Cloaked in Sorcery Read online

  White walls and cobblestone flooring grew darker the farther I traveled, but light shone at the far end of this corridor. I followed the passage, which led me toward flickering torches. This place had power sockets in the walls, so the flames must’ve been for effect. Emerging from the covered hallway, I stepped onto a parapet that overlooked the sweeping ocean of trees in the Transylvanian forest. Branches swayed, rustling. Gorgeous. On my other side were castle towers, their round windows black.

  One bar appeared on my cell. “Yes!” I hit Call on Alena’s contact info, but the connection went dead. The signal kept flicking on and off. I decided a message might be better. I mentioned the scent and how I thought the wulfkin was either in the castle or outside, but that we felt safe. Finishing with two smiling emojis, I sent the text to both Alena and Enre.

  The moment I pressed Send, someone behind me cleared their throat.

  I spun around, and my sights landed on a young couple dolled up for the party.

  When the wind crashed over me, it came with the heavy fragrance of the wulfkin I’d smelled earlier, along with something else I couldn’t determine—something like burned electricity.

  Alarm bells rang in my head. I was face to face with a strange wulfkin in Transylvanian territory. My wolf pressed against my chest, groaning for release, to teach this intruder a thing or two about flirting . . .

  Wait, what? Steady down, girl. He’s the enemy.

  Then why did he smell so musky and delicious? And why was he with a human female? The pair emerged from the shadows, the torchlight hitting his piercing golden wolf eyes surrounded by thick lashes. He had the kind of face that would stop anyone in their tracks. Rich brown hair, shorter at the back, with longer strands draped across his brow. Add in his strong and defined face, the perfect ripe lips and . . . Damn, he was insanely handsome.

  “Who are you?” My words came out soft, almost purring. I tried again, coaxing the stronger wulfkin side of me. My attention dipped to his long leather coat, which gave him height but did nothing to conceal his wide shoulders. This wulfkin reminded me of Enre in size, and even his stance was that of a warrior. Ready to battle.

  “What are you doing in our territory?” I managed to ask.

  The stranger turned to the blond beauty by his side, who wore the brightest red lipstick. Naturally arched eyebrows, blue irises, and high cheekbones added to her attractiveness. The wulfkin mumbled something to her, and I caught the words “check on them.”

  The human stared at him longingly, as if she might burst into tears from losing a lover. Just like that, my initial excitement deflated. This was insane. As a wulfkin, I had to protect our land from intruders, not swoon over them. But his scent kept fogging my mind.

  When the blonde left his side, she offered me a glare and strolled out of sight behind me.

  I returned my attention to the sexy wulfkin and found him prowling close, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his gaze swallowing me. He stood taller than me by half a foot at least. I chewed on my lower lip, my legs wobbling beneath me. Rational thinking flew on the wind as I pictured myself tasting his lips, having him take his coat off so I could see how big he was—his chest, of course, not his package . . . Goddess, my face was on fire!

  He stopped alongside me, glancing down at me.

  A part of me trembled—not because he was the enemy, though that should have been reason enough, but because an inferno had awakened my libido. What was wrong with me?

  The wulfkin’s warmth folded around me. My wolf shoved against me, and my gut tingled to high hell, as if I’d collapse any moment from the sensation rattling my core.

  His eyes twinkled as he leaned closer and said, “My head’s telling me to toss you over the wall. But my wolf’s demanding I devour you.” His voice grew deep and raspy, sending my blood south so fast, I rocked on my feet. He had me at devour.

  Chapter Four

  Axe

  No doubt about it, I would devour the gorgeous wulfkin female standing inches from me and relish every second. Right here on the terrace, where anyone could walk in on us. I had no issues with that. I mean, damn, look at those curves, the gentle slope of her creamy shoulders, her pouty lips. But it was her eyes—devilish green encased by dark makeup—that screamed sexiness. Her energy crackled over my skin, stirring my wolf, who declared her ours. And as much as every inch of me agreed, part of my mind whirred with panic. She was the enemy and stood in the way of my assignment.

  Right. I had to get my head straight.

  I stared at the girl, who reached my chin in height. She offered me a smile, doing zero to help me stay focused. When her arm grazed mine, a spark of electricity zipped through my body.

  “As I was asking, what are you doing here?” she purred.

  If she was going for the serious approach, she’d failed miserably. What she should have asked for with that silky voice was a kiss.

  I shook my blurry head, unable to concentrate on anything but her. “I’m attending the party,” I said. “And you?”

  The breeze swept her honey-blond hair off her face, bathing me in her sexy scent—a cocktail of citrus, timber, and wolf.

  “Working as a fortune teller.” A quick grin, and she strolled toward the bridge wall overlooking the wave of trees.

  The flaming torches painted strokes across her back. My gaze dipped to her ass, and my hands tingled with the urge to touch her.

  The hum of laughter drew my attention. Leo and Titus would be among humans, and those idiots couldn’t be trusted, let alone Natalya. But without her talisman, she wasn’t hexing anyone, and if she wanted to see her daughter again, she’d behave.

  Still, our mission was covert, and bumping into a strange wulfkin who might be sweet candy wasn’t helping.

  I followed her as she whirled around to face me, her lips parted, as if gasping. Hell, I yearned to make her moan. Being in her presence changed me, emptied me of rational thought.

  “What pack do you belong to?” I asked, fighting every impulse to drag her into my arms. I battled enemies; I didn’t crumble under their spell. Damn Natalya and her hex. My messed-up head was probably a result of her enchantment, though I’d be just as attracted to this vixen if I crossed paths with her anywhere else.

  “You’re on my pack’s territory, so you tell me where you’re from.” She’d found her voice. Her words were strong, and I loved that more than her purring kitten reaction.

  “Russia.” At once, I regretted my response. Giving away secrets was the same as shooting myself in the foot. And I’d just done that royally. Except, she wasn’t running or going all furry on me. She studied me head to foot, rather impressed, judging by the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  “Really?” she asked.

  Curiosity got the better of me. “Expecting something different?”

  She shrugged and ambled away, inviting me to follow. Of course, I shouldn’t. What was wrong with me? I’d trained the Russian wulfkin army under the great Varlac Tsar’s leadership, and our modus operandi was to always eliminate the opponent. No second chances. This wulfkin luring me with her hypnotic trance could be my undoing.

  Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed her elbow, drawing her closer to me. Her hands snapped forward, pressed to my chest. Her eyes were wide with shock, yet she smiled.

  “What’s your name?” I asked, because no other words formed.

  “Kalin Asen.”

  I twirled the name in my mind, enjoying the sound of it. “Well, Kalin, seems we might have an issue. I have important matters to tend to, but I can’t seem to leave your side.”

  She broke into a giggle, and my skin rippled with goose bumps.

  “That’s a dilemma then,” she said. “What will you do?” She stared at me intently, while her fingers inched up my chest.

  I wrapped an arm around her waist, while my other hand swept through her hair, cradling the back of her head. Her softening against me said it all. She wasn’t pulling away. She was begging me to take
her.

  Every thought evaporated from my mind, replaced with only one: claiming Kalin.

  “I don’t know what you’ve done to me,” I whispered. Yet, the back of my mind kept saying it was too much of a coincidence that she happened to be at the castle on the night of our errand. Had someone leaked our plans? Was she a distraction?

  “For a guy, you sure talk a lot,” she said.

  A laugh came from deep within me, fast and loud. I’d never been with someone like Kalin, let alone felt lost in another’s presence. It had to be the spell affecting me, messing up my emotions. I couldn’t take another breath until I pressed her into me. Nothing else mattered but tasting, inhaling, taking her.

  I leaned in until our foreheads were touching.

  She released a tiny gasp that drove my pulse. Her hands sailed across the back of my neck, and our lips merged. At that exact moment, a spark zipped through me, and Kalin broke our kiss, staring at me with wild eyes. Fear crawled behind her gaze, as if she was seeing me for the first time, but it vanished just as quick as it had appeared. Then she pressed closer, her lips on mine, giving me no time to catch my thoughts. Her tongue teased the seam of my mouth, and fuck if I didn’t welcome her inside, sucking on her sweetness. All logic faded.

  My heart banged against my chest as she pushed herself closer. Her moans had me harder by the second. With her in my embrace, I walked her backward to the wall, our lips locked together. She unbuttoned my coat and snuggled against me, her fingers crawling up my back.

  Every inch of me craved to guide her into a room and have my way with her all night long. I kissed her cheek, dipping over her jawline to the tender flesh across her neck. Her scent flooded my senses, and energy coated my skin.

  “Goddess, your mouth is incredible,” she said.

  In one sudden move, I tugged on her corset, and her breasts popped out. “Divine.”

  She gasped and chewed on her lower lip. I couldn’t fight against the thoughts of how much I’d make her scream and lose herself.

  When I glanced down, I met the most amazing pair of breasts. Big enough to spill over the edges of my palms and tipped with pink nipples. When I met Kalin’s eyes, there was a vulnerability behind them I couldn’t resist.

  I wrapped my mouth over a breast, soft and warm, flicking the tight bead. Kalin clenched handfuls of my hair. She was so responsive to my touch.

  Moving on to the next breast, I paid it equal attention. My dick was so hard my pants strangled me.

  Didn’t matter. Not when I planned to strip her down any second and fuck her over and over.

  I sucked on her nipple and then pulled free, admiring how they bounced. In a swift move, I drew Kalin into my arms, her bare tits against me, their heat burning through my clothes. “You wanna hear all the dirty things I’ll do to you, my little wolf?” I whispered in her ear, and her next breath hitched.

  A blaring siren peeled overhead, and I held Kalin tighter. “What was that?”

  For those few seconds when the bells rang again, the mist in my head cleared, and the mission charged through my mind. What was I doing?

  Kalin untangled herself from my embrace. She tucked her delicious breasts back into her corset, but their silkiness still lingered on my tongue.

  Except, something felt different in my head for those few moments, as if I were realizing I’d been forgetting things.

  “I have to go,” she mumbled, her cheeks glowing red.

  I reached out for her, but she’d already bolted away, vanishing inside the castle.

  “Fuck!”

  Something about Kalin left me smitten. My wolf pined. I was a warrior and didn’t do crap like that. What was going on with me? Had to be the spell . . . But what if this was how it felt to meet a soul mate? I had to find her again, talk to her, convince her we’d been invited to the party by the owner, that there was no foul play. She didn’t need to know about our assignment. Then she and I could continue what we’d started.

  I rubbed my eyes. “Get it together.” Kalin’s intoxicating scent was drowning me. Okay, get the castle signed over to the Russian alpha. That was priority. I rushed through the corridors that led to the main courtyard, and my footsteps echoed. I skidded to a halt at the balcony overlooking the yard. People were wandering about, snacking on food and drinking. My pulse was in a frenzy over Kalin and why the alarm had sounded.

  But waiters were bustling about with food platters. The alarm must have been a dinner bell. Even Leo and Titus were carrying plates. Good to see them blending in. The band played a sorrowful tune, and the light breeze swayed the flames on the torches. There was no sign of Kalin.

  Natalya’s voice chimed behind me. “There you are.”

  I sighed, wishing it was Kalin, and turned around. Natalya twirled a strand of hair around her finger, staring at me and batting her eyes. She was beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but witches creeped me out, as I’d seen what they were capable of—torturing wulfkin, burning them alive . . . Besides, I was a wulfkin, so only a wolf girl would do for me. Like Kalin.

  “Have you found out when the owner’s arriving?” My gaze returned to the celebration. Laughter caught my attention, but it was a woman being tickled by a man twice her age.

  “You know that wulfkin isn’t into you. It’s the spell.” Natalya’s hands were on my chest.

  I lifted them off me and stepped away. “And your behavior here is perfectly normal?”

  “I have no hatred toward you, Axe. Why can’t we get along? I’m concerned that you chasing that wulfkin will cause you trouble in the long run.”

  I chuckled because she sounded ridiculous. On our travels to the castle, Natalya had sworn at us and promised to curse me into a rodent. “Listen, don’t worry about me. Focus on our job. Keep your head straight, and then we can go home.” The same went for me.

  Not waiting a second longer, I hurried downstairs, Natalya on my heels. Before we entered the courtyard, she curled her arm over mine. “We’re meant to be partners, remember? And I can look after you once we’re back in Russia.”

  I pulled free. “We don’t need to be touching. Go mingle. Find out where the host is.”

  She offered me a scowl, but as she strolled away, swinging her hips, she blew me a kiss.

  Oh, lord. That witch was insane. Clearly, her promise that the spell would only slightly impact us was a lie.

  Leo rushed up to me, holding a silver platter with tiny bowls overflowing with meatballs. I took one and stuffed the morsels into my mouth in one go before going in for seconds. Goddess, I could eat a truckload of these. Salty and spicy. My stomach growled with intensity.

  “Anything on the owner?” I asked before eating my third serving.

  Leo ate a meatball and spoke through a full mouth. “Someone said he’s here but wants to make a big entrance.”

  “Excellent. Also, not to alarm you, but there’s a wulfkin from the Transylvanian pack here.”

  Leo choked on his food, coughing and splattering it everywhere. I drew him away from a glaring elderly woman standing close by.

  “You fucking kidding me? I thought I smelled wolf, but then it faded and I blamed my imagination.” He sniffed the air.

  I grabbed his elbow, forcing him to face me. “Nothing for you to concern yourself with. I’ve got it under control.”

  The idea of him near my wolf girl made the hackles rise on the back of my neck. Now wasn’t the time to fight . . . especially with one of my own pack. Instead, I’d find Kalin and get insider information on the Transylvanian pack that would prove valuable to our alpha. Yeah, we could avoid massive bloodshed between the packs.

  I almost laughed at myself. Here I was, the army commander, trying to find a peaceful resolution to taking over a section of another pack’s territory. No alpha in their right mind would ever accept the enemy on their land. Which meant I was in deep shit with Kalin.

  “I don’t know about this,” Leo said. “If word gets out and our job goes to shit, the Varlac Tsar will snap our necks.�
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  “And if you don’t follow my lead, I’ll be doing the snapping. Of your spine. Now get back to your job.”

  Leo glared my way but took off with his silver platter, stuffing his gob with more meatballs.

  All right. So the night just got more complicated. But if the hex was affecting me, then it impacted Kalin. All I needed to do was lure her to me and then convince her we were invited to the party by the owner. Nothing else intended. Though worry crept to the back of my mind. Once she returned to her pack, she’d tell her alpha we were here, meaning he’d set up more wulfkin to patrol the woods. That would be what I’d do in his situation. So either I convinced my alpha to delay his takeover, which he’d never agree to, or I found a way to silence Kalin. And the latter part sat like mountains on my shoulders.

  Chapter Five

  Kalin

  “Wow, thank you.” The redheaded woman across from me stood up from the table, smiling.

  “You’re welcome.” I loathed lying. The cards I’d read for her had revealed a turbulent change coming. But my job tonight wasn’t to terrify customers. The truth sucked more often than not, so instead, I’d told her what she wanted to hear—that her year would be bright. I wished the same for the sexy wulfkin I’d kissed, because what I’d glimpsed when we had touched was never leaving my mind.

  Blood. Whether it belonged to him or someone else was inconsequential. He stood at the center of the mess. Was the Death card from earlier a message about him? Warning me to stay away?

  My client sauntered back toward the courtyard, vanishing into the crowd. While I’d been starving before, now I couldn’t stomach a crumb, not when my mind was consumed by the strange wulfkin. Hell, why a Russian? Their pack leader always acted hospitable, pretending to be every pack’s friend. But he sent spies into European territory to scout our lands. The Varlac leader of Hungary, who ruled all of Europe, was new to his position. Maybe he was too gullible to realize the threat. I struggled to believe a warlord from Russia would ignore such a prime opportunity to invade while the new Varlac leader found his feet.