By the Enchantment of Moonlight Read online

  Swift was close at her side—she could feel his wings brush against hers. He uttered a rather bold-sounding fairy oath and called her name. She reached for him, her hand latching on to what turned out to be his arm.

  “I’m here,” she assured him.

  Outside, Pimma could hear the succubus laugh. “Don’t worry, little fairies. I don’t intend to hurt you, not when I might have need of you later. However, I do need to make certain you won’t interrupt my plans.”

  “And what plans are those?” Swift demanded loudly.

  She laughed again. “The ones to take over the Forbidden Realm, of course.”

  Chapter Four

  They had to get out of here. Swift could feel fear radiating off of Pimma. She wasn’t whining or whimpering, and he appreciated that, but their situation was not exactly comfortable. He wished he could assure her they’d find a way out.

  Their magic was useless and there was no telling what the succubus had planned for them. In this dark, confined space there was little he could do but try not to be so very aware of Pimma’s soft skin, flowery scent, and rapid breathing. He wanted to touch her, but that would only add to the precarious nature of their situation.

  He decided to focus on their environment. He ran his hands over the smooth interior walls and was mildly surprised to find that it wasn’t constructed of iron—a naturally magic-dampening material. It felt more like…plastic. But that was a human construction. So, this was yet another example of humans involving themselves with magic.

  Voices nearby convinced him that they had not been transported somewhere, but that the box had been placed around them where they had been. They were still in the warehouse, atop the stack of crates. Wain and the succubus were still nearby, planning their next move.

  “All right, Wain,” the succubus said. “We need to be going.”

  “Should I bring the box with us?” Wain asked.

  “Of course you should bring it. How else am I going to be able to— Wait, someone is coming.”

  “What? There’s no one here. You’ve sent the crew off,” Wain protested.

  “Hush, and disguise yourself! Get rid of those damn wings.”

  Swift listened closely as Wain grumbled something. The succubus did not repeat her demand, so Swift could only assume Wain had complied. He must have taken on the only disguise practical in this situation—he’d used magic to make himself appear human in every way, not just larger. It was an almost unthinkable breach of the Fairy Code.

  “What are they doing?” Pimma whispered beside Swift.

  He was about to respond when he heard footsteps echoing on the concrete floor. A human was approaching; a man, from the bold, determined sound of his stride.

  “Miranda,” the arrival said, still drawing closer. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I’m arranging that shipment, like you asked me to do,” the succubus replied with a cheerful lilt.

  “The McGowan equipment is shipping from Warehouse B. This is Warehouse A,” the human announced.

  “I know, that’s what I was just telling Wain,” the succubus cooed. “He gets confused sometimes, but I’ve got it all under control, Devin.”

  “All right, then,” the human said. “Go ahead, Wain. Get to the other warehouse and assist with that shipment.”

  “Of course we will,” the succubus said quickly. “Come along, Wain. Mr. Sandstrom doesn’t want us to waste any more of his time.”

  “Actually, Wain can go on ahead,” the human said. “Miranda, if you don’t mind, I’d like a word with you, please.”

  Swift wasn’t an expert in human interactions, but he had a good idea what sort of word this man wanted with the succubus. Her voice had been sweet and sultry, and it wasn’t difficult to imagine how the human must have responded to her. Swift dreaded what was inevitably to come.

  If they were subject to another session of the succubus’s noisy coupling, Swift really couldn’t be sure what he might do. Alone here with Pimma, his senses full of her and his body already aching in areas that had no business aching, he had serious doubts about his ability to withstand temptation. He would have to get control of himself and get them out of this box quickly.

  Pimma seemed to agree. “Should we do something?” she whispered. “Maybe this human could free us.”

  “I doubt our captor would ever allow that.”

  “The succubus treats him like someone in authority. Who do you suppose he is?”

  “I recognize his name. I think Devin Sandstrom owns this place. They manufacture equipment used in the geothermal industry.”

  “Should I even ask how you know that?”

  “Probably not. Maybe we should try to find the opening and get out of here while she’s distracted with that human,” he instructed quietly.

  “Is she going to seduce him the way she did Wain?” Pimma questioned.

  “Probably.”

  And he’d much rather not be a captive audience for it. But maybe they wouldn’t have to be. The human’s sharp command sounded less than amused.

  “Stop it, Miranda,” the man said loudly.

  “Come on, Devin,” the succubus drawled. “Don’t you remember how good we used to be? You used to do things to me that no one else ever has. “

  “I’m sorry, Miranda. It’s not like that anymore,” the man replied.

  “But it can be. I can still make you feel good, Devin. You can still do whatever you want to me…We can still care about each other the way we always have.”

  “We were never anything more than convenient for each other, Miranda. I wanted someone to take my mind off my past, and you wanted to move up in the company. We both got what we wanted, didn’t we? Don’t pretend there was any caring involved for either of us.”

  “It was a mutually beneficial arrangement,” she purred. “Why shouldn’t we start again?”

  “Because I’m married now.”

  The succubus huffed loudly. “So? Your silly wife doesn’t need to know what goes on in your office. Or in your warehouse. Come on, Devin. Let me make you feel like you used to…let me take your mind off all your troubles. Let me feel you deep inside my body just one more time.”

  Swift was actually thankful for the box they were in. The pull from the succubus was so strong he might have almost stood in line for his turn with her if he’d not been physically prevented. Pimma’s breathing was coming in short little sighs now, too. By the Skies, that manipulative creature out there certainly had power.

  Apparently, not enough to sway Sandstrom, though.

  “We have work to do, Miranda,” he said, and his voice betrayed no hint that he was even a little bit tempted. “Carry on with Wain as much as you want—I’m still not even sure what you hired him to do since he seems incompetent at everything—but don’t forget your place around here. McGowan’s firm is our biggest contract right now. You should be overseeing that, not dragging your brainless assistant in here for a quick screw. What are these crates, anyway? I thought this building had been cleared out to get ready for our next production run.”

  “These are just empties,” the succubus said a little too quickly. “I’ll move them out once the McGowan shipment is gone and we have space over there.”

  Swift heard some shuffling and scraping. It seemed the man was moving things around. The sound of wood cracking nearby indicated he might have pried one of the slats loose on a crate.

  “This one’s not empty,” he said. “What is this? This looks like the console for one of our instruments, but what is the mechanism attached to it?”

  “It’s just a little thing that the guys in Research and Development were working on. I don’t think it even runs.”

  More wood cracking and some pounding. The man seemed determined to get a closer look at whatever he had discovered inside that crate. Now Swift could hear the whir of some sort of machinery starting up.

  “It seems to run,” the human said. “Whatever it is.”

  “Look, I’m not sure yo
u should poke around at it,” the succubus warned. “Like I said, it’s just a prototype. You know how the R and D guys are. They could have slapped this thing together for kicks and it might come flying apart at any minute.”

  By the nervous tone in her voice, Swift could tell she really, really did not want her employer investigating this item. From the steady sound of it, whatever the machine was, it had not been simply slapped together. Swift had seen plenty of strange machines in Iceland and had the strong suspicion this might be one of them. It was interesting to discover that Sandstrom himself had been unaware of what his equipment was being used for.

  That could mean the human was in danger. How desperate was this succubus to keep Devin Sandstrom from learning what she was up to?

  Suddenly, a siren blared from another building, rattling the box they were in. Swift felt Pimma jump beside him, and nearby he heard the succubus let out a surprised gasp. The human swore.

  “What the hell is that?”

  Then Wain’s voice called from across the warehouse. “Come quick! One of the trucks at the loading dock next door is on fire!”

  * * *

  Pimma was desperately trying not to let Swift know she was physically shaking now. They’d been trapped in a box, assaulted by more of the succubus’s vile seduction, and now a wailing alarm rattled her bones. What more could possibly happen?

  “Damn it, we don’t need any more problems with this shipment!” the human was shouting. “Get everyone out of the warehouses. Evacuate this whole area. Miranda, notify the plant to be on standby in case we need to evacuate them, too.”

  It was very noisy and Pimma couldn’t tell quite what was going on. Humans were shouting, bustling about. It seemed they were all coming to Devin for direction. He swore a gruff human oath and ordered everyone out of the building. His voice, along with the distinctive click of the succubus’s high-heeled shoes, was moving rapidly away. Devin was clearly in charge here, and Miranda was forced to give up any plans she had for her captive fairies.

  Eventually a distant door slammed shut and they were left in silence. The alarm still shrieked and the crated equipment Devin had turned on still hummed nearby. Pimma and Swift were alone, still trapped in a dark box with strange machines and a fire raging nearby.

  “We have to get out of here,” she said, feeling around for some sort of opening.

  She accidentally found herself feeling Swift. She had her hands pressed over his chest. He was warm and solid and the only safe thing she could connect with right now. She didn’t pull away.

  “We’ll be all right,” he assured her. His voice was husky and strong, just what she needed to calm her racing heartbeat.

  It didn’t calm her, though. Instead, her blood pounded harder. She leaned into him for support.

  “I don’t understand any of this,” she said softly.

  His hands came up to cover hers. “There’s a lot going on, and I’m afraid you’ve been pulled into it.”

  The box was so dark…even right here, holding herself against him she couldn’t see his features. She wished she could. Swift’s eyes were such a beautiful, vibrant color. She would have loved to gaze into their green depths right now.

  Carefully, she slipped one hand out from his and reached up to touch his face. Heat flowed between them as her fingers found his chin, traced the rough contours, and then trailed up to study his lips. Her pulse throbbed so loudly she was sure he could hear it. The machinery whirred from its crate on the warehouse floor.

  “I’m glad you’re with me,” she said. “I’d be terrified if you weren’t here.”

  His chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. “You might end up wishing I wasn’t…”

  “No, there’s no one I feel safer with.”

  Because she did feel so very safe, she pressed herself even more tightly against him. A low moan escaped him and his arms went around her, holding her. It was the most delicious feeling ever and she almost didn’t care if the building burned or the machinery exploded, except that it would put an end to this bliss.

  Fairies did not often engage in so much physical contact. They weren’t humans, after all, and they certainly did not participate in carnal activities that would require so much touching and rubbing and embracing. The more seconds that ticked by, however, the more Pimma realized she wanted to do all those things. Yes, and she wanted to feel all those things being done to her.

  Luckily, Swift seemed to feel the same way. He was embracing her, rubbing his hands over her shoulders, her back, the sensitive areas around her wings, and all the way down below her waist. Their bodies were touching in ways she had never touched another fairy, and it was clearly affecting them both.

  By the Skies, Swift was growing hard and ready, just the way Pimma had heard whispered that humans did when they anticipated carnal activity. The succubus must have been able to make Wain react in that manner, but Swift was not with the succubus. He was here, with Pimma. She shuddered at the realization that she could elicit such a response in him. She had never in her life even thought about desire, let alone produced it in someone.

  Yet here was the proof that she had done just that. Huge, undeniable proof. Swift’s organ strained against his pants and she was even more convinced he must be extremely well endowed there. She wanted to explore this new development, to find out just where this desire would lead.

  She wanted to touch him. Not just the form of him pressed against her through his clothes, but to actually feel his skin against hers, to learn the texture of that heated, hardened item that seemed so intent on making itself known. All of this was completely irrational, but she didn’t care.

  Swift groaned as she slid her body against his. The sound was deep and earthy, as if instinct was taking him over. The sound resonated inside her as a new and unfamiliar impulse came alive.

  “We’ve got to stop,” he said, even as his hands skimmed over her thighs and tugged her skirt upward.

  “No. We’ve got to keep going,” she replied, tugging at his shirt to pull it open.

  Skin. She needed his skin. He was taller than her, so once she had his shirt open it was easy to press her lips against his chest. He felt like fire and tasted salty and sweet. She found a nipple, running her fingers over it then slowly moving to taste that, too. He ground himself against her.

  “I’m going to lose control, Pimma,” he warned. “We have to stop this.”

  “I can’t. I don’t want to.”

  “We’re not thinking clearly.”

  “No, I’ve never been so clear in my life. Do you like what I’m doing?”

  “I do, Pimma. I like it too much.”

  “Then let’s keep at it. Here, let me help you.”

  She began working the fastener at his pants. He didn’t seem as eager to help as she would have expected.

  “No…I can’t do this to you, Pimma,” he said.

  “Well, somebody needs to, and you’re the only one in this box with me.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice tight and low. “The machine out there…it’s got some strange properties. It causes us to feel like this.”

  “I’m pretty sure you’re the one making me feel like this,” she said, finally getting her hands inside his pants. “Oh, by the Skies! This is amazing!”

  “Yes…it is. We need to stop ourselves, though. That machine is making us do things we don’t want to do.”

  “But I do want to do it! Don’t you?”

  “You have no idea.”

  The heat and urgency in his voice was obvious. Relief and need washed over her as she tipped her head to rest her cheek on his hand. He did want her! She wasn’t alone in this unfamiliar new world of arousal.

  “I’m pretty sure I have some idea. Do you like when I touch you?”

  “I want you to touch me like that forever, but we both know how wrong it is.”

  “It feels so right, though.”

  “By the Skies, I don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore,�
� he said, but his words were mostly lost as he pulled her tight up against him and drank her desire with a kiss.

  His lips took hold of hers and she was stunned by the electricity that flashed between them. At first she could do nothing but let the thrill wash over her. Her limbs went numb and she was helpless in his arms. His kiss possessed her, his tongue tasted her, seeking for her reaction. Heat welled up inside her and she was suddenly fully alive, tingling with need and exploring his mouth with her own.

  Her hands were back in his pants. His cock was enormous, huge and hot and solid. She’d never held one before and the feel of it entranced her. So hard, yet soft as the powder on a moth’s wing. She stroked her hands over him as his tongue played with hers. The low growl he made encouraged her that she was doing the right thing.

  It was easy to continue with it, too. She’d been transfixed as the succubus seduced Wain. Their joining had been shocking, yet very arousing, and Pimma was glad for that little primer. Now she knew just how to touch Swift, how to position her body against his.

  His hands raked over her butt and drew her skirt up high. Without the distraction of sight, she felt every touch of his hands, every contour of his body with more detail and clarity than anything she’d ever felt before. Her own skin was alive with sizzling energy, her heart fluttered with excitement. In her most sensitive core, she felt that she might suddenly combust.

  Then he touched her there. His hand slid between her thighs, finding this pool of heat and desire. She leaned into him, arching her body to give him more of her. By the Skies, she wanted more of him.

  “You’re so hot, so wet for me, Pimma,” he murmured.

  “Yes. And you’re hard and hot. I need you, Swift. I need you now.”

  He didn’t deny her. She pushed his pants down, drawing his cock toward her. The heated tip touched her and made her gasp. Feeling flowed over her and through her, pushing conscious thought aside so raging instinct could take over.

  He pulled her closer. His hands kneaded her butt and she pressed against him, his cock pressing against her, sparking more of that wonderful, pooling desire. She rose on her tiptoes and he held her, hoisting her higher.