lie under the old quilt with Howl’s body covering hers. She liked the breathless feeling of being crushed into the mattress by her lover’s weight. The slow, sweet glide of him as they made love with each other. He could be discovered alive, and she might never know the feeling again.
* * * *
Howl lay spent, shuddering in Ana’s bed with the rain blowing in through the open window, cooling his hot skin.
She trembled beneath him and pulled the old quilt up to cover them. He would have to move soon or he’d squish his new love, but right now he was content to lay across her body. Her heart thundered beneath his.
It amazed him that she’d given herself to him so freely. He would have to leave her soon, before the change came. He sensed his wolf wouldn’t wait for the full moon. It was far from sated. Howl could feel it fighting to get out and wanted to be chained in the old farmhouse cellar long before the transformation.
“When?” she asked quietly, hearing her thoughts with his own.
“We have a little time. The first hint of twilight will bring the change. I won’t put you at risk, Ana. I need to be secured well before them. If I get free, I’ll come after you.”
“Your wolf craves me, his mate.” She slid her leg around his waist, pinning him to her.
He didn’t care if he ever got free. His weight pressed her deeper into the mattress. “Yes.” He growled.
“I’m going to find a way to break this curse, Howl.”
He shook his head. “We will. I have to go. If I get free, I might kill you.” He rolled over, turned her into his side.
“What if your cousin is already at the house? He might be waiting for you just to make sure.” Ana snuggled her head into his shoulder.
“I know, but it’s necessary for me to go back there.” He kissed her gently.
“I can help keep you safe from him. You’d have to trust me.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “A glamour to hide you should do the trick until we can figure another way out of this mess.”
“You can do that?”
“Mmm-hmm. My mother was gypsy with strong magic, like my granny. Her parents wouldn’t let her marry someone not of her kind, but she met an Irishman during her travels. He was fey. The result you get is me. And I,” Ana said, smiling wickedly, “can do all manner of things.”
“I’ll just bet you can. The green eyes are his?”
“Yes. Faerie eyes, but I have the magic from both parents. Like I said, there are ways. The curse was put on your line with old magic. Irish blood. I heard her say the spell, and I think I can figure out the way to break it. Maybe I was meant to?”
“And if there isn’t a way to break the curse?”
“Oh, there always is. Call it a circle of sorts. Magic is about circles, patterns. What you send out always comes back to you. Or so my granny says. First rule is do no harm. Now then, for the glamour.”
Howl stared as she rose from the bed, naked and at ease with him. He watched her walk to the window, lithe as a wolf, and felt his blood heat from simmer to boil, again. Just watching her was such a pleasure. Standing there letting the rain blow in on her, Ana mumbled something, but he couldn’t hear what. The rain encircled her, a liquid snake caressing her skin, and wind whipped violently into the room.
“Howl, come and stand with me.” Ana moved away from the window.
He slid out of bed and stood before her.
She held out her hands for him.
He went willingly into his witch’s arms.
Ana smiled and allowed her power to shimmer over and around him, enveloping him in the magic she’d created.
“I love that I can share this with you without fear. Magic is a beautiful, special gift. I’ve never shared the workings of it with another.”
“Not even Jace?”
“No. Only you.”
“Thank you for sharing this with me, for trusting me with this part of you,” he whispered and rested his forehead against hers. The rain and wind now wrapped them in a giant
* * * *
Howl lay spent, shuddering in Ana’s bed with the rain blowing in through the open window, cooling his hot skin.
She trembled beneath him and pulled the old quilt up to cover them. He would have to move soon or he’d squish his new love, but right now he was content to lay across her body. Her heart thundered beneath his.
It amazed him that she’d given herself to him so freely. He would have to leave her soon, before the change came. He sensed his wolf wouldn’t wait for the full moon. It was far from sated. Howl could feel it fighting to get out and wanted to be chained in the old farmhouse cellar long before the transformation.
“When?” she asked quietly, hearing her thoughts with his own.
“We have a little time. The first hint of twilight will bring the change. I won’t put you at risk, Ana. I need to be secured well before them. If I get free, I’ll come after you.”
“Your wolf craves me, his mate.” She slid her leg around his waist, pinning him to her.
He didn’t care if he ever got free. His weight pressed her deeper into the mattress. “Yes.” He growled.
“I’m going to find a way to break this curse, Howl.”
He shook his head. “We will. I have to go. If I get free, I might kill you.” He rolled over, turned her into his side.
“What if your cousin is already at the house? He might be waiting for you just to make sure.” Ana snuggled her head into his shoulder.
“I know, but it’s necessary for me to go back there.” He kissed her gently.
“I can help keep you safe from him. You’d have to trust me.” She placed her hands on either side of his face. “A glamour to hide you should do the trick until we can figure another way out of this mess.”
“You can do that?”
“Mmm-hmm. My mother was gypsy with strong magic, like my granny. Her parents wouldn’t let her marry someone not of her kind, but she met an Irishman during her travels. He was fey. The result you get is me. And I,” Ana said, smiling wickedly, “can do all manner of things.”
“I’ll just bet you can. The green eyes are his?”
“Yes. Faerie eyes, but I have the magic from both parents. Like I said, there are ways. The curse was put on your line with old magic. Irish blood. I heard her say the spell, and I think I can figure out the way to break it. Maybe I was meant to?”
“And if there isn’t a way to break the curse?”
“Oh, there always is. Call it a circle of sorts. Magic is about circles, patterns. What you send out always comes back to you. Or so my granny says. First rule is do no harm. Now then, for the glamour.”
Howl stared as she rose from the bed, naked and at ease with him. He watched her walk to the window, lithe as a wolf, and felt his blood heat from simmer to boil, again. Just watching her was such a pleasure. Standing there letting the rain blow in on her, Ana mumbled something, but he couldn’t hear what. The rain encircled her, a liquid snake caressing her skin, and wind whipped violently into the room.
“Howl, come and stand with me.” Ana moved away from the window.
He slid out of bed and stood before her.
She held out her hands for him.
He went willingly into his witch’s arms.
Ana smiled and allowed her power to shimmer over and around him, enveloping him in the magic she’d created.
“I love that I can share this with you without fear. Magic is a beautiful, special gift. I’ve never shared the workings of it with another.”
“Not even Jace?”
“No. Only you.”
“Thank you for sharing this with me, for trusting me with this part of you,” he whispered and rested his forehead against hers. The rain and wind now wrapped them in a giant
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