Dark Tremor (Mated by Magic #2) by Stella Marie Alden, Chantel Seabrook Read Free Book Online

here.”
    “And Falcon.” She gently pushed the cat aside, sucked back another shot, and glared with eyebrows raised. A challenge of sorts.
    The cat had the audacity to rub at his legs before sauntering off, clearly the victor in the war for Terra’s attention.
    Jace sighed and downed another. “Right. The guy who knows where the turquoise is.”
    She shrugged and looked down at her glass. “He’s a friend.”
    There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
    He didn’t know who this Falcon guy was, but he already didn’t like him.
    Pouring himself another shot, he asked, “When those men showed up, you said ‘They found me.’ How long have you been hiding?”
    Her body tensed. “It’s none of your business.”
    Something clunked in the dark, the cat meowed, and came back with a toy mouse in its mouth which dropped at Terra’s feet. No doubt Pumpkin was very pleased he’d interrupted again.
    Jace stood, loomed over, and tried not to shout. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m thirty feet deep in your fucking business.”
    He ran his fingers through his hair and winced when he touched the new cut. “My family has connections. If you’re in some kind of trouble, I can help you. If you owe money–” 
    “I don’t owe money.” There was a slight slur to her words and she swayed when she tried to grab the bottle of tequila out of his hand. “Give me that. I don’t owe him anything.”
    “Him? You mean Mic?”
    She nodded and frowned down at her empty glass.
    Uneasiness clawed at his chest. What was she hiding?
    When she held up her glass, he filled it again. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth. What does the man want with you?”
    There was a long silence. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, Jace thought she’d passed out.
    “Terra?”
    Her lashes fluttered open. There were tears in her eyes when she finally looked at him. So much vulnerability, so much pain. He had to hold back from pulling her into his arms.
    “My mother was his solstice mate.”
    “Mic?” Jace frowned.
    She nodded.
    “He’s your father?” Jace sat back down on the couch. Too late he noticed how their thighs touched and heat sparked between them.
    Terra blew out a heavy breath. “My mom was sixteen. Barely legal. He was competing for leadership, and needed the power he sensed in her. So he raped her, forced her to perform the mating ritual with him.”
    “Shit. I’m sorry.” He almost put his hand on her knee to comfort her, but held back.
    “She told me that they were what the clan calls a perfect match .” Her fingers made quotes in the air. “A one in a million happenstance. He ended up more powerful, but so did she. When she found out she was pregnant with me, she left.”
    “And you’ve been out here ever since?” He ran a hand over his neck, trying to ease some of the tension. The thought of her out here alone all these years was like a punch to the gut.
    “Falcon’s grandfather took her in. It wasn’t safe for her to stay on the reservation, so he helped her get settled out here in the desert. Brought us things when we needed it. Kept her whereabouts hidden.”  She glanced around at the broken mess. “This is all I’ve ever known. She made a home for us. Taught me how to mine for gems using my powers. This area is filled with them. She found a few local dealers. Made enough to survive. We stayed under the radar for years, until…”   
    She swiped at her eyes and shook her head.
    A gnawing hit the pit of his stomach. Even though she wanted to leave it be, he had to know. “What happened?”
    “Two of Mic’s men recognized her at a gas station. My mom tried to fight them off, but…her powers were never very strong. She screamed for me to run, but when one of the men came for me, I froze.” Terra took in a long shuddering breath. “He wasn’t expecting me to fight back. I didn’t really know what I was doing until it was too late. The ground opened up. The man started to