Witching Tree (Alice Gray Book 1)

23

Sweat beaded on my brow as I laboured to lay the thatch.

The weight in my belly rolled, shifting me off balance. Even my unborn child sensed my fear.

There was no time. I could feel him close. The weight of his desire hung heavy in the air all around me. If I wasn't done by nightfall there'd be no hope. The tree wasn't strong enough to give back what I'd need to protect us.

Darkness fell as I warded the doors and windows. Written charms in every sill and frame. The shadow fell in the doorway just as I finished the last incantation.

Forcing my head up, I looked him right in the eye. I'd known what was coming, but I couldn't suppress the shudder of fear.

Crimson lights glowed from his dark form. The door crashed open as the charms failed.

I woke with a start at six, early even for me.

Sitting up slowly, I rubbed my eyes, feeling disoriented in an unfamiliar bed. There was no way I was getting back to sleep when I remembered where I was. Everything that I had learnt last night whizzed around in my mind.

Slipping into a borrowed bathrobe, I crept out of bed, wondering if I could sneak upstairs and start the coffee going.

An almighty crash shook the ceiling above me.

The connecting door between the two bedrooms flew open, and Anne sped through, skidding to a halt when she saw me standing in the middle of the room, unharmed.

"What the hell was that?"

Instead of answering, I looked up. We remembered in unison that Thomas was still upstairs. Anne's eyes widened.

"He shouldn't have woken for hours yet," she said quietly, a falter in her voice.

We bolted upstairs and burst through the door, eager to ease his panic. My concern for his welfare died before it formed into words.

Thomas stood in the kitchen, his body tense, eyes blazing. He was about to throw himself at the door again and he didn't bother to right his stance when he saw us. My hands shook as I realised he still intended to charge. The furious look on his face stoked my fear until my body trembled all over.

"Calm down Thomas, you're at Anne's house, we brought you here last night from the hotel."

I kept my voice low and deep, swallowing the fear that threatened to bubble up and wash away my reason. Clenching my trembling hands tight to my sides, I held his burning gaze.

"What did you do to me?" he spat at Anne, his eyes flickering to her, and then returning immediately to me.

"How did you wake up so early? You should have been out until noon at least," Anne said, ignoring his question, her voice shrill and shaky. "What are you?"

"Answer me," Thomas said, finally turning away from me to face Anne.

His powerful body was poised to lunge and his eyes were focused unerringly on Anne. If he attacked, I wasn't sure she'd be able to defend herself.

All I had seen of her power was that it was gentle and preventive. What if she was depleted from last night? Her golden haze was barely visible now.

By contrast, I could sense strength emanating from Thomas. His anger seeped into the air, making it thick and oppressive. The smell of burnt ozone filled the room as the air began to crackle. It caught at the back of my throat, making me gasp for breath.

A fervent buzzing noise filled my head. Pain surged in waves through my body, burning away the last of the deadening influence that the house had bestowed last night.

"Thomas!"

He couldn't hear me. His entire being was fixated on Anne, hostility flowing from every pore. I had to snap him out of it.

"Thomas," I tried again, slowly moving so that I was directly in front of him. I had to protect Anne even if it was with my own body.

He didn't stir. My presence had no effect.

The angles of his face sharpened. His full red lips parted to show a flash of bright white. Icy fear shuddered through me. Drastic measures were needed if we were going to get through this without violence.

There was no way I was going to lose my family when I'd only just found it.

Steeling myself, I took his hand. Crimson eyes flickered to mine, before returning to focus on Anne. Swallowing my terror, I managed to resist the urge to pull away and flee.

Last night at the hotel we had been so in tune with each other, even for just a few moments. I lifted my other hand and placed it on his cheek, mirroring my movements of the previous night. The sharp planes of his face surprised me. I had to fight against my instinctive recoil.

Thomas's crimson eyes returned to mine, but they were still hard and cruel. There was no tenderness in his face now. Fury had transformed him. He was like a dangerous animal that could not be reasoned with.

I had to do something. I just wished I was wearing more than a thin night dress, covered only with a short satin bathrobe to do it.

Reaching up until I was standing on the very tips of my toes, my hand still caressing Thomas's cheek, I looked into his eyes until he turned his focus to me. Then I pulled him to me.

As our lips connected, heat rushed into my body, made more intense by the adrenaline already coursing through my veins. The disparate pulls of fear and desire clashed making my head spin, and my body burn. His cool skin, adding another delicious sensation to the intoxicating mix.

Thomas's hard body felt right, and so familiar against mine, desire banished the fear instantaneously. Suddenly we were the only two people in the room.

He ran his free hand through my hair, grasping it in a tight fist at the base of my neck. His other hand dropped my own and quickly snaked around my waist until he had me in a vice like grip. Angling my face away from his just a fraction, he stared into my eyes.

The furious crimson beams had been transformed by a different emotion. Doubt trickled through me. Thomas was still out of control, but now, instead of anger, I was the recipient of the full force of his desire.

Before I could do anything other than be thankful that his eyes had returned to their usual dark brown, he pulled me back to him. His kiss was searing, and I forgot everything else.

Intense desire took hold, permeating every part of my body. My control weakened as my body responded to his in a way that I had never experienced before.

Resting my arms on his shoulders I ran my fingers through his hair. He caressed my body through my thin nightdress in response. When he ran his hand over my breast, I let out a soft moan. A guttural growl rumbled from his throat as he lifted us to the table.

I sensed Anne a second before her hand made contact.

Then I was on the floor.