Warrior's Craft Four Guys & A Witch Read online

  Four Guys & A Witch

  Cheryl Dragon

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright ©2012 Cheryl Dragon

  BIN: 05625-01802

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  Publisher:

  Changeling Press LLC

  315 N. Centre St.

  Martinsburg, WV 25404

  www.ChangelingPress.com

  Editor: Vicki S. Burklund

  Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

  Adult Sexual Content

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  Four Guys & A Witch

  Cheryl Dragon

  Enough love and magic can defeat any evil.

  When demons invade Detroit, four modern day pagan warriors go to work, but they need a little extra help from their favorite sexy witch. Phoebe has been their magical contact for years, but none of the men have dared break ranks to make a move.

  A protection spell won’t cut it this time. The group needs sex magic to boost their skills and bond them on a new level. Sharing a hot witch is one thing, but two of the men have issues that make baring their feelings harder than baring their bodies. Phoebe is determined to have them all and bring love to the warriors’ world.

  Chapter One

  The tingle of testosterone and masculinity in the air made Phoebe’s body hum. It happened every time she walked into the Franklin and Matthews Office Of Private Investigations. The office was located in a converted Victorian home in the historic section of Detroit, where four men lived and shared a mission.

  They didn’t dress like superheroes, though they’d look good in tights. While they didn’t have special powers, they saved people from the things that went bump in the night.

  Knowing their secret and helping the warriors with their battle put her in rough spots sometimes. Phoebe knew they were on the side of light and good. Her great aunt, who led the local coven, didn’t approve, but Phoebe had to help. When they called, how could she resist?

  She walked past the front room and into the old music room. Two large desks were positioned where she suspected a baby grand once stood. Her powers seemed to increase around the men, and this old house felt like a home to her. Since her coven consisted mostly of women, it made sense that the change to men felt good. She had to work hard not to romanticize her time with the guys. Fantasizing came later.

  “Hey, there’s the prettiest witch in Michigan.” Andy Matthews walked out from the kitchen and hugged her. With black hair, blue eyes, and a build like a prizefighter, he intimidated many opponents. He was dressed for the gym. Phoebe didn’t mind the view at all.

  Andy’s boyfriend, Jude Clark, was right behind him and gave her an extra squeeze. “We’ll be back soon. Gotta sign a new client.” He waved on his way out the door. Those boy-next-door good looks on a large muscled frame fit his job as a personal trainer perfectly.

  “DC is in the dining room. He needs the help.” Andy gave her a thumbs up and dashed to catch Jude.

  “Bye.” She waved back. Her body desperately wanted to follow them. They were a couple, but openly flirted with her. The other two men in the group were single and, by all accounts, straight. Of course, they were the ones who kept a more respectful distance. Men!

  She walked back to the dining room. They’d done basic repairs to keep the house up, but the old printed wallpaper remained. The furniture had held up well through years of use, lots of wood and overstuffed sofas and chairs. Upstairs she knew there were several big bedrooms. In her dreams she moved in, played house, and things got hot. Then reality hit -- she was just a visitor. But it felt good while she was here.

  DC was bent over his books and laptop as usual. The slight geeky effect of his glasses in no way detracted from his battle-ready body. They trained for battle. Her pagan warriors against evil wouldn’t go down the wrong path.

  When she set her patchwork bag of essentials on the table, she spooked DC.

  “Sorry. I thought you were expecting me. Why are you in the dining room? Reed is out too?” She took a seat in the antique mahogany chair.

  “I was going to bring the books to the front office, but here is fine. Reed’s in the back office working on a non-paranormal job. Have to keep the money coming in. Once we destroy this group of demons, I’ll take all the substitute teaching work I can.” DC slid a map of Detroit in front of her.

  “Must be a powerful group if you’ve been after them for two weeks.” Phoebe saw the bandage on DC’s strong forearm. His intense hazel gaze caught her and she buried her nose in her bag. “Is your arm better?”

  “Pretty much. Their saliva has some sort of enzyme that slows healing. They’ve killed one person we can confirm, and attacked a few more since we’ve been after them. We took out a few but there are more.” DC tugged his long-sleeved shirt down. He was dressed casually today, jeans and dress shirt. The former history teacher seemed distracted.

  “What can I do to help?” At only twenty-seven, Phoebe wasn’t the most powerful witch in her coven. Most weren’t willing, though, to help men who went out to do battle. Wiccans were anti-violence except in cases of self-defense, but Phoebe saw the shades of gray others refused to acknowledge. Protecting innocents from vampires and demons was as noble as any calling.

  DC shrugged. “They moved again. We need to know where they are. And if you have any ideas of how to increase our luck or protection, I’ll try anything.”

  Phoebe touched his arm and he flinched. Pulling her hand away, she focused on her work, not her feelings for these men. Despite their tough exteriors, honor ran deep through all these men. Between cases, she missed them. She knew they missed her too, although they didn’t admit it.

  “I can find them, but we’ve already tried the basic protection spells. I’m not with you guys so I can’t be there to help. Reed won’t let me go into battle.” She frowned.

  “You’re not a killer. You won’t even step on a spider. Plus, if you were there, we’d lose our focus. Reed’s right about that. All of us would be worrying about you and not concentrating on the job.” DC sat back as if the matter was closed.

  “You have no idea what I’m capable of if I were threatened or if someone I cared about was in danger. I’ve got more powers than you do,” she calmly asserted.

  DC shook his head. “Reed and Andy created this group to fight paranormal danger -- men who risk their lives and sacrifice their time to protect innocents and keep evil under control. We know the deal and we’ve accepted it. We need your help as a witch, not a fighter.”


  Same conversation, different case. Her friends wanted her safe, and she had to appreciate that. Something was still missing. Phoebe just couldn’t put her meditative mind on it.

  She tucked her hair behind her ears and grabbed her crystal on a string. It helped her locate things. She pressed it between her hands, cleared past searches, and focused on what they needed. The silence was tense as she made a gentle circle with the crystal over the map, letting nature pull the crystal to the spot.

  When the crystal rested, she circled the area on the map and carefully put the crystal away. “The demons are there. It’s in a rundown area. You’re not going today?”

  “We need to discuss it but we can’t let them get stronger. They’ve killed one person already.” DC worked on his computer. “The only spells I’ve come up with to increase our strength and protection aren’t workable.”

  “Spells have lots of options but we’ve tried most of them. You’re humans, not paranormal creatures. Plenty of demons will be stronger and faster than you. I can help some in the field, but spell-wise, I can’t put shields around you from a distance.” There was one approach, advanced and unorthodox, which could work for them.

  “We need to bond together, to share our energy so if one is hurt, the others can help.” DC stood and paced the length of the dining room.

  Phoebe slid her feet out of her funky purple and green wedge sandals and wiggled her toes. Magical ideas teased her there for some reason, and she wanted to ignore it. Giving herself to the answer DC was circling would be too hard if it didn’t work.

  DC stopped and stared at her. In his eyes she could see the revelation. “We can’t do that,” he said.

  “We can do anything we need to do to save lives. It’s not as easy as it sounds. You should at least bring it up to the group.” Flexing her glitter-painted toes, she slid them back in her shoes. If they were willing to try it, she absolutely wanted the experience.

  * * *

  DC sat down across from her and watched her. “You know what I’m talking about?”

  She rolled her big green eyes rolled skyward and her curly brown hair slid from behind her ears to cover her dangling earrings. The woman always looked like a goddess in long skirts and fitted tops that showed her curves. With a funky and unique style, she was as sweet and smart as the girl next door.

  “I’m not stupid, DC. I’ve been studying magic all my life. Sure, I couldn’t get schooled in sex magic until my teens, but understanding the power of it is important. The energy shared during sex and the power of focusing it is an option.” She fingered the amber pendant hanging inches above her cleavage.

  For a second DC was lost in the amber and the creamy skin of Phoebe’s throat but shook it off. “I know it’s an option, but we’d all have to participate and it’s dangerous. Spells can go wrong. They can have unintended consequences.”

  “I teach Wicca 101. I don’t need the lesson.” She grabbed her bag and stood. “If you’re not comfortable with this, I don’t have more options. I can ask some of the stronger witches for advice.”

  “No, wait. Stay. I need to talk this option out. These demons are targeting women, and they got a taste of me. I won’t be the weak link. Sex magic isn’t something I’ve tried but I want your opinion.” DC stood in the doorway.

  Phoebe couldn’t leave. They needed her. Endangering her was not an option, but DC was already crazy about her. If it was just him, he’d have made a move by now, but everything about the life he’d chosen was complicated.

  She sat and shrugged. “Fine. Sex magic is powerful and pleasurable. Everyone has to be willing and open to it. Think of it like a protection circle if you tried to contact a spirit or go into a haunted house to flush out a problem ghost. You share the energy and contact. But if someone falters, you’re all vulnerable. I don’t know if this is the best way.”

  “All four of us are committed. We’d need you. It won’t work without a woman and a witch at the center.” DC went to his computer and searched on it to get some details.

  “Pagans celebrate the female as the path to life. That would be the focus and core of the act. This might be a problem for Andy and Jude.” She pulled a notepad out of her bag and began scribbling notes.

  “No, it won’t. But it could bring out stuff with all of us.” DC knew those guys wanted Phoebe every bit as much as he or Reed. Sharing her was a fantasy, but making it real for a spell could spark competition and raise issues.

  Phoebe smiled. “Well, men sharing the sex act is natural for some. Sharing a woman is a challenge, but there are a lot of things that will play into this. You four have to be totally open with each other. Little petty jealousies or resentments can manifest badly.”

  “We have to clear the air.” DC nodded.

  “If not, it could backfire. Obviously you four share a lot already, so maybe it’s nothing? I don’t know.” She shook her head.

  Jude and Andy trampled through the house like a herd of buffalo. DC shook off the depression. When he was alone with Phoebe, he had to keep his distance.

  “Don’t know what?” Andy grabbed the map and sat next to Phoebe.

  Phoebe blushed. “It’s not a good option yet. We need to talk about it more.”

  “Talk fast. These demons aren’t waiting until we figure out how to win. Vampires and shifters we’ve got under control, but this is messy.” Jude sat on the other side of Phoebe and slid his chair close.

  “There will always be something else bigger, badder, and stronger than us. We’ll figure something out.” DC found sites on magical sex. The idea made him think about Phoebe and everyone naked together. He had put this at the bottom of his list because he wanted it -- and not just for the power it might grant them. “How could we focus on a spell while doing that?”

  Phoebe covered her mouth and cleared her throat.

  DC kicked the table leg. He didn’t think he’d said it out loud, but Andy and Jude would jump all over it if they figured it out. “Never mind.”

  “Doing what?” Andy looked at Jude and then over at DC.

  They’d done stuff like that before, without the magic and without Reed. Sharing women and sexual explorations was one thing. Add the spin of spells and the unknown factor of Reed in that mix and it was too dangerous. “It could ruin everything.”

  “Or not.” Phoebe looked him in the eye.

  “Someone needs to start talking, or I’m going to take a nap.” Jude walked around behind DC and saw it before DC could close the laptop.

  “Sex and magic? Now if I knew we could have that sort of fun, I’d have hit the books more too.” Jude bumped knuckles with Andy across the table.

  “We were just going over the options to increase protection. We can’t afford to lose a man or let more women die.” DC wanted this, but no one in that room right now was the big sticking point. “We can’t ask Phoebe to do that.”

  “I can.” Andy leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Apparently gay men get away with a lot of things. But confession time -- we’re both bisexual, and Jude has a big crush on you. And DC did stuff with us in college. He isn’t as uptight as he seems.”

  “Thanks, Andy.” DC exhaled and looked at Phoebe. “I got experimental with these guys and my girlfriend.”

  “Next you’ll tell me Reed has a secret boyfriend?” Phoebe reached across the table to run her fingers over DC’s arm.

  DC wished it were true, but the three men answered in unison. “No.”

  “Reed’s got his conservative tendencies. Maybe Phoebe can help loosen him up.” Andy shrugged.

  “What we’re trying to say is all the pressure won’t be on you. We can play nice with each other,” Jude said.

  “It’s flattering you guys are open to it and into me. I’m not really shocked about the bi thing. I’m sure the sex would be great.” Phoebe looked at DC. “But it is more complicated than the sex.”

  DC nodded. His feelings went deeper. If everyone had to come clean about how they felt about everyone else, DC worried the
demons would win this time.

  Chapter Two

  Jude grinned at how DC was trying to keep it together. The guys had all gone to college together. While Jude and Andy had fallen easily into a couple status, DC was the odd man out. He wasn’t a prude or as bookish as he appeared, but he hadn’t scored what he needed yet. The guy had a lot of sexual frustration. This was perfect!

  “Sex is complicated but we’re all friends. We’re all adults and have worked together for years.” Andy shrugged. “No one here seems to be running away from the idea.”

  “I think we’re already planning what we’re going to do to Phoebe tonight.” Jude rounded the table and kissed Andy before kissing and nipping at Phoebe’s neck.

  “Cut it out. It’s not just the fun. There’s a lot of honesty that has to go into it. Hiding feelings or just going along with the group could derail it.” Phoebe pushed Jude into the seat next to her but leaned into him.

  Andy chuckled. “You won’t have that problem with anyone in here. I remember looking at those passages in my mom’s books on paganism. The power of sexual energy, and the intensity of it, can boost spells like nothing else.”

  “Why didn’t we ever try it?” Jude asked.

  “Group sex? We have.” Andy leaned his arm on Phoebe’s chair.

  “I know that. But we didn’t put any magic in it.” Jude copied Andy’s body language. They wanted Phoebe between them. It was a shared fantasy they’d discussed frequently. With DC and Reed both crushing hard on her, though, they weren’t going to shake things up. They had sex regularly -- greed wasn’t good for their lifestyle.

  “We’re not magical. We need a witch.” Andy grabbed Phoebe’s hand and kissed it.

  “You two are quite a team. There are all male pagan groups who practice sexual magic. You don’t really need a witch. A wizard would serve as well.” Phoebe shoved him playfully. She pulled her smart phone out of her bag and began searching.