21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Samara

" . ..was extremely dangerous and not to mention stupid! Do you know what the repercussions would be for the witches, for the whole supernatural world?" Edna Whitmore, the Head Witch of the freaking Coven of the Guiding Hand, spoke in her calm yet somehow furious voice, glaring at me from across the table. She and several of her witches had shown up without warning, demanding to speak to Regina, only to be served with the bitter truth—Regina was no more and I was in charge. And they were most certainly not happy about that. "There is a reason why we keep our existence a secret, why my entire Coven is devoted to making sure the humans never find out the truth, a reason—"

"I know," I interrupted, no longer bothering to hide my frustration. It took great effort not to start massaging my throbbing temples and even though I had rehearsed several times what I planned to say to them, things were somehow not going well. "We all know, Edna." I tried to sound confident, like Paula suggested before we started the meeting, but that woman was freaking intimidating. She looked around fifty, which by witch's standards meant she was at least as old as Regina, and she seemed so put together that I felt like a child dressed as an adult and brought on a stage to play a part.

Her every word cut like a knife and her eyes were so cold, they made Regina look warm in comparison. But what Edna didn't know—and didn't have—was a male witch on a leash. A male witch who was trying to break my mental defenses even at this moment, distracting me from the conversation. I was already at my limit with pain, exhaustion, and overall patience that any sense of decorum had jumped out of the window when she called me a little girl .

"This was Regina's decision. We trusted and followed our Head Witch," I said through gritted teeth, gripping my thighs harder so I could keep my back straight and my hands busy.

"Regina is dead!" Edna fired back, her voice rising an octave until the noise grated on the last of my nerves.

"Exactly!" I slammed my hands on the table, keeping them pressed down so I wouldn't send a spell at her. "It's not our fault that her plan backfired! We are just trying to deal with the consequences the best we can."

Edna's jaw tightened as she rubbed her temples. What did she have to complain about? This was a nuisance to her, and possibly the end for me.

The dark-skinned woman beside her watched me with steely eyes, barely blinking like she didn't want to miss any information I might subconsciously betray. She scared me even more than Edna did because she didn't speak, didn't react, she didn't even appear to be breathing half of the time. If I hadn't studied her with my magic when they arrived, I could have mistaken her for a vampire.

"There is no covering it up now," the woman on Edna's other side spoke, intertwining her fingers in front of her. She hadn't introduced herself or spoken directly to me, addressing instead the others like I wasn't worth her attention. I held back my tongue only because Paula had called her Tenzin, which made her the Head Witch of the Coven of Divine Spirit. Regina must have forgotten to include in her lessons that studying the origin of magic and the soul apparently made that person an arrogant bitch. "The whole country has its eyes on this city and while they cannot see the ward anymore, they are still curious. So we'll need to quickly prep several more shocking news or events around the world to sweep this fuck-up under the rug." Her eyes shot to me so fast, I thought I imagined it, but it was to Paula she spoke. "And your Coven needs to move."

I frowned. "Move?" I asked at the same time Paula did .

"Yes, move," Edna interjected. "This place will be crawling with hunters in no time. Unless you plan to fight them, because the ward will not stop them, you must disappear from their radar." The sharp lines on her face rounded a fraction like she was trying to soften the blow, but her eyes remained cold and sharp. "At least for a few years, until things calm down. This is for your own protection, and the protection of witch kind."

I opened my mouth several times in search of the right words, but in the end, all I could say was, "No."

If they were surprised by my answer, they didn't show it. My witches kept quiet, like they did when Regina was talking, but I could feel their eyes like pricks on my skin. I shuddered, balling my hands into fists and quickly dragging them under the table again before the others could notice.

"No?" Edna straightened in her chair, her dark eyebrows raising in derision. "You don't have a choice, girl. You're in a bigger mess than you can imagine and we'll not let you put all the witches in the world in danger because you don't want to leave home." Her eyes shot to the old panels and the spiderwebs on the ceiling that nobody had bothered to clean. "Or maybe home is not the right word since you don't even have a home." Returning her eyes to me, she gave me a bone-chilling smile. "You don't have a past or a family, and Regina's property is in ashes. So I don't see what's keeping you here."

Flashes of my parent's faces filled my vision, of my sister and a little brother I hadn't even met. I could almost remember their voices now, the warmth and joy that coming home used to bring me. Whatever spell Regina cast to make me forget, it was unraveling, and my memories were coming back in bits and fragments.

If I left, they'd never know about me, and the longer I waited to tell them the truth, the bigger the chance they'd never want to hear it. Or worse, they might not be alive to listen to it.

I dug my nails into my palms, slowly exhaling through my mouth while my head spun from the emotions… and another onslaught of Mathias' endless prodding. I was getting better at ignoring the constant pain, but it was also getting harder to keep my tone even.

"No," I repeated, more confidently this time. "This city is our home." I looked at Paula and she nodded, the hesitation disappearing from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on the woman in front of me. "The hunters aren't… a real threat if we stand together. So instead of making us cower and run in shame, help us." Confusion passed through Edna's face, so before she could interrupt me, I continued. "Help us prove to everyone that the witches are powerful enough. They will leave us alone if we stand our ground here and win." I gritted my teeth when they met my words with stony expressions, so I added, trying to sound as positive as possible. "Or at the very least, tread carefully when dealing with us. This city can be what Regina envisioned." I forced a smile to my face, making sure there were no cracks in my mask. "A safe haven."

"And the shifters?" Tenzin scoffed, finally looking me in the eye. "You don't have the power to sustain this ward indefinitely. They'll return and they will be thirsty for blood. If they unite—"

"They know that we have the strength to chase them out again, so if we pretend to…" Another jab at my mind made me wince, and this time my whole body responded to the invasion, heating up like it was ready to burn the bridge connecting me to Mathias. I forced myself to continue. "...negotiate their return, we'll be in a position to make a deal that favors us," I said, holding her gaze. "The time for standing on equal ground has passed. If we play our cards right… we will rule this city, ward or no ward."

The silence that followed was so deep, it made the buzzing in my body almost deafening. Heat flooded my core while I waited for their reaction, my mind going foggy as Mathias' annoying prodding turned into an outright banging that made me squeeze the edges of my chair.

Goddess, I couldn't keep this up. I was going to lose it.

"This is…" Edna started, waving her hand like she was trying to pluck the right word from the air, but Paula cleared her throat before she could finish.

"I think we all need a moment to collect ourselves and think of what we have just discussed, don't you think, ladies?" she said with an amiable smile, shooting me a glance I couldn't quite understand. "Let us show you to your rooms where you can rest and refresh yourselves from the long journey and we can reconvene later when we've all assimilated this…" She licked her lips, a very convincing smile blossoming on her small mouth. "...conversation."

Edna looked down her nose at us but rose to her feet.

"Yes, let's," she said in a clipped tone. "Your Head Witch looks like she could use some clarity." She headed toward the door and the others followed, the rest of my witches hurrying to escort them. Paula and I remained behind .

"Are you alright?" she whispered after making sure they were gone. "Your eyes keep going in and out of focus. Are you sick? Is there—"

"I'm fine." I got up on shaky feet. Paula moved with me, catching my elbow just as I swayed forward. The fire that started in my chest had now concentrated lower, much lower.

"You don't look fine." Her cool hand pressed on my cheek, and without meaning to, I leaned into her touch. A sharp intake of breath had me opening my eyes to find her staring at me with concern. "How long has it been since you've… been intimate with someone?"

I staggered back, feeling my face heat up with more than just embarrassment, but her expression remained unchanged. When she continued to wait expectantly, I sighed.

"A few months."

"How few?" she insisted. Did she really need to know that much? That wasn't the main issue here. The main issue was the annoying male witch that wouldn't leave my mind alone.

"Four."

Paula sucked in a sharp breath.

"Are you insane?" she snarled, catching my shoulders and squeezing them. "No wonder you look like you're about to explode! How are you even standing? Didn't Regina…" She trailed off, shaking her head before giving me a weak smile. "I'm going to find you a man." I opened my mouth to say no, but winced instead. She shook her head. "Or a woman. Whatever you prefer." She raised an eyebrow in question, but when I didn't elaborate, she sighed. "You need to get your magic under control, Samara. For all of our sakes. You aren't a Second to run around doing whatever you want. You are the Head Witch now. Your Coven is your first and only priority." Her fingers dug into my shoulder even tighter. "And to do what you need to do, your head must be clear and your magic stable."

I snarled in frustration. With the way things were going, it wouldn't be long before I cracked under the pressure Mathias was inflicting on my mind. If fucking a man was what got some of the load off my shoulders, I had to do it.

"I prefer men," I sighed in defeat. "Be discreet about it. And help me to my room first."

"Of course." Paula nodded readily, sliding an arm around my waist.

I tried to keep my back straight while we walked through the corridors of the new house we had moved into. Most of the witches stayed at their own homes since the danger was minimal out there while the ward was up, but some had opted to remain together and this mansion was the only place, other than Regina's ruined home, that could accommodate so many. I hadn't bothered to ask what happened to the wealthy man who owned it, but I figured he didn't need it anymore.

I didn't notice when we reached the master bedroom until Paula led me inside, telling me she'd be back soon. The chamber wasn't much to look at, despite its extravagant interior that made even Regina's mansion look modest. The ache between my legs was getting uncomfortable, so I gave up on exploring and dragged my feet toward the bed. I hadn't even crossed half the distance when I heard the door behind me open.

"That was fast. How did you—" I turned around and froze when I noticed it wasn't Paula closing the door, but… Mathias. He had changed his clothes to his usual black ones, his hair falling casually over his forehead as he smirked at me.

"Missed me?"

I took a step back, wondering if there was another exit. I didn't dare look away from him as he followed, but I couldn't let myself get cornered, either.

"W-W-What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed. "What if someone saw you? What if—"

"I'm only seen when I want to be seen. And if they did somehow, then they'd be…gone," he replied with that same infuriating smile that put me more on edge than his angry sneer. "Now, to the real question here. What do you think you are doing?"

My thighs hit something, and I glanced back to find out I had reached the bed. I considered climbing on it to get away from him faster, but decided against it. I didn't want to be in bed with Mathias moving toward me with that expression. So I raised my hand just as he was about to enter my personal space and held it firm when he tried to push past it.

"Enough!" I hissed, and he finally stopped. "I'm trying to fix the mess Regina made and you are not helping! Stop this fucking torture!"

"Release me and I will." He shrugged, wrapping his fingers around mine. I tried to yank my hand free, but he only held it tighter. "I don't like doing this to you. In fact," His eyes lowered to my mouth, then to the tight dress I wore, before settling on my face. The pain between my thighs got almost as bad as the one in my head. "There are many other things I would prefer to be doing, but you're not leaving me much of a choice." His smile withered, and he squeezed my hand until I was sure a bone would snap. "Enough games, Samara. Free me."

"No," I said loud and clear, finally pulling away from him. He stared at his empty palm before letting it fall by his side. "Now get out of here and stay out of sight!"

"Why, so you can get fucked by a stranger?" The edges of his lips curved up, but his eyes remained ice cold. How did he know about that? Was he listening to us?

"What I do is none of your business!" I snarled, trying to move past him, but he was faster. Grabbing my arm, he shoved me onto the bed, removing the space between us in the blink of an eye. When he pinned my wrists above my head, he grinned like a demon.

"If you think for a second that I'll stand by and listen to you begging for more while another man fucks you, you are clearly delusional," he whispered against my lips. I turned my head aside, thinking he might try to kiss me, but he just kept staring with a look that made me grit my teeth before a treacherous moan escaped them.

"Then don't listen," I hissed, telling myself I should lash out, throw him across the room and run. I probably wouldn't get far, but if I ordered him to stay away… No, I couldn't do that. I had already given him an order and the strain on my body was horrendous. I just had to do what worked best with him—ignore him until he got bored.

Mathias traced his nose over the length of my neck, inhaling deeply while his breath ghosted my skin.

"The thing is, Samara, I can't," he whispered, and when I felt his lips press against my throat, I jerked away on instinct. His grip tightened, making sure I couldn't go far, and the cold touch of his power told me there would be no fighting. Not with magic, at least. "With this bond between us, it's impossible not to listen to your thoughts." His teeth nibbled my skin and pain shot through my body. "Your emotions…" He ran his tongue over the aching place as if to soothe it before speaking again. "… your needs. Especially when they are so goddamn loud."

I tentatively checked my mental wards, making sure they were still intact, but nothing seemed out of order. Relief filled my mind, but it only lasted until something slammed into them so hard, they shattered like glass. I gasped in surprise when Mathias barged into my head, moving through the fog that had taken over like he owned the place. The pain intensified, and the burning turned into an inferno while old memories flashed before my eyes. I thought I had locked those away, but he found them so quickly… Or maybe those weren't mine but his.

Our first and only night together had always been a blur in my mind, trapped in a mist of lust and need I had no control over. All I could remember was dragging myself to his room and kissing him, and then we were in his bed and I was screaming his name.

But this… this was vivid and clear, like it was happening right now. Every touch, every breath, every moan, and every scream. I could smell the soap he favored, taste the bitter tea on his lips, feel his tongue in my mouth, on my neck, on my breasts, between my legs.

I fought the urge to rub my thighs together to relieve the tension building between them. Watching my past self groan and writhe while he fucked her like a man possessed felt so filthy and wrong that all I wanted to do was look away, but I couldn't. And my body… my fucking body wanted to feel all of that again.

"It will." Mathias nibbled at my ear and when the vision faded enough for me to see properly, I realized I was now lying on the edge of my bed with him between my legs. "You will." He repeated, just as his hands pushed my skirt up.

I wanted to say no, to jerk away, but as his thumb found my center and rubbed over it through my soaked panties, all I could do was moan. With a soft chuckle, he knelt before me, pressing his nose against my underwear. The low, approving sound he made had my insides clenching with anticipation.

I bit my lip to stop myself from begging him to keep going, but a light brush over my mind told me he already knew. He ran his tongue over the drenched lace with painful slowness, teasing me through the fabric until I whined. His hand yanked the panties aside until they disintegrated in his grip. I only had time for one surprised gasp before his tongue delved into me, destroying the last of my resistance.

I moaned while he folded his arms around my thighs, pushing my legs up until I was bare for him. The sounds of him licking and groaning made me dizzy with desire and before I knew it, I was cumming so hard, I screamed.

Goddess, I had forgotten what coming undone felt like. I wanted more, I needed more.

"I know," Mathias purred, and when I forced my eyes open, I found him hovering over me. The look on his face was the one I remembered from our first night together, full of lust and not a hint of violence. Eager. Content. Desperate. It stole my breath away and pulled on my body like it was wrapped in invisible strings, so before I knew it, I was running my palms over his chest.

His pelvis pressed between my legs, and he rubbed his length against my center. ‘I want it inside of me,' I thought, surprise and mortification filling my head when the smile on his face spread from ear to ear.

"I know," he said again, pressing his finger on the top of my dress and running it down to where it was gathered around my waist. The fabric fell apart like it was made of dust, leaving me entirely naked beneath him. I tried to cover up on instinct, but he caught my wrists and pinned them beside my head this time. The way he bit into his lip while his eyes roved over my body pulled on those invisible strings again, making me rub against him in search of more of his touch.

I didn't notice his own clothes vanishing until his hot, bare skin brushed against mine, rekindling the fire that was just starting to die down.

"Mathias…" I whispered, but I couldn't decide whether to tell him to stop or keep going. Leaning in close, he ran his tongue over my mouth and when I didn't open it, he tsked. Without warning, he buried himself so deep that I screamed at the sharp pain that came with the invasion. His tongue collided with mine, coaxing it into a distracting dance while he started to move inside of me.

The clarity that had come after my first orgasm slipped, and before I knew it, I was kissing him back. I wrapped my arms around his neck when he released them, meeting his thrust and moaning just as loud as him. His hands were everywhere, his mouth relentless in its exploration, as if he wanted to taste every inch of me. Arching my back so I could take him deeper, I dug my nails into his ass and he groaned. He stopped, the muscles beneath my fingers tensing so much, it had to be painful. I used his distraction to flip us over until I was on top of him.

His surprise lasted only a second before he gripped my hip, urging me to ride him. His other hand cupped my breast, squeezing it tightly while he brushed his thumb over my hard nipple. I let my body take over, rolling my hips while delicious tension coiled in my stomach until I was ready to explode.

His hand slid to my neck, and he pulled me down, kissing me and thrusting even harder. There was something… intimidating about it, something almost sweet and genuine in the way his arms held me close and his heart raced almost as fast as mine. The thought slipped away when my orgasm took over, and a few seconds later, he followed.

I slumped over his chest, panting heavily. He held me close even as my panting eased and my legs stopped shaking. It felt strange, laying in the arms of a man you hate, a man who could destroy the world on a whim. Even more striking was the gentleness with which his fingers caressed my lower back or the deep, labored breaths he took. It made him so human, so… normal.

With clarity came the shame, so I quickly redid my mental wards before he could read me again. I couldn't feel him in my head anymore, not even prodding and poking at my defenses until I wanted to scream and cry. He lay beneath me, quiet, his thumb dancing over my skin like this was the most natural thing in the world.

But it wasn't. This was anything but normal because I didn't choose this, just like I didn't choose it the first time. And he… he only did it to mess with my mind. After getting me this weak and vulnerable, he was no doubt waiting for his moment to coax me into releasing him. I had expected him to. I wanted him to so that I could loathe him and loathe this experience.

But he didn't. Why didn't he?

Moving my hand to his chest, I pushed myself up. I could still feel him inside of me and I couldn't wait to get away, but I needed his guard down until I said the words.

The expression of solemn contentment on his face took me aback. Licking my lips, I was just about to speak when he wrapped his fingers around the hand I was still resting on his chest. I wasn't sure what he was planning next, so I gathered all of my magic, all of my power and strength, and sent it over the bond that tied us together. His body jerked and his eyes widened, but before he could do anything, I was already issuing my order.

"You will leave this house and go back to the cabin and you will not make contact with any witches without my permission," I enunciated every word, glad that for the first time in weeks, my mind was crystal clear. The soft look vanished, replaced by the cutting ice I was painfully familiar with.

I gulped when his hand squeezed my throat and he flipped us over, trapping me between the bed and his body. I could still feel him inside of me, but I refused to get distracted by the way he got harder with every passing second. Instead, I focused on the runes that formed on his neck and forehead and the pain shining from his eyes.

"You will do as you're told!" I choked out even as his grip tightened.

"You just made a huge mistake," Mathias hissed in my face. "You could barely… issue one order and deal with the fallout!" Red veins spread through his eyes, his skin paling as the runes branded themselves deeper. "You're not powerful enough to… sustain two for long! Nobody is! Not even Regina and she was… one of the strongest witches alive!"

The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils while the runes continued to burn as he fought against their command. His hand started to shake, and he finally released me, jerking back like touching me was what brought him all this pain.

"This could have been… so much different, Samara. If only you'd… fucking listen to me!" he hissed again, his magic turning the room so cold, my breath came out in a cloud of steam. "Enjoy your suffering and when your order fades… I'll be back for you. And then—"

"Leave!" I shouted, sending more of my power through the bond until he screamed. In the next instant, he was gone. The cold air freezing my lungs warmed, leaving me gasping for breath.

When my body stopped shaking, I rolled out of bed and stumbled toward the dresser. I wanted to shower and scrub the memory of him out of my mind, but I didn't have time for that. Unwittingly, he had just given me an idea of how to deal with this whole mess, and I needed to find out if it could be done. For me, and for my family. For everyone.

I jumped into the first pair of pants I could find, throwing on a shirt on my way to the door, when someone knocked. I found Paula standing impatiently outside while a tall, handsome man in jeans and a T-shirt looked around curiously. The moment his bleary eyes fell on me, he licked his lips, giving me a wistful smile.

Bile rose in my mouth as I held his hungry gaze. It should have been him. Anyone, really... He would have fucked me and left with vague memories of a fun night while I would have forgotten he ever existed. It would have been easier that way.

Why did Mathias have to show up? Why did he have to do these things, touch me like that, confuse me like that? Why did he have to be born a monster destined for disasters? Why did he have to be so…

"Here you go, darling," Paula smiled, stepping aside, so the stranger had access to the door. When I didn't move, he cleared his throat and offered me his hand in greeting.

"Hi, I'm Harry. I…"

I pushed past him, ignoring their confused looks .

"Get him out of here before something happens to him," I said as I stormed down the corridor. I needed to create a tether so I could translocate, so I had to find something of mine to pour a piece of my soul into.

"Wait!" Paula shouted. When I didn't stop, she grabbed my arm and whirled me around. "Samara, we talked about this! You need to do this!"

"I took care of it," I snarled, and she looked me over, her eyes widening in surprise. "Now I need to go. Return the human where you found him and make sure nothing happens to him." I glanced at the man standing by my door, grimacing. "We have enough problems as it is."

"Go?" Paula repeated while I moved to leave. "Go where? We need to meet with the Guiding Hand again! You can't just leave! There are things…"

I turned to face her but continued to walk backward as I threw my hands in the air.

"I'm the Head Witch of the Coven of the Hallowed Goddess! I go where I please! And right now, I have more important things to deal with than a bunch of old hags who think this is the end of the world. Because they know nothing!" I used Paula's confusion to gain more distance, hurrying toward the door before she could stop me again. "Keep them occupied until I return. If they try something, remind them they are our guests. They'd do well to remember that a witch's biggest strength is her Coven and currently," I smirked, enjoying the feeling of power and contentment that filled my being even though I knew it wouldn't last long, "we are the most powerful here."