Page 13 of Balor

Her silence stretched on for so long I began to wonder if she’d hung up the phone. I heard her let out a slow breath. That was never a good thing.

“Why do you want to know about one of the most powerful witches in existence?” she asked. “Or rather, she has the potential to be one.”

“Because she’s mine,” I said.

Abigail laughed and then the line went dead. Motherfucker! This was why I hated witches. Abigail had been like me and walked on the darker side for a long time. Now she lived in a world full of shades of gray. And clearly thought my situation was hilarious.

I called her back, and the bitch wouldn’t answer. It looked like I’d have to do this the hard way and talk to Belladonna. Just not tonight. We both needed some space. We’d already started out by having sex. Now we needed something more or our relationship wouldn’t last.

I went to my bedroom and decided to take a shower. As the hot water beat down on me, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. Until Belladonna, I hadn’t been with a woman in over a decade. Maybe longer. As long as I’d been alive, sleeping with random women had lost its charm ages ago. And there hadn’t been much point in having a serious relationship with someone I knew wasn’t meant to be mine. It didn’t mean I’d never had a girlfriend. I’d had plenty. But the relationships never lasted more than a year. And one measly year was a drop in the bucket when you’d been around for two centuries.

“What the fuck am I going to do now?” I mumbled. Women had changed so much over the years. I wasn’t sure I knew how to relate to Belladonna. For one, I’d be willing to bet she wasn’t older than thirty.

I washed up and got out, then sprawled across my bed. As I rolled to my side, the scent of her wafted up from my pillows. My cock went hard in an instant. If I’d let the witch sleep in my room, I could have been balls-deep inside her again. Instead, I’d either have a long night ahead of myself, or my hand was going to get a workout.

“I’m too old for this shit,” I muttered and closed my eyes, determined to sleep. I just hadn’t counted on my dreams being filled with Belladonna.

Chapter Five

Balor

The room had grown cold, and I checked the thermostat. The temperature in the house was a cool fifty-nine, which told me the heat had gone out. Wasn’t the first time, but I knew messing with it this late wouldn’t do me much good. I went to the garage and gathered some firewood, then carried it to Belladonna’s room.

I started a fire, trying to chase the chill from her room. The flickering light cast eerie shadows. The bed creaked, and I turned my head. Belladonna tossed and turned, her face drawn tight in distress. She muttered something I couldn’t understand, then cried out.

I sat on the edge of the mattress beside her, watching her. I’d been tense for hours, conflicted over our situation. By all rights, I should be furious over what she’d done to me. Instead, I found myself grateful my mate had walked through the door. Then there was the worry about the town and what Belladonna’s coven might do to this place. If only I knew how much time I had to prepare… If Abigail was right, and Belladonna had the potential to be the greatest witch in the world, then her coven would definitely come for her.

A whimper reached my ears, followed by another. Then she screamed, the sound loud enough I thought it might wake the dead. I clenched my jaw as I reached for her. I didn’t think her fear was from me. What the hell had that coven done to her? I could see her eyes moving behind her closed lids. She’d started to cry, her body shaking. I touched her shoulder, and she stiffened.

“Belladonna,” I said softly, rubbing her arm. “It’s all right. You’re safe.”

Her breathing hitched, but I noticed her body begin to relax. I brushed her hair back from her face and leaned down.

“You’re safe. No one will hurt you,” I said. I pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

Her breathing slowed, and the tension drained from her body. She sighed and turned her head more into my hand. I should pull away. Hell, I shouldn’t have touched her in the first place. There was still too much we needed to settle.

“Balor,” she mumbled.

“Shh. I’m here. Go back to sleep.”

Her breathing evened out, and I realized she’d already been asleep. I ran my fingers through her hair, feeling the silky strands against my skin. She sighed again, and her body went limp. I’d been fighting my attraction to her, but the woman tied me up in knots.

It wasn’t so much that she’d tricked me. I could understand her reasons. Didn’t mean I liked it. The problem was, I didn’t know if I could trust her not to try to run. Keeping her restrained would be better, but I didn’t want to hurt her. I’d have to find another way to keep her from leaving, give her a reason to want to stay.

I didn’t know how long I’d been touching her before I finally forced myself to pull away. The fire would need more wood after a few hours, but I didn’t want to move away from Belladonna. She’d said she didn’t need anything, but I had a feeling she was lying. I’d seen the way she looked at me, like she was starving, and I was the only one who could feed her. Whatever I was feeling for her, it was clear she felt something too.

I stretched out on the bed and drew her against me. She made a soft noise as she snuggled closer. Her head rested on my bicep. Her breath fanned out across my chest. I shifted enough that I could look down at her face. Her breathing changed, and I knew she was awake. I half expected her to scream, hit me, or try to leave. Instead, her lips pressed against my chest. Her tongue peeked out, tasting my skin. I groaned and rolled her to her back, covering her body with mine.

“What are you doing, Belladonna?” I asked.

Her gaze locked with mine. She licked her lips, and I couldn’t resist tasting her. I slanted my mouth over hers. The moment our lips touched, I lost the last bit of control I’d hung onto. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, groaning at the taste of her. My hand slid to her breast, teasing her nipple through her nightgown. I’d never have thought flannel could be sexy as hell. My hips rocked against hers. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself inside her.

I pulled back, breathing heavily. “I need to hear you say it. Tell me you want me, Belladonna.”

“Yes, Balor. Please. I need…”

Whatever she planned to say would have to wait. I’d neglected her for too long. I had a feeling only one thing would ease the ache I’d seen in her eyes. I hooked my fingers in the neckline of the gown and ripped it open. I licked my lips as I saw her creamy skin bathed in firelight. I lowered my head and took one rosy peak into my mouth. She gasped and arched her back, offering herself to me. I moved to the other breast, teasing her until she squirmed beneath me. It wasn’t enough. Not nearly.

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