Truth at All Costs

HOLLY

Bambi continued to stare at me with her doe eyes.

~…a spell that makes Ekon tell the truth…~

“Do you know what you’re asking?” I asked, mouth agape.

This was a serious breach of personal privacy, even if Ekon was her mate.

Bambi nodded, leaning forward in her chair. The hallway was empty, but she didn’t want to take any chances.

“I need answers,” she said.

“But it would be ~without~ his consent,” I replied. “I don’t know Ekon well, but I don’t think he’d be happy with that.”

“I know how it looks,” she said. “But I wouldn’t ask you about something like this unless it’s important.”

I sighed.

Bambi would never put me in an uncomfortable position unless there were a reason.

~But is her reason good enough to break Ekon’s trust?~

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “There is a lot of room for error.”

“Please, just think about it,” she pleaded.

“I will.”

And that was the truth.

I still struggled with dark magic and its control over my life. Putting that type of spell on Ekon would flirt with the boundaries between darkness and light.

~Will I be able to control myself after such a seemingly ~innocent~ truth spell?~

Bambi stood and gave me a hug. I was still too overwhelmed to do anything more than return her embrace.

“Thank you,” she said. “I really do appreciate your help.”

I weakly smiled as she walked down the hall.

When she turned the corner, my smile faded.

There was only one person who could give me the advice I needed. And I knew just where to find her…

***

“Welcome, darling!” Rose said happily. “It’s so good to see you again.”

Rose welcomed me with open arms into the west wing of the mansion.

We hugged, and then she sat down on the sofa, urging me to join her.

The drawing room had been part of a rarely used wing of the mansion. But in her short time with us, Rose had made it her own. It was as if the energy of her spirit filled the entire wing.

“Thank you for seeing me,” I said.

Rose dismissed my comment with a wave of her hand.

“Oh, please. You don’t need to hesitate to come to me for anything.”

I looked into her face and saw the honesty in her eyes.

Rose’s smile was so welcoming and disarming. Looking at her made me feel like I could talk about ~anything~.

I didn’t want to get into specifics. But it was hard to hold back my enthusiasm…

“I have a question about truth spells,” I blurted out.

Rose scooted closer, intrigued.

“Who’s it for?” she asked. “A cheating lover…answers to a test…a secret recipe someone refuses to reveal?”

I cleared my throat.

“Yes,” I replied. “A little bit of everything, I guess. But I’m not worried about the target of the spell…”

Rose nodded as if she understood everything.

“You’re worried about losing yourself to the magic,” she said.

“It’s all I can think about.”

Rose smoothed out her dress and picked a few pieces of lint from the fabric.

“I had the same worries as a young witch,” Rose admitted. “My coven was bloodthirsty and ruthless. They didn’t care about understanding the power of magic. They only wanted to harness it…”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I admitted. “Dark magic is enticing. Sometimes when I feel it taking over my body, I don’t want to ever let it go…”

“That’s one of the main reasons I left ~et covina de entrapment~.”

~The Coven of Entrapment.~

Started by none other than Rose’s ancestor, Joan Cabot…

The same coven that Devina now controlled, bearing the symbol of a crown of thorns.

Rose continued, “The magic they possessed was turning them into monsters. Sadly, it appears my daughter turned out no differently.”

I wanted to ask her more, but the thought of losing myself again to dark magic was too much. I simply sat beside her, my leg twitching up and down, lost in uncertainty.

I was just about to thank Rose and leave, when she reached out and touched my leg, calming my nerves.

“Dark magic is dangerous, but so is keeping secrets. I know this truth all too well…”

Rose continued, “Sometimes, honesty is important so that it doesn’t rip us apart from the inside. Maybe telling the truth will help set this individual free.”

MAX

I was losing weight. At first, I couldn’t believe it. Men of my size didn’t lose weight, we ~gained~.

But as I looked at myself in the mirror of the hotel gym, I couldn’t deny it.

I was looking worse for the wear.

~And why wouldn’t I?~

First, the Rogue attacks. Then the narrow avoidance of a second Great War.

I’d always heard things happen in threes, and now we were stuck in peace talks with humans.

~Goddess, I need a vacation.~

I heard the door open and looked in the mirror. Kalindi entered the gym and gave me a mischievous smile.

“You look like hell,” she said.

“That’s good,” I replied. “Because that’s exactly how I feel.”

Kalindi cracked her knuckles and then proceeded to do the same with her neck. I cringed as her vertebrae popped.

“What brings you here so early in the morning?”

I looked at the clock and realized it was nearly two. My frustrations over the failed negotiation had left me more disoriented than I realized.

“I just needed to clear my head.”

“And how’s that working out for you?” Kalindi teased.

“Not so well.”

I watched Kalindi scan the room. A scowl appeared across her face as she took in the dearth of proper workout equipment.

The hotel was nice, but their gym budget was modest. There were only a few free weights, one machine that promised to ~do it all~, and a water cooler.

Presumably so you could quench your thirst after ~doing it all~.

“This is a piss-poor sight,” she said. “But not as poor as you.”

“One comment on my appearance is enough,” I warned.

“Or what?”

I looked at Kalindi, surprised by her tone. She’d always been a bit terse, but nothing like this.

It was almost like she was ~flirting~.

“Or I’ll go to my room and eat away my frustration with room service.”

Kalindi scoffed.

“And leave me here all alone in the process,” she replied. “Why don’t we spar?”

Thankfully I wasn’t drinking anything, or I’d have had to do a spit-take.

“Spar…with me?” I asked. “Alpha Supreme against a Gamma.”

We started to circle one another in the small space. I’d been in enough fights to hold my own, but I knew Kalindi was a different challenge.

She was not only strong—but extremely smart. Getting into a tussle with her would take everything I had.

Kalindi lunged first, trying to swipe my legs with a powerful kick that nearly connected.

But I was ready.

I launched over her body and landed behind her, ready to attack.

I pounced forward, grabbing nothing but air.

Kalindi had anticipated my attack and had countered it with one of her own. She grabbed me from behind, wrapping her arms around my body.

Within seconds, she had me in a headlock. And I couldn’t—break—free!

“Look at this,” she whispered into my ear. “The Gamma has the ~Alpha Supreme~ all locked up.”

I struggled to gain the upper hand, but even with my strength, it was impossible.

The fight was already over. It looked as if Kalindi had won.

But I refused to let her have the victory so easily.

“I’m letting you win,” I said. “Then I’ll rip free when you least expect it!”

Kalindi wrapped her arms tighter around my neck, her hands pressing my head forward.

“This is over, and you know it. Just admit that I won.”

“Fine,” I growled, turning my head so that our eyes met.

With all of my strength, I jumped high into the air, taking Kalindi with me. She was so surprised by the loss of gravity that I managed to break her chokehold.

As we landed on the ground, I jumped again, sending my weight into Kalindi.

We crashed into the wall, groaning and flailing.

This time, I was on top.

And our lips were only inches apart.

I locked eyes with Kalindi. There was a sudden excitement in the room, and electricity passed from my body to hers.

“You got me,” she said. “This time.”

“And any other time you want to try,” I replied.

I felt her move beneath me and worried that she was preparing for another attack.

But I was wrong…

Kalindi kissed me.

“I’m ready for a different type of workout,” she said seductively. “Are you up for the challenge?”

***

We stumbled down the hall, unable to keep our hands away from one another, but terrified of being spotted.

Ela was somewhere in the hotel. It would be nothing short of a disaster if she found us making out in the halls.

We reached the door to my room, and I fumbled with the keycard.

After a few red lights, it finally clicked green.

By the time the door shut, our clothes were already littered across the floor. We tumbled onto the bed, our limbs entangled.

“Should we maybe…”

Kalindi stopped my question with a hard kiss, and it made my body feel like it was on fire.

I hadn’t been kissed like that in such a long time. Not since I was much younger…

Kalindi groped my cock and rubbed the tip with her fingers.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

“Do you like that?” she asked as she kissed my neck. “Should I keep going, Alpha?”

My only response was to kiss her again.

My hands explored her body as she continued to play with my cock. Kalindi was a warrior, and her body was extremely toned.

But there was a softness to her skin that welcomed my adventurous touch.

My lips worked their way down her chest until they found her nipples.

I sucked on one, listening to her moans fill the room. Then I kissed my way to the other, and Kalindi bucked me off.

We did another tumble, and this time she was on top.

“No more teasing,” she whispered. “I want you ~now~.”

She readied herself above my hips, and I knew she was ready. I could feel the heat emanating from her.

She took my cock in her hand and…

“Oh, fuck,” I moaned as she slid me inside.

The sensation was nearly overwhelming.

It had been months since I’d last had sex, and Kalindi wasn’t my mate.

In fact, neither of us had a mate. But the stress of our mission was eating us up.

We ~needed~ this.

Kalindi’s hips ground back and forth, her speed alternating between slow and fast.

I gritted my teeth to try and stave off the inevitable. She felt so damn good I was already about to cum.

Kalindi rested her head on my chest, her hair spilling over my neck and face.

I could smell the sweet scent of her body: vanilla and cherry blossom.

I cupped my hands around her ass, and we tumbled again until I was on top.

“My turn,” I whispered.

My hips thrust slowly so that I could regain my stamina. But Kalindi wouldn’t let me take things too easy.

She thrust her hips into mine, and we eventually fell into a rhythm.

The world around us disappeared as we lost ourselves in each other’s kisses and touches.

Our bodies trembled and convulsed. Our moans and gasps echoed off the walls.

Soon, I felt Kalindi’s body tighten, and she dug her nails into my back.

“I’m cumming,” she cried. “Goddess, I’m cumming!”

I watched her eyes roll back into her head as she climaxed.

My lips found her breasts once more as I felt myself reaching orgasm.

I groaned and pulled out, releasing on her stomach and chest. The feeling was out of body— as if I were floating on a sea of ecstasy.

Kalindi kissed my chest and her fingers traced circles over my abs.

“That was fucking amazing,” she said.

“It was all because of you.”

Kalindi looked me in the eye as she struggled to catch her breath.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “But…maybe we should keep this from my sister.”

BAMBI

The compound was quiet.

It had been for most of the evening.

But as I sat alone in my room, the silence manifested into a chorus of self-doubt.

Ekon had always kept things from me. It was just the way our relationship had begun.

But the secrets were beginning to find their way to the surface, roiling otherwise calm water.

And they wouldn’t stop. I was worried they would keep coming until the waves crashed over us, pulling us down into the depths.

I needed to know the truth about my parents. I was too close to turn back…

“Hey, girl,” Holly said.

I was so consumed by my thoughts that I didn’t even realize she’d entered my room.

“It’s good to see a friendly face,” I said. “The quiet was starting to get to me.”

Holly sat on the edge of my bed. She was playing with the comforter, pinching and poking it into peaks and valleys.

“Is there something on your mind?” I asked.

“Okay. I’ll do it,” she said.

For a second, I didn’t understand, but then it hit me like a sucker punch.

“Really!?”

Holly nodded. “I’ll cast a spell to make Ekon tell the truth. But first, you have to tell me one thing…are you sure this is what you really want?”

Going through with this meant betraying the trust of my mate.

But it would all be worth it when I finally learned what happened to my parents…

~Am I ready for this?~