Season of the Witch (Claws Clause 2)

Shea told him everything, from closing the shop up, to falling asleep, to waking up with Julian in her apartment. His faux charming nature that barely masked a cold cruelty. How he believed he’d eventually rule Grayson one day, and that he had this crazy idea she would rule at his side as his queen.

He snarled when he heard about the forced blood exchange, pawing his bare feet against her hardwood floor as if he was itching to run out and hunt down Julian right away. He didn’t. he stayed where he was, listening as she pointedly left out the threat against Colt, while admitting that Hudson’s life was at stake if she tried to do anything to break the blood-bond vow.

Then, when she was done, he only had one thing to say to her after he promised that he’d make sure Julian couldn’t get to her again, and that was, “You didn’t call me.”

Shea was staring. She knew she was. While she spoke, she kept calm by distracting herself with Colt’s bare chest. He’d said something. What did he say?

“Huh?”

“I said, you didn’t call me. I had my phone. You could’ve called me anytime after he left, but you didn’t.”

No. She didn’t. After Julian was gone, she made sure her front door was locked, her windows, too, and then she ran to her bathroom to brush her teeth and use about half a gallon of mouthwash. After that, she ran to her kitchen, pulling out a canister of dandelion tea. When prepared right, it could help filter waste from the blood.

She thought it might help. She’d barely finished her first mug full when her apartment shook and she realized that Colton was out there, trying to get in.

Shea could’ve called him. Maybe she would have, come morning. Then again, she was used to doing things on her own, especially with her grandmother out of the country. Bothering Colton because she’d gotten in over her head… it just never occurred to her.

“Sorry. I guess I was… distracted.”

Her eyes dipped back to his chest. It was so muscular, so firm, and, despite Colton being a shifter, perfectly hairless. Why think about the bad part of the night when she had something so good to look at right now?

Colton finally picked up on it.

“What?” he asked. The single question came out as a barely restrained growl.

“It’s just… your shirt.”

“What about it?”

She gulped, looking up to meet the storm brewing in his dark blue eyes. Colton was back in charge. “Um… it’s missing?”

“It’s not missing. I ran here as a wolf, my phone in my teeth. There’s clothes nearby. A shifter’s stash. I didn’t have the time to play around with grabbing a shirt or boots. You’re lucky I snagged my jeans. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have bothered with any of it.”

He shouldn’t have said that. The second he did, Shea formed a mental picture of what it would’ve been like to have a completely naked Colton running to her rescue because he was worried about her. She didn’t have to imagine

In spite of her earlier terror, the mental image of a nude Colton Wolfe sent a shiver down her spine as her panties went damp.

Goddess, she shouldn’t, but she so wanted this man.

His nostrils flared. Shea was sure her face turned tomato-red as he threw back his head, opened his mouth, and let out a low groan.

“God, you smell so fucking good.”

She clamped her thighs together. “Sorry.”

His head snapped back to look at her. His gaze went heavy-lidded, his mouth opened just enough so that he could draw her scent in even deeper by almost tasting her arousal on the air.

His hand dropped to his groin, cupping the bulge that hadn’t been there before. And, unlike when Julian stroked himself in front of her, seeing Colton try to shield his body’s response to hers had her turning on even more.

Shea licked her lips as she zeroed in on his hands. In her time as a healer, she’d seen too many penises to count. Just once, she wanted to see a man’s cock.

Colton jolted as if her stare electrified him.

“What kind of spell have you cast on me?” he growled. He dropped his hands, forming a ‘v’ with his fingers, pointing at his obvious erection. “What kind of magic?”

“I’ve told you before,” Shea said, panting. Not from fear, though, never with fear when she was with Colt. This was need—and she wasn’t the only one feeling it. “I don’t do that kind of magic. I heal, Colt. Everything else… it comes out backwards.”

“Then why do I want you so bad? Why is it that, when I smell you getting hot and ready for me, I’d throw away everything I have to see what it was like?”