tempting magic

Chapter One 

~ Solomon ~

I was supposed to be watching the TV screen in front of me, and the music videos playing on it, but I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the beautiful young woman sitting beside me. Two months ago, I received a call from my friend Arthur, an earth demon I knew from way back. He told me he had someone he thought I should meet. He knew I’d been looking for an assistant, and he thought she would be perfect for the job. As it turned out, he was right, only I wanted far more from her than any employer should ever want from his employee.
Renee Jacobs was everything I could ask for in a woman, and a partner.
She was small and thin, with subtle curves. In her opinion, she was nothing special. But hers was the kind of beauty that came from within, and drew me like a moth to a flame. I could drown in her emerald green eyes. I longed to get lost in the silken strands of her long, auburn hair. And her smile… it was so enchanting that I often forgot to breathe when she sent one my way. Every part of her was beautiful, right down to the adorable little freckles sprinkled across her nose.
Renee was also funny, outgoing, and energetic. We enjoyed the same music, food, movies, and television shows. We both loved to entertain people, whether we were onstage or behind the scenes.
Renee glanced my way, and then her hand flew up to her head. “What are you staring at? Do I have something in my hair?”
I smiled, and reached over to stop the playback. “Your hair is fine, Renee. It’s just—there’s something I’d like to talk to you about, and I’m not sure how you’re going to react.”
She swiveled her chair towards me, her face alight with curiosity. “I’m all ears.”
“First, I’d like to say that I’ve really enjoyed working with you for the past two months. You’re energetic, adaptable, creative and efficient, and nothing gets past you. You’re also a talented dancer, a fair singer, and a brilliant choreographer. I’ve seen the tapes of every music video and stage performance you’ve choreographed, and you have a lot of fresh ideas that I find very interesting.”
Swinging her chair back and forth, she gave me a shy smile. “Thank you, Solomon, I’ve enjoyed working with you too.”
“That’s good, because I’d like to continue working with you.”
“But I thought you had to leave in the morning.”
I met her curious green eyes, gauging her reaction when I said, “I do, and I want you to come with me.” 
Her mouth opened, then closed again.
“Look, Renee, I’m the Entertainment Director for all the properties owned by Drake International. That includes various clubs, hotels, resorts and restaurants. I need an assistant, someone who can keep me organized and on track, but who also understands what drives me creatively. I want someone I can bounce ideas off of that will give me useful feedback. Someone who really gets what I’m trying to do, and understands what it takes to stay on top in the entertainment industry. That someone is you.”
After a moment, she let out a breath and said, “While I am flattered, I can’t just leave Arthur high and dry. He’s been like a father to me.”
“Arthur asked me here specifically to meet you, because he knew I was looking for an assistant.”
Her face fell. “Why would Arthur try to get rid of me?” 
I shook my head. “That’s not what he was doing, Renee. Arthur loves you as much as you love him. He told me he believes you deserve more than an ordinary life, and he knows I can give that to you.”
Lines creased her forehead as her brows drew together. “What does that mean?”
Now came the hard part. How do you tell someone you’re a nightshifter—a cursed fox-shifter, who can no longer change shapes, that was turned into a vampire against his will? Or that you’re a 438-year-old sorcerer, and there are hundreds of thousands of supernatural beings like yourself living amongst the humans in this realm? 
Before I could come up with the right words, there was a knock at the door. I turned around to see Tracey and Stacey standing in the doorway. Tracey was wearing a short, iridescent-green mini dress. It had a zipper that started between her breasts and snaked down and right to the hemline. She’d left it undone up the very top of her thigh. Stacey’s dress was the same style but fuchsia instead of green. Both women wore four-inch heels, a pound of makeup, and their long blonde hair was teased to perfection. 
“I guess playtime with Skipper is over, the Barbie twins are ready to go,” Renee remarked.
I chuckled and asked her to give me a moment, while I went out in the hall and asked the twins to go on to the club without me. I’d spent a lot of time with them while I was in town, but tonight I wanted to focus on Renee. 
When I came back into the room, Renee was standing and I stopped directly in front of her. At five-ten, I wasn’t used to towering over people. Not even women. Renee was only five-two and, to date, I’d never seen her wear anything but high-top sneakers. She liked to wear them with tight jeans and sweatshirts that hang off her shoulder, like the Misfits one she was wearing now. 
“You’re not leaving?” she asked. 
“We weren’t finished with our conversation.”
“Oh, I just figured... Well you know... You always go out with them, or the other women I’ve seen you with.”
Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice? A man could only hope. “While the twins and the other women have been entertaining, they’re not the ones I’m asking to leave town with me.”
“But that’s just a job offer right? You don’t expect me to do what they do for you—right?” She put her hands on her hips, which she now had cocked to one side. “Because I’ll tell you now, we won’t be sleeping together if I decide to work for you.” 
I had to smile, so much spunk in such a little package. “That’s not part of the job description, but I can’t promise I won’t try to change your mind from time to time. You’re a beautiful woman, Renee, and I’d love to get to know you better, on a personal level. For now, though, we can keep things professional.”
Her head tilted to the side while she studied me with narrowed eyes for a moment. Finally, she asked, “And you were going to explain the ordinary life comment now, weren’t you?”
My smile widened. I decided what the hell, I may as well show her all my cards. If she took it badly I could always erase her memories later, although I fervently hoped it wouldn’t come to that. “Yes, I was. First, I want you to tell me something. Say you could go anywhere in the world right now. Where would you go?”
“What...”
“Just humor me, please.”
“I don’t know... The Statue of Liberty. Aren’t you supposed to help your friend David make it disappear next week?”
My heart sped with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, as I wondered how the next few moments would play out. “Yes I am. Now take my hand,” I said offering her my hand. When she only raised an eyebrow I added, “I promise not to bite, unless you ask me to.”
She laughed, and came forward to take my hand. Holding her tiny hand in mine, I whispered the ancient words that would open a portal. I made sure I added the necessary incantation for humans to travel through when accompanied by supernaturals. 
When the shimmering rainbow of colors manifested in front of us, Renee gasped. “What is that?”
“Look through it, Renee. What do you see on the other side?”
She peered through the translucent barrier then turned to me with wonder in her wide eyes. “Is that the Statue of Liberty?”
I nodded. “Do you want to see it?”
Her head turned back towards the portal, and she started to pull her hand away from mine. 
“If you let go, you won’t see it anymore. You won’t be able to travel through it with me.”
“What is it, Solomon?”
“It’s a portal. A gateway through time and space that I’ve created so we can go to the Statue of Liberty.”
From the way she was looking at the portal, I knew she wanted to go through it, but something was holding her back. I whispered in her mind, “You can trust me, Renee. Let me show you a whole new world of possibilities.”
Her head spun towards me so fast I was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. “How did you do that?”
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg, Renee. There are so many things I want to tell you, and show you, all you have to do is say you want to join me in my extraordinary life. Tell me you’ll work for me, and trust me to take care of you.”
Her green eyes met mine, open and sincere, “I trust you, Solomon. I don’t understand why, but I do trust you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Renee,” I told her, then after a quick reassuring squeeze of her hand, I led her through the portal to Liberty Island...


“Earth to Solomon. Is this it?” Rachel asked.
“Huh?”
“Solomon, were you daydreaming again? I swear you have the attention span of a two year old these days.”
I sat up straighter in my chair. We were seated at the thick mahogany table in my private library. All around us, the shelves reaching from the floor to the ceiling overflowed with ancient tomes and magical texts. For the past three weeks, I’d spent almost every waking moment combing through these books, searching for a way to break the spell that was keeping me away from my mate.
Rachel tossed a book across the table for me to look at. 
“Rachel, please be careful, some of these books are thousands of years old.”
“Sorry,” she said smacking her gum. “Maybe you should start scanning them into the computer, before they all turn into piles of dust.”
“That’s actually a very good idea. Perhaps after we return from the annual tournament, you could get started on that project.”
Since graduating from high school a few months ago, Rachel had been working here at the resort learning the various jobs and filling in wherever we were shorthanded. She enjoyed the assignments that allowed her to flirt with guests, but whined and complained when she had to do actual work. She did that now, and I tuned her out to compare the amulet in the book to my memories of the one in my dreams. 
“Are you paying any attention to me?”
I met her annoyed gaze and said, “I’m sorry, Rachel, and no, this isn’t the right amulet.” I placed the book gently back in front of her. “It’s very similar, but it’s not quite the same.”
“I don’t know why you’re going to all this trouble anyway. Every time you walk out of this apartment there are women lining up for a chance to sleep with you. And hell, if I thought you’d give me the time of day I’d be right there with them.”
“Rachel...”
“I know, I know. You’re hundreds of years older than me. Blah, blah, blah. How old were you when you met that girl Renee you keep dreaming about? From what I’ve heard, you were pushing four hundred forty and she was—what— twenty-three? Sure, you’re thirty years older now, and I’m just now coming up on my nineteenth birthday, but I don’t see how our situation is all that different. Besides, you only look a year or two older than me.”
I rubbed my hands over my face, and sighed. Rachel was beautiful. She was five-five with dark blonde hair, green eyes, and the kind of body that could drive a man crazy. Emotionally, she was still very much a child. “Rachel, I can’t help the way I feel about you. You just give me that little sister vibe. Maybe with time, as you mature, that would change. It doesn’t matter anyway, because it’s only a matter of time before I find my mate.”
She threw her hands in the air. “But that’s my point. Why do you want to find your mate and be stuck with the same person for the rest of your life? As long as someone is keeping you away from her, you’re free to do whatever you want, with whoever you want to do it with.”
“I’ve had centuries to do whatever I want, Rachel. Now that I know my mate is out there, I need more than sex. I need the other half of my soul.”
An image of Renee’s smiling face flashed before my eyes. Could she possibly be my mate? Was the only woman to ever capture my heart actually destined to be mine?
Rachel huffed, her breath making her bangs rise briefly. “Whatever. I don’t think I’ll ever want to settle down with one guy forever.”
Leaning back, I chose my next words carefully. “Look, Rachel, you’re very young, especially by supernatural standards. You’re also an adult, so I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. I will, however, suggest that you keep an open mind. Being mated, or being in a relationship, does not mean you’re in prison. Neither one automatically translates into monogamy.”
Rachel sat up with interest. “I thought mates are always faithful to each other. I mean, how the hell do you cheat when your mate can feel your emotions through the mating bond?” 
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “I’m not talking about cheating, Rachel. Mates are always faithful to each other and their relationship. Sometimes as a couple they choose to include someone else in their sexual encounters.”
A sly smile curled her lips. “Are you hoping your mate is one of those enlightened few who like to experience a little variety in the bedroom?”
“Honestly, no, I’ve been ready to settle down with one woman for a long time now.”
Rachel snorted, “You might not be doing it in public anymore, but I’ve heard all about your sex life and the huge numbers of women you’ve slept with in recent years.”
I wagged my finger at her. “It’s not polite to gossip, Rachel.”
“But it’s so much fun,” she informed me with a wink. 
I looked back down at my book, ready to get back to work but Rachel announced, “I think I need a break from looking at all these old books.” She stretched with her arms over her head. “You mind if I take off?”
I glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner, and decided to let her off the hook. It was a little early but we’d been at this for hours, and as usual, we had nothing to show for our trouble. Maybe a change of scenery would do us both some good, and maybe a new approach to my problem would yield better results. 
It was possible to counteract a spell without knowing exactly what kind of spell I was dealing with, but so far I’d only had limited luck. Whether it was due to one of the spells I tried, or sheer willpower, I was now able to move forward in my dreams with the intent to approach my mate. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t enter the house without waking up. I knew I needed to address the problem from another angle. But how? 
Suddenly the answer hit me from out of nowhere.
“I need to get drunk,” I said rising from my chair, already striding for the front door.
“What?” Rachel asked scrambling to keep up with me. “I didn’t think you guys could get drunk.”
“Human alcohol doesn’t have any effect on us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get drunk. Several of the drinks served here at the resort contain a potent solution brewed from a mixture of demon herbs that will not only get us drunk, but is guaranteed to turn us into babbling idiots if we’re not careful.”
She grabbed my arm, and pulled me to a stop just before I could open my front door. “Then why would you want to drink it?”
I looked at her and grinned knowing she would find my latest plan amusing. “Maybe if I get totally shit-faced drunk I’ll pass out, and stay that way long enough to get a good look at my mate.”
Rachel released my arm with a grin of her own, and I swung the door open. She followed me through it, and then down the hall to the elevator. Like all the other supernaturals who work at the Myths and Legends Casino Resort here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I live in the staff apartment building on the resort property. 
Once we were in the elevator, I put my hand on the security panel, making it light up while it scanned my palm print. The security panel was part technology, but mostly magic. I was the Entertainment Manager for the resort, but as the resident sorcerer, I was also in charge of anything magical. Primarily, I maintained several portals to other locations, the security panels located throughout the resort, and a protective ward that doubled as a glowing green moat around the medieval castle that housed Myths and Legends. 
“Would this mixture of demon herbs hurt humans if they drank it?” Rachel asked when the elevator began its descent.
A few months ago, Rachel was mixed up with some very bad people. As a result, she was given a demon drug called Oblivion by a vampire named Danarius. For supernaturals, the drug is only mildly addictive and causes a euphoric high, with increased sexual appetite and occasional hallucinations. Humans, on the other hand, are instantly addicted to the substance and suffer heart failure if they ever stop taking it. While they’re using the drug, they’re Oblivious to everything around them except their need to find sexual fulfillment. Normally humans who are given Oblivion never recover from the experience. Rachel was only saved because her new stepfather, Rook, the Myths and Legends Security Manager, is a time demon and he traveled through time to prevent her from ever becoming addicted to the drug. 
“No, Rachel, drugs like Oblivion are prohibited here at the resort, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally ingesting something that might hurt you.”
Her shoulders relaxed where she was leaning back against the elevator wall, and I knew that was exactly what she’d been worried about. 
“People are going to think it’s weird to see you out in public,” Rachel commented, examining her nail polish for chips. 
“An understatement, I’m sure but it’s early so maybe I’ll miss the crowds.”
Shapeshifter culture could be summed up with two words: sex and violence.
The violence I could do without, most of the time, but I learned long ago to play by the rules. 
The sex, on the other hand, was my favorite part of life with the clans. Or at least it had been, until six months ago, when the Phoenix Prophecy was fulfilled, and my fox awoke from his magically induced coma. He went ape-shit the first time things got hot and heavy with a female. Every time I tried to get naked with a woman since, my dick went completely limp, and any hopes I had of actually having sex flew right out the window. The ladies involved were all very understanding, and have so far kept my erectile dysfunction a secret. I knew that if I kept trying, eventually someone would talk. So I stopped trying to have sex altogether. 
For a while, I continued going out to the clubs because I enjoy dancing, moshing, and socializing. The sexual frustration soon became too much to handle—especially when a few of my regular partners wouldn’t take no for an answer. The only respite I had was when Rachel first came to the resort. While Rook, and her mother Angela, sorted out the trouble she was in, she spent most of her time with me and Serafina, Dragon’s mate and our queen. Whenever I took Rachel to the club with me, the other women kept their distance. It wasn’t until they realized Rachel was also attempting to finagle her way into my bed, that they resumed their relentless pursuit of sexual fulfillment with me. I eventually gave up completely, and have since stayed home except when work required my presence. 
The elevator came to a stop on the first floor, the doors opened and Rachel asked, “The Catacombs?”
I nodded then we started down the hallway to the right. The Catacombs was one of three clubs located within Myths and Legends. It featured live bands, and drew in crowds of tattooed rock-enthusiasts. They had multiple body piercings, and wore lots of black clothing decked out with buckles and chains. With its crypt-like design, and its hard-core atmosphere, it was exactly my kind of place. 
Occasionally I’d go to Mystique to soak up the sex demon pheromones, and take advantage of the horny women on the dance floor. With my current circumstances, though, I’d only wind up with a set of blue balls for my trouble. 
The third club was Lilith’s Lounge. It was a jazz bar, with a portal leading to another club located in New Orleans called Forbidden Fantasies. Jazz music has never been my thing, and I don’t think I could sit through the nearly pornographic stage shows in Forbidden Fantasies without losing it right now. 
The instant we walked through the doors of The Catacombs, the frenzy began. The women dancing in the cages suspended from the ceiling called my name, trying to get my attention, but I ignored them and continued walking. There wasn’t anything I could do to avoid the women on the ground however, and by the time I reached the bar I had three women surrounding me, each of them rubbing against me and purring like a cat in heat. 
I needed to find my mate soon, or I was going to spontaneously combust. 
Once I flagged down the bar tender, Jamie, I ordered two Zombie Makers. She raised an eyebrow but made the drinks, and passed them my way. I downed the first one immediately, and told her to keep them coming. 
“Where have you been, Solomon,” Mia asked, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout. 
Six months ago that would have been all the invitation I needed to take her lips with mine, and set us both on the road to ecstasy. Now, the thought of kissing anyone but my mate made my fox nearly homicidal, and left me feeling as if I’d done something wrong. 
“We’ve missed you, Solomon,” Lisette whispered in my ear as her hand slid up my thigh then over the rigid flesh straining against the back of my zipper. 
I needed to get laid. Going cold turkey, after centuries of having sex with at least four different women every day, was killing me. 
“And to think, humans find something wrong with this kind of behavior,” Rachel remarked from beside me. 
“It’s different for us, Rachel,” I reminded her. “We try to avoid emotional attachments so that no one gets hurt if and when we find our mates. And since we can only have children with our mates, and can’t carry sexually transmitted diseases, why shouldn’t we have as many sexual partners as we want?”
“I’m so glad you feel that way,” Charlene said throwing her leg across my lap to straddle me. Her mouth went to my neck, and she rolled her hips forward grinding herself against the front of my pants. I knew from past experience that she never wore anything beneath her skirts. 
My head fell back for a second when her fangs grazed my neck sending shivers up my spine. 
Coming here had been a bad idea. 
Placing my hands on her hips, I forced myself to lift her off my lap instead of opening my pants and sliding her wet center along my throbbing erection. It would only deflate the instant the clothes started coming off anyway.
“I’m sorry, ladies, but I’m only here to have a few drinks,” I insisted, once Charlene was back on her feet. I downed another Zombie Maker while they complained, and tried to convince me to change my mind. 
Thirty minutes later, the women had finally given up, and Rachel had gone into the mosh pit with Jasper, a wolf shifter who works at the front desk. I’d also finished eight Zombie Makers. 
“I heard you were in here.” Doyle sat down beside me, his strawberry blonde hair brushing his collar when he shook his head. 
Doyle was my best friend, and head of the largest wolf clan in The United Clans. He was also in charge of the fight scene here at the resort. It suited him, since he was six-three, built like a heavyweight boxer, and loved nothing more than a good fight.
“I’m conducting an experiment,” I told him, or at least I thought I did, but from the look on his face, it must not have come out the way it was supposed to. 
“Right. Why don’t I take you home now?”
“Sure.” 
I tried to stand. My legs felt like wet noodles, and couldn’t seem to hold my weight. Doyle wrapped his arm around my waist, with my arm draped over his shoulder, and practically carried me out of the club. Once he had me back in my apartment, he let me fall onto my bed. I immediately passed out, looking forward to seeing my mate in my dreams.