Chapter Fifteen
Joey
Rachel smiles with so much sweetness that I feel a strange ache in my chest just from looking at her. What does that mean? I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to find out. Rachel has been so sweet to me since the moment we met, and I do feel...grateful. It can't be more than that. Can it? Someone like me---an orphan turned loner turned petty thief---shouldn't be so lucky.
A hammer will drop on my head anytime, I'm sure.
Rachel leans back against a large tree, eyeing me with an expression I can't quite describe. Her gaze is lustful, her posture relaxed. She splays her fingers over the tree trunk and pets the bark like she's stroking her lover---me. When she licks her lips, I develop an odd lump in my throat. But more importantly, I'm getting turned on. Big time.
Yeah, any minute my dick will wake up. I shouldn't even think about screwing Rachel now, not with her testy father and a horde of MacLeods poised to descend on the castle.
"So, uh, what's the plan?" I ask, desperate to focus on something---anything---other than the way Rachel's fingers are caressing that tree.
She tilts her head, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, Joseph Finnegan, I thought we might take a wee stroll through the forest. There's a place I want to show ye."
Her lilting accent does nothing to calm the storm brewing inside me. I try not to notice the way her bodice pushes her breasts up in tantalizing mounds. I need to devour her nipples until she cries out in ecstasy.
Fuck . I'm getting hard.
Rachel's gaze flicks down to my groin, and she drags her tongue across her lips with a hunger that's palpable.
God, I need to kiss her again. Right now.
My dick takes control, and I find myself moving closer, closer, until my palms land on the tree and I'm framing her body with mine. Both our lips are parted, ready for the kiss I can no longer deny we both need. Her plump, succulent lips lure me in even closer.
And I crush my mouth to hers.
I slant toward her more, until her tits brush against my chest. "Rachel, sweet Rachel. I don't think a walk is what either of us wants right now."
Her eyes have darkened from the lust growing within us both, and I press her against the tree. I set my hands on her lips, then slide them up to her waist. Rachel's skin grows warm through the thin fabric of her dress, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest draws my focus to the lush mounds of her tits.
"Joey," she breathes, her fingers tangling in my hair. "I ken we shouldn't, but I cannae help myself. Ye drive me mad with wanting."
I love the way her accent thickens when she wants me inside her.
Our lips crash together in a searing kiss, all pretense of restraint abandoned. Rachel tastes like wild berries and summer rain, her lips soft yet demanding against mine. My hands roam her curves, memorizing every dip and swell as if I might never get the chance again. And who knows? Maybe I won't.
"Oh, Joey," she moans against my mouth. "We shouldnae do this here. Anyone might stumble upon us."
But her actions betray her words as she hitches her leg around my waist, pulling me closer. I grind against her, relishing the friction and the little gasp it elicits from her. The scent of her desire surrounds and intoxicates me. I feel high, like I've smoked some weed, but I haven't. Rachel's lust might be the most intoxicating drug on earth. I can't stop myself from lifting her skirts just so I can slide my hand under her chemise and push my fingers between her folds.
She's already wet for me, and the realization nearly brings me to my knees. I've never wanted any woman this much. But Rachel is different. I slide one finger inside her, then two, watching her face as her eyes flutter closed and her mouth forms a perfect "O" of pleasure. My breathing grows heavier, and I can't resist petting her inner walls with both fingers until she gasps and moans, her lids fluttering shut.
"Joey!" she cries out, and I know she's getting closer to climax. "We need to be careful. If my father finds out---"
"I know, I know, he'll murder me." I brush my mouth against her neck, tasting the salt of her skin. "Tell me to stop and I will."
But she doesn't tell me to stop. Instead, she reaches between us, her fingers fumbling with the fastenings of my trews. The sensation of her hand wrapping around me nearly makes me lose control then and there.
"Rachel," I groan. "You're killing me."
Her throaty laugh gets me even more turned on. "I want you alive and buried inside my wombgate."
"Your what gate?"
"My vulva."
"Uh-huh." I don't have the brainpower to figure out what she's saying anymore. So instead, I growl, too lust-addled to think straight. "Need to fuck you so hard we'll both see stars."
"Och, Joey, please."
Just as I'm about to suggest we sneak off to some secluded glade, a twig snaps nearby. We freeze, our hearts pounding in unison. I reluctantly pull away from Rachel, zipping up my trews, my body on fire with the need to blow my top inside her sweet body. Can't do that now.
We both strain our ears, listening for any further signs of an intruder.
"Did ye hear that?" Rachel whispers, her eyes wide.
I listen to the delicate sounds of the forest---leaves rustling, birds chirping in the distance. But the dense foliage makes it difficult to see very far, and the lengthening shadows of late afternoon only add to the eerie atmosphere. My hand instinctively goes to my waist, where I'd always kept a pocketknife, but it isn't there. I left it back in New York. Old habits die hard, I suppose.
"We should head back," I say, trying to keep my voice calm. "It's probably nothing, but---"
Another snap, closer this time.
Rachel grabs my hand, twining her fingers with mine.
I have no defensive weapons, not even a dirk, that I could use to protect this woman.
She grips my biceps, whispering urgently. "Joey, I think we should run."
My instincts scream at me to flee, but I hold my ground, positioning myself slightly in front of Rachel. "Wait. Let's see what we're dealing with first."
The forest seems to hold its breath as we listen. Then, I hear leaves rustling, followed by a low growl that sends a chill slithering down my spine. That's no human being stumbling onto our tryst.
"Wolves?" Rachel breathes, her grip on my hand tightening.
I shake my head. "Doesn't sound like it. Whatever that is, it's bigger than a canine."
A massive shape lopes out of the underbrush. My jaw drops as I gape the creature before us---a bear, but unlike any I've ever seen. Its fur is a deep, unnatural purple, and its eyes glow with an eerie green light.
" Dhia ," Rachel whispers, her voice trembling. "It's a beithir ."
"A what now?" I hiss, not daring to take my eyes off the beast.
"A beithir is a creature composed of magic," she explains hurriedly. "They are rare and dangerous. I didnae know they really existed. We need to---"
Before she can finish her statement, the beithir lets out a deafening roar and charges toward us. My body moves on instinct as years of street fights and narrow escapes kick in to guide me. I seize Rachel's hand and bolt, zigzagging through the trees.
"This way!" she shouts, tugging me to the left. "We aren't far from the castle! We must keep running!"
I follow her lead, my heart pounding in my ears. The beithir 's thunderous footfalls shake the ground behind us. Branches whip at my face as we tear through the underbrush, but I barely feel the sting. All I can focus on is Rachel's hand in mine and the need to keep her safe.
"Almost there!" Rachel pants, her golden-brown hair streaming behind her like a banner.
Just when I think my lungs might burst, we barrel out of the woods and into the clearing behind the castle, rushing headlong for the wooden door that leads into the garden. I glance back to see the beithir still running after us.
I kick the garden door open.
An eerie silence descends on us, the air seeming charged with some sort of energy I can't describe. When I look back...
The beithir is gone.
What the hell just happened? A shared hallucination? No, that thing was real---and seriously weird.
Rachel and I stand here panting, our chests heaving as we try to catch our breath. The garden is weirdly silent, the only sounds our ragged breathing and the distant chirping of birds.
I'm still gripping Rachel's hand. Between panting breaths, I ask, "Where did it go?"
Rachel shakes her head. "I dinnae ken, Joey. The beithir ...it shouldnae have disappeared like that. They're powerful creatures, not known for giving up the chase that easily."
I study the tree line, half-expecting the purple beast to come crashing through at any moment. But the forest has returned to its normal tranquility---unnaturally normal, in fact.
"Could it have been an illusion?" I ask, my mind struggling to make sense of what we just experienced.
Rachel's brow furrows. "Nay, 'twas was real enough as far as magical creatures go. But something strange is afoot here." She turns to me, her blue eyes filled with questions. "Joey, I think we need to speak with my great-aunts. If anyone can make sense of this, it's them."
Shit, I'm so far out of my depth here that I expect to hit the bottom of the ocean.
Right now, though, I'm still trying to catch my breath. "Okay, yeah, let's consult the witches."
Those are words I never imagined I'd speak.
We wend our way through the castle gardens, our hands still clasped tightly together. I can't help but notice how natural it feels, like our fingers were made to intertwine. But I push the thought aside. We have bigger problems right now than my growing feelings for Rachel.
As we march across the courtyard, I spot Rachel's great-aunts huddled near the gates. They turn as we approach, their eyes widening at our disheveled appearance.
"Och, Rachel, leannan ! What's happened?" the eldest aunt, Efrica, exclaims as we approach.
Rachel squeezes my hand before letting go, much to my disappointment. " Antaidhean , we've just had a frightful encounter in the woods. A beithir chased us!"
I murmur into Rachel's ear, " Antaidhean ?"
"The term refers to my great-aunts."
"Oh. I get it."
The three older women exchange worried glances. Morna, the middle aunt, steps forward. "A beithir , ye say? Are ye certain?"
"Hell yeah, I'm sure," I confirm. "The thing was as big as a bear and had purple fur. Glowing green eyes too. Damn thing nearly had us for lunch."
"Watch your language, young man," Lachina, the youngest great-aunt, chides gently. But her expression is serious as she turns to her sisters. "This is ill news indeed. A beithir shouldn't be anywhere near here."
"Aye," Efrica nods gravely. "And more troubling still is how it vanished. A beithir doesnae simply disappear."
Rachel steps closer to her great-aunts. "There's more. Joey and I, we felt something strange just before we saw the creature. A sort of...tingling in the air."
I hadn't noticed that at the time, too caught up in our heated moment in the woods. But thinking back, Rachel's right. There had been an odd electricity crackling around us, and not just from our mutual attraction.
Lachina's gaze turns stark, and her voice grows hushed. "Ye felt the magic stirring, then. 'Tis as I feared."
"What do you mean?" I ask, feeling increasingly out of my depth. "I don't understand any of this."
The three great-aunts exchange another meaningful look before Morna speaks. "The veil between worlds is thinning. And with it, creatures and magics long dormant might awaken as well."
I thrust a hand through my hair, trying to process this information. It all sounds crazy. "Okay, so...magical creatures are popping up. But why now? And what does it have to do with me?"
Efrica fixes me with a piercing stare. "Ye're not from this time, Joseph Finnegan. Yer very presence here has caused ripples in the fabric of reality. 'Tis a fact we only fathomed recently. That's why we didnae tell you about it. We hoped to find answers first, but that plan never came to fruition."
Everything inside me freezes. "Are you saying this is my fault?"
Rachel steps closer to me, her hand finding mine again. "Nay, Joey. 'Tis not your fault. But yer arrival may have...hastened things."
Perfect . I might be the catalyst for evil magics that could destroy these people I've come to think of as friends---or more, in Rachel's case. But I might destroy their futures.
That's just my luck.