Winter's Thrall Read online

  Maurus scowled at him. ‘Put a shirt on, Son. You look like one of your sister’s slaves.’

  He snorted. ‘I may as well be, with all the demands she makes of me.’

  His dad’s fist clenched on the table. ‘You ought to show her more respect. Bridey adores you.’

  ‘She has a sick and extremely twisted way of showing it.’

  As if on cue, the devil herself walked into the room and smiled the moment she spotted Maurus. ‘Hi Daddy!’ She ran into his arms, falling into his lap as they kissed.

  Ick! Caleb still couldn’t deal with the level of intimacy they shared. His whole family was all sorts of messed up.

  Dressed in one of her many purple corsets and black miniskirts, Bridey moved across to Caleb and straddled him. ‘Morning, sweetheart.’ As her skirt hitched up, his sister’s slick arousal soaked into his jeans and her mouth claimed his with the hunger of a starved lioness.

  Caleb detested how remarkable her lips felt pressed against his, how sweet she tasted, and most of all, how much his cock responded to her. ‘I didn’t realise I was on the breakfast menu.’

  Bridey dabbed his nose with one of her manicured fingertips. ‘Caleb, dear, you are always on my menu.’ She moved to her own chair to his left and watched as servants spread the actual food on the table.

  ‘Have you started training yet?’ Dad’s gruff voice pulled Caleb’s attention away from Bridey’s huge breasts.

  ‘No.’

  Maurus growled. ‘I’ve been patient with you, Son, because of what your mother did, but I’m done waiting. You could be a great necromancer, Caleb. It’s about time you lived up to your potential.’

  ‘Not gonna happen. I don’t wanna go dark.’

  His dad chuckled. ‘I’ve got news for you, my boy: your soul is already damned. You may as well embrace it.’ Then all signs of humour fled. ‘It’s time to man up and start pulling your weight in this family. You have two options: either join my business or Bridey’s.’

  Caleb hated the idea of working for his father. From what he’d gathered, it was more of a cult than a company: one practising some of the darkest magic known to mage kind. It made Bridey’s life of crime look like a teddy bear’s picnic. ‘Fine. I’ll join the Dark Syndicate.’

  Bridey gasped and clapped her hands together. ‘Oh Caleb, do you honestly mean it?’

  He looked at her and nodded.

  She pulled him into a firm embrace. ‘I love you so much! I can’t wait to work together.’

  A young woman in a skimpy French maid costume announced, ‘Breakfast is ready.’

  Bridey pulled out of Caleb’s arms. ‘Thank you, Isabelle. The seven may enter.’

  The maid bowed, turned, and opened the door for Bridey’s harem.

  Caleb had been dreading this moment since the previous night.

  As soon as Brendan entered—head lowered, as expected of a slave—Caleb observed how Bridey’s eyes lit up. Her reaction didn’t surprise him either. He had never seen a man pull off tight leather pants so well. The bastard even rocked the slave collar better than anyone else. Ironically, the whole outfit on Brendan’s imposing frame made him look more Dominant than submissive.

  Maurus erupted from his seat. ‘Are you insane, Bridey?’

  Having thought as much for ages, Caleb couldn’t help the snigger.

  Her jaw dropped open. ‘What’s wrong, Daddy?’

  Dad thrust a hand toward Brendan. ‘This. Him! Surely you realise your latest catch is a pure mage. Don’t you think the Council will notice he’s missing?’

  Bridey moved across the room and encircled the shoulders of her latest prize with her arm. ‘Don’t be silly. Brendan here came to me willingly. Didn’t you handsome?’

  Brendan’s gaze lifted and immediately fell upon Caleb. ‘Yes, Madame.’

  Pure delight registered in her expression.

  Maurus shook his head. ‘He must be a spy. You cannot trust him, sweetheart.’

  ‘He is not just any pure mage. We have history. Brendan, honey, this is my dad, Maurus. Please explain the situation to him.’

  Stepping forward, Brendan offered his hand to their unimpressed father, who shook it reluctantly. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir. Your daughter refers to my involvement with the Dark Syndicate. I was the original source of Rhapsody.’

  Caleb almost choked on his coffee. This was news to him. He hadn’t realised all those previous visits had been business calls. After Bridey told him about the time she’d fucked Brendan, Caleb had assumed a more sexual relationship existed between them.

  Maurus narrowed his eyes on Brendan. ‘Let me see your aura.’ A moment later he grinned. ‘Well, I’ll be damned a second time. A bloodline mage with balls enough to dabble in the dark arts.’ He glared at Caleb. ‘Yet my own son, born with a tainted soul, won’t even practise a modicum of necromancy.’

  Christ! Even my old man prefers Brendo.

  Dad turned his attention back to Brendan. ‘What clan are you from, son?’

  ‘The Winters clan, Sir.’

  ‘No shit? You’re the Brendan Winters?’

  Caleb rolled his eyes. Trust a fellow womaniser with a track record more infamous than Dad’s own to impress him.

  Maurus clapped a firm hand on Brendan’s back which didn’t even make him flinch. ‘So, it took a minx like my baby girl to reel you in, huh?’

  ‘Ha! You are precious, Daddy. I wasn’t the woman who stole his heart, but I do get the honours of mending it after the bitch went and broke it.’ Bridey took Brendan’s hand and kissed it.

  ‘Is this true?’ Maurus asked Brendan.

  ‘Yes, Sir. Alannah, my soul mate, betrayed me. Lady Violet severed the link for me.’

  Caleb had seen and heard as much when Brendan’s miserable arse came crawling back to Bridey. He couldn’t believe Alannah would do such a thing, but Brendan had seen it with his own eyes.

  The old man offered him a nod. ‘Women can be vicious creatures. I’ve had my fair share of heartache too, son. But stick with my girl here and she’ll treat ya right.’

  Bile rose in Caleb’s throat because Dad knew shit about women. Mum leaving was his fault. Dad had corrupted Caleb’s sweet sister and turned her into the monster who, in turn, took Caleb’s innocence. Mum was only trying to protect him.

  ‘Yes, Sir,’ Brendan replied.

  Caleb missed the flippant Brendan he once knew. Is this all an act of compliance to protect himself from Bridey’s wrath, or has Alannah majorly damaged him?

  Everything about Maurus Hawthorn sickened Brendan. Knowing this man’s history did not help, but even if it had been a true first impression, there would be nothing to recommend Maurus. The long black hair—moustache and beard—along with the biker tattoo sleeves all added to the sicko sleaze vibe. But his aura spoke extensively for him: a pure black soul covered in a thick layer of lust pulsing brightly every time he looked at his daughter. It went some way in explaining Bridey turning out the way she had.

  Brendan could clearly see Caleb’s hatred for his father, but the jealousy oozing from him was a mystery. Did Bridey stick her claws into Caleb that deep?

  ‘Come on, handsome, I’d like to sit with you for breakfast.’ Bridey tugged on his hand, pulling him onto a chair. Of course, her idea of ‘sit with’ meant making a seat of Brendan’s lap.

  His famished stomach groaned at the sight of the feast laid out on the table. He wondered how he would actually eat with a fae enchantress perched atop him. Fear prickled across his skin as he glanced at the other slaves who took positions on the floor around her feet. They were all skinny men, with pale complexions and hair that varied in length from medium to long. Brendan could see how he fitted the aesthetic, although his muscular build stood out like a tall poppy. Does she starve these guys? Will I wither away too?

  With a heeled boot pressed into Levi’s back, Bridey leaned over the table and filled her plate with an assortment of fruits and pastries. Onc
e she had served herself, Caleb and Maurus followed suit.

  After throwing a few scraps to the floor for the other guys to fight over, Bridey turned to straddle Brendan. ‘Don’t worry, handsome. You will all get a chance to eat the leftovers once I have finished. She handed him her plate. ‘Feed me.’

  His eyes widened with shock, but he smacked the metaphorical mask back on his face, remembering what Levi had told him. ‘Yes, Madame.’ Brendan took the dish and broke the food into smaller chunks. He brought a piece of croissant to her lips.

  She grazed his fingers with her teeth as she took the pastry into her mouth. The gesture was too damn hot, and he felt himself slipping. As soon as she had swallowed her mouthful, Bridey sucked on his fingers with a lascivious gaze piercing the last of his composure.

  ‘Fuck!’ He exhaled the muttered curse.

  Bridey beamed as she ground against his hardening cock. ‘Later, handsome.’ She opened her mouth for another bite. Brendan continued to oblige, and as he lifted a grape, she flashed him a wicked grin. ‘I want to take those from your teeth.’

  Oh hell! It amazed him how this woman could turn something as simple as breakfast into an act of foreplay. Gripping the fruit between his teeth, he braced himself for the contact. But nothing could have prepared him for the heat of her lips as they pressed against his. Memories of their first night together flooded his mind. Her kisses were still among the most erotic he had ever experienced. Logically, he knew she achieved this through her magical attunement to his senses and emotions, pulling the same tricks he often used to enhance the experience; but his body still responded favourably to her touch.

  ‘Mm, delicious.’ She licked her lips and eyed the plate to indicate she wanted more.

  This time, she bit into the grape with her lips pressed against his, letting the juices explode into his mouth. It was the sweetest torture to have his stomach grumble while the rest of his body cried out for more of what Bridey could offer. Yet his mind and soul wanted none of it. He could not have been more conflicted if he was Parliament.

  A sudden commotion broke the spell between them, and the maid appeared at their side. ‘Sorry to interrupt, Madame, but Lady Scarlett is here to see you.’

  Bridey tensed and swivelled around to face the girl. ‘Thank you, Isabelle. Let her in.’

  ‘Yes, Madame.’

  When Isabelle stepped aside, Tara burst into the room like a storm cloud. As soon as she spotted Brendan her eyes flashed with lightning, and she unleashed her fury on Bridey. ‘You stupid girl! I warned you to keep your hands off him. Do you have any idea what you have done?’

  Bridey scoffed. ‘I’m sorry, Madame, but I’m not the one who broke his heart. Your precious Alannah did that without my help. No offence, but I still don’t get what you see in the girl.’ She leaned into him and rubbed his bare chest. ‘Brendan, on the other hand… I can definitely see his potential.’

  Eyeing him, Tara spoke to Brendan telepathically, ‘Does she speak the truth about Alannah?’

  He opened his mind to his grandmother, letting her see for herself as he replayed the memory of Alannah leaping into Liam’s lap and kissing him. The recollection emotionally traumatised him, but at least the physical pain he had felt as their souls separated had dissipated. Bridey’s ritual had successfully severed their link.

  Tara’s wide eyes betrayed her surprise. ‘Is there some way you misread the situation?’ she asked aloud. ‘Alannah has the entire Council looking for you, Brendan. She is worried about you. When I sensed you here, I assumed my misguided employee was holding you against your will.’

  More doubts plagued his mind. Why does Alannah care about me? What am I missing?

  ‘Shit!’ Maurus cut in. ‘See, sweetheart, this is why I warned you to stay away from the bloodline mages.’

  ‘Relax, Daddy. Brendan wants to remain hidden, don’t you, my dear?’ Bridey’s nails dug into his thigh as she smiled at him sweetly.

  Shielding his thoughts from Bridey’s mind reading, he nodded. ‘Yes, Madame.’ Addressing Tara telepathically, he admitted to selling his freedom. ‘I’m one of her slaves now, please get me the hell outta here.’

  Tara gave Bridey a sidelong glance. ‘If Brendan is not your prisoner, why is he wearing a slave collar?’ Her own thoughts entered Brendan’s mind. ‘You are not ready, darling prince.’

  ‘A mere formality,’ Bridey continued. ‘We have a mutually beneficial arrangement, which I assure you he enjoys as much as I do.’ She squeezed his hard nipples to emphasise her point, drawing a pleasurable moan from his throat. ‘See? What I’d like to know, Lady Scarlett, is how you were able to sense him here when I have wards up strong enough to conceal this place from the Council’s detection magic.’

  ‘Not ready for what?’ Brendan demanded.

  ‘Not ready to leave here, to return to Alannah.’

  ‘Please, Grandmother, I’m begging you. Don’t leave me to rot in this place.’

  Tara’s arctic eyes pierced him with shards of ice. ‘Enough! My word is final. Accept your fate and wait for the right time.’ She returned her attention to Bridey. ‘Some magic is more powerful than anything of Earthly origin.’

  Bridey sighed. ‘Always so cryptic. I may not channel Aether or nether, but I know they can’t be used in scrying spells. You are not soulmates, so the only other possibility is blood magic, which would require….’ Her voice trailed off as her eyes flicked back and forth from Brendan to Tara.

  Tara laughed drily. ‘Has it taken you this long to figure it out, Violet?’

  Caleb furrowed his brow. ‘Wait, what’s going on?’

  Brendan bit his tongue.

  Bridey ignored him as her eyes narrowed on Tara. ‘You died.’

  ‘A minor inconvenience for a lich, I assure you.’

  ‘The fuck?’ Caleb glared at Brendan. ‘Did you know?’

  He nodded. ‘Kinda hard to fail in recognising one’s own grandmother.’

  ‘Was this why the Council were cagey about letting us in to watch Alannah’s trial? Because they discovered the truth and wanted to cover it up?’ Caleb asked.

  ‘Alannah’s relationship with me was the premise of the trial.’ Tara admitted. ‘They charged her with treason and the practice of illegal magic… magic I taught her.’

  With eyes bulging, Caleb whistled a single note. ‘D-amn. How’d she get outta that mess?’

  Tara directed her gaze toward Brendan and smiled. ‘She had an excellent lawyer.’

  Caleb shot him a look. ‘You represented Alannah?’

  Brendan nodded.

  ‘Gods, dude. Is there anything you don’t excel at?’ Although light-hearted, Caleb laced his words with envious undertones.

  He could think of plenty of his own flaws and failures, but he did not want to go there. Especially not in present company.

  ‘I still do not trust you, Violet,’ insisted Tara. ‘As a show of good faith, you will accept Brendan’s help on your next job.’

  ‘Wait, don’t I get a say in this?’ Brendan demanded.

  Tara grinned at him. ‘Trust me, darling prince, you will want in on this job.’

  Chapter Two

  ‘Fuck, I swiped right accidently.’ Tyler Quirke threw his phone down on the station’s break room table in disgust. Like most of the Council’s warlocks, he had pursued a career in law enforcement.

  Jaxon Hayes dived for the discarded device. ‘You aren’t still wasting your time with that app, are you, Quirky?’ he teased Tyler affectionately. Jaxon may have been his superior in the Council and on the force, but they had always joked around and taunted each other like best mates.

  Tyler groaned as he reached out a hand. ‘Piss off, Hayes. And give it back.’

  ‘That’s Inspector Hayes to you, Sergeant.’ Jaxon flashed his pearly whites before looking at the girl’s profile.

  ‘You know we can’t all have your luck with women, Inspector,’ Shane pointed out as he sat down with his c
offee. In a country town like Broken Hill, warlocks often stuck together, and Shane Walsh had always been a great team player, even though his half-mage blood made him less powerful than the others.

  Jaxon gazed off into the distance a moment. ‘You’re right. Tanya’s pretty special.’ He returned his attention to Tyler’s phone. ‘But what’s wrong with Samantha? See, she’s a hottie. Oh, and she likes cooking, camping, and hunting.’

  Tyler snorted. ‘Read on.’

  ‘So, she has a thing for knives. What’s the problem?’

  ‘She sounds like a damn psycho, that’s what.’

  Jaxon slid the phone across the table and laughed. ‘I dunno man, she could add some much-needed spice to your sex life.’

  Tyler grabbed his phone back. ‘Christ, bro! I may be into some kinky shit, but blood-play isn’t my thing.’

  ‘No? Then why did you date the v—’

  Shane cleared his throat as one of the human officers entered the room.

  ‘—ery hot chick with the teeth?’ Jaxon asked.

  ‘I told you, nothing weird happened with her.’

  Jones, the human officer, approached Jaxon. ‘Sorry to interrupt, Inspector, but the mayor is here to see you.’

  ‘Thanks, Constable. Let him know I’ll be there in a minute.’ As soon as Jones left, Jaxon rose. ‘Come on lads, this might be field work.’ That was code for warlock duties, since the Mayor of Broken Hill also led the Mages Council for the Orana region.

  When they reached Jaxon’s office, Kevin Doyle sat in one of the visitor’s chairs with a cup of tea. Jaxon settled into his own seat. ‘Greetings, My Lord.’

  ‘Councillor.’ Doyle inclined his head a fraction of an inch toward Jaxon before glancing at Tyler and Shane. ‘Ah good, I see you have come prepared. Hello Warlock Quirke and Warlock Walsh.’

  Jaxon closed the door. ‘Figured you’d have some Council business.’

  ‘Well, you ain’t wrong. The missus caught a whiff of something dodgy east of here, just out of town.’ Councillor Doyle was married to Vivian, the Council member for Organic mana. If she sensed something, the chances of foul deeds were likely.