Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2) Read online

  Dark Tremor

  Mated by Magic (Book 2)

  Stella Marie Alden

  Chantel Seabrook

  Copyright (C) 2016 Stella Marie Alden, Chantel Seabrook

  ISBN 978-1532892127

  Cover design by Virginie Wernert – www.designedbyqueenninie.com

  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 events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s permission.

  [email protected]

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  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Epilogue

  About the Authors

  Chapter 1

  Let’s see what this baby can do. Jace revved the custom engine of his new ATV and grinned. The desert whirled by at 100 mph, he caught some air, and flew.

  “Fuck yeah!” What a rush. Better than winning at the tables last night.

  Back teeth chomped together when all four wheels landed. He turned the wheel in the opposite direction, rotated his wrists, and his ride sped forward. Sweeeeet. Ahead lay nothing but blue sky, a couple cactuses, and a lot of empty miles.

  Above him a falcon circled, then swooped low. He only took his eyes off the terrain for a moment, but when he looked back, his vehicle rocketed, full speed towards a woman’s small form. With only a couple feet to spare, he cranked the wheel and held his breath.

  Shit. Where the hell had she come from?

  With each turn of the deathly merry-go-round, a huge boulder grew closer. Time stood still. Impact imminent. As he spun out, he swore a fissure ripped through the surface of the desert and the mammoth rock sank halfway into the riverbed.

  What the fuck?

  Another turn.

  The blob disappeared.

  His right front wheel hit something solid, and he flipped and rolled. A sickening crunch, followed by an odd silence, except for the spinning of tires.

  With some effort, he unclenched his jaw and took a deep breath. The sharp edges of the harness dug into his neck and the sky stood where the ground should be. But he was alive.

  Upside down, a woman, no, the woman who’d just caused this disaster peered down, or rather up, and said, “Are you okay?”

  “Hell, no. I’m not okay, lady. Look at my ATV.” What a stupid question. Adrenaline raced through his veins, needing an outlet.

  Her face-load of attitude and army-surplus attire was covered in dust. “Listen to me, asshole. I don’t give a shit about your vehicle. Were you hurt?”

  He wiggled his toes. Good.

  Fingers. Good.

  Hanging like a bat, he wedged his legs and released his harness. The world righted itself when he jumped onto all fours and crawled out of the wreckage onto the cool morning sand.

  “What the hell were you doing out there? I could’ve killed you.” His hand came back bloody when he rubbed above his right eye.

  “Me?” Her dirty brows furrowed. Blue eyes glared, white teeth showed, and no doubt, sharp claws hid inside the oversized jacket. “Didn’t you see the no trespassing signs?”

  “There weren’t any signs,” he growled, rolling his shoulders. A wave of nausea washed over him and his vision went foggy. He gripped the side of the ATV to keep from tumbling forward.

  She rolled her eyes. “You are hurt. Follow me.”

  A sweet little ass turned and walked towards a nearby hill.

  Before following, he tried to clear his thoughts and recall the sequence of events.

  Woman. Bolder. And…earthquake? He hadn’t imagined the two foot gash that zigzagged across the river bed. What were the odds?

  Slim to none.

  Suspicious, he followed her up a steep hill, and through the glassed-in front wall of some kind of cave dwelling. Figures. The badger had a burrow.

  “You live in a cave?”

  “Earthship. Entirely eco-friendly.” She pointed to a ladder-back chair and threw him a roll of paper towels. “Sit and try not to bleed on anything. Give me a sec’ to clean up.”

  While water ran from behind the bathroom door, he pulled off a wad of paper towels, and pressed it to one eye. With the other, he made a quick assessment of her space. Cheap, but sparkling appliances lined one wall. On the other side of the island that divided the open space, a lumpy couch faced a fourteen-inch screen.

  Above, a wood railing circled a loft with a low bed.

  He jumped when an orange tabby landed on the large antique table in front of the glass wall. It padded around a short wave radio and a laptop, making a dreadful meowing sound. It sat down next to a pile of rough, blue stones.

  Jace picked one up and whistled through his teeth.

  Turquoise. Beautifully veined. And not from a mine he recognized. Probably worth a small fortune.

  Wet-faced, she dashed out of the bathroom with a towel around her neck. “Put that down.”

  The gem fell from his hand and his mouth dropped open. Holy hell.

  Her newly scrubbed face revealed a pert nose and wide kissable lips, framed by long dark-blonde hair. But it was the damp white t-shirt, worn without a bra, leaving little to the imagination that had his cock standing at attention.

  When she caught him staring, she turned bright red and grabbed a sweatshirt off a chair. It was too late. His dick knew what it saw–and it wanted it.

  Bustling across the room, she struggled with her zipper while trying to balance a first aid kit under her arm.

  “I said not to touch anything.” She picked up the stone and put it back in the pile.

  “Sorry.” Arms raised, he stepped away, but couldn’t hide the widening smirk.

  “Sit down and I’ll clean your cut.” Small palms pushed at his chest ineffectively, but remained, as if glued. She stared, stunned.

  The energy pulsing into him made his knees weak.

  No. No. No. Hell, no. He’d only felt that once before in his life and he wasn’t about to do that again.

  When he jumped back, she beat him to the punch line. “That is so not going to happen. Understood?”

  He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

  “Sit, before you fall down.” Her hands trembled as she snapped open the old metal first aid kit and searched the bins.

  Sitting in one of two chairs, he noticed that there was two of everything. “So, you married?”

  “None of your business. Close your eyes. This is going to sting.” She pressed an antiseptic pad against the cut on his forehead.

  �
�Ow. Damn. Stop that.”

  Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and bam. There it was again. No denying it. She was a witch, and a powerful one at that. She’d probably be a perfect match for him if he was looking for a mate. Which he damn well was not.

  “Do you mind?” She stared at where he held her hand, unable to let go. Dark eyelashes framed the most stunning pale blue eyes he’d ever seen.

  The warmth coursing from her essence turned his brain to mush. It nourished him, fed him, and made him whole in a way he’d never felt before. Thinking to grab anything but her, he picked up an old framed photograph of a woman and a little girl. A younger version of the badger-princess.

  “Jesus. Stop touching my stuff. What’s wrong with you? Give me that.” She put it back, adjusting it on the shelf several times until perfect.

  “Is that you?” he asked, trying hard to find conversation.

  She glared and pointedly ignored him by hand-cranking an ancient generator. The World War II radio crackled and came to life.

  “Jelly? Are you there? It’s me, Terra.” Three-inch tubes glowed as she spoke into a microphone.

  “Sure am, Hun. What can I do you for?” A crackly voice spoke from an ancient speaker.

  “Can you get a tow truck out to my place? Some idiot with an ATV got all tangled up in the gulch.” Crossing her hands over her bountiful chest, she frowned in his direction.

  “That’s a ten-four. Anything else? Milk? Bread?”

  “Nope. I’m good, thanks. K-C-B-Two-Five-Two. Out.”

  “W-9-Fifteen-Fifteen. Out”

  Who the hell was this woman?

  Her eyes blazed, and he didn’t miss the distrust and small edge of fear that flickered beneath.

  He cleared his throat. “Ah, maybe I’ll just wait outside by my vehicle.”

  “Good idea.” She threw him a bottle of water, nodded in the direction of the stones, and said, “Do me a favor. Don’t tell anyone you saw those. I don’t need people snooping around.”

  “You found a unique vein, didn’t you?”

  “You know turquoise?” She chewed on her bottom lip and her brows turned down.

  “I’m known to collect a piece here and there.” He studied her mouth, and his dick urged him to make a move. He shut it up quick. Not going to happen.

  “I mean it.” Her face flushed and she pointed a finger at his chest. “If you say a word, I will…argh… I don’t know what I will do, but it will be really, really bad.”

  He swore he felt the ground move under his feet.

  “Hang on there, honey. I didn’t say I would tell anyone.”

  “I am not your honey.” She dragged her fingers over her face and let out an audible sigh. “Just leave. Okay?”

  He turned on his heel, walked back down to where he’d left his vehicle, and sat in the shade of a giant cactus.

  His head was throbbing. His cock was swollen and aching. He couldn’t get out of this place fast enough.

  Of all the bad luck. Who would’ve thought he’d run into a powerful witch. During solstice. In the middle of the desert.

  His body and magic responded in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

  Hell no.

  Eight years wasn’t long enough to make him forget the horrors of what could happen during the mating ritual.

  His throat constricted, as it always did, when he thought of Megan and the last time he’d wanted to mate with a witch.

  He placed his head in his hands and tried to block out the memories, but with no gaming tables, no cell phone apps, and no ATV, he had no place to hide from his thoughts.

  She’d been eighteen, and beautiful, with everything to live for, and he’d killed her. Not a day went by where he didn’t regret that night. She’d come on so strong, he’d just assumed she knew the rules. He moaned as the scene played out in front of him, both nightmare and mirage.

  It was his first solstice and he was thinking with his cock. But what male witch didn’t at that time of year? She was so fucking hot and he’d been drinking hard with his buddies. She said she was ready.

  The magic foreplay started out a lot of fun. They threw light sexual energy at each other, but then it got serious.

  He moaned, wishing he could erase the memory of her face when he’d thrown his first real blast of energy into her.

  It wasn’t until after the funeral he’d learned the truth. She was a half-breed, a pretender. God almighty, what was she thinking trying to mate with him? She must’ve known he was from one of most powerful clans in the world.

  And why hadn’t he seen it? He was stupid drunk. That’s why. His buddies should’ve stopped him, but they’d been just as shit-faced.

  Jace beat his forehead into his knees, forgetting about the wound. Fresh blood dripped down the side of his face.

  Fucking awesome.

  He stood, and rubbed the back of his stiff neck and groaned.

  An odd black shard of stone glittered in the sun a few feet away. Curious, he wandered over and picked it up. The rock was hot and not just from the sun. It all but glowed in his hand and made his powers tingle. He conjured a small fireball. It flared high.

  He threw the ball of energy at a cactus twenty feet away. The blast from his hand was twice the size and power as was his norm, and he wasn’t even trying.

  Shit. No wonder the little badger was so prickly.

  He rushed over to his upside down ATV, pulled out his knapsack, and found his cell phone. No bars. That explained the short wave. Shit. This place was medieval. He couldn’t wait to get on a plane and never come back.

  His brother Jack would know more about what the stone was. He’d heard him talk about rare conduits that could increase a witch’s power, but he’d never seen or felt one himself.

  The buzz was almost addictive.

  He wanted to try it out more, but he could feel the badger’s eyes on him from her cave. No sense alerting her that he’d found one of her precious stones. At least not until he figured out what it was. She’d be pissed as hell to learn he knew yet another of her secrets.

  Tucking the stone into his pocket, he sat back in the shadows and waited, doing his best to avoid the badger’s occasional glance out the window. Then, an ancient tow truck stopped alongside his upside down ATV.

  Woman-sized khaki pants with a camouflage tank jumped out of the cab. This had to be Jelly, based on the box of donuts on the passenger seat.

  She frowned, sizing him up and down. “You know there’s a no trespassing sign.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  Big hands rested on wide hips and lips pursed. “Could get a big fine if the sheriff finds out.”

  “Is he going to?” He glared.

  “Depends on what Terra says.” Sniffing, she strode toward the house mumbling how he didn’t scare her none. That’s when he noticed the SAT phone swinging from her cracked leather belt.

  Halleluiah. “Wait. Can I borrow your phone?”

  She turned and grinned. “Sure. It’ll cost you. Sat-phones ain’t cheap.”

  “Tack it onto the cost of my tow.”

  “That’ll work just fine. Can I see your card?” Her palm shot out as he dug his wallet out of his dusty jeans. He handed her his Amex.

  With her nose to the plastic, she read, “F-i-a-l-k-o…Like in the New York Fialko’s in the news?”

  “No relation,” he lied. The last thing he needed was someone knowing his brother was a b’zillionaire.

  She slid the card through an ancient mechanical device and handed him back his card. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

  “Where the hell would I go?” Grumbling, he picked up the satellite phone and dialed his brother. “Hey, Jack.”

  “I thought you were off the grid for a few days of R&R.”

  “Me too.” He raked his fingers through his hair, stared at his wreck, and paced. “Something came up. I was on my ATV in the middle of the desert and found a piece of what looks like black turquoise.
And damned if it isn’t hot to the touch. It’s got some kind of magical properties. Possibly a conduit of sorts.”

  “Hold on while I login to our site. Takes a few minutes. The guys in IT have it so secure that even I can’t get in without an act of God.” After a long silence and much clicking of a keyboard, Jack let out a long whistle. “Call me back when you find a land line. Use the encrypted number.”

  Jace scratched the back of his neck and kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot. Figures the woman was hiding something big. Fuck. He should hop on the next plane out of there and let his brother deal with this shit. Jack was the expert. Plus the man was already mated, so there was no danger of the little badger working her solstice magic on him.

  “Everything else okay?” Jack asked.

  Hell no. But he couldn’t let his big brother know how the little badger had affected him. Jack would be up in his face about it, his mother and sister would come, and they’d have him in a wedding tux by week’s end. He’d just not touch the witch again. Once solstice was over, the mating urge would subside, and he could get on with his life.

  “Nah, I’m good. Call you back in an hour or so.”

  They said their goodbyes.

  Five days of solstice hell left to go. His cock swelled, thinking about her naked under him.

  Shut up dick-head. We’re not mating. We’ll find a willing, sweet thing in Vegas, pick her up, and have meaningless sex.

  His cock disagreed.

  Chapter 2

  Pumpkin meowed and paced along the glass wall, wanting out.

  “Uh-uh. Not now.” Terra sat at her computer, glancing out the window every few seconds. Where was ATV-man? She stood, about to go out and check, then stopped. Jelly would be here any moment. Best to avoid all contact with him.