Page 111 of Sinful Mates

She loses control. One minute she is fine, but now I can feel the darkness swirling within her. She is a ticking time bomb about to explode. Theo knows firsthand what the darkness is capable of, and I can feel his fear coming through to me as he watches her eyes blaze. The entire house shakes and the power flickers. It worries me that the entire place could come down around us as it rocks violently. Theo glances at me, and I know what he is going to do, although I’m anxious about him being close to her while she is like this.

Thaddeus screams loudly from the noise, stirring in my arms. Theo reacts quickly as he grabs her, a blur flying past as he runs her outside. Dad and Mom stare on helplessly, unsure of what is going on. They know she has dark magic but hasn’t seen the destruction she can cause. Handing Thaddeus off to my mother, I run to help Theo, knowing he will be the first one to cop the brunt of her anger. What I’m not expecting to find as I run out is that Imogen has her hand in his chest, about to rip his heart out. I watch horrified as the two people I love most in this world are on the verge of destroying each other. Imogen glances toward me as we come out, my mother screaming as she witnesses Imogen lose control.

Theo, noticing her distraction grips her wrist, giving me enough time to reach her. The power surging through her is stronger than both of us put together. I can feel through the bond she is trying to fight against it, it’s a losing battle. Panic seizes me as she fights herself.

“You don’t want to do this, Imogen” I tell her, and I can feel she doesn’t want to do it. I pull against her, but it is like pulling on a brick wall and I don’t even think it’s her anymore but the magic drawing energy from Theo feeding into her magic . I can feel her trying not to give in, feeling Theo’s agony through the bond. When I feel his grip slip slightly, his eyes glaze over and I watch as he tries to compel her.

She notices the fog and I can feel it breaking down her barriers. Not because he is stronger, but because she is letting it. Imogen doesn’t want to hurt him and when I feel her relax, I know he has her. She lets go, and we both fall backward. She becomes plagued with guilt, feeling it rush over her, and I fear what she will do next as I feel her slip into an overwhelming depression.

We both try to reassure her, try to let her know we can help her. Something shifts inside her. Something that scares me. I never felt her this sad and lost, yet there is also a determination in her and I can’t understand the intention behind it until it is too late. Theo flicks through her thoughts before realization dawns on him at the same time, she whispers one word. “Run.”

I want to stop her, want to help her find another way, but Theo stands and shoves me back just as the lightning strikes her. Pinning her in place, it wraps itself around her like a lasso spreading over her skin. Her eyes glow brightly as she screams in agony. Her pain overwhelms her, and I feel Theo drop through the bond. Imogen’s pain has brought us to our knees as she suffers. The electricity burns her skin and wraps around her before I see the bracelet on her wrist glow angrily. I figure out what she was doing. She’s sending it back. Letting it go, even though it is destroying her to do so.

I can’t catch my breath. Feeling her agony through the bond makes it hard to breathe, like she is tearing a piece of herself away. Finally, it fizzles out, the sky clears and the gold in her eyes is gone. She is slipping into unconsciousness and Theo gets to her in time as she collapses. A smile slips onto her face before her eyes flutter shut, only they aren’t the gold of her magic anymore but the deep electric blue we both loved.

My parents watch on as we bring her inside. No one says anything. We don’t have to. We all know what she gave up. We all know how much magic means to a witch. She may not have known what she was for these years, but we know losing it will take a huge toll on her. Imogen did it, anyway, knowing full well what she was going to lose. She did it for us, for her son.

Chapter Forty-One

Stretching like a cat, I open my eyes. The light shines through the windows making me squint at its brightness. I can tell it’s morning, and I have slept the entire day and night away. I feel different, but not in a bad way, just strange. Icy fingers run up my spine, sending sparks to my core. My stomach tightens and my walls clench at the feeling. Tobias isn’t in bed. Rolling over, I find Theo watching me, his hand moving over my hip with my movement. A book in his other hand.

“Sitting up on my elbow, I run my fingers over his chest. Everything feels different. He feels colder than usual. He shivers under my touch.

“What are you reading?” I ask, curious as I haven’t seen that book before. It looks different, old, and the paper is thicker than most books, it looks like old parchment. The color of the pages are stained yellow in places.

“A book about elemental magic ,” he says, placing the book down and rolling on his side to face me. Reaching my hand up, I trace my fingertips over his face, loving the feel of his skin and his reaction to me touching him. Grabbing my hand, he kisses my fingertips.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Don’t be, everyone has moments of weakness, Imogen.” I can feel through bond he holds no animosity toward me over what I did.

“I love you,” I tell him.

“How much do you love me?” he asks, waggling his eyebrows. Leaning up, I kiss his lips, and I felt him smile against mine. I pull back and his face drops slightly.

“Maybe after I eat, I’m starving.”

“I got something you can eat and wrap those pretty lips around,” Theo says, not giving up.

“Tempting but⁠—”

“But what?” he asks, moving above me and pressing his erection into my crotch. I moan at the feel of his hard length pressing tightly against his boxer shorts.

“We can have a quickie in the shower, before everyone gets here,” he whispers next to my ear before sucking on the skin below my neck. His words make me pull back slightly.

“Where is Thaddeus?” Theo holds himself up with his elbows on either side of my face, looking down at me.

“With Mom and Dad; we weren’t sure how you would wake up so thought it safest if Mom had him again for the night.”

“What about Tobias?” I ask, realizing how silent the house is. I can’t hear anything other than us in the house.

“He is downstairs ironing my shirt” I snort, trying to picture the big brute with an iron in his hand doing homemaker duties. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull Theo closer. He moves his hips, his lips coming down on mine. I moan into his mouth when I feel his tongue brush mine. Theo groans and my legs become moist with desire; my panties soaked.

Pulling away, Theo’s lips move down to my neck.

“Shower, Theo, we still have to get ready to see the council. What time is it, anyway?” I ask while his lips venture down. He slides my shirt up, his lips moving to my hip.

“A little after seven, we have plenty of time,” he says against my skin. I feel him slide my panties down, before I feel him suck on my thigh, his teeth nipping at the skin making goosebumps rise. “Mmm, you smell divine,” he says just before his tongue licks my wet folds. I moan and my back arches off the bed at the feel of his cold tongue swirling around my clit. He devours me and I feel my skin heat, my body tenses as he pulls my thighs further apart, his tongue lapping and sucking, sending me crazy. Tobias walks in like it’s the most natural thing in the world to walk in on. He hangs Theo’s and his shirt on the back of the door. Tobias looks different suddenly, taller and wider, or maybe it’s because I just woke up, but everything feels different and looks slightly different.