STORY EXCERPT

Ever since Charlie watched the movie, Practical Magic, he had come up with the idea to make their own love spell just like the sisters did in the movie.

Charlie knew it was a joke. He didn’t really believe in spells or anything like that, but it was fun to think of what kind of person they would like to eventually be with when they all got older. Christopher had surprised them by suggesting that since it was for just fun and games, they should make a love spell for their favorite scary monster or paranormal being. Both Charlie and Tyler immediately thought it was a cool idea, and they started immediately planning for their “love spell” ritual, and now with Austin joining them, Christopher told them they now had a complete circle.

Whatever that meant.

By the concerned look on his friends’ faces, Charlie realized they were getting cold feet.

“Listen guys, just yesterday y’all were all gung-ho over this…and now it looks like you don’t wanna do it,” Charlie sighed.

“I thought I wanted to do this until Christopher told me this was the place of some old Indian burial ground.” Tyler shrugged and looked toward Christopher for obvious support.

“That’s right,” Christopher interjected. “I went to the library and did some research about this area. Apparently, this land was once rumored to be the burial place of some ancient tribe. Some say that we’re standing on magical or even cursed land, so I don’t think we should do this here.”

Charlie’s heart pounded in his chest. He didn’t care if this was some old burial ground or if it was cursed. There was something instinctive that told him they must do this ritual, or something bad might happen.

“We have…” Charlie began.

“Well, I ain’t scared,” Austin loudly interrupted. He crossed his small arms over his chest and gave them all a glowering stare. “Charlie wants to do this, so I’m gonna do it. If y’all are too chicken then cluck your way back home to your momma.”

Charlie grinned at his brother as he fought the urge to fidget a little on his feet. His hands shook from excitement as he dug in his backpack and took out a medium-sized cast-iron bowl. Charlie realized they needed something durable to put their items in, and he knew his mother’s antique bowl would do the trick.

“Who’re you callin’ a chicken, you little brat?” Tyler growled, giving Austin the stink eye.

Charlie set the cast-iron bowl down on the ground and went to stand by his brother. “Don’t call my brother a brat, Tyler.” Austin looked up at him with surprised eyes as he wrapped one arm around his little brother’s bony shoulders. “He’s just telling it like it is. Either you’re in or you’re out.”

Tyler growled and grabbed his backpack. “I’m not no damn chicken.” He unzipped it and gave Charlie a dirty look. “Let’s just start the fuckin’ thing so we can get this shit over with.”

Charlie gave Tyler a quick nod and looked over at Christopher. His friend was worrying his bottom lip with his top teeth and stood looking at him with a helpless expression on his face. “I still don’t know about this…” he began.

“Oh, quit your bellyaching! This ain’t no Stephen King novel, so let’s just do this so we can get Charlie off of our fuckin’ backs,” Tyler grumped. He crossed his large arms over his chest and leveled his gaze unblinkingly at Charlie. Charlie wanted to squirm under that intense glare, but he managed to meet Tyler’s stare with one of his own.

“Fine…fine! I’ll do this asinine thing, but I’m warning all of you…if I get possessed or we conjure up some ghost or something, I’m going to make sure it haunts all three of you!” Christopher stomped his foot and gave them all a glare for good measure.

Charlie was caught in between horror and laughter at his normally easygoing friend’s outburst. As he glanced back and forth between his angry friends, his excitement to do the ritual dampened. As much as Charlie wanted to do this, it wasn’t worth making his friends this ticked off at him or possibly even losing their friendship over.

His shoulders slumped in defeat, and a lump formed in his throat. “Since y’all feel that strongly about it, we won’t do it. We’ll just put out the fire and go home.” Charlie tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice and he blinked away tears.

Idiot! Don’t cry like a baby in front of them!

As his friends watched him walk back to his backpack and bend down to pick up the bowl, they quickly looked at each other with an unspoken communication between them. Tyler gave Christopher a quick nod, and his easygoing friend gave him a small smile. “Stop, Charlie…you’re right. We’re blowing this way out of proportion. We’ll do it.”

ADULT EXCERPT

As if reading James’s mind, Charlie leaned toward him as he slid his hand up James’s arm until he cupped the back of his head. “Please kiss me, James.” Charlie’s voice had a deep, almost desperate quality to it as warm fingers clutched into his hair.

As he leaned forward to press his lips against his mate’s, James instinctively knew that his life was about to change forever. Once he did this, he’d never be able to get Charlie out of his mind and heart. Even if Charlie didn’t realize it, James would be beginning the eternal bond between them. At least it would be on his side, until Charlie hopefully accepted James for what he really was.

He kissed Charlie’s lips softly, just barely bringing them together. He inhaled his mate’s scent, relishing at the smells of musk and the beginnings of his Charlie’s arousal.

“God, you smell good,” James whispered. He rubbed the tip of his nose lightly over Charlie’s cheeks and over to his neck, breathing him in and allowing his senses to absorb the aroma of his lover.

Charlie shivered, and James heard him do a deep inhale of his own. “Hmmm…you do too.”

Pleased that his mate loved his scent too, the lupine in him wanted to rip off Charlie’s clothes, flip him over, and fuck him senseless until both he and Charlie collapsed with exhaustion. But as much as he wanted to do it, the human and softer side of him craved to slowly peel off all of Charlie’s clothes, learn all of his lover’s smells, touch and taste Charlie all over, and make love to him.

He determinedly pushed his animalistic side aside, vowing one day they’d be more primal and more heated, but for right now, James craved to take it easy and relish every moment he had with Charlie.

Needing to feel and savor the taste and feel of Charlie, James nibbled gently on Charlie’s ear. He gently sucked the top of it and blew softly against it.

A low groan came from Charlie’s mouth. “You’re such a tease, James.” Charlie ran his hand down his back and up to his neck and pulled James closer to him. “Please kiss me,” he repeated, his voice sounding deep and raw with desire.

Unable to deny either of them any longer, James pulled slightly away until his lips could once again touch that tantalizing mouth he was rapidly becoming enamored with. As their lips touched, both of them seemed to need more, and they opened their mouths in unison and started exploring each others’ mouths.

James couldn’t get enough of Charlie’s sweet lips and tongue. As they continued to slide their tongues against each other, James was almost lost in the taste and feel of his mate. He knew he could kiss and savor this man forever, but needed to feel his lover against him, below him.

James eased Charlie back until his body was lying against the pillows with James settling himself on top of him. When he felt Charlie’s legs separate and slide up to cradle around James’s hips as Charlie’s hardened bulge pressed tantalizing against his own, James’s body instinctively took control as he began to move and grind their arousals together, almost in perfect harmony.

James’s cock was uncomfortably pressed against the front of his jeans, but for the time being, he chose to ignore it. It felt so right in his mate’s arms and being cradled within his sexy, lean body. James could feel the warmth of his lover’s hands running down his back and the slide of his shirt being untucked from the back of his jeans until soft, firm hands began to glide over the bare skin of his sides and back. Charlie’s touch was slow and almost reverent as he continued his exploration of his body. In all of his long life, James had never felt so cherished and wanted before.

James’s own hands did some exploring of their own. He ran one hand down the side of Charlie’s body to his hips. He loved being cradled within the confines of Charlie’s body. He instinctively knew he was being touched by this man, his mate, the one James had always looked for.

Charlie’s hands travelled down his back until they reached the top of his jeans, and James’s heart beat harder within his chest as Charlie’s fingers traced around the top of them and then inside them. Strong fingers slid along the roundness of his ass and pulled him even tighter into Charlie’s embrace.

Unable to take another moment without touching Charlie’s skin, James disengaged his mouth from Charlie’s just far enough to pull Charlie’s shirt over his head.

“You too,” Charlie panted, his moist, warm breath against his lips, tantalizing James to kiss him again. “Take your shirt off. I need to feel you against me.”

James pulled up enough to take off his shirt and was surprisingly aroused even further when Charlie slid his hands tantalizingly from his ass up his body and grabbed a hold of his shirt. He gave James a wicked smile and ripped it open in one smooth move. The clang of the buttons hitting the floor and who knew where else was loud in the quiet room.

The aggressive move called to the lupine within him. He heard an animalistic growl escape his lips and watched Charlie’s dark eyes widen because of it.