Page 70 of Oracles Always Win

ThenIswept my lips over his andGagehugged me closer, opening his mouth to mine.Givenmy terrible experiences with other men,Iwas a novice kisser.ButIshould have known, if only from fiction, that there were different kinds of kisses.Thiswas different from the one we’d shared earlier.Thisone was sweet and innocent and beautiful.Itwas comfort and pleasure and felt like coming home.Itwas safety and warmth and belonging.

Ourmouths moved together in a sensual exploration.Buteven as our bodies tangled together—my leg over his hips, his hand cupping the back of my head, the soft scrape of his bristles against my skin—everything remained quitePG.Tonightwasn’t for sex.Itwas for getting to know one another.Adeep sense of peace and contentment welled inside me.Itfelt like mine… but more.Almostlike our emotions had tangled as closely as our bodies, and now everything was mixed up together and amplified.

Idon’t know how long we kissed, but when it ended, neither of us moved apart.Welay entwined under the covers.I’dnever felt so safe and happy in my whole life.I’dnever imagined feeling this way.Itwas wonderful and heady, andIwanted more and more and more.

Iwasn’t sure why, butIwas sureGagewould give me that and anything elseImight want.Withthose happy thoughts,Ismiled and settled intoGage’swarm embrace to sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Four

GAGE

Idid not sleep.

Themotorhome had been closed up when the explosions had happened, but everything still reeked of ash and chemicals and smoke.ThelongerIbreathed in those reminders of what had happened, the more my rage grew.Inthe dead of night, with darkness all around me, one thought consumed me: someone had tried to harm my mate.

Thatwas unacceptable.

Irarely used the full extent of my powers, althoughI’dcome close with that massive portal.IfIhadn’t received those gifts from the locals,Iwould never have managed to do such a thing and stay in control.EachtimeIdipped into the well of my magic,Iworried a little more of my control would slip away.I’dseen it happen to my father andI’dvowed to myself to do better.Butto protect my mate?Iwould surrender to the full depth of my magic to annihilate the threat.

Consequencesbe damned.

Jakewas precious.Anyrisk to him needed to be neutralized.Permanently.

Myever-weakening tether to my home and team frayed more with each passing second.Theonly thing preventing me from going out to the wolf settlement in the woods right now wasJake.Hewas with me.Sleeping.IfIleft, he would be vulnerable.Icouldn’t trust anyone, not even my team, who were sleeping on the other side of the flimsy wall, to protect him.Hewas mine.AndIwas the only one capable of guaranteeing his safety.

Tomorrow, when the sun was up and the hellhounds were awake,Iwould call on them.Asa demon, it was my right to demand their service in the quest for justice.Fromthe beginning of time, angels and demons were the judges, and hellhounds our partners in meting out justice.Theywere the tools for exacting punishments.Althoughthe world had changed a lot over time, the hellhounds’ purpose hadn’t.Itwas a calling they couldn’t ignore or deny.

So, asIwaited for dawn,IheldJakein the safety of my arms and planned my attack.

Somemight say there were members of the pack who should be spared, butIdidn’t feel merciful.Theyhad made their choice when they decided to follow such a weak and conniving alpha.Asmy temper grew and my plan solidified, my demonic power rose.Itried to tamp it down, but it would not settle.Myteam was mostly immune to it since they were bound to me, butIwas surprisedJakedidn’t wake.

Thebenefit of my magic leaking everywhere was that if anyone—human or supernatural being—approached or got too near to where we rested, my magic would warn them to stay away.Anyonestupid enough to disregard that warning would face the consequences.ButonceIunleashed my powers,Idoubted they’d easily be contained again.

WhatifInever regained control?Whatif this was what drove me utterly mad?Whatif doing this meant my team would have to kill me as they had vowed?

Jakewhimpered in his sleep, as if aware of the dark turn of my thoughts.

Iwould never hurt him or my team, at least not physically, but ifJakelost me so soon after finding me, what would happen to him?Asan unanchored oracle, he was at risk.Iknew that.

Andas his mate,Iwas the logical, perhaps even the only, choice to be his anchor.

ButifIdidn’t destroy those wolves…

Igritted my teeth and more of my power rippled out from me.

I’dknown my day of reckoning would come, butI’dnever expected it to happen like this.

Jakewhimpered again in his sleep, andIstroked his back to soothe him.

“Hush,”Imurmured. “Iam here.Youare safe.”

Heshifted restlessly in my arms untilIwas forced to loosen my hold.Iexpected him to turn over or wiggle around until he was comfortable.Butas soon asIopened my arms, he jolted upright and threw off the covers.

“Jake?”

Hedidn’t respond.Instead, he moved toward the bedroom door.Igrabbed his hand to stop him.Jakespun toward me and chopped his other hand against my wrist.Stunned,Ilet go.Icould have kept hold of him, but this wasn’tJake.Isaw that now.Hiseyes were open, butIknew he wasn’t seeing anything of his surroundings.Hewas in the grip of his oracle magic.

IwishedIcould stop him long enough to get him dressed.IwishedIcould make him sit down and wait for me to retrieve his drawing supplies.ButMagicwas a demanding bitch.