"Easy now, witch. They are my next appointment, I have nothing to get squirrely about," the hideous creature soothed, hands held up. He cried out to the advancing men, "Hey, you are early. I told you four."Livia didn’t hear whatever it was they shouted back over the sudden pounding of her heart in her ears as that magnetic pull in her chest, which she had been steadily hideous creatures, flashed to life with new retaliation, almost tilting her forward with the force of it.It’s them... They were here.The alpha was here, she could feel it. The werewolves were here. The man with blue-green eyes and his warrior.Even without the apparent pull, they were close enough now for her to remember, and it still took a frozen instant to believe what her e

Finally forcing herself to step out of his arms, Livia holstered her gun. "I take care of myself just fine. And I don't like cages." She didn’t even have time to regret how much she’d just given away with that one sentence before everything about the man in front of her changed. In an instant, Rhye animated expression twisted into something dark and knowing. He bent until they were almost nose to nose, letting her see the shadows behind those beautiful amber eyes. Voice low, serious, and meant for only her to hear, he murmured, "I'd never cage you, little witch. But, I would keep you. Oh, yes, I’d keep you forever." Fast as the snake he was named for, Rhye darted forward and flicked just the tip of his tongue over her upper lip. Livia gasped, arousal igniting inside her in a rush that had her thighs slick and her heart racing. Groaning, his eyes went hooded as he rolled her flavor around in his mouth. "By the Gods, you taste just as good as you smell," he whispered hoarsely. She

That, even here, so far away from the council, Rhye still had to worry about his uncle's spies pissing him off.The only place he could truly be himself, where he could remove the callous facade and breathe, was around Rhye and Joseph, maybe Leon, and only when they were home or in private.They were the only ones who truly knew him. The appearance of the treacherous little witch might be even more worrisome than he’d first thought. If she were a spy, did that mean they’d done something to arouse his uncle’s suspicions? Or was the supposed King of the Council just descending further into madness? But why was he using witches to spy on him? He hated witches.The part that disturbed Rhye most was he was still drawn to her and had to consciously keep himself rooted to the spot, despite his suspicions. Rhye knew if he crossed to her, he’d kiss those perfectly bow-shaped lips. He’d lick across the soft seam of her mouth and demand she part for him so he could thoroughly taste her again. He

It had been days since Livia had been at the gym, since she’d gotten home and found her property had been invaded, since she’d gone to the docks only to be surprised by her three strangers. Four days since she’d learned the names of her devilish blonde and familiar stranger. Rhye. Four days since any of the delusions she’d had about tje men had been crushed by the sharp lens of reality.She’d known they were dangerous the moment she saw them in the club, but magical drug dealers? It wasn’t like Livia was a saint herself, but she generally tried to be a good person. Dealing magical drugs crossed a line, and she was still struggling to come to terms with just how wrong she’d been.Unless… was it possible she hadn’t seen things correctly? It’d been night, after all, and she’d been decently far away. No. Livia had great vision at night, an oddity that set her apart from others. She knew better than to believe it was powdered sugar, especially after Leon's throaty moan when he tried it.H

The first thing Livia noticed as she began to rouse was the scent of the gym—rubber mats and old sweat that never went away, despite the disinfectant—all clashing with the intoxicating mix of cedar, dark winter berries, and oakmoss.Warm arms tightened around her, holding her against a hard body.Still lingering in the space between wakefulness and sleep, she snuggled into the embrace, holding on tightly to her recurring dream. It was lovely here. She felt cared for. Safe.These moments were the ones she held on to when she opened her eyes and found herself alone.Livia didn't need a man. She could protect herself. She'd survived this long on her own, only occasionally scratching the itch with one-night stands. She was a strong, independent, capable woman.That didn't mean it wasn't something she wanted. These men haunting her dreams hadn't just awoken the hunger in her for companionship and love, they'd intensified it a hundred fold.But, she was equally as wary of them, equally as h