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

run, but the fissure followed him. It must have cracked a gas line. There was an explosion and...”
    There was pain in her face, real pain–and he wanted to wrap his arms around her and make it go away. It wasn’t her fault what had happened, but she seemed to carry the guilt of her attackers.
    “The men didn’t live to tell Mic that they found us, but three other innocent people died that day. My mom tried to hide it from me, but I heard their screams. Even if I hadn’t seen the newspaper, I knew. I killed them.”
    “It was an accident.”
    “Reports said it was an earthquake.” She smiled sadly and shook her head. “Who would have believed such devastation cold be caused by an eight year old girl?”
    He hadn’t realized he’d reached out to touch her until the flash of heat sizzled through his skin. His fingers lingered on her cheek for a moment, then he pulled away. Shit. The fucking alcohol was making him soft. But he knew a thing or two about guilt. Knew how it could shred your soul until there was nothing left but a broken shell of the person you’d once been.
    “I’m tired,” she said, resting her head against the sofa and closing her eyes.
    He took her glass, pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and placed it over her shoulders.
    A fire burned deep inside him, fueled by a need to protect her. And he would. He made a silent promise to her in the moment. Solstice mate or not, he would make sure she was safe.
     
     

Chapter 9
     
    Jace stretched and each of his muscles screamed in protest. His head throbbed and his stomach churned.
    What time is it? Groaning, he fumbled into his pants pocket and found his cell phone. Eerie blue light reflected on the empty tequila bottle on the floor.
    Terra? His heart calmed when he flashed the light over her sleeping form.
    His cock swelled. She’d unbuttoned the top of her jeans, and her t-shirt had risen up, exposing a tiny silver ring in a perfect navel. His tongue moved as he considered licking that ring and going lower and...
    If only it wasn’t solstice. They could have a go at what no doubt would be hot sex, no ritual needed.
    Pumpkin circled his feet, meowing, and nudging the top of his leg into his calf. His eyes reflected the blue light of the cell.
    “Let me guess, you’re hungry?”
    With a yowl, the cat jumped to a cupboard and pawed at the door.
    “Okay. Let’s see what we’ve got in here.” A bag of small brown nuggets made the cat run and wait by a plastic bowl, all eyes.
    He calculated a cat-size portion, poured, and the fuzz-ball chowed down while purring.
    Jace smiled, pleased he had the upper hand for once.
    After searching five more cupboards, he found a plastic jug of water in the fridge, uncapped it, and chugged the lukewarm liquid.
    What he wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee.
    Bored, he let the flashlight in his phone scan over the pile of books and papers. A small pink shoebox lay on its side, with newspaper clippings and old photos nearby.
    He crouched and picked them up.
    One of the clippings described the gas station incident, with a description of each of the victims. His throat clenched. He understood the reason for the painful mementos. He had his own box of reminders at home–a copy of Megan’s obituary, a single photo of the two of them together, a letter her mother wrote to him after Megan’s death that he’d never opened.
    He started to put them back in the box when one of the headlines caught his eye.
    UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN FOUND DEAD AT THE BOTTOM OF OLD RAVINE
    The newspaper was marked eight years after the other incident. There was an artist sketch of what the woman would have looked like pre-mortem. It wasn’t difficult to tell that the woman was Terra’s mother.
    She’d said her mother died of cancer. Why would she lie?
    Jace nearly jumped out of his skin when the old radio crackled to life and a woman’s voice blasted through the silence.
    Terra stirred on the couch, giving Jace enough time to shove the