Elemental Read online

  Jonathan had dark eyes and a playful, carefree attitude towards most things, while Nicolas had light, clear blue eyes and a serious disposition which was very much like her own. His body, however… wow. Just wow!

  Strong arms, broad chest and shoulders and a torso completely devoid of any flab. This was a man who definitely kept himself in shape, and her hormones really appreciated that fact. Oh, the naughty thoughts dancing around in her head. Thoughts of her trailing kisses along those chiseled abs and lust-filled fantasies of those big, strong arms holding her tight as he kissed her senseless. Visions of those flimsy boxers rising along with his passion…

  Wait a minute, that was actually happening!

  Mandy’s eyes shot up only to find Nicolas staring back with a sleepy grin on his handsome face.

  “Sorry about that,” his husky voice sent a shiver down her spine. “In my defense, it is morning and I have a beautiful woman checking me out.”

  Mortified, face flaming, Mandy began to scramble for the side of the bed.

  Nicolas chuckled and grabbed her wrist. “You stay. This is your room. I just wanted to hold you while you slept. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I’ll go get showered and meet you downstairs for breakfast.”

  “That’s alright,” she murmured. “I’m sorry for ogling you while you slept. I can assure you I don’t make a habit of doing things like that.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I like the way you look at me, Mandy. It tells me that you like what you see.” When all she did was nod shyly, Nicolas tucked his finger under her chin until she was looking back into the clear blue depths of his eyes. “I’ll admit, that I stayed up quite late last night just watching you sleep. So you see, I very much like looking at you as well.” His smile was so charming, Mandy couldn’t help but sigh, like some bubble-headed twit.

  How embarrassing.

  She watched as he rose from the bed—completely comfortable in his semi-nude state—and made his way over to the chair where his clothes were. With his back to her, he slid his jeans on before returning to her side. After placing a tender kiss on her cheek, he whispered, “I’ll see you downstairs,” and walked out.

  Sitting there on her bed, Mandy took the time to ponder her current situation. Here was a wonderfully sweet and considerate man, who was convinced they were meant to be together. Could she be so lucky that her best friend was the brother of her soul mate?

  Not to mention the fact there were some major sparks flying between them. Sheesh, the chemistry she felt was unbelievable! Mandy could only imagine what it would be like to actually become intimate with him. Would it be like in the romance novels, with burning passion and souls melding as one for all eternity?

  She intended to find out!

  * * * *

  Two days had passed with only two more to go before Christmas day, and Mandy and Anna had yet to visit the village. Both women were excited, there hadn’t been any further attacks from the werewolf, and Garrett was willing to take them. So what was the problem?

  The brothers left the castle each day to check the area for any signs of the werewolf and found nothing. It appeared as though the creature had moved on, but both men were reluctant to believe that.

  Today, however, both women had finally had enough. They’d explored the castle, helped Garrett with the baking, harassed the brothers with questions of what they thought a good gift for the other would be, and now they wanted to go and do their shopping.

  “It’s daylight out, so we should be fine,” Anna argued. “You said yourself he’s never attacked in the daylight.”

  “That’s true, but we have no idea what he looks like in human form,” Jonathan had explained this point many times, but the women had a point of their own to make…

  “You can’t keep us prisoner here forever, guys,” Mandy put in. “Hell, I’ve never even stayed cooped up in my apartment for this long. I need to get out. I want to explore the village shops and make as many memories as I can. I’ve never had a real vacation before,” she shrugged. “I guess I just want the chance to do the whole tourist thing.”

  Nicolas’ struggle was easy to see. Mandy knew he feared for their safety, but she was beginning to feel a bit stifled. In fact, she was desperately in need of a private talk with Anna as well, but had yet to accomplish that due to the constant presence of the men.

  “As much as I hate to admit it, they do have a point,” Nicolas conceded. “We’ll make arrangements for Garrett to take you ladies down with him tomorrow. I only ask that you stick together and return before dark.”

  Mandy smiled as his arms encircled her waist from behind, a delicious shiver chasing up her spine at his touch. And he loved to touch…and thus her need for a woman-to-woman talk. “I think we can manage that. It’s not like we’re trying to run into the wolf again,” she shuddered at the thought.

  “That’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid. You ladies are more precious to us than you realize,” Nicolas replied softly, his breath fanning over her neck.

  Before she could respond, he gave her a little squeeze, a peck on the cheek and he and Jonathan went to check the grounds again before dinner.

  “Do they ever sleep?” Mandy grumbled, and then noted the deep blush on Anna’s cheeks. “Well, then, I guess you and Jonathan are getting along fine?” At her knowing look Anna’s lips turned up in a naughty little grin.

  “Our situation is a little different from yours,” Anna began. She grabbed Mandy’s arm and tugged her into the dining room. “Let’s have a glass of wine and chat before they come back in.”

  “Alright.”

  Garrett poked his head through the kitchen door, “Can I get you ladies something to tide you over until dinner?”

  “A glass of wine would be lovely, thank you, Garrett,” Anna answered. “He’s such a sweet man. Did you know that Garrett’s a hybrid?”

  “A what?”

  “A hybrid is when two different Supernatural beings have a child. Garrett is half Fey and half shifter. He is an immortal, but due to his sweet and submissive nature, he was not meshing well with the shifter clan.” Anna leaned in close and confided, “He has been with the brothers since the day they were born. He is the closest thing to family they have left.”

  “He survived the poisoning? I thought the brothers were the only ones who escaped unharmed.”

  “Oh, no, he ingested the poison just like everyone else, but with his shifter genes he was able to identify the poison before he ate too much. Of course by then it was too late for everyone else,” Anna’s eyes were sad as she relayed the tragic details of that long-ago day. “The servants were always the last ones to eat, waiting until all of the guests had been served. By that time the first of the Elementals had fallen to the poison.”

  Mandy suffered from an odd mixture of horror and relief. Garrett was truly a man who had endeared himself to her from the start. It was clear to see that he loved the brothers as if they were his own sons, but then that sort of made sense, seeing as he’d had a hand in their upbringing.

  Anna gave a wave of her hand saying, “Back to the original topic of you and Nicolas. Like I was saying, your situation is different from mine and Jonathan’s. He and I are Supernaturals and have known of this soul mate business our entire lives. You, on the other hand, are just now discovering our existence, as well as the fact that you are the soul mate to one of the last in a line of powerful Elementals. How are you holding up?”

  Well, when she put it like that it all sounded rather daunting. “I’m doing alright.”

  “Care to elaborate?” Anna chuckled.

  “Well, I’m sort of confused, actually,” Mandy confessed, grateful for someone to talk to. “Nicolas is a highly affectionate man. He’s always finding some way to touch me, and I love it, but I’m getting a little flustered too.” Actually, sexually frustrated was more like it.

  “So you do or you do not like him touching you all the time?”

  “No, I do like it, I just want…more.” Gre
at, now she could feel the heat rising from her cheeks in her embarrassment. She’d pretty much admitted to…

  “So you want sex?” Anna asked.

  Of course Garrett would pick that exact moment to waltz in with their wine. Judging by the current flush in his neck and face, he was just as embarrassed as she was. Once he made his hasty retreat, Mandy turned back, took a deep breath, and admitted, “Yeah, I do.”

  “Well then, what is the problem?”

  “The problem is I have no clue how to approach him. I mean, there’s no way I can just come out and say, ‘Hey, can we have sex soon because all of this touching is just really riling me up and I need more.’” Mandy seriously debated whether the decision to speak to Anna about this was a good idea or not, since she was currently caught up in a fit of hysterics.

  “I am sorry,” Anna giggled, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I could only imagine what Nicolas’ face would look like if you were to actually say that.”

  Okay, so it was sort of funny now that she thought about it.

  “Just ask him to come to your room. It could be something as simple as asking him if he would mind sleeping in your room with you or you could really get into things and set up a sexy little evening with candles and lingerie, maybe a bubble bath.”

  “I’ve never done anything like this before, so I think I’ll stick with something simple to start with,” Mandy mumbled.

  “Suit yourself. I do not see Nicolas turning you down either way. The man is seriously smitten with you.”

  “I really like him too.” Mandy just hoped he felt the same about her as she did about him, because with every caress, every sweet endearment, he was taking another piece of her heart. At this rate, he would own her heart by the end of her stay, and she was afraid she would then be forced to leave that vital part of herself behind.

  While he’d spoken of their time together in terms of forever in the beginning, he’d yet to do so again, and he’d also never brought up the fact that she was due to leave for home after the New Year. Resolved to enjoy whatever time she was given, Mandy made up her mind to invite Nicolas to her room tomorrow night, but she had a little shopping to do first.

  Chapter Seven

  Nicolas growled in frustration. He and Jonathan had finally allowed the women to go to the village with Garrett, but now there was a serious problem. He’d found several trees that had been marked by the werewolf, the musky scent unmistakable.

  “He’s marking his territory on our land,” Jonathan snarled. “What the hell would possess him to do that? Do you think he’s gone insane?”

  The thought had briefly crossed his mind, just before a more troubling one came in its wake. “I think he’s trying to stake his claim on something that’s here,” Nicolas replied, his tone grave.

  “Do you think he’s trying to make a move on our lands?”

  If only it were that simple, but he feared it was not. “I think he’s after something even more valuable than that. I think he’s after one of the girls.”

  “Like hell!”

  “Think about it. Mandy and Anna escaped him. Mandy actually confronted him instead of backing down and running away. She stood her ground and challenged him.” And there was the problem. A werewolf was not a creature to back down from a challenge, no matter who issued it. The only question was, did the wolf consider the challenge as one to the death, or the challenge of a potential mate?

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah, and now we just need to find out if he found that little show a turn-on or if he’s out to teach her a lesson in submission. She’s human, so there’s also the chance he could be after Anna and not Mandy.” Either way, Nicolas vowed the women would be kept safe at all costs. He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to Mandy. The very thought was enough to set his heart racing in dread.

  “We need to tell them, Nic. They have to know they could be a target.” Jonathan roughly tunneled his fingers through his dark hair. Nicolas could understand his frustration, since neither one of them looked forward to putting the women back on lock-down within the castle. “If we try to keep them here again then they’ll start to resent us. They’re not prisoners, but it won’t take long before they start to feel like they are.”

  “I realize that. Maybe we can work something out so they can go into the village, but still be safe enough for us not to be beside ourselves with worry,” Nicolas suggested.

  “Maybe some silver for them both, at least a necklace or a pouch of shavings they could throw if it became necessary for them to protect themselves.”

  “I like the way you think. I’ll look into getting what we need, since Garrett obviously won’t be able to handle that,” Nicolas made a mental note to alert Garrett of the potential threat, since the man would be able to help them keep an eye out for the werewolf.

  With his shifter genetics, Garrett would be able to scent the wolf even if it was in human form, which could give them the advance warning they need.

  “Let’s head back, we’ll talk to the girls and then we’ll sit down with Garrett after they’ve gone to bed to fill him in on everything. Maybe we can even take him out to the area and see if he can get a scent. I want this done and over with so we can concentrate on our futures. I want this to be a safe place for her when I ask Mandy to stay. I don’t want this threat to keep either of them from accepting us.”

  “I couldn’t agree more. So things are going well between the two of you?”

  “I’d like to think so. I’ve been attempting to seduce her for the last couple of days. Nothing major, because I don’t want to scare her off, just making sure that I am near her as much as possible. A touch here, a kiss there, that kind of thing,” he explained.

  “So you’re smothering her. Real smooth, brother.”

  Nicolas felt his eyes widen. He didn’t want to smother her at all, merely cause her to crave more of his touch. “I only wanted to entice her into wanting more without possibly scaring her off. Have I gone about this all wrong then?” God help him if he screwed this up.

  Jonathan smiled—the bastard—and replied, “Relax. She seems to be perfectly fine with your current form of seduction, but you may want to move it along, because she appears to be getting a bit restless. You don’t always see her face when you pull away. There’s longing there, bro.”

  “Really? I didn’t want to push for too much too soon, since she’s still a virgin.”

  “I think you should talk to her. She may surprise you.”

  This conversation with his brother gave Nicolas something pleasant to look forward to. Unfortunately, the news they had to share with the women would not be the sort to inspire a romantic mood.

  * * * *

  The village was amazing! There were shops of every kind lining the cobblestone streets. Mandy went back to the market and purchased another emerald green sweater to replace the one that had been destroyed, plus some nice silky nightgowns and some sheer bra and panty sets.

  Anna had taken a moment to summon one of the Royal Couriers to take a message to her father, explaining that she was staying with her friend for a little while and assuring him that she would be safe. With that handled Anna was looking forward to the rest of their day.

  Feeling more and more anxious about the coming night, Mandy suggested the women stop in and grab a coffee in the little pub. It was a charming little establishment. Wooden tables and benches lined the walls, while a long bar with tall stools took up nearly the entire back wall. The smell of food and ale was strong inside, but not unpleasant, and the women sat down at a corner table to rest their weary feet. Once they’d placed their order with a sweet young girl, they relaxed until their drinks were ready.

  “This has been great! I have gotten some very nice gifts for Jonathan,” Anna gushed.

  “Yeah, me too, not to mention all the things I found for Nicolas. Jonathan’s ideas really helped with the shopping.”

  “I asked Nicolas about some things Jonathan might like also.” Anna sat back
in the booth, looking quite normal in her parka, sweater, jeans and snow boots. If no one knew otherwise, they’d never peg her for a fairy princess. “Are you almost ready to call it a day? The sun will start to set in just over an hour.”

  “I just want to hit the little Christmas shop I saw. I have a little tradition that I’ve done ever since I was little and I’d like to pick up the things that I’ll need. I thought it would be something nice for all of us to do.”

  “It sounds like fun. What do we need?” Anna asked as she sipped at the coffee placed before her.

  “Just some clear glass ornaments. You know the little balls that have the little tops that pop off? I’ll need some of those and then a few things to decorate them with.” Just being able to share something she’d enjoyed alone for so many years had her excitement building. “I decorate an ornament each Christmas and put the year on it. Inside I place a small piece of paper with my Christmas wish for that year inside. It’s never anything big, usually just something like good grades, or perhaps a certain professor I would like for a class. One year I did get the raise that I wished for at work.”

  “It sounds wonderful. Very creative,” Anna complimented. “I already know what I’ll be wishing for.”

  “What would that be?” Mandy was curious, what would a princess want, that she didn’t already have?

  “My father’s blessing,” she replied softly. “I am not entirely sure how he feels about Jonathan and Nicolas. He always warns the Fey about getting too close to the brothers, but he also reminds them that it is the fault of my brother for the way they react to our kind. It is his way of trying to keep the peace I suppose.”

  “I hope you get your wish, Anna.” Mandy rose and picked up her little white cup. “Let’s get this last stop done and get back before it gets too close to sunset. I don’t want to give the guys any reason to worry about us.”