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  Her hand went from patting to stroking as she leaned against him, but she kept her path from getting too intimate.

  “Well, this is fascinating, but the path is filling in again. We need to get out before it closes us in again.” She could see the buds forming in the path behind him.

  He nodded. “Your form or mine?”

  “Human bodies, you go first, and I will be behind you in case the flowers keep sprouting after I step.” She smiled.

  “Sound reasoning. Let’s go.” He released her and held her hand as he led the way out of the design.

  She held his hand and felt the magic closing around her feet. “We should run.”

  He followed her urging, and they ran out of the pattern until they fell out of it and the energy shot skyward. Ystella laid in the meadow and watched the power that she had trailed around coalesce and shoot upward.

  “Where is it going?” Magnus asked from her side.

  “I have no idea, but I am guessing that wild magic has just been planted at the Crossroads.”

  She looked at the spot where the magic had gathered and disappeared, and she felt that it might be a weird event, but it wouldn’t be devastating. The Crossroads needed a little wild magic.

  Chapter Eight

  Getting clothed and meeting Magnus outside the cabanas didn’t feel like a step back from the glorious nudity. It was just a way of getting to the next step.

  He smiled down at her. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”

  “I would.” She looked down at herself in her jeans and denim shirt. “I need a new outfit though.”

  “I believe that the general store can accommodate you.”

  “That is what Tony promised.” She chuckled.

  They walked arm-in-arm through the streets to the store, and when she stepped inside, she was stunned by the variety. The store was bigger on the inside.

  She let go of Magnus’s arm and sprinted for the dresses. “You do your thing, I will do mine.”

  She shopped swiftly and gathered the accessories she would need. There was a changing room, and her clothing was left in a heap while she went through the six cocktail dresses she had found in her size.

  After trying them on, she selected the one that had the red-brown in it that mimicked her beast form.

  The deep cleavage would be fun. She put on a necklace, earrings in a rich red, and matching dark high heels.

  When she stepped out of the room with her clothing folded in a wad, the clerk smiled. “I have added it up.”

  “How did you know what I wanted?”

  “I had a feeling.” He extended the payment plate. “If you like, I can send your street clothing to the Meditation Centre, or your residence.”

  “I am not staying at one of the bed and breakfasts, so please send them to the Meditation Centre.” She glanced over her shoulder where Magnus was buttoning up the cuff of his shirt. “I have already made my choice, so this evening is just a formality.”

  Magnus grinned. “I am registered at the Open Heart. You can send both sets of clothing there.”

  She blinked. “I don’t think that is a good idea. There is too much magic there.”

  He squeezed her shoulders. “It will be fine. You won’t be wrapped in that magic alone, and it is warded to contain whatever happens. Teebie is an excellent host, and she will know what to do when you describe your issues.”

  “If there is any problem, I am blaming you.” She sighed.

  “I will take the blame.” He ran his hands down her arms.

  She leaned into him. “Pay for your shirt, so we can go dancing again.”

  He laughed and swiped his charm across the plate. “There. Are you ready to go now? I thought we were doing dinner.”

  “I believe that we should work up an appetite.”

  He looked at her and grinned. “Foreplay?”

  “Call it what you will, I like dancing with you. Let’s go.”

  They left their clothing behind and she hauled him into the late afternoon sunlight and she marched him directly to the Crossed Star.

  “You walk around like you know where you are going.” Magnus was bemused.

  “My parents were mated here. They mixed and matched across species lines, and I grew up on tales of the Crossroads. Now, I am here, I feel like I am walking through a fairy tale.” She smiled. “Look on the bright side, I can meet you anywhere.”

  She hauled him into the bar and to the back where music was playing.

  Ystella should have been out of breath, but she looked at Magnus, and there was a gleam in his eyes when some big band music fired up. He curled her in against his body, and she twirled out. They rocked, twisted, he lifted her up, and she kicked her feet in the air. It was so freeing to be with someone who wasn’t concerned with looks or protocols.

  Horses kept one foot on the ground at all times, but they loved dancing. So, they didn’t lift their partners like Magnus was doing, they didn’t toss and catch them, and they didn’t support them so that their partners could mimic gliding a few inches from the floor.

  The elves in the area picked their partners, and the dance floor was filled with dancers jumping, jiving, and twisting away.

  Ystella moved with Magnus through tangos, flamencos, and a number of combinations she couldn’t name.

  She was coated in sweat but grinning like a fool when Magnus finally called a halt.

  “Dinner. Now.” He was panting, and his forehead was pressed to hers. They were moving in a slow sway that was part box step and part exhausted shuffle.

  She grinned. “Okay, but just because I am wiped out.”

  They turned together and left the dance floor. Applause followed. Apparently, the elves knew good dancing when they saw it.

  “We have a reservation.” He smiled.

  “What?”

  “We are heading over to the restaurant.”

  “We are? We do?” She fanned herself with one hand.

  “We do. I had the clerk at the store call over while we were trying on clothing. We can have a leisurely dinner and discuss what I think is our future.”

  She quirked her lips. “I would object, but my beast really likes yours. She likes the fact that he is sturdy and can withstand time.”

  “Yes, he can. He also takes me along for the ride.”

  They walked to the restaurant and were seated at a private table that was surrounded by shadow.

  The chef walked up to the table, and he smiled. “Good evening. Congratulations for finding each other. I am Al, and we are offering a fixed menu with a few options. Are either of you vegetarian?” He waited.

  They both answered no; he asked if they would like wine with the meal, and when they agreed, he disappeared into the darkness.

  Ystella sighed and put her hands on the table. “So, should we get down to brass tacks?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “How so?”

  “I have no job, nowhere to live, and minimal savings. All I bring along is myself.”

  He nodded. “Right. Well, I have a place to live, a job that fills the time, and enough money saved to last a few more lifetimes. I took on the work as a hunter because I was bored being alone.”

  She cocked her head as a server arrived and poured their wine before they delivered the water glasses. “How old are you?”

  He looked embarrassed. “A few hundred years old. It takes a while to get the shell that big.”

  She nodded. “I like it. It gets noticed.”

  He laughed. “So, where would you like to live? Somewhere warm, cold, agricultural? You name it and I probably have property nearby.”

  “Really? I don’t know anything about you.”

  “Well, it is a good thing that our beasts get along. As long as they are in agreement, I am yours.” He took her hand as their appetizers arrived.

  “If my beast changes her mind, I am sure you will be one of the first to know.” She winked and flicked her
napkin out before laying it in her lap. Dinner first.

  Standing outside the Open Heart, she still felt the pressure of magic that wasn’t her brand. “I don’t know about this.”

  “You don’t have to know. Teebie is coming out.”

  The woman with blue skin and a bright crimson sundress came toward them with a smile. “Hello, you must be Ystella.”

  Ystella stepped forward and took the hand that the woman extended. Fey and shifter magic were boiling against Ystella’s skin. She held the connection for a count of two and then let her hand go.

  Teebie rubbed her grip and nodded. “So, not just a mythical, but a wild magic mythical. No wonder you are having a problem with the accommodations. I have an alternative for you if you are interested.”

  Ystella cocked her head. “Alternative?”

  “We have been creating some guesthouses out back, for folk with wild magic, and those who don’t like to be confined. If you would like it, we can take you to one of them.”

  Ystella looked to Magnus. “What is your vote? I am rather in need of some rest myself.”

  He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “Anywhere that I can have you to myself is delightful, but you have expended a lot of energy today. I believe we should try it.”

  Teebie grinned. “Excellent. I will transport your clothing and some amenities.”

  She snapped her fingers, and a rug flew out of the open front doors of the bed and breakfast, settling in front of them. “Hop on. It will take you to the new guesthouse.”

  Magnus grinned. “A flying carpet?”

  Teebie laughed. “Of course. I have been wanting to use some of the old tropes around the place. This is an excellent use of the legends. It has a warding around the edges to keep you in while it is flying.”

  Magnus nodded and took a seat. He held out his hand to Ystella, and she nodded, settling next to him.

  Teebie said, “Just tell it where you want to go, in this case, guesthouse one, and it will take you there. It will also bring you back.”

  Ystella nodded her thanks and said, “Guesthouse one.”

  The carpet rose up, and with barely a ripple, it soared ten feet over the landscape before rising to lift over the trees.

  Ystella turned to Magnus, “Are we really flying?”

  “The carpet is flying. We are sitting.” He chuckled.

  The carpet flew for twenty minutes, and when the guesthouse was visible, Ystella was delighted.

  “That is the cutest thing. It is perfect.”

  Magnus nodded. “It is just right.”

  The cottage had wide windows that overlooked the meadows, a small lake, and it was backed by a mountain range. No one was sneaking up on anyone in that guesthouse.

  The carpet landed, and they got to their feet. As soon as they were clear of it, it rolled up and stowed itself against the house.

  The door didn’t open automatically, and it was a relief. There was minimal magic in the building, and Ystella almost cried from relief.

  “Wait, I think I should do this now as it is technically correct.” Magnus scooped her up and opened the door with one hand.

  She was carried over the threshold, and she blushed at the symbolism.

  The guesthouse had a staircase to the second level, and Magnus walked up the steps with her still in his arms.

  She was with her mate, and she was safe. There was very little else that a prey species desired.

  Ystella jolted awake in the middle of the night. There was an arm around her, and she couldn’t remember for a minute how it got there.

  Her beast filled in an image of the tortoise, and Ystella’s pounding heart stopped tripping in her chest. She turned to look at her mate and smiled as her extra senses outlined his body in the dark. His hand tightened on her waist and pulled her toward him.

  She reached between them and wrapped her fingers around his erection. Ystella stroked it until she had caused enough moisture on him that her own was answering.

  He stroked his rough fingers between her thighs, and she shifted her leg until it was on his hip.

  He moved to slide into her, but she gripped him tightly and whispered, “It will work better this time if I am on my knees. Is that okay with you?”

  It had taken all of her focus to ask him, and he replied by backing away and rising to his knees.

  She grinned and got up on her hands and knees, a position that her beast was enthusiastic about.

  She used her extra senses to watch as he approached her. He stroked her back and cupped her hips before the blunt head of his cock pressed against her.

  Ystella breathed and pressed against the slick intruder as he moved inside her in minute increments. She really wished that he wasn’t working slowly, but it was for her own benefit.

  She rocked slightly, backing toward him to take him deeper than he initially wanted to go, but despite the discomfort, the thrill of pleasure of having him with her was building.

  He gripped her hips and pulled her back on him in the first solid thrust. She moaned, and when he did it again, she grunted. He picked up the pace, and soon, the friction of his cock inside her was a flare of heat that consumed her whole body.

  When the tension coiled through her, she moved back against him harder, trying to force the culmination that she wanted. She had felt the spark, she wanted the flames.

  In a slightly distracting move, he slid his hand over her hip and across her belly. He reached down, and he began to stroke her clit as his hips pumped in short pulses against her ass.

  She whimpered as his touch brought her close to the edge, and when his working fingers set her ablaze, she shrieked and bucked back against him. Her arms were trembling and her body was spasming and jerking around his cock. He thrust into her with a few short jerks and shuddered as he pulsed inside her.

  Ystella was catching her breath while her body continued to twitch and grip him. Her beast was happy at the start. She still wanted to be taken savagely, but that could wait for another night or day or morning. For now, she wanted to try it face to face.

  Turning classics into the exotic seemed to be something that ran in her family.

  Chapter Nine

  After spending three days at the guesthouse, they were ready to face the world, they just needed the balance ceremony and they could get back to the world.

  Ystella got off the carpet at the Meditation Centre. Magnus was holding her hand, and she walked next to him, into the area that would send them home.

  Tony saw her, and he smiled. “Ystella. Were you looking into a balance ceremony?”

  She nodded. “Yes, we would like to have a balance ceremony.”

  Tony’s mate, Teal, stepped forward. “You don’t need one, and it might be dangerous to administer one to you.”

  Ystella could read their stress in every inch of their bodies. “It is the wild magic.”

  Teal nodded. “We can deal with fey magic and shifter magic, even ancient versions of each, but we can’t balance wild magic. That is its very nature. It can’t be contained.”

  Ystella looked to Magnus. “Is this a problem for you?”

  He shook his head. “I am with you, and you are with me. If we can’t split our beasts and magic and share them, I can be satisfied with your body.” He winked.

  She looked upward for a moment, and then, she looked back at the guardians of the Crossroads. “Okay, so we can’t be balanced here without blowing the place up. I will look into alternatives back in the human world.”

  They were both relieved, and after the official bonding documents were signed, there was one more matter that Tony hadn’t shared.

  “Your grandmother has demanded that you return home, Ystella.”

  She smiled. “Thanks for waiting until I signed the document.”

  “I am making a note that you did not know that your herd master was reinstating your status before you signed.”

  Ystella leaned against Mag
nus. “I would have signed regardless.”

  He wrapped his arms around her, and he gave her a squeeze.

  “Well, I wish you two the best of luck.” Teal smiled. “I am sorry that we couldn’t do the ceremony.”

  Magnus answered, “We understand.”

  The next few minutes were preparations for them sending her to her family with Magnus in tow.

  She looked at her mate. “Are you ready to face some horses?”

  “I am protected. Nothing gets through my shell.”

  “Good. My grandma’s hooves can be vicious.”

  He chuckled, and they were wrapped in light and on the way to her family home.

  They appeared in the empty meadow next to the family home and started walking toward the farm, hand in hand.

  Her family spilled out of the house, and her grandmother was leading the herd.

  Bryt Hist was scowling as she approached. “Ystella!”

  Ystella kept walking toward her grandmother. “Yes, Grandmother?”

  “Who is that?” She flapped her hand at Magnus.

  “This is my mate, Magnus. We have just come from the Crossroads.”

  Bryt looked him over. “What is he?”

  Magnus inclined his head. “Too old for this shit.”

  Her grandmother drew her head back. “What?”

  “I am a tortoise who has seen centuries come and go. You have given Ystella attitude because of her spirit, and that I cannot abide. She was born to stand out, to be the embodiment of wild magic, and you threw her out.”

  Her grandmother paled. “You know about that?”

  “I do. She is my mate. Her woes are mine, and though we could not be balanced at the Crossroads, we will live as man and wife with our backs to each other, defending ourselves against the world.”

  She blinked and smiled slowly. Her parents were beaming, and her sisters were looking at her battered mate with fascination. Her grandfather was laughing is ass off.

  Her grandmother paused for a moment and then regrouped. “You are truly a unicorn?”

  “I truly am. I know how fussy you are on our mangled genes, so I didn’t want to tell anyone.”