Only Skin Deep: Paranormal MMM Romance, page 13
“You’re special to them,” Daniel said between bites.
His gaze whipped between Luca and Ash. “What does he mean?”
Luca and Ash eyed one another before turning to face him.
“You’re our mate,” Luca said.
Colby stood in silence, letting that phrase wash over him. His heartbeat quickened, and even as his mind rebelled, his body knew. “Your mate?”
“In our coven, witches mate in triads. A witch, a familiar… and a human. Ash is my familiar. You are our human.”
“Bull-fucking-shit.”
“It simply is,” Luca said.
“Nope… no. No. Absolutely no.”
“Colby…” Ash said.
“No!” Colby screamed. “No…”
“I don’t wanna go home if the bad men are still out there,” Daniel said, but Colby couldn’t listen.
“We’re going home,” he told Luca and Ash.
“Colby,” Luca said.
Colby lifted his hands, refusing to listen.
“Have you had dreams of us?” Luca asked. “Since you’ve been here?”
Colby closed his eyes, visions of his dreams and fantasies replying in his mind. His body quickened, his cock thickening some. “No,” he lied. “I haven’t.”
“Not one bit of attraction?” Ash asked. “No lust at all?”
Colby glanced at Daniel before turning to glare at the pair. “This isn’t the appropriate place for this kind of conversation, but even if it was, I haven’t felt a single thing for either of you.” He crossed his arms over his chest. Painfully. “We’re going home.”
The two men watched him silently, but their body language told him that they were going to fight him.
“You can’t keep us prisoners here.”
“Coby…” Daniel crooned. “I don’t wanna go home.”
Colby ignored his brother. “We’re leaving.” He spun to eye his brother. “Collect all your video games and whatever. We’re going home.”
His brother started to rock back and forth.
“Daniel, it’s going to be okay. The bad demon can’t hurt us.”
“Stay,” Luca whispered.
Cassius stepped forward. “We can ward their home,” he said to Luca and Ash. “We can leave protections, and a coven member can stay on watch outside at all times.”
“We don’t need a babysitter,” Colby snapped.
“I’m trying to find a compromise here,” Cassius said, snapping right back. “You want to go home, and they want to know you’re safe. Daniel needs assurances to feel safe, too.”
Colby suddenly realized he should likely stay put, but he was too far gone with his demands. He refused to accept that he was bound to anyone, no matter how many erotic dreams he’d experienced. Nodding, he accepted Cassius’ offer. “I accept.”
Cassius turned to eye Ash and Luca. They looked between one another before turning to face Colby.
“I’ll come to help ward the place and make sure it’s as safe as I want it to be,” Luca said.
“You’re in no shape to ward anything,” Cassius said.
“Then I go to supervise!” Luca yelled at Cassius.
Cassius lifted his hands. “Of course, Luca. I’m not saying you can’t come along, but you’re not fully recharged yet.”
Luca leaned into Ash. Guilt filled Colby, but it was too late to back down.
A few hours later, he stood in the middle of his childhood home with his brother at his side as a coven full of witches traced fingertips and wands all over the walls, leaving magically swirling protective spells in place in their wake. The spells glimmered with light before fading into nothingness. He wasn’t sure if what he felt was real, but the more that went up, the safer he sensed his surroundings were. It was likely only in his head.
Every inch of the home, the yard, and even the studio was covered in protections.
A last-minute arrival showed up to help. One Daniel immediately took a dislike to.
“He’s a bad man,” Daniel whispered near Colby’s ear.
Luca was suddenly at their side. “Who’s a bad man, Daniel?”
Daniel nodded toward the late arrival. “He has a black halo like the bad place did.”
Luca narrowed his eyes, glaring. Suddenly, the guy turned and smiled at Luca.
And winked.
Colby stood taller, jealousy slamming into him as he watched the handsome man moving on to draw another spell on his wall. “Who is he?”
“One of the apprentices… a young witch,” Luca murmured before walking toward Cassius, clearly relaying the news.
“Doyle?” Cassius yelled across the living room. “Can you head back to the shop and ask Atlas for the Tome of Entreaty?”
The witch Daniel had pointed out nodded. “Sure thing, Cas.”
“What’s the Tome of Entreaty?” Colby asked Luca when the witch wandered closer again.
“As far as I know, it doesn’t exist,” Luca said, grinning. “A wild goose chase.”
As soon as Doyle left, it appeared Cassius redid a few wards in that corner of the room.
Soon enough, the entire house was done, and the witches departed.
All but Luca and Ash.
“We can stay,” Luca said. “Ensure you’re safe here.”
“No,” Colby said. “We need to get back into our regular routine. Daniel… he needs routine.” And I need space and time away from the pair of you.
“You can have routines while we’re here,” Ash said.
“No,” Colby snapped. “We need to go back to the way things are. Just the two of us.”
“We should go,” Luca murmured. “And let them get back to… normal.” He tugged the front of Ash’s shirt until they made it to the door. It was clear Ash wasn’t happy, but he left all the same.
Both men paused with the door open and observed him.
“Don’t hang around outside either,” Colby told them, lifting his chin to appear more courageous than he felt. “I don’t want you here.”
The sadness in their eyes made it harder to breathe.
And then they were gone.
The second the door closed, Colby swallowed back the sensation of loneliness… and the screaming lust in his veins. He wanted them back, needed them back. Emptiness filled him, swallowing him in darkness. The light had just left his world.
That’s crazy.
He rushed over, whipping the door open—but they were gone. Searching the street, he saw nothing.
“I’m gonna play my game,” Daniel said from behind him.
Colby closed the door and stood in the foyer, unable to move for the longest time. When he could finally drag his feet from their spot frozen on the floor, he straightened up the house as best as he could. Ordered a pizza for an early dinner, which tasted like cardboard to him. After they ate, he sent Daniel up to shower and get ready for bed while he puttered around the first floor.
Once his brother was in bed, he showered and slid into his own bed.
Very much alone.
And hating it.
I don’t want you here.
That one statement had stabbed Ash in the heart. He knew it was too soon in their relationship for Colby to understand their bond, but to be told to leave when the man was clearly in danger was disheartening. Colby would rather tempt fate with the demons than be in their presence.
Exhaustion set in. He hadn’t slept in two days. It had taken hours to gather enough witches and then ward the house to everyone’s satisfaction. Once done, they left, the hour growing dark. The days were getting shorter the closer they approached winter. The silence in the car on the way home was almost too much for Ash to deal with. He glanced to the side, noting the streetlights washing over Luca’s face and dimming into shadow as they passed.
“Why didn’t you fight harder?” he asked.
“Fight harder? For?”
“When he told us to leave, you practically dragged me out.”
Luca’s head whipped in his direction. “He made his thoughts known. We push too hard, and he’ll just run farther from us. The house and property are warded to high heaven, there’s an alarm spell, and there’s a coven witch guarding them. It’s the best we can do for him right now.”
“We shouldn’t have let them go in the first place.”
Luca sighed. “We can’t keep them prisoner. If we had, it would’ve made things worse. He might never forgive us for it.”
Ash gripped the steering wheel harder, the desire to turn around and stake out the house boiling in his blood. Their mate was all alone in a city filled with demons—who’d already come after him once. “Wait… what’s an alarm spell?”
“If any loud noises—screams, crashes, etcetera—a portal opens near me so I can check in.”
“Near you? You don’t have the strength to do much right now.”
Angry silence hung between them. When Ash turned, he noted Luca’s tightened jaw.
“It’s not a dig, it’s a true concern. I’m worried about you, Luca.” Ash white-knuckled the steering wheel, realizing he would likely sound like a bastard no matter what he said. “You haven’t regained your magic. I don’t want you to rush into something you can’t handle right now. Perhaps the alarm spell should open a portal for me.”
“I’m not without magic. And all I’d have to do is pull Colby back through with me.”
“And leave Daniel there on his own?”
Luca scoffed. “The spell cannot be transferred, Ash. The portal opens beside me.”
Ash pulled into the parking spot in front of the coven building that somehow was always empty for him and him alone. He put the car in park and turned in his seat to face Luca. “Who created the spell? Perhaps they can do another.”
Luca growled in answer. He swung open the car door and climbed out without another word. He marched into the door beside Enchanted Ink, the one that led to the apartments above. Ash shut off the car and trailed behind Luca. By the time he got inside, Luca was nowhere to be seen. Nor was anyone else. The lobby was typically crawling with coven members and guests, especially that time of the night. He waited for the elevator, the eerie quiet unnerving.
Once he’d made his way upstairs, he noted the hallways were empty, as well. Was fear of the demon infestation keeping folks inside? He entered their apartment, the air thick with anger. He dropped his keys and wallet on the stand beside the door. When he turned to head into the living area, Luca stood waiting for him, eyes narrowed.
“I’m not weak. I can defend our mate.”
“I never said you were weak—but you do need time to rebuild your magic stores. That’s all I meant.”
Tears shone in Luca’s eyes.
Ash closed the gap between them. He lifted a hand to caress Luca’s cheek. “What is it?” When Ash saw the slight tremble to Luca’s bottom lip, it socked him in the gut.
“What— What if my magic doesn’t return to full strength?”
“It will.”
“We don’t know that. It’s been long enough, Ash, and I don’t feel any stronger.”
Ash drew Luca into his arms. “Give it time. You gave Colby all you had to give and maybe more than. You’ve never used that much in one go, have you?”
“This is the price,” Luca whispered. “The price magic is demanding for saving his life.”
“No, the powers of the universe wouldn’t rob you of your magic.”
Luca pulled from his hold and crossed the living room before all but collapsing into a nearby chair. “If it is… it was well worth it to save him.”
Ash moved closer, sitting on the coffee table, facing Luca. “Witches mate in triads for a reason. The power of three brings you more power. Fate wouldn’t bring him into our lives only to have your power stripped away.”
“We both know magic is a fickle beast. It absolutely would do that. The irony. Saving the man who’d bring me more power robbed me of it.” Luca sighed. “I’d do it all again to save him. While I miss my magic, I can learn to live without it.” His bottom lip quivered again, twisting knots in Ash’s stomach. “But are we still mates if I’m no longer a witch? You are a witch’s familiar.”
“Witch or no, I’m not going anywhere. My place is at your side, forevermore.” Ash tucked a finger under Luca’s chin. “But you still have magic. Faint, but you have it.”
Luca looked away, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ash unfolded Luca’s arms. “You’re not going to push me away right now.”
“I’m not trying to…”
“You are,” Ash said. “I can feel the walls you’re putting up to guard your heart. You don’t need them.”
Luca met his gaze.
“You… don’t… need… them.” Ash leaned in, slanting his lips over Luca’s.
One kiss became two… which became one long embrace. They clung to one another, each seeking solace in the other. Ash led Luca to their bedroom, peeling clothing as they went. When they fell into bed together, naked, their limbs entwined, and their mouths met. Like the ouroboros, it was difficult to determine where one man ended and the other began.
Ash came into Luca’s body, reclaiming the bond they’d forged many years before. Reigniting the fire between them.
Reasserting Ash’s promise of forever.
They rocked together, writhing in their bed. Their shouts of completion filled the room as they came, sparked by the other. When it was over, they lay in one another’s arms, spent, lazing in the aftermath.
Ash pressed a kiss to Luca’s shoulder. “You are mine… and I am yours. You won’t get rid of me so easily.”
Luca chuckled, but there was a bit of humor missing from the tone. Ash knew Luca was grieving the loss of his power, even though neither of them knew for sure that it was truly lost.
“I suppose I should rethink my career choices, hmm? Maybe I can be the new shop receptionist?”
Ash groaned. “Even if you can’t create enchanted tattoos, you’re still a beautiful artist. You can still create.”
“Would that fulfill me?”
“Would being a receptionist fulfill you?”
Luca chuckled. “Who knows?”
Ash pressed a kiss to his mate’s forehead. “You will regain your power. I know it.”
“We can’t know…”
“Did you not tell me days ago that my gut was rarely wrong?”
Luca scoffed.
“My gut says it’s coming… just you wait.”
“Rarely wrong is not the same as never wrong,” Luca whispered.
“No, but I like our odds.”
Chapter
Ten
The next morning, Colby sat at his pottery wheel as he had nearly every single day of his adult life, but it was far different that day. Never before had he struggled so much to accomplish a piece. His scarred hand refused to work the clay properly, and every single piece he’d made came out wonky. There were multiple commissions that he needed to complete, and he couldn’t even finish a single piece.
After hours of attempts, he screamed in frustration. He jumped from his stool and tossed an entire shelf of unpainted pottery crashing to the floor. Before he leapt to the next shelf to destroy more, a portal opened in the middle of his studio. He scrambled back, assuming the worst.
Luca slipped out, wide-eyed and searching. “What’s wrong?”
Colby stared at the shards of broken pottery at his feet, and tears burst from him. Luca closed the gap and tugged Colby into his arms.
And Colby let him. It had been far too long since someone comforted him. For years, he had been the strong one. Dealing with his parents’ deaths and managing the house—caring for Daniel. It had been him consoling his brother with no one to offer the same for him. He wasn’t strong enough to weather their new situation alone.
He wanted to trust them, but he barely knew them. How did they expect that he would put his and his brother’s lives in their hands without trepidation? No matter the thoughts and feelings circling in his mind and body.
He wanted to. He so wanted to. It would’ve been easy to follow them with blind faith and accept their help.
Blind faith had gotten him in trouble. He bore the scars to prove it.
As the tears faded, Luca asked, “Want to tell me what the issue is?”
Colby wasn’t ready to speak.
“I mean, I can guess,” Luca said. “You’re overwhelmed by everything you’ve learned and experienced the past days.”
“No,” Colby said. He shook his head as he backed away from Luca. Lifting his scarred hand, he scoffed. “I can’t get this thing to work. Everything I’ve created today is worthless.”
Luca caught his gaze. “By December—at the latest—this will all be gone. You can return to being you.”
“I have orders now. How am I supposed to fulfill them? Without the income, we won’t be able to pay our bills. I’ll be ruined.”
“I can make them.”
Colby looked over his shoulder and saw Daniel in the doorway.
“I can make the orders. I’m a good potter.”
Colby’s chest ached. His brother had grown leaps and bounds as a potter, but couldn’t yet do all that he did. “You’re good, yes, but these are sizeable pieces. I need to make them.”
“I can do it, Coby.”
If only desire and persistence were enough, Daniel would run rings around him. But there were certain pieces that were simply beyond his brother's skill.
“I’m sorry, Daniel, but this is beyond you. One day, maybe, but not now.”
“You’re mean!” Daniel yelled before storming off.
Colby slumped onto the stool, not in the mental headspace to manage his own emotions, let alone Daniel’s. He was simply too exhausted.
“Use me,” Luca said.
Colby eyed him. “What?”
“Guide my hands. Work through me.”
“You want to reenact a scene from that cheesy ghost movie, hmm? I don’t think so.” So why did he want it so badly his teeth ached? The thought of being wrapped in Luca’s arms sent a tremor down his spine.
“I’m being serious. I can use my magic so you can work through my hands.”
“I can’t take more of your magic.”
“I’m fine.” Luca knelt beside him. “I might not’ve been able to remove all of the curse, so let me at least do this.”
