Tactical Magik Read online

  Slow down. She needs a say in this.

  Eadan’s pulse raced with each caress of her hands over his torso. Her kisses came faster, more desperate than before. He knew then the power building was affecting her as well. The faerie in them both craved this, craved sex and stimulation.

  Growling, he flipped her onto her back gently, his body moving over hers. He had to have more of her and fast. Taking the lead with the kiss, he circled her tongue, drawing tiny moans of passion from her. His cock, ready for sex, was painfully hard. Inara wrapped her legs around his waist, biting at his lower lip and moaning a moan that screamed sex. Her sweet taste and eager kisses spurred him onward as he ground against her mound. Each swipe, each rotation of his hips, elicited gasps from her. As she dug her fingers into his upper arms, she pressed her mouth to his ear.

  “Please.”

  His lips found hers once more and he smiled against them. It was good she wanted him too. Good that the gods had selected right for them. Eadan wanted to stroke her face and feel his way down her, undressing her slowly, but the chains prevented that.

  Dammit.

  There was too much clothing between them. He needed in her and soon or he’d burst like a teenage boy. She pushed against him, her movements as hungry as he felt. If she kept rubbing on him like that, he’d come in his jeans and embarrass himself.

  She grabbed his backside and squeezed. “I need you.”

  He needed her too. She’d already begun to fill the void he had in his heart. The hollow pit he thought would remain empty and fester with angst and bitterness. In the short time he’d known Inara she’d already began to chase away the loneliness, push back the darkness and heal the damage that had been done to his heart so long ago.

  Her tongue danced around his. Fuck, the woman could kiss.

  The power continued to build. She’d been close in her saying it felt like bees buzzing around them. It did. Energy and strength poured into him. He knew it was doing the same to her. She needed it. She’d been so drained when he’d first met her.

  His system jolted as she put her fingers down the top of his jeans. Raw need bore through him but it brought with it something else—the knowledge this was too much, too soon. He was about to take his mate on the floor of a container.

  Like an animal.

  He stopped everything and pulled off her, careful with the chains as one caught in her hair. He worked it out gently and eased back, shaking his head. Eadan took large deep breaths. “Inara, no. We can’t. Not like this. Not here.”

  “Oh, we can,” she protested, and made a move to tackle him again. He had to hand it to her, she was motivated, for sure. She grabbed the top of his jeans, her fingers skimming his skin and making him second guess the higher road he was attempting to take.

  He wanted to slide into her, to take what she was offering, but he couldn’t. Not under these circumstances. More importantly, not without her knowing the truth. That if they did, she’d be his wife. He nearly kicked himself for having morals as he said, “No.”

  She paused in her mission to get his jeans fully undone. Confusion knitted her brow. “You don’t want me?”

  “I fucking want you so bad I can’t even begin to put it into words, but this isn’t how I want you. I want to take you when we’re not locked up. When it’s safe. When I can spend hours upon hours pleasing you.”

  Her cheeks flamed red. She drew back from him slightly. “Hours and hours? People have sex that long?”

  He watched her and a sinking feeling came over him. “Inara, have you had sex before?”

  She shook her head and refused to look at him. “No.”

  Fuck. He’d nearly taken her virginity on a dirty container floor. Eadan touched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. I couldn’t help myself.”

  She snorted. “You couldn’t help yourself? I’ve wanted to jump your bones since you walked in on me getting washed up. Trust me when I say between the two of us, it’s me with the control issues here.”

  His cock begged to differ. He held his tongue on the matter.

  She touched his wrists. “It worked. They’re healed. Still bound, but at least they aren’t raw anymore.”

  “How do you feel?”

  “Horny,” she responded with a silly grin. “Actually, I feel the best I’ve felt in years. Why?”

  He caressed her cheek again, his finger easing over her lip. “It goes both ways.”

  She blinked up at him. “Why do I feel this way with you? Trust me when I say this isn’t something I’ve done with anyone else.”

  He bent and kissed her chastely, wanting more but holding back. He put his forehead to hers. “You drew pictures of me before you even met me.”

  She nodded, keeping her head to his. “Why? The mate thing?”

  He snickered softly. “Yes. The mate thing.”

  “What, exactly, does it mean? Is it a husband and wife thing?”

  “Think bigger.”

  She gasped.

  He kissed her again.

  There was movement near the far end of the container and then the sounds of something scratching near the door. Eadan pushed to his feet, pulled Inara up and forced her behind him just as the door opened.

  Light spilled in and it took his eyes a second to adjust to it. A tall redhead stood there, concern in her eyes. “Are you two okay?”

  Inara pushed out from behind Eadan. “Jinx?”

  “Thank the gods!” the woman shouted. “I’ve been looking for you for two days!”

  “We’ve been locked up for two days?” Inara asked.

  The woman nodded and waved her hand toward them. “Hurry up. Helmuth’s men are being distracted by my girls. They won’t be gone long. You need to get the hell out of here. He’s got bad plans for you,” she said to Inara.

  Eadan caught Inara’s arm. “Hold on. Who is this?”

  “We can trust her,” Inara said, and he believed her. She took his chained hand in hers. “Let’s go, Eadan.”

  Chapter Seven

  Jon looked through his sniper scope, trained on the door of the warehouse. When the thirty-six-hour mark passed without any word or check-in from Eadan about his mission or how he was doing on it, Jon had started to worry. He decided to say screw the higher-ups and he ignored Colonel Brooks’s order to leave Eadan be on this mission. It had taken some doing, but Jon was able to track down Eadan. Thankfully, Roi was able to get Missy to give her father big sad eyes while she worked up some fake tears. General Newman caved. Spilled all the details. Didn’t matter.

  He was going to be pissed, but Jon didn’t care. He wouldn’t lose another brother.

  He’d not been the only I-Op to think so. They’d all come with him, wanting to help Eadan. Even Roi seemed anxious to make sure “blondie” wasn’t harmed.

  Damn good thing he’d basically said “fuck you” to his orders, because from what Jon had been able to piece together since his arrival on the scene, Eadan was in deep shit. No one had seen or heard from him in forty-eight hours.

  A number of lowlifes were willing to talk for motivation of the green kind. After paying off some thugs, Jon was able to find out that Eadan was still on the premises. Though he couldn’t get a direct bead on him. The wards up around the area were interfering with his ability to hear and smell. His shifter traits were useless. Thankfully he’d been a solider long before he’d been a shifter.

  He returned to surveying the scene through his scope.

  The same group of men had moved from a ship docked just off the pier near the warehouse. They’d followed a group of scantily dressed women back into the warehouse.

  A redheaded woman had then boarded the ship. The whole thing smacked of trouble and Eadan was no doubt in the center of it. That damn Fae could get himself into some jams.

  He gets us out of a lot too.

  The men spoke amongst themselves a moment before one looked in the direction of the ship. He pointed and the others all took o
ff running in that direction. Jon set his sights on the ship and was surprised to see the redheaded woman there, opening a cargo container.

  *

  Inara nearly cried tears of joy as she hurried towards Jinx. Confused for a moment as to what she was seeing behind Jinx, Inara came a stop just shy of the end of the container. Why was she looking at water? “What in the world?”

  “We’re in a cargo container that has apparently been loaded on a freighter,” Eadan responded, still close to her, his hand in hers. “They had plans to move us. My guess is, they’d take us to foreign soil. They’d have a better shot at keeping us hidden there.”

  Eadan removed his hand from hers and stepped behind her, lifting her and setting her on the ground gently. He hopped down and put his body between Jinx and Inara once more. He remained close to her, his hand on her low back.

  “We can trust her.” Touching his arm, Inara smiled.

  He raised a brow and looked Jinx over carefully. “She’s nymph and succubus.”

  Inara shrugged. Whatever Jinx was, she was on the level. “We can trust her. She is friends with someone I trust.”

  Eadan stiffened. “James Hagen?”

  James?

  Gasping, Jinx snatched hold of Eadan’s hand, and for a moment all Inara saw was green. She didn’t want any woman touching her man.

  My man?

  She gulped and calmed. Shouting for everyone to hear that she had staked a claim on Eadan seemed unwise. Plus, she hadn’t exactly talked to him about her stake of ownership.

  “Do you know where Jimmy is?” Jinx asked, staring Eadan in the eyes. There was a note of desperation that moved Inara.

  He’d dead. He has to be. He wouldn’t leave me on my own this long if he wasn’t.

  She felt it in her bones. Inara waited for Eadan’s answer as to where Jimmy was, if he was even alive. She’d spent a long time learning from Jimmy, and he’d never once mentioned anyone named Eadan.

  Eadan’s entire body remained tense. “Last I saw him was when he was standing beside a fallen agent. He’d gotten the man killed and then he turned his back on all of us.”

  Jinx laughed partially under her breath. “You’re young, Fae. What you think you know and what is true are two very different things.”

  Inara got the sense Eadan was about to lose his shit. She caressed his inner arm, his muscles making need race through her. Jinx’s eyes swirled with a multitude of colors and she grinned, looking so erotic it was nearly scary. “Mmm, sex energy. You’ve bonded.”

  “Bonded?” questioned Inara.

  “We need to get the hell out of here.” Eadan ignored the question.

  “Agreed.” Jinx motioned to Inara. “My girls have the guards occupied. They won’t be able to distract them for long.”

  “Your girls?” Eadan glanced from Inara to Jinx.

  Jinx swayed her hips. “I run a brothel for supernaturals. My girls are paid very well and they love their jobs. So no lectures. Okay? Besides, I get the sense you understand exactly the types of supernaturals who can’t live without sex.”

  Eadan looked to the warehouse along the pier they were docked at. Men emerged from the side door, their sights on Eadan and Inara. Eadan took her by the shoulders and bent, his lips capturing hers, his kiss making her knees weak. When he drew back, she went to her tiptoes, trying to get more.

  “Go with your friend.”

  He wanted her to go without him? Why? They’d been through so much and she’d dreamed of him long before all of this. He couldn’t possibly want to separate now. Not after what they’d shared. “Jinx said there is a way out. We can both go,” she protested.

  “Go!” he shouted, causing her to jump.

  She shook her head and Jinx grabbed her, yanking on her with strength that actually surprised Inara. “No. I won’t leave him.”

  “They want you,” Jinx said. “Not him. He knows this. They planned to test some theories. At least that is what I overheard Helmuth saying to his right-hand man. Then they were going to kill the Fae. Inara, what they plan for you… It’s not… We need to go.”

  Inara didn’t know who they were or what they wanted with her. She just knew she wouldn’t leave Eadan. “No!”

  “Go!” Eadan shouted again.

  Hurt that he’d want her away from him, she stopped struggling. “Eadan?”

  Averting his gaze, he spoke in a low tone. “We shared a moment while captured. Nothing more.”

  She nearly took offense, but realized what he was doing—protecting her. Trying to get her to go. “Bullshit.”

  He blinked at her with wide eyes.

  “You’re lying again,” she protested, jerking free from Jinx’s grasp. “We shared something a hell of a lot more. Admit it.”

  He looked pained. “Dammit, woman, go. I’ll hold them off. Jinx will get you to safety.”

  “What about you?”

  Jinx tugged on her. “Don’t make me use my magik. I will to protect you. Jimmy would have wanted it. He loved you like a daughter.”

  Something in Eadan’s expression changed. He nodded. “Go. Please. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

  She didn’t believe him.

  Jinx put her mouth to Inara’s ear. “If you stay, there is a hundred percent chance he will get himself killed attempting to protect you. You’re his mate. It’s easy enough to tell by the bond you’ve shared. He won’t fight with a clear head if you’re near him.”

  Inara didn’t want to go, but she understood the truth behind Jinx’s words. She swallowed hard and then launched herself at Eadan, kissing him with all her being. The buzzing returned and she willed all the energy she could into him. She jerked back. “Come back to me.”

  He looked horny as hell. “Oh, you can bank on that, beautiful.”

  Eadan ran down the ramp and made a left, right for the men headed in their direction. Jinx led Inara down the ramp but dragged her right. Inara didn’t want to leave Eadan to fend for himself.

  Suddenly, people seemed to be coming in from all angles. It took her a second to realize the spectators were coming to view the pending fight.

  Sick bastards.

  A huge guy with onyx eyes and dark brown hair that hung to nearly his shoulders pushed past her, touching her shoulder. “I’ll help him,” he said, his voice deep.

  Jinx smiled wide. “Duke, you got my call!”

  “Thanks for the heads-up. I was given bad intel,” he said. “I got this, Red. Get the girl to safety.” He pushed his way through the people gathering around Eadan. One of the men tried to attack Duke. He twisted, his hand shifting forms as he took the man out at the throat with one blow.

  Inara sucked in a big breath.

  “Duke will help Eadan,” Jinx said. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Who are you, really?” She stared at the woman. She was far more than the fancy madam she presented herself to be.

  Jinx shrugged. “Someone who knows how to the play the game and who knows when it’s time to call in reinforcements.”

  Chapter Eight

  Eadan turned in a circle, watching as the enemy moved in around him. He’d keep Helmuth’s men back while Inara got to safety. He didn’t care what he had to do. The only thing he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was that she was not to be harmed in any way.

  My mate above my life.

  People spilled out of the warehouse. More and more came, and Eadan suspected they sensed a fight about to happen and didn’t want to miss it since they’d paid to view the nightly death matches.

  Helmuth’s men tried to separate, to divide and conquer. Eadan couldn’t let them get to Inara. Urgency and the fierce need to protect her at all costs consumed him. Hot, raw power raced through him, defying the chains and what they stood for. His magik continued to increase at a rate he’d never felt it do before. The sex magik they’d conjured within the container helped greatly to rebuild his strength. The thought of Inara being in Helmuth’s clutches tipped him over the edge of sanity.

  Nar
rowing his gaze on the enemy, he smiled a smile that promised no mercy. A second later his magik shot through him, making his body bend forward and then snap upright, breaking away his shackles. The chains fell to the ground, clanking loudly. The men hesitated but came at him all the same.

  Morons.

  Eadan spun around and kicked one so hard he went airborne. As he turned back, ready to strike, he stopped just shy of punching Duke Marlow in the face. “Duke?”

  Grinning, the werewolf pursed his lips in a kissing motion. “Miss me?”

  “You’re late,” Eadan said sternly. He’d given up hope Duke would arrive at all. Part of him had begun to worry Duke had been killed, or worse yet, decided to switch sides. Eadan should have known better. Duke was as loyal as they came and wouldn’t miss a fight regardless what shape he was in.

  Upright or full of bullet holes.

  That was just Duke.

  “Hey, blame the person who relayed my orders. They sent me bad intel,” Duke said, turning and taking out an enemy as he ranted. “I ended up in the middle of a cartel deal going way wrong. Fucking spent two days dodging them and trying to get back to the airstrip before I said to hell with it and attacked full force. Imagine their surprise when I shifted into a wolf and nearly ate one.”

  Eadan groaned.

  Duke continued, “I had to catch another fuckin’ flight and hurry my ass here. I hate to fly. I hate eating cartel members more. They have a tendency to come back up on you later. Fuckers give me indigestion.”

  Eadan ducked, allowing the newest attacker to go up and over his back. When the man landed and came at him, Eadan thrust magik into him. In an instant, the man burst into a ball of flames.

  Duke’s dark eyes widened. “They pissed you off good, huh?”

  “They touched my woman,” Eadan said evenly, though he wanted to explode and light the entire fucking area on fire. He managed to restrain himself.