Marked: A Two Halves Novella Read Free Page A

aroma.
    Behind me. I whirled around.
    The woman hid behind a spruce. The wind sprinkled its
needles onto my head.
    “Who are you?” What I’d meant to be a command came out as a
whisper.
    “Please don’t hurt me.” She stepped out, her hands crossed
at her chest, seeming afraid, but even if I wanted to hurt her, I had a feeling
she could defend herself. Black hair spilled down her front in curls,
contrasting with her white, sun-shy face. The wind gusted as if summoned,
causing the smell of roses to intensify; I pictured them blooming around her,
but I couldn’t see any.
    “Why would I hurt you? Don’t be afraid.” I stepped forward.
    “You’ll hurt me,” she said as if certain.
    “I promise I won’t. And my promise is true. Who are you?”
    “My name is Xela.”
    “I’m Xander.” I licked my lips. My attraction was
undeniable. My gaze slipped to her thighs as I wondered how strong they were.
Was the laced see-through skirt meant to induce lustful thoughts? If it weren’t
for the black shorts clinging to her hips, I’d have had her by now. She wasn’t
a shifter, so when I saw her breasts perk up I knew it was a hormonal change as
blood flow through her veins increased. I grinned as she sauntered toward me.
She accepted my assertion.
    “Hello, Xander.” Her voice sang, drawing me in. The roses
bloomed again, their perfume settling on my tongue. Bracelets dangling from her
left wrist twirled down her arm toward her elbow when she lifted her arms to
gather her hair into a bun. I followed the movement of each finger. Her neck
was longer than I first perceived, and the low-cut, fitted tank top seemed
smaller than before. A stray curl caressed her face. She lowered her hands, and
before the bracelets slid toward her palm, I saw the mark.
    She followed my gaze to her wrist and its oval imprint.
“That’s why I’m afraid you’ll hurt me.”
    “I promised, didn’t I?” I took a step closer.
    “Yes.” Her voice reminded me of the soft whir of a
hummingbird’s wings. Her full lips pouted slightly, bringing my eyes back to
her hazel ones.
    “Who are you?” I asked out of astonishment, not fear.
    “I’m a witch.”
    I lifted a brow. “All alone?”
    She stopped inches from me. “Yes.”
    I knew my destiny was with her—she was the one I’d been
waiting for. The witch held power over my body and my mind, and I liked it; I
wouldn’t even care if she’d used a spell to make me feel this way, though I
knew she hadn’t. She pulled me from the loss of oblivion and made me feel like
I belonged. Her mere presence made me long for a woman as I’d never longed
before. I had to take her and be with her in every way a man could. And it
would have to be soon, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could contain the
desires that centered in one spot on my body.
    “Do you need something?” she asked, as if reading my mind.
Her shyness was gone and the sparkle in her eyes now glowed with lust, swirling
promises I longed to fulfill.
    “Only you.” I wanted to touch her but held back—not out of
fear of her, but fear she’d reject me because I was no one. I hadn’t been
marked.
    “Come with me.” She took my hand. The heat of her sphere
almost burned my wrist, but I didn’t pull away. Our fingers intertwined.
    “Where are we going?” I asked, though I didn’t care where
she took me. She could drag me all the way to hell, and I’d follow.
    “To my lair.”
    She twirled her finger as if she were stirring a pot. The
forest swirled, and the green, earthy scents of pine needles and moss mixed
with her rosy aroma. The space to my right became a rippled hole as she opened
a portal. Although a difficult skill to master, it wasn’t uncommon for a
supernatural to use one to travel through time and space. Xela faced me in the
vortex, holding my hands. Then she rested her head on my chest, and I wrapped
my arms around her as we flew through the time hole.
    When the spinning stopped, we were in an underground