet," Grant told her. "I got you. Do what you got to do."

"I can use this magic to fight," Addie told her mate.

"Your skin is turning green. It's taking over you. If it wins, you could be lost forever. I don't want to lose you. Fight it."

"Watch your back Grant," one of her brother's shouted.

Addasyn's eyes popped open. She shoved Grant behind her. A red-eyed vamp was racing toward them. She stopped fighting her dark magic and let it out as she stared into the face of the leech who'd had its sights set on her mate.

She raised her hand and balled it into a fist. The vamp stopped. Blood poured from every orifice the creature had before it dropped to the ground then turned to ash. She looked behind her to find Grant fighting another vamp.

She stared around the room. Her entire family was fighting. But they were sorely outnumbered. More vamps were racing into the building, jumping through the windows and racing through the front door that Addie's magic had blown out.

Outside, bodies covered the ground. Vampires that her magic had wiped out. She couldn't push down her dark magic yet. Not until she made sure she saved her family. If she lost herself in the process, it would be worth it.

A vampire female ran up. She swung at Addie. Addie dodged the attack and then wrapped her hand around the female's throat and lifted her off her feet. The female clawed at Addasyn's hand. Addie squeezed until the woman fell unconscious.

She dropped her to the ground, then pulled the dagger from her boot and drove it through the woman's heart. A few seconds later, the vamp's body turned to ash. She looked up in time to see a male racing toward her.

Before it could attack, a wolf leaped over her and ripped into the vampire's throat. Her wolf. Her mate. Her wolf drug the squirming vampire to her. She stabbed the creature in the heart. The wolf nodded to outside.

She followed him outside where they fought vampire after vampire. He dragged those he'd wounded over to her so she could stake them. And if she was too busy fighting, he bit into his victim's chest and ripped their hearts out.

With their numbers dwindling, many of the vampires began to jump ship. Grant chased after one particular vampire who'd been hiding in the bushes. He caught the creature and brought it to Addasyn. Addasyn stared down into the red eyes of Gabriella.

"I do not fear you," the woman snarled at Addasyn. "You are nothing, no one."

Grant sunk his teeth deeper into the flesh at the woman's neck where he had a tight grip on her. Addasyn knelt down on the other side of her. The woman hissed and reached for Addasyn.

With one wave of her hand, Addie broke the woman's arms, causing them to fall limp at her sides. The woman's screams were music to her ears and fueled the dark magic swirling inside of her.

"You killed my witch. Your wolf killed my henchman. You will pay for this."

Addie smiled. "Who will make us pay? You? You're about to die. Permanently this time."

"Wait," Gabriella said. "All this time, I thought I needed a king by my side. Perhaps what I really needed was another queen. We can be partners, lovers, best friends."

Grant growled.

Addie told her, "I already have a partner, lover and best friend. His name is Grant Dufort."

The woman snarled. "You have no claim over him."

"Actually, he's very much mine. Oh, I didn't introduce myself. How rude of me. My name is Addasyn Grimm-Dufort."

"You're... married?"

"We're mated and married. And because of you, we had our first argument. I think that's a good reason to kill you."

"No, wait..."

Addie raised her dagger.

"I'll go far away," Gabriella pleaded. "I'll stay out of your way. I'll..."

"You'll die. That's it." Addie brought the dagger down.

The woman seized up. Her skin began to turn pale once more. Her lips turned blue. Her eyes glossed over with a white film. Grant released her seconds before her body began to return to the dust from whence it came.

And then it turned to ash. Her death was a bit different from the others. The others had immediately turned to ash. But at least she was dead, finally. Addie stood up and watched Grant shift back into his human form.

Naked, he walked over to a pile of clothing that was covered in ash and grabbed some pants. They were too small. He tossed them down and found another pair. He put the pants on then returned to her side.

"Mate, I need you to put your dark magic away. You're almost completely green now." The concerned look on his face tugged at her heartstrings. "Please mate, come back to me."

"I'm still here," she told him.

"You don't sound like yourself."

No, she didn't.

"Let's go inside and check on the others. Put the darkness away, love."

She stared down at her green hands. Most people thought the color of evil was black or red. No. The true color of evil was green. And it ran through her veins thanks to her wicked ancestors from The Kingdom of Oz.

Her mother came to this plane to start a new life, to leave that wickedness behind. She'd wanted to practice light magic. But she couldn't get rid of the dark magic in her veins. She taught Addie to embrace it when she had to but to never let it control her.

Right now, it was fighting to control her. She wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't become like her aunts. She would be like her mother. Addasyn closed her eyes. This time she didn't beg the darkness to recede. No. She ordered it to.

She demanded it return to the depts from which it came. And to her surprise, it obeyed her orders. Slowly, yes, but it obeyed. It snaked back down into the depths of her soul where it would remain until she needed it again. When she opened her eyes, she found Grant, shirtless, staring down at her.

"I knew you could do it, love."

Addie smiled, "Thank you for believing in me."

"You're welcome." He stepped forward.

She met him halfway. This time it was her who pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him. They remained that way for a moment, until something strange happened. The ash remains of Gabriella began to rise and float upward.

"What the hell?" Grant voiced what she was thinking.

Addie waved her hand, but the ashes didn't respond to her magic. "What's happening?"

"I don't know. But I knew killing her seemed too easy. She didn't even put up a fight."

"There's strong magic at play here. Maybe her witch placed a protection spell on her before I got around to killing her."

"Maybe."

"I'll ask my father if Gabriella's name was on the death list. Sure, she's undead. But her name will still appear on a list if she dies for good."

"Sounds like a plan. For now, let's go check on our team inside."

Arms wrapped around each other, they strode to the tavern, stepping over ashes and clothes as they went. When they went inside, they were excited to see everyone alive and well. But the Christmas tree and presents had been destroyed.

"They ruined Christmas," Flower complained. "Look at the tree."

The tree was ruined and the gifts were destroyed. So was most of the tavern. They were really going to have to remodel it now. But Christmas wasn't ruined.

"Christmas isn't ruined," Addie told Flower and the others. "Yeah, the tree and presents are a fun part of Christmas. But that's not what Christmas is all about. It's about family, it's about love, it's about surrounding yourselves with the ones you love."

Addie stared around the room. Her brothers were there. Battered and bruised, but they were present. Her besties were there. Covered in ashes, but alive and well. Fou and Eddie were standing side by side, weapons in hand, bruised but not defeated.

And next to her was her mate, the love of her life. And they'd just fought side by side. No, Christmas wasn't ruined. This was the best Christmas ever.

"We don't have presents," Addie told them. "But we have each other. And I'd take you guys over a tavern full of presents any day. I love you, all of you."

"Awww," Iris said, tears filling her eyes. "Group hug."

Addie yelped in surprise when the ladies of the tavern surrounded her and Grant and hugged them tightly. Eddie and Fou joined in. Not ones to be left out, her brothers joined in also. Addie laughed. But her mate growled.

No, Christmas definitely hadn't been ruined.

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# CHRISTMAS

#

Addie rolled her eyes.

Her brothers were driving her insane. They insisted on telling stories of all her childhood exploits. Grant and the others were loving it. Her entire family was seated around the large wooden table in the Grimm castle.

Since the tavern was truly being remodeled, they'd had to change their venue for Christmas dinner. Eddie felt at home in the Grimm kitchen. He put together a delicious dinner that even impressed her father who was now trying to steal the cook from Grant.

Addie watched them all laugh, joke, and tell stories around the table. They didn't have any presents. But they had food and good company. That was better than presents. Her mother was seated in the chair next to her.

They'd waited until after midnight to have dinner so that her mother could be present in her physical form. Standing behind her mother's chair was Zarina, the ghost that the others couldn't see.

She was looking at all the food and wishing she could have it. On the other side of Addie sat her mate, whose hand she was currently holding. He too was staring at their large family.

"This feels like Christmas," Grant leaned over and whispered to her.

"It does. No presents. But I can feel the love."

"Me too. And it's all because of you, the most beautiful woman in the world."

Addie blushed at his compliment. "Thank you. But we still have to worry about Gabriella. Father said her name wasn't on the list. When I described what we witnessed the ashes do to my mom, she said it sounded like the person we fought had simply been a clone of Gabriella."

"That's possible. Maybe she had the witch create a clone for her, just in case the fight didn't go as planned. That way, her minions died, but she lived. That means she's out there somewhere. Shit."

"It also means she knows what we can do. She'll think twice before stepping to us again."

"I know. But I wanted to end her. I hate the fact that she still poses a threat to you, to my family."

Since he'd said the word family, she may as well tell him what she'd learned today.

"Speaking of family, I have a present for you. I didn't even realize it. My mother had to point it out to me. She always notices changes in me before I do."

"What change? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just, I'm, well, we will be having a little witchling soon."

"Huh?"

"We will have a little Grimm prince or princess soon."

He looked to her mother and father then back to her. "I don't understand."

"We will have a wolfling soon, Grant," she whispered loudly.

"What's a wolfling?" He honestly looked confused.

"A baby, Grant. A baby. We're having a baby," she whispered.

"A baby!" He jumped up from his seat, causing his chair to fall over. He scooped her up in his arms before she could protest. "We're having a baby?" He yelled.

"Yes."

"A baby," Eddie shouted. "We're having a baby."

"A baby," Flower yelled. "We're having a baby."

Soon everyone was screaming 'we're having a baby' as Grant twirled her around the room. Her eyes landed on her father, the Grimm King. He had tears in his eyes and a smile on his face. Her eyes landed on her mother. Her mother's expression mirrored that of her father.

"I can babysit," Zarina screamed. "I'm going to be an aunt. Yes. Let's name the kid Zarina. If it's a boy, we can call it... Zarina the boy version. If it's twins, they can be Zarina one and Zarina two."

Laughing, Addie wrapped her arms around her mate and hugged him tightly.

"Best Christmas ever," he told her.

"Yes, mate. Yes, it is."

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#

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Thank you for reading our villainous holiday novellas. Remember, you can learn more about The Once Upon A Villain series by visiting us online at:

<https://ilovediverseromance.com/once-upon-a-villain-series/>

Season 2 of the Once Upon A Villain series is coming in 2020!

Get ready for more naughty adventures from your favorite bad guys and girls.

Are you ready to get wicked?
