I felt my eyes widen and my heart pound. I’d seen Austin on the warpath, but never like this. Not in human form, anyway.
“You dare come into my territory, my bar, and disrespect someone as pure and good as Jacinta.” He squeezed.
The man kicked, his face turning red. He grabbed at Austin’s hand, his wrist, and tried to push at his face. His strength was draining.
“Say you’re sorry,” Austin seethed.
Pinhead’s mouth worked, but no sound came forth.
Austin shook him as if he were a mouse, not a shifter made of solid muscle.
The shifter’s slight to me had been enough to completely derail Austin’s control. What Pinhead had said had pushed Austin into his dark place, creating an opening for the beast to emerge.
Austin had allowed himself to get too close to me, and hearing someone belittle me had sent him into a tailspin. It had brought one of his greatest fears roaring to life. He had lost himself.
I had to set him to rights. If I didn’t, he might never forgive himself for the loss of control. He’d think all of his years of penance had been for nothing.
I shoved a few spectators out of the way and slammed the door shut, locking it. Like a shepherd, I herded everyone who remained inside, Niamh and Sebastian included, into the pool room. Once they were safely tucked away, I sectioned them off with the spell Sebastian had devised earlier that day. They would not see or hear us. I worked quickly, knowing Pinhead’s time was running out.
“Enough, Austin,” I said softly, walking closer with slow, even steps. I didn’t want to startle him. “You’ve made your point.” I dropped my hand to his shoulder, my breath hitching when Austin shook the man again. “It’s time to stop this now. Let it go.”
Radiating calming emotions through our magical link, I rubbed up the center of his back and then reached around and put my other palm over his chest, the beat of his heart filtering through me until it almost beat in time with mine. Until I felt our connection in my center.
“That’s enough, Austin, please.” I slid my palm up his chest and cupped his chin, ever so gently pulling his face toward mine. I threaded a little command into my tone, just enough to get through to him. “Look at me, Austin.”
His arm dropped a little. His fingers relaxed, but not enough. Pinhead slowly stilled, just about out of air, his legs barely kicking now.
“Look at me,” I whispered, applying a little more pressure to Austin’s chin, turning his head. His eyes, dazed with violence, lost to his primal side, weren’t focusing. “Come back to me. Remember the meadow with all the flowers? Remember that perfect day, with the sun and the wine? Remember how sublime it was, how peaceful? I need you to return to that headspace. Come back to me, Austin.”
His eyebrows dipped, and I took my hand from his chin and ran it down his outstretched arm, the one that was choking Pinhead.
“You’ve made your point. You’re worrying me. Let’s let him go.” By the time my hand reached his, his arm relaxed, dropping, letting go.
The man fell away, a puddle of flesh and bone, gasping through a tight, bruised throat. But he was alive. He’d heal, he’d live, and, if he were smart, he’d never show his face in these parts again.
As Austin’s eyes cleared, blinking down at me, I acted quickly—using my magic to rip open the door, fling Pinhead out, and slam it shut again.
Putting my hand back on Austin’s chin, I ran the other over his shoulders and down to the base of his neck. His arms came around me then, pulling me to him. He dipped his head and his lips claimed mine, possessive, insistent. His tongue ran along my bottom lip, demanding admission.
Surprised, I opened to him, feeling his tongue plunge in before sweeping through, striking up a deep rhythm that stole my breath and made my heart thunder in my chest. I tightened my arms around his neck, rewarded with a deep, masculine growl, his kiss deepening, his hands splaying across my back. The world turned sideways, and all other thoughts fled as I fell into the feel of him, hard against my body. His taste overwhelmed me, spicy yet sweet, and I melted against him, utterly lost.
I’d forgotten how good this felt. How unbelievably he kissed, claiming all of my focus and stealing my breath.
Too soon he pulled back, gently biting my bottom lip, hot and passionate one moment, sultry and sanguine the next. I ached to find out if he was as good within the sheets as he was with his lips.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “For all of that. For this, for everything. I didn’t know how to tell you about the link. At first I didn’t intend to use it. But you’d been kidnapped under my watch, and I was terrified of it happening again. I’m trying to give you as much privacy as I can. I don’t know how to muffle it automatically, so whenever it feels like you need your space, I push the link away. I ignore it. Please believe that. This isn’t about me spying on you.”