Page 30 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)

THE COLD INFUSED ME with hopelessness. My skin burned as if on fire. I couldn’t catch my breath. Every moment exhausted me.

I tugged free from my shield and armor. The swords clanged against each other when they dropped to the wet ground. I removed everything heavy from my body.

An icy rain broke through the tree canopy. The Serpent Shifters’ blood washed away, along with my will to keep moving. I gave up on finding Roque. Curling up on the ground, I hid inside the sanctuary of my mind.

I dreamt of Roque and me running through the forest. Not the inky black woodlands of Pandorium, but the bright green and lush land on Mt. Elysium. I imagined us together every day, feeding the magic between us. The fantasy in my head left me immune to the cold.

Roque’s voice followed me in the dream. He called out my name despite being right next to me as we explored the mountain. His scent grew stronger, leaving me lightheaded even in my fantasy.

I opened my eyes to find Roque cradling me in his powerful arms. He wasn’t the male in my dream. This one was real. I breathed in his presence and felt the mate bond burning through the forest’s lies.

His lips found mine. The kiss was hesitant. I draped my arms around his shoulders and pressed my body tighter against his. The magic around us bloomed. Our passion formed a glow, sending Pandorium Forest’s curious creatures fleeing into the darkness.

A heat sparked inside my belly, moving lower, filling me with desperation. Tugging my undergarment over my head, I craved Roque’s bare flesh against mine. His skin was hot under my touch. Roque growled deep in his chest when my fingers moved across his shoulders and slid into his hair.

Pushing me away, he seemed rattled. Before I could react, he trapped me against his chest and kissed me harder.

Adjusting in his arms, I won more growling from the confused yet aroused beast. Roque attempted to hold me in place on his lap. I tugged free, ending up on the ground. His gaze brightened with rage.

I shook my head and insisted, “You’re doing it wrong.”

“Don’t tell me what I’m doing.”

I laughed at his stubbornness and pounced on him. His large hand nearly swiped me away before Roque realized I was offering him what he craved. His arms pinned me to him as I straddled his lap. My hands stroked his jaw. Our gazes met. I inhaled the magic burning bright between us.

Our lips collided, hungry for what only the other one could offer. My hands disappeared into his thick hair. He mimicked my gesture. His fingers slid down my bare back. A grumble echoed deep in his chest. His tongue became more persistent. I felt his erection pressed against my belly.

I reached between our bodies and stroked him gently. Roque’s control slipped. He had me on the ground instantly. I felt him wanting inside my body. His hand was behind my legs, trying to orchestrate an act he had never considered before.

“You’re on the ground,” Roque growled, worried over my comfort. He moved away from me. “This won’t work.”

I considered using logic on him. The words in my head made sense. Instead, I stretched out on the ground and smiled at him.

“Roque,” I said, and his frown froze. “I’m cold.”

Prowling closer, Roque swept me into his arms and planted his back against a tree. We slid to the ground together with him under me.

“Stop fighting,” Roque insisted, sounding angry, “and I’ll keep you warm.”

Kissing his throat, I whispered, “You’re a stubborn mule.”

“It’s my nature,” he muttered before cradling my face and forcing me to see him. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Neither do I. This thing is driving us to madness. Let’s give in to the magic and see what happens.”

Roque struggled to let go of his programming. I didn’t blame him. The Murade never viewed the Bane Shifters as anything more than drones meant to create order.

Yet, Roque had lived free for a hundred years. He knew how to give in to his instincts. If they were anything like mine, he knew exactly what to do.

Roque glanced around the dark forest. The curse had fallen silent under the power of our bond. His gaze revealed a creature recalling the last few wild days. He wasn’t himself since meeting me. I certainly wasn’t much of a warrior since meeting him. Roque knew something had changed inside us.

His gaze studied my face as his hand stroked the back of my head. A smile warmed his ruggedly handsome face.

“You were so beautiful when you fell into my arms.”

Stroking his face, I smiled. “Even believing you marked my destruction, I still didn’t want to leave your arms.”

Our kisses grew frenzied as our mate bond burned through the past and future. We were right here, right now. I only saw Roque.

“Calla,” he murmured in an inhuman voice, torn between his beast and human sides.

Kissing me deeply, Roque trapped my body against his. I felt his arousal throbbing against my belly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and lifted myself. The head of his engorged erection found me wet and waiting.

Roque filled me with one hard thrust. I gasped at the surge of power around us. We both hesitated. The ground under us trembled. The trees swayed. A growl rumbled from deep within the soil.

Cradling his bearded jaw, I whispered, “Roque.”

His wary expression softened, allowing a smile. “Calla.”

Those two words silenced our worries. We moved together as the wind swirled around our bodies.

I couldn’t see past Roque. His scent was divine. His skin tasted like the sweetest candy. His erection thrust inside me, sending hot shockwaves through me.

Holding his powerful body against mine, I rolled my hips. The pleasure left me laughing. I threw my head back and cried out with joy into the whirlwind around us.

Roque took advantage of my extended throat to lick at my flesh and send more pleasure dancing along my nerves.

His hungry mouth sucked at my collarbone.

I leaned farther back, bringing my breasts to his attention.

Roque’s tongue bathed each nipple before sucking one into his mouth and making me grind against him harder.

My eyes closed, revealing images of our past. I saw Roque in his youth. Not so jaded. His heart beat with more ease. The violence of his future hadn’t turned him cold yet.

Lifting myself upright, I found his lips and sucked on them. My arms draped over his wide shoulders. I wanted to protect this powerful creature from a brutal world, unable to see him as anything more than a weapon.

My skin prickled with heat, and my heart raced. Yet, I remained perfectly calm as I stared into Roque’s eyes. His gaze was locked on mine. He didn’t dare look away. We were in uncharted territory. Our training fell away. We were alone with our mate bond guiding our path.

As the pleasure built, we moved together toward something we didn’t understand. We were more than two creatures finding relief in each other’s bodies. Roque and I had become conduits of ancient magic reborn into a world shuddering in anticipation.