Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Meadow spent the next week working on her magic lessons with Nadia during the day and spending most of the evenings with Laurie and Joseph at Nyx’s Kingdom.
By now, she’d seen all the rooms inside their pleasure house, and had even mustered up the nerve to walk around one night with them, among all the people.
Seeing Laurie and Joseph in their element, in charge and competent and skilled in handling difficult members, only made her like the pair even more. Combined with them all being a little less aloof after sharing their pasts and troubles, and Meadow was falling hard.
It was still difficult to accept that they both wanted her so much, or even cared about her progress with her magic. And yet, they were always interested and never dismissed her.
But no matter how many affirmations she used or journal entries she made, her magic and fear around it was still a problem.
And tonight would be the true test of her progress.
Nadia had assured Meadow that she was ready to help the shifter and his fated one, especially if everyone else was clear of the building.
In truth, Nadia believed Meadow could limit it to just the pair.
But after what had happened with Giles Dawson the first time, she didn’t want to risk it, at least not until she’d had more training.
As her carriage slowed and stopped at the back entrance of Nyx’s Kingdom, Meadow’s palms were sweaty and her heart raced.
But instead of a footman, Laurie and Joseph opened the door and helped her down, kissing her hello as they did so. Once they were inside the building, she blurted, “I’m sorry again for your lost business tonight.”
Joseph raised an eyebrow. “And we told you to stop apologizing. We occasionally shut down for a private event, so our members expect it. Besides, helping Michael might give hope to those suffering from the same problem. Ones who’ve been too afraid to say anything before.”
Laurie jumped in. “Obviously we didn’t advertise what’s happening here tonight, but word will spread slowly, I’m sure of it.” He took one of her hands and kissed the back of it. “Is there anything we can do to help you now?”
Even a week ago, she never would’ve voiced her desire. But now she nodded. “You both giving me a hug and holding me for a few minutes would ease my anxiety.”
Joseph placed a hand on her lower back and gently pushed. “Of course. Let’s head into your room for some privacy.”
After he nodded at some of the top security people—those in charge also had infused items to block out magic—they walked upstairs to the room they’d designated as hers. Not that she’d used it yet, but they had always given her the option of sleeping alone, if she wanted.
And it was funny, but after so many years of being alone and never thinking she could sleep with someone else in the room, Meadow now had trouble sleeping without at least one of her two males.
Once they entered the bedroom decorated in light blue, Joseph pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her before Laurie did the same from behind.
After closing her eyes, she focused on the heat and familiar presence of Laurie and Joseph, how they believed in her, and how she wanted to help their friend.
The longer they held her, the more she relaxed, until she reluctantly said, “I’m ready and should probably meet the pair now.”
Laurie released her, and Joseph kissed her long and slow. Once he finished, Laurie turned her toward him and kissed her a bit more urgently. By the time he finished, her cheeks were hot, and she wished she had a little more time to relax. With them naked and on the bed.
Laurie grinned. “You can have that later, pet. I know you’ve been curious about finally taking us both at the same time, after all.”
She lightly swatted his arm. “I told you we could’ve done that last night, but you wanted to wait. Something about motivation.”
Laurie winked. “Exactly.”
She glanced at Joseph, who was trying not to smile, and narrowed her eyes. “You always tell me not to encourage him, but you do it all the time. Honestly, I thought you were on my side last night.”
Joseph shrugged. “We didn’t want you too tired or sore today. So it wasn’t exactly encouraging him so much as making the logical choice.”
She reached out and patted his crotch. “We’ll see how logical you are later.”
Joseph’s eyes turned heated as Laurie laughed before saying, “Well played, Emmy. Well played.”
The vampires each took one of her hands and squeezed, a question in their eyes. Meadow straightened up a little taller. “I’m ready. Let’s go meet Michael and his fated one, and then I’ll decide how to handle it from there.”
The shifters were waiting in a lavish room on the top floor, one mainly used for shifter and vampire claimings.
The bed was large and tonight would be covered in gold and green sheets, per the couple’s request. Apparently, all the furnishings in the room could be changed out—even the wall panels were removable—to suit any color scheme, mood, or theme.
Not for the first time, Meadow wondered if they’d use it for when she finally allowed Laurie and Joseph to claim her. She was nearly ready but still worried that they’d do it, say they didn’t want her, and leave.
No, no negative thoughts. Emotions influence your magic, so just focus on the good in your life right now. There is plenty, for sure.
Meadow, Joseph, and Laurie stopped outside the dark double doors, and Joseph knocked. A male voice said to enter, and they did.
Two shifters stood inside. Michael leaned heavily on a cane and had a dusting of gray hair at his dark temples.
The female—who was named Abigail—wasn’t much younger, also with some gray in her light brown hair, and was nearly as tall as Michael.
They held hands, and the female glanced up at the male shifter, her heart in her eyes.
But there was also a flicker of doubt and sadness. Almost as if she was afraid this wouldn’t work, and all was lost.
In that second, Meadow vowed to do whatever she could to help them.
Because if she didn’t, Michael and Abigail would both eventually lose their minds, be unable to control their inner animals, and maybe even be put down.
And they didn’t deserve that, especially when they both so clearly loved each other.
Michael bowed his head. “Miss Vale, I presume.”
She smiled at him. “Yes. And you must be Michael.” She moved her gaze to the female. “And Abigail.”
The female shifter smiled at her, the worry easing a little from her blue eyes. “Thank you so much for coming tonight, Miss Vale. I know fae witch Wielders are much sought-after and very busy.”
And extremely expensive, was left unsaid.
Maybe Meadow should reserve a few spots a month for those who truly needed her services, regardless if they could pay. It wasn’t the mercenary fae witch way, but she didn’t care.
You need tonight to be a success first, so don’t screw it up.
She replied, “Anyone my brother recommends is someone I want to help. But I’m sure you two have waited long enough, so let me explain how this will go, okay?
” Once they nodded, she continued, “I’ll sit behind that folding screen over there.
Since my secondary power is persuasion, I’d prefer not to say anything so that your actions are all your own.
I will merely weave lust and desire over Michael, and Abigail if needed, and if it is indeed a mental block, my magic will override it.
I can’t guarantee success, but I will do everything I can, I promise.
And if there are still difficulties, I can even try speaking.
But I want to leave that as a last resort since your claiming should be between you two. ”
Michael tightened his grip on Abigail’s hand. “Please do whatever you can, Miss Vale. My Abby deserves her claiming more than anything.”
Abigail added softly, “So do you, Michael.”
He looked down at Abigail and kissed her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
For a split second, Meadow felt like a third wheel. Her past gigs had been mostly about steamy sex and longer stamina. Yes, most of her former clients had been in love, but there was something about Michael and Abigail that touched her more than anyone in the past.
She looked at Laurie and then Joseph as she said, “Will you two leave us?”
Joseph leaned over to whisper, “If you need us, we’re just on the other side of the door.”
Then Laurie whispered in her other ear, “We’ll be cheering for you, pet. You’re going to be brilliant.”
Once they nodded farewell and left, Meadow said, “Let me know when you’re ready for me to begin.”
With that, she moved to sit behind the folded screen. The room was silent, and soon she heard the rustle of clothing and even some kisses. Then there was a creak on the bed, and Michael’s voice reached her ears. “We’re ready, Miss Vale.”
“Let me gather my magic, and I’ll begin.”
Carefully removing her training bracelet, she placed it into her skirt pocket.
Then she closed her eyes and concentrated on pulling magic from her fingertips, her toes, and even the top of her head into her body, slowly gathering it into the center of her chest. Bit by bit it grew, until the swirling red energy nearly consumed her entire body.
Taking a deep inhalation, she reached out and found Michael’s body and began weaving a net over him.
Line by line, denser and denser, until she heard a gasp.
Meadow ignored everything but keeping her net constructed and allowing her magic to drip from it onto Michael, until it was nearly a downpour.
Soon she heard moans and gasps and the usual sounds of sex. Smiling, Meadow continued keeping her magic over Michael, knowing he needed to bite Abigail as he came to fully mark her. Only then would his inner animal, as well as Abigail’s, settle and be content.
A female screamed in pleasure, followed quickly by a low groan, and then there was merely heavy breathing.
Meadow began deconstructing her net and pulling back her magic. When she was finally done, she sat and waited, not wanting to interrupt what she thought was a happy moment.
After what seemed like half an hour of murmurs, and laughter, and sighs, Michael finally spoke up. “Thank you, Miss Vale. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I have my Abby, and she’s even agreed to be my wife. We’ll thank you properly later, I promise.”
“Of course. I’ll take the side exit and leave you two alone. Come find me whenever you’re ready.”
Standing, Meadow went to the secret panel right next to the folding screen, found the latch as Laurie and Joseph had shown her, and exited into the main hallway.
As soon as she did, Laurie and Joseph rushed up to her, and she blurted, “I think it worked.”
Laurie picked her up and swung her around before kissing her. Joseph then took her face between his hands and kissed her as well. Joseph asked, “And how are you, love? Are you okay?”
She smiled as she fought back happy tears. “I-I helped them with my magic. Truly helped them.”
Laurie took one of her hands and squeezed it. “Yes, you did. You helped two shifters claim each other and avoid madness. Michael regained something he’d lost, all because of you.”
A tear trailed down her cheek, and Joseph wiped it away as she said, “Thank you, both of you. I-I never would’ve thought I could do something so meaningful for another.
My father tainted how I thought about my powers.
But now? There must be others who need help, but I also wonder if I can be creative for some of your members here.
Maybe someday it’ll become fun for me to use my magic. ”
Joseph tilted his head. “If you ever want to offer your services here, you are more than welcome. You’ll set your own rules and rates, and I’m sure people will pay them.”
“I’m not sure that I’m ready for that yet. However, I am curious about what I can do. With more training, both for my lust and desire powers as well as my persuasion one, I’m sure I could help Laurie with some of the event planning. I’d also bring in some money too, to help the business.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Meadow regretted it. She was assuming they wanted a future with her, forever, and they might not.
Then Joseph and Laurie went to either side of her, put an arm around her back, and then placed their foreheads to either side of her temple. Laurie spoke up. “That sounds like a perfect plan.”
Joseph added, “But we’ll go at your pace, Emmy. Whenever you’re ready and want to try using your magic at Nyx’s Kingdom, then merely say the word and we’ll try.”
She took a hand of theirs each. “Maybe I’ll have some test events first, to be doubly sure I can contain it. I think I can, as I don’t think I affected Abigail just now. But I want to be sure.”
They both kissed a cheek and then Joseph said, “We’ll figure it out. For now, we have to wait for Michael and Abigail to exit and meet with you. But after that?” His hand moved to her ass and squeezed. “I think you deserve some fun yourself.”
She giggled just as Laurie squeezed her breast. “Maybe we have enough time right now…”
Meadow lightly swatted his chest. “I’m not going to greet my first clients in this time period in a bathrobe and mussed hair.
You two can wait a little while longer.” Laurie fake-pouted, and Meadow laughed.
“Where are the two cool, confident businessmen I’ve seen every night so far?
Surely you can put that mask on for a little while longer.
Come on, let’s go to the visitor’s parlor and set things up for Michael and Abigail. ”
Laurie whispered, “If we go beneath your skirts, your hair won’t get mussed.”
She looked at Joseph. “Why aren’t you backing me up on waiting and being patient, Joseph?”
He grunted. “I’m torn, actually. Because you are so beautiful when you’re happy, and I only want to make you happier.”
Meadow fell a little more for her vampires.
But she mustered up the confidence to herd them into the parlor, and they discussed a limited event she could run after the fae witch Autumn Festival.
And all the while, she never even noticed that she hadn’t put her training bracelet back on.