Page 19 of Watch Me Burn (Sanctuary #1)

CHAPTER 18

CHALLENGE

C onall’s eyes are the prettiest shade of gold. A hint of softness on an otherwise rugged wolf, they’re one of my favorite parts of him. They’s just so damn expressive, and like a freaking mood ring, I could usually tell what he’s thinking by the way his eyes react.

Just now? They flash so brightly, they gleam through the darkness of the cave as he peers down at me.

He doesn’t release his hold on me even as he goes suddenly still. “What was that?”

“You heard me.”

“Bridget… did you just challenge me?”

Challenging a predator shifter… not the smartest idea, but you know what? I’m sick and tired of pretending that I don’t want this man.

Male.

Conall .

I’ve done a lot of thinking. From when I first learned how a shifter reacts around his prospective mate, to realizing what all those poor dead bunnies were about, and then his public claiming of me when his jealousy got to be too much for him.

I’m his mate. Earlier this afternoon, when I bought that sandwich, I was making a conscious decision. I went to Conall’s house with the express intent to feed him.

Because if I’m his, then he’s my mate, too. Fate put us together. Fate or the Luna or the moon or however he wants to explain it. I might not be a wolf, but I am a witch, and I’ve felt this bond we have almost since the beginning. Even when he made me so angry, I was drawn to him, and now I know why.

All along, I’ve been telling myself that I was looking for the fire opal. That that was what I was looking for.

Wrong.

I haven’t find the fire opal yet. There’s a chance I never will.

But I found Conall, and that means I found something even better.

I found a future. A hope. Love. I found family. I found someone who cares enough about me that those silly questions I blew off really were him getting to know me.

Because he loves me.

Because I’m meant to be his mate.

Because this bond between us will only grow strong in time… but only if we finalize it first.

And the only way to do that is…

“I want you to mate me.”

He shudders out a breath. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You still think like a human, Red. I won’t pretend you don’t mean it. Your body is crying out for me.” He inhales deeply. “I can smell how aroused you are right now. It’s the sweetest fucking scent I’ve every had the honor of taking into my lungs. But if I mate you… if I fuck you… there isn’t anything that will stop me from claiming you for life. If it was any other night than the full moon, our bond wouldn’t finalize. But it is the full moon. I’m not strong enough to keep from biting you. Don’t ask me to because it’ll fucking kill me to disappoint you.”

My eyes are adjusted enough to the darkness to find the edge of his cheek. I cradle it. “I’m not asking you to keep from biting me, Conall. I want you to.”

He turns into my hand, brushing his lips against my palm. The points of his fangs prick me as though they’re ready to do just that.

I slide my other hand down until I can swipe my thumb over the head of his cock. He hisses when I find it, hips jerking in a mimicry of what he’ll do if I let him fuck me.

I’m ready. I’m so ready. But Conall…

He’s a wolf shifter. If my understanding of the predators is apt enough, there are two things he won’t be able to resist: a challenge, and his mate on all fours.

I issued the change.

Now?

I pull out of his embrace. The fact that he lets me go tells me that this is completely my choice. If I want him, I have to take him. Or, well, let him take me.

Alright.

Moving away from him, I go to the middle of the cave. I don’t bother with any fireballs. It’s pointless when I won’t have a hand to wield one in a second, and if I need to figure out how to anchor fire somewhere else… hey. That’s a lesson for later on.

Like tomorrow. Or the day after.

It’s the full moon. I expect I’ll be busy the rest of the night.

“Red? What are you…”

“You tell me,” I purr, grabbing my leggings by the waistband and pulling them down.

I take my time. There’s no rush, and I want this seduction to be something for Conall to remember. Thanks to his wolf, he can see everything I’m doing right now which is great.

This striptease is all for him.

When I bend over, kicking off my boots so I can remove my leggings, his renewed growl fills the cave. By the time my leggings are off, the growl is inside my heart.

Then I shuck my panties, and it conquers my soul.

Conall moves toward me. I can’t see him, though I can sense him, and I purposely lower myself to the ground next.

I’m not the frightened one. I get the feeling that he thinks that I’ll eventually wake up, realize he’s a predator, and bolt. Yeah, right. Of the two of us, the witch with the power to blast fire is probably a bigger problem.

Dangerous, right?

I’m dangerous.

I get on my hands and knees, presenting my ass to him. Then, with as much a dare to my voice as I can manage when my throat is thick with lust and anticipation, I ask him: “Tell me? Is the big, bad wolf brave enough to claim his witch?”

“Oh, Red… you don’t know what you’re doing.”

I do. See? That’s why I called him a big, bad wolf, too. I’m his Red, he’s my wolf, and I’m not waiting a moment longer to make him mine.

Conall, it seems, has the same idea.

It’s instinctive. I’m his mate and I’m waiting for him. He’s naked, already hard when he arrived here, and the moon fever has taken hold of him.

Really, what else could he do but mount me?

I don’t move as he positions the head of his cock where it belongs. I swallow my moans as he begins to push himself inside of me. But when he bottoms out?

I say his name like it’s a benediction.

“ Conall…”

“Tell me you’re mine,” he grunts.

“Only if you’re mine,” I tell him, arching my back to take him deeper.

His claws trail over the curve of my ass. He’s pounding my pussy like he can’t get enough of me, but he’s as gentle as ever with his caresses as he says, “I have been from the moment you flounce into

“Flounced? I didn’t flounce !”

“Sashayed?” he teases.

Oh, I’ll give him sashayed …

I squeeze him. Putting as much of my core strength into it as I can, when he bottoms out inside of me again, I squeeze—and Conall howls.

Ha!

He doesn’t quite stop. As his howl reverberates around the cave, he moves his hands from my ass to my waist. Without pulling out of me completely, he shifts me so that he’s on his knees, I’m on his lap, and he’s staring right into my eyes as he fucks me.

His cheeks are hollowed as he grits out, “I’m about to come. The only way to finalize our the mate bond is to bite you when I do.”

I bare my throat to him. “What are you waiting for?”

“Nothing,” he grates. “I just wanted to look at my witch one last time before I make you my mate.”

Then, with a strike as precise as a rattlesnake, he sinks his fangs into the side of my throat.

Can witches howl? I didn’t think so, but I give Conall a run for his money as every single nerve ending inside of me explodes .

And that’s not all.

As my climax hits, I close my eyes as the fire bursts from behind my lids. Only… the air is suddenly heavy and dry. A strange wind whips through the cave, bouncing around us until slamming into the cave walls.

I wait until I stop spasming on his cock before I peek open one eye.

Conall’s fangs are still buried in my neck, his cock gently thrusting in and out of me. He doesn’t seem ready to break our connection yet, though I know he’s already come once, and if he wants to keep me on his lap with his dick still stretching me out, I’m perfectly okay with that.

Even if I wince a little when I see exactly what happened when I came.

So… it looks like, when a fire witch finalizes a bond with her mate, the fire part wants to get in on the action. That’s the only way I can explain it since I’ve had plenty of sex before and, uh, I’ve never casted a fire ring as large as the cave until now.

And I did. I totally did. That must’ve been what happened when the fire blazed behind my eyes, and the wind whipped around us. It wasn’t wind. It was my magic protecting both Conall and I as the fire formed a circle around us.

Not really sure why, but since we’re both okay…

Wait. With a gentle tug that sends aftershocks through me, he removes his fangs from my neck. I smile at him, ready to say… shit, I don’t even know how to make words with the way his bite just left me so frazzled… but he looks at me, then immediately his gaze darts away.

A flash of rejection rushes through me. Before I can figure out how to stop it, I’m pretty sure it skitters down our newly finalized bond.

He shakes his head, then points over mine. “No. I’m not regretting a damn thing that just happened. It’s just… look .”

Well, since he’s so insistent…

It’s hard to maneuver when I’m basically still impaled on his cock, but he told me to look so I do.

When the fire burst out of me, all I saw was orange. I thought it was the remnants of the fire that burst out of me. In a way, it is. But that’s not all that.

My fire is contained. A few flames are flickering here or there, but the cave is still glowing a vibrant orange shade—and for one reason in particular.

I gasp. Then, patting his chest in silent apology, I climb off of Conall’s lap. I nearly trip over my discarded leggings in my haste to reach the other side of the cave.

I run my hand over the wall. What was craggy and dark moments ago is smooth and bright and shining. It’s orange, vivid orange, and it reflects my well-fucked expression as I stare in surprise at the wall of crystal.

Crystal…

“Is this fire opal?”

Conall rose up from the floor of the cave, padding over to me. “You found it, Red.”

Did I finally do it?

I… I think so.

But how ?

“It wasn’t here before, though. I mean, I picked this cave to hunker down in because, I don’t know, it called to me for some reason. But I had a ring of fire going before when I was pissed at you. I didn’t see any opal. Did you?”

My naked mate has the decency to look slightly abashed when I mentioned how mad his rejection earlier made me. And, sure, I know now that he ignored me at his door in a misguided bit to keep me from being rushed into mating him. Screw that. I made my decision. I own it. Hopefully, he will, too.

He comes up behind me, resting his hand possessively around the back of my throat. His thumb ghosts over his bite mark, caressing the skin around the bloody bite.

“I didn’t.”

“So where did it come from?”

“I can’t say for sure… I was a little busy, making you mine… but I’m pretty sure it happened when you screamed for me, and you shot all that fire out of you. You didn’t burn me this time?—”

“You didn’t deserve it this time,” I cut in.

“Thanks, Red. But it seems like the fire had to burn something. Looks like that was this cave. And when it did… you’ve got your fire opal.”

Honestly? Put like that, I should’ve expected something like that. Isn’t that what Celeste said? That only a fire witch could find fire opal? I just thought that meant I would have, like, this sixth sense that told me if a rock was just a rock or if it was a crystal. But maybe only a fire wich could find it because only I could do that ?

And I did it because of Conall.

“Look at that. You fucked me so hard, we broke the cave,” I tease.

He chuckles. “Not bad for my first time, huh?”

I blink for a moment. Holy shit. I completely forgot that he was a virgin. That he was saving himself for his mate, not for any other reason than that wolves mate for life, and when he claimed his, he wasn’t letting her go.

I knew what I was getting into. I know what I agreed to. He offered forever, I took it, and then I let him take me.

But it never occurred to me that this was his first time during the actual act. He was so dominating, taking me on all fours at first, then shifting me so that he could fuck me face-to-face, seeing the honesty written in my eyes before he bit me.

Taking my hand away from the wall of opal, I turn into Conall, patting his chest. “You sure about that? Because, I’ll tell ya something: that was amazing. I’ve been with guys who were the biggest players and I was just another number, and they didn’t have half the raw magnetism and skill that you have.”

My hand starts to vibrate. It takes a second for me to realize it’s because he’s growling softly, as though he doesn’t want to scare me off.

How can he? Where will I go?

I’m his, and I’m gonna hold him to it.

So why is he growling after I complimented his prowess? I run the words through my head again, wincing when I realize exactly what it was that I said.

“Oof. Sorry. Don’t talk about the past. Got it.”

Conall shakes his head. “No. I know you had a life before me. I’m not that ridiculous, Red. As long as you know that there won’t be anyone else.”

I dig my fingers into his chest. “Never. Not for either of us.”

“Exactly. And if you could just tell me I’m better than them?—”

“Oh, hands down. Definitely. That’s no problem, Conall. That was some of the best sex I’ve ever had. The only thing that would’ve made it better was if there was, like, a mattress or a cushion so that my knees didn’t have to dig into the hard floor, but other than that? Told you. Amazing . And I’m only half-kidding about the damage you did to my knees so don’t freak out or anything like you do every other time I’ve gotten cut down here. It was totally worth the new scrapes.”

“You’re not lying,” he says in near disbelief. “Your scent… it didn’t change. It smells like you, and it smells like me, but there’s no deception.”

This time, I rap his chest. “It’s because you’re my mate.”

His voice goes thick. “Bridget…”

I’m not done.

“Before I came to Alaska, the head witch I met read me. I don’t know if she was seeing my future or what, but she told me I’d found what I was looking for. Well, I did.”

He nods. “The fire opal?”

Oh, you big idiot. “No, Mr. Grump. You .”

His lips twitch. “Me?”

“Well, yeah.” I mean, I kind of thought that was obvious when I got on all fours and let him mount me like that. “The fire opal was supposed to help me get rid of my powers so that I wasn’t a danger. But I learned control on my own these last couple of weeks. I could take it or leave it. You, though? I can’t leave you.”

“Of course not. I marked you, Red. There’s no escaping me now.”

“And you’re okay with that? If I go back to being human?” I tilt my chin up so that I can use the glow of the fire opal to get a better look at his face. “Would you still love me if I wasn’t a witch?”

In answer, Conall grabs me by the waist, hoisting me up so that he’s holding me. I wrap my legs around him as he buries his face against my chest.

He nuzzles my tit. My shirt and bra are pushed up high enough to bare both of my boobs to my wolf, and he seems fascinated by them. He nuzzles, his tongue lapping out to swipe the nearest nipple, and just when I think he’s distracted me so he doesn’t have to answer my question, he scrapes his fangs over the curve of my tit, then says, “I loved you when you were human. I love you as a witch. If something happens tomorrow and you wake up a corpse like Elise, I’ll love you as a bloodsucker. Fuck, I’ll even let you tap a vein if you need me, too. I love you , Red. No matter what.”

Damn. I just fucked him, but a heartfelt, genuine speech like that coming from my wolf? My pussy aches to have him fill me again, and not only because he’s palming my other tit now, sending shocks of renewed pleasure through me.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of Conall, and since I’m wearing his mark on my neck, I won’t have to worry about that.

Shifters mate for life. Once there’s a bond, there’s no going back.

I’m his—and he’s mine .

Lifting his head, he adds, “You know, I’ve been doing some research of my own. About the fire opal. On SupeNet.”

Wait…

“Like, a supe internet? Are you serious?”

“If you know where to look.” A hint of a tease tugs on his lip as he uses his free hand to take a strand of my hair, twirling it around his finger all the way to the tip of his wolfish claw. “What? You didn’t ask Elise?”

I laugh softly. Mainly because this is the first time I haven’t picked up on a slight bit of jealousy whenever he talks about Elise. And, looking back, I should really start to question my observational skills. Because it’s obvious in hindsight that he was jealous of Elise. Sure, part of his attitude in regards to her and whether or not she was biting me had to do with wolf shifters and vampires being ancient enemies.

The other part has everything to do with me being his fated mate, and Conall being jealous of anyone I might like more than him.

But the fire opal…

“What about it?”

“When you first told me it could get rid of your powers, I didn’t understand. We’re supes, Red. We’re either born this way, like shifters and witches and some bloodsuckers. Then there are those that are made, like ghouls and corpses. But there’s nothing except final death that takes away our power. Silver can weaken us, sure, but a crystal that takes away a part of you? It didn’t make sense.”

“So, what? The fire opal can’t do that?”

“It might. But everything I read… I don’t think it’s supposed to make you less of a witch. I think it’s supposed to help you be the best witch you can.”

Maybe. Who the hell knows?

But right now?

I kiss him. “It’s too late for that. You’ve already got that job, hotshot.”

“For life,” he vows.

“You know it.”

It’s late. Well, Dyea late. According to Conall, it was nearly seven when the moon fever got so bad, he couldn’t keep himself contained anymore. It wasn’t the chains trapping him in his house. It was his own determined will, and as soon as he snapped them, he went after me.

Then he saw the sandwich, realized that my faded scent had me leaving his apartment before heading out toward the woods. There was no stopping him. He shifted to his wolf and tore off into the woods in search of me.

I don’t know how long we were together in the cave. Add the fact that we stopped halfway back to the entrance when Conall’s need overwhelmed him so much, he practically begged me to let him mate me again.

A six foot tall, ripped shifter pleading with me to have sex with him? Yes, please. How could I refuse?

This time, he braced me against one of the cave walls. Though I could sense the raging desire in every taut muscle of his body, he was careful with his claws as he lowered my leggings again. He seemed to understand that I’m not about to walk through the woods naked, and he won’t be able to bring himself to leave me alone long enough to retrieve a change of clothes for either of us.

Once he finished, he eased my leggings back up, humming with pride even though I made him pull out and finish on the floor of the cave. One thing I don’t know about shifters is how fertile they are, and I figure that’s something we can talk about before we initiate round three—hopefully in his bed this time.

However, Conall’s good mood shifts as quickly as he can to his wolf the moment we reach the entrance to the underground caves. It’s a steep incline back to the surface, and I had to vanish the fireball I was holding in order to allow Conall to grip my hand to help me.

In my other, I’m clutching a small hunk of the fire opal we discovered. Using his shifter strength, he punch a hole into the cavern wall, retrieving me a piece to take with me tonight. We’ll come back for more when the full moon is over. For now, he wanted to give me a piece, both to commemorate our mating night and so that, when I’m ready to use it, I can see just how it’ll affect me and my magic.

If he’s right, it won’t erase my powers. It’ll work with them, turning me into an even more powerful witch. And maybe I totally misunderstand what Celeste was telling me—or her own research was just different than Conall’s. I don’t know, but I’ve spent so much time searching for the fire opal because I didn’t want to worry about the witch hunters coming after me again.

Now? Between my powers and my ferocious wolf shifter mate, I’m not worried about the witch hunters anymore.

I should’ve been.

Just as we reach the top, Conall goes still. He sniffs, a growl forming in the back of his throat.

I squeeze his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I smell gasoline. Fire and gasoline.”

What?

He tugs on my hand, pulling me the rest of the way out of the final cave, and when he does, I let out a cry when I understand what he means.

Because the woods surrounding Dyea are burning.