Seduced by Innocence (The Seduced Saga Book 1) Read online

  The feel of him, so large and thick and hard, sent lightning through my body.

  I didn't feel my own power open up and hitch a ride on this passion.

  Didn't feel when it wormed its way into Derek through our skin-to-skin contact.

  Didn't know I was slowly killing him until his kisses slowed and he lost his breath.

  Looking into his eyes, I saw the light fade as his face lost its color, and I pulled away, putting emptiness between us.

  Filling myself with emptiness.

  My desire for him deepened, even as I tied my uniform back together.

  My grief filled me, even as he moved to touch me.

  "Rose, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing. I just think we're moving a bit fast, and it's getting late. I need to get home." I waited for him to argue, to say that he didn't want me to leave, that he needed me as much as I needed him.

  "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sorry." He pressed his hand to his head. "I guess this worked me out harder than I realized. I'm feeling a bit lightheaded."

  My heart dropped into my stomach as my worst fears were confirmed.

  No matter what I did, I'd never escape this curse.

  If I ever gave into my passions, I'd destroy us both.

  SEVENTEEN

  Live or Stay

  ROSE

  I must be gone and live, or stay and die.

  — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

  Dear Diary,

  A ‘walkabout’ originally referred to a rite of passage undertaken by male Australian Aborigine where they'd live in the wilderness for as long as six months and reconnect to their ancestors.

  We're not Australian, or Aborigine, and most of us aren't even male, but Mother decided long ago that walkabouts would be required of our coven members. Each season we chose a time to do our own walkabout and reconnect to our powers and to those who had gone before us.

  In recent years, these had become my most treasured moments. Alone, without the sound of other people's fears pressing into me, I could finally relax and be myself. This tradition had become so ingrained in our way of life that it was impossible for Mother to deny me the right to do my own winter walkabout, even amidst our recent conflicts.

  And so I abused our traditions, lied to my coven and Mother, and snuck out to do something even more important than a walkabout.

  "SO DON'T." OCEAN sat cross-legged on my bed, her wild curls tumbling down her back as she twirled one strand of hair through her manicured fingers.

  "Don't what?" I held up another dress, but she grimaced and shook her head.

  I sighed and threw it on my bed with the others.

  "Don't take it so far. Just date. Enjoy. Kiss a little. Hold hands. Don't let yourself get so hot and bothered that you start to lose it. He's stronger than you think, and so are you. You can learn to control this, just take it in small steps."

  If I really disagreed with her, I'd be cleaning my room of the mess I'd made and calling to cancel this whole crazy plan. And boy was it crazy.

  I'd convinced Mother that I truly saw the error of my ways and needed time for a walk-about—private time for reflection and meditation as I prepared myself for the fight ahead.

  She hadn't wanted to let me go, but the most unlikely advocate came to my defense—Blake.

  In the end, she acquiesced, and I got the next twelve days to myself. I just had to be here in time to storm the castle, as it were. I honestly couldn't believe I'd won, and I'm not sure I'd have agreed to do this if I'd really thought I'd had a shot in hell at winning her over.

  I pulled slacks and a blouse from my drawers. "This?"

  Ocean heaved her breasts dramatically and yanked it out of my hands. "We seriously have to go shopping and get you some clothes that don't make you look like a total frump. You're about to embark on the most romantic almost-two-weeks of your life. You'll be alone. In a cabin. With your rich hunk of a boyfriend. You need sexy clothes, not prude clothes."

  I fell back into a chair. "I give up. You pack. I'm done. Just make sure I have at least one pair of jeans, a comfortable pair of shoes in case we hike through forests, and something to wear to bed that isn't see-through."

  She stuck her lower lip out in a mock pout. "You're no fun. But if I can pack the rest, then I give in to those demands, as long as you promise not to wear the same jeans and frump every day of the week."

  With my vow to diversify, she went to work filling my suitcase with clothes from her closet, which scared the daylights of me.

  "Okay, so let's say I just go and have fun and keep it from getting too hot. What's the point in all of this? I can't even tell him my real last name for fear he'll figure out who and what my family is. I certainly can't tell him that if we consummate our affections I'll likely kill him. That would put a serious damper on the romance, don't you think?"

  Clothing decorated every square inch of my bedroom, and I had no desire or energy to clean it up. Derek would be at our secret meeting spot in less than thirty minutes, and I still had to get ready.

  Ocean threw me an outfit. "Wear this."

  I groaned, but peeled off my comfortable clothes to put on her latest fashion torture. The skinny jeans clung to my skin like they'd been painted on, and the low cut blouse left little to the imagination, but I had to admit the color complimented my skin tone. For a redhead, Ocean had a lot of clothes that worked for me, which made me wonder if she secretly bought clothes for me and pretended they were hers. I'd never seen her wear most of these outfits.

  Still, after brushing out my hair and applying a light coat of lip-gloss and mascara, I studied myself in the mirror and smiled at what I saw.

  Ocean came up behind me. "You clean up good, Rose. Now grab your bag and let's get going. I'll drive you to your spot."

  I whistled for Sandy and pulled her leash down from its hook, though I'd likely never even need to use it. She came, but slowly, with none of her old enthusiasm.

  "Did you pack dog food? My toiletries? A razor?" How horrible would it be if I had to go all hairy during our romantic interlude?

  "Yes, yes and yes. I got you covered. I even included protection in case you suddenly learn to control your powers and are ready to let loose and bump uglies with Mr. Hottie. I figured on extra-large—am I right?"

  "You are so crude sometimes, Rose." But that didn't stop the uncontrollable giggles that took me over. "And, um, yes. You're right."

  By the time we left, I had to redo my makeup from all of the tearing up.

  When we got to the secret spot behind the property, Derek was already there, standing by his car.

  At the sight of him my heart froze, reluctant to meter out any more beats for fear that it would accelerate time, and I would lose these moments with him all too soon.

  His face lit up with joy when he saw me. "You came!" He reached for me, swinging me around like a child.

  "Yes. I came."

  Ocean loaded my luggage into the trunk of his car while we gazed at each other like star-crossed lovers.

  Sandy sat at my feet, waiting for us to finish.

  I looked down at her and patted her head. "Derek, this is Sandy. Sandy, this is Derek."

  She hadn't fully recovered from the massacre of her pups, and I'd hoped that coming with us would cheer her up.

  Derek held his hand out. "Hi there. You're beautiful."

  She sniffed him, then licked his hand, and he petted her.

  I smiled at the two of them. "She likes you. She's usually wary of strangers."

  He ruffled her head, then put his arm around me. "She must know I'm not a stranger."

  Ocean cleared her throat. "Okay, you two love birds, I'm outta here. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  She winked at me, then drove away.

  Derek watched her car pull out. "What wouldn't she do?"

  "There's nothing Ocean wouldn't do," I informed him.

  "Well," he pulled me against him more tightly, "I like the sound of that. Shall we head to the c
abin?"

  I gulped past the lump in my throat and nodded.

  Despite my best intentions, I couldn't stay away from him. My only hope lay in finding some way to stay in control of my powers.

  These next two weeks would be my ultimate test.

  When I imagined his cabin, it was a modest affair with a small fireplace, a bedroom or two and a too-small kitchen that didn't get used often.

  Yeah, no. What stood before me could have appeared in any number of "where the stars live" magazines. The polished wood tones of the multi-level, well, let's just call it mansion? Estate? Really freaking big house that happened to be made out of logs so people called it a cabin? Whatever it was, it blended well with the tall pine trees and spruce that surrounded it. The snow-peaked mountains in the distance lent the scene an Ansell Adams quality, had it been in black and white. Instead, the subtle colors of winter gave it a warm feeling, despite the snow.

  It had a wide porch with outdoor couches and chairs and an iron wood-burning fire pit for warmth. Near that sat a custom-built Jacuzzi. I loved soaking in hot water while sitting in the cold, watching it snow, and hoped we'd have a chance to use it.

  Derek carried my luggage, and I followed him up the steps and into an expansive living area that connected to a gourmet kitchen with an island, a bar and a formal dining area.

  "My father had this built from fallen trees. It took years to finish, but no trees were cut down in the making of this house. He even resourced the local boulders and rocks that were pulled during the foundation laying to create the landscaping and some of the ornaments and detail in the design."

  A spiral staircase led to a second and third floor, and the wall behind it was made entirely of glass, so as you climbed the stairs you could look out at the mountains and forest. "Your father sounds like an amazing man. I hope to meet him some day."

  A look of surprise crossed Derek's face. "Yeah, he kind of is, I guess. And I'm sure you'll get to meet him. I know he'll love you."

  I always assumed that the coven would be the only family I ever knew, but it occurred to me in that moment that if the fates smiled down on us, I could have another family, too. That awareness opened up my world in more ways than I could have imagined.

  Derek put my luggage down and held out his arm. "Want a tour?"

  I took his arm. "Sure."

  A dozen bedrooms, a master suite that left me breathless, custom bathrooms with multiple shower heads that left me flushed with naughty thoughts, and a game room later, I needed to sit down and catch my breath.

  "Your family's not just rich, is it? You're like upper echelon wealthy. You're like Donald Trump wealthy."

  I hoped it didn't sound like an accusation, but when his face fell, I feared it did.

  I pulled him down to sit next to me on the couch. "There's nothing wrong with that. I just hope you don't mind that I'm not. At all."

  "Rose, the money doesn't mean anything to me. I've been living on my own, with whatever I earned myself, since I turned eighteen."

  His admission humbled me. "Why?"

  His thumb stroked the inside of my palm as he answered, sending shivers of pleasure through my body. "I didn't want to be a trust-fund kid. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make it on my own merits."

  "What does your family do?" I looked around the house for clues about his life, but it was pretty generic. Maybe they rented it out and kept personal effects out of reach.

  "They own a few businesses. It went global years ago through a combination of hard work and luck. Don't get me wrong, my parents are devoted to their work and to their family, but it's not the life I want."

  "I can relate to not wanting to follow in your parents’ footsteps."

  "What do your parents do?"

  I rubbed Sandy's belly; she'd taken up residence next to Derek on the couch. "They breed Huskies. It was Sandy's babies that were killed the other night. She's not taking it well."

  "I'm so sorry. I didn't know. We'll make sure to take her on walks and help her recover."

  Warmth spread in my chest. "Really?"

  "Of course." He patted his lap, and she eagerly moved to lay her head on him, eyes closed as he rubbed his hands over her.

  Lucky dog.

  "Animals are sacred beings and deserve our respect, love and care. I admire the fact that your family works with dogs. They are often mirrors that reflect the areas we humans still need to work on. So many pet owners think that when they have an out-of-control dog, it's the dog's fault, when really the dog is reflecting back to the owner something about them that is out of alignment."

  I'd never heard someone give voice to what I had always believed. "No wonder Sandy adores you." No wonder I adore you.

  Derek moved Sandy off of his lap and walked to the stone fireplace. With precision, he laid each log piece down and then lit the fire, fanning it until it filled the center with an orange and red flame.

  "Did you chop that wood yourself?" Images of his hard body, shirtless, muscles flexing as he swung the ax flooded my brain.

  "Actually, I did. Are you impressed?"

  "Very."

  "Good." He joined me back on the couch and put his arm around me, pulling our bodies closer together. "I like impressing you."

  I rested my head on his shoulder and enjoyed the smell of freshly-cut wood burning, and the warmth of the fire as it filled the room with silhouettes of flames dancing on the walls.

  Derek leaned in and cupped my face with his hand, then kissed me deeply.

  My body responded immediately, tensing and aching, but I cut the kiss short and pulled away. "Before we do this, we need to talk about the rules."

  "There are rules?"

  "Yes."

  "Okay, let's hear them."

  "First, no sexual intercourse." Best to keep it clinical, detached, official.

  His face froze. "None at all?"

  "None at all. Not during this trip."

  He nodded. "I can live with that, though it will be very hard."

  I bet it would. Man, I hated having rules.

  "Second rule, if things get too hot and I pull back, that's it. We stop."

  "Always. You don't even have to say it, Rose. I'd never push you past your comfort zone. Even if we were naked, wrapped around each other, and I'd already pushed my cock into you, if you said to stop, we'd be done."

  Oh, the brat. His words had their desired effect, and my panties bore witness to that effect.

  My voice cracked when I spoke again. "Rule three, no long term promises. We use this time to get to know each other, but we don't commit to anything beyond this until we each have time alone to reflect on what we really want."

  This last rule was in some ways the hardest. With every kiss and every touch, we shaped a future out of wishes and longing. I didn't want to destroy that life before it had begun, but in thirteen days I would be facing off with the most powerful people I'd ever met. I might not live through the night. If I did, I'd likely never be the same again. These rules existed to protect us both.

  He sat in silence so long that I worried I'd ruined things already.

  Through the window, a family of deer crossed the dewy lawn, stopping to stare in at us. I wondered what they thought of these strange creatures locked in glass and wooden boxes, viewing the world through their self-imposed prisons.

  Derek brushed a loose hair from my face. "If you need these rules to feel safe with me, then I'll honor them. But I'm not going to lie to you, Rose. I want more than stolen kisses and fleeting emotions. I never thought any woman could lure me from my vagabond life, but you have, and I'm not giving you up without a fight."

  EIGHTEEN

  That I Might Touch

  DEREK

  See how she leans her cheek upon her hand.

  O that I were a glove upon that hand

  That I might touch that cheek!

  — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

  I'D SURPRISED MYSELF with my bold declaration, but I'd meant what I
'd said. I wouldn't give her up without a fight. I hadn't worked out what that would mean for my future, and maybe I wasn't quite ready to sort out those details, but whatever my future entailed, I knew Rose was a part of it.

  As the sky outside burned bright with the dying rays of a setting sun, I held her, content to listen to the steady rhythm of her breath and imagine what fantasies floated around in her mind as she gazed at the fire.

  The occasional hitch in her pulse told of unspoken fears, and yet I sat on the outside of her nightmares, a mere spectator of the aftereffects. She clearly hoped her rules would protect her. She didn't understand that I too would offer up my life in her defense. Whatever she feared, whatever dark turn the future foretold for her, I'd be by her side.

  But her last rule did buy me time to talk with my family and figure out the best way to tell her my secret. I'd take her to the rose garden and let her feel the power that my family guarded. Then I'd show her my other form, and pray that she could take in all that I offered.

  My father had found a woman who could embrace our life as her own, who chose to take the magic in and become a shifter. Surely other such women existed. Surely Rose was one of them.

  She had to be, or none of this made any sense and fate was just a cruel heartless bitch punishing people for the fun of it.

  A surge of power infused me as the waning moon rose high in the sky.

  She shifted in my arms and stretched. Outside, snow like powdered sugar fell to the ground, clinging to the grass and bushes as winter settled in around us.

  "What would you like to do tonight, Rose?"

  She glanced outside, toward the hot tub. My cock hardened at just the thought of being submerged in hot water with her near-naked body.