The Enchanted: Council of Seven Shifter Romance Collection

by Juniper Hart

“O… kay?” he said. “About what?”

  “About where I was going tonight.” Graham was beginning to understand the issue.

  “Where did you tell her you were going?” he asked, swallowing a grin.

  “To the lab.” A slow smile formed on Graham’s lips, and he nodded.

  “Well, in all fairness, we were at the lab,” he said.

  “I don’t think she’ll see it that way,” Kate said dryly.

  “And she’s inside that restaurant? The Observatory?”

  “Yeah,” Kate sighed. “I’m sorry, but she also happens to be my roommate and an intern at the hospital. There would be no escaping her taunting.”

  Graham laughed. “Don’t be sorry. May I ask why you lied to her?”

  Kate refused to answer, but he could guess what was going through her mind. He himself didn’t care what everyone else thought, though he didn’t force the matter. They continued to drive in a semi-comfortable silence. It wasn’t until they pulled into another parking lot that Kate looked over at him again, her eyes wide with disbelief.

  “Really?” she asked, pointing at the golden arches. Graham laughed.

  “Why not?” he answered, pulling to a stop. “I don’t know about you, but I could go for a Big Mac.”

  Kate laughed heartily. “Yeah, I could always go for a Big Mac,” she agreed. They stopped and stared at one another for a long moment.

  I need to kiss her, Graham realized, the feeling overwhelming him in an unescapable rush. He leaned into her before he could change his mind. He was shocked to find his heart racing like a teenager as he stared longingly into her eyes. What he saw there encouraged him to press his full mouth against hers. She was waiting for him, her dark eyes half closed as her lips parted. She tasted like honey and strawberries, a combination of the lip gloss she had just put on and the gum she had popped in her mouth. She wanted it as much as he did.

  As the tips of their tongues teased each other, Graham felt Kate exhale. She had been holding her breath in anticipation. His hand cupped her fair cheek, and his fingers entwined in her coffee-colored hair. Reluctantly, he pulled away, and their gazes held fast. He swallowed, debating his next words carefully.

  If you say what you are thinking, you could ruin everything, Graham warned himself, but he found it did not matter. He was completely caught up in the moment. He did not know where this sudden brazenness had come from, but he intended to seize it for once in his life, to allow himself to feel something other than medicine.

  “I don’t know how you feel about take-out,” he said. “But my condo isn’t far from here.”

  Kate did not shift her eyes, nodding without hesitation.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “I would like that very much.”

  This time, it was Graham who exhaled as he reversed out of the parking lot.

  It was as if they had already been together, maybe in another life or possibly in each other’s dreams.

  Could he be my mate? Is this possible? The question resonated in Kate’s mind, dizzying her with headiness. She was sure she had never wanted someone as badly as she did Graham Griffin, but was it real? A bear and a fairy, an alpha doctor and a lowly intern?

  But titles and money suddenly meant nothing, not when her emotions were riding so high.

  When Graham entered the underground parking garage, Kate felt as though his hands were already on her skin, stroking the raised flesh on her arms. They didn’t make contact as he granted them access into the elevator, both staring straight ahead at the door, willing it to reach the penthouse before they lost control inside the lift.

  Blissfully, they made it to the top of the luxury high rise, and no sooner did the door close behind them than Graham turned and took the young doctor in his arms, his lips sweeping over her forehead before looking into her yearning gaze. Kate’s exhaustion and anxiety melted away as their mouths met again, her arms encircling his broad back and pulling him near.

  Their lips explored, Graham’s hand grasping the back of her neck and gently tugging Kate’s head to the side, allowing for the fine lines of her pulsating neck to be exposed. Her body flushed with desire when his kisses found the contour of her throat, a small sigh escaping her, and suddenly, Graham swept her up in his arms.

  By the time he laid her on his California king bed, Kate was already prepared for him, but Graham was nowhere near ready for her. His soft hands stayed in neutral areas, stroking her stomach, shoulder, and arms. He caressed her slowly and sweetly. His fingertips caused her skin to burn with a passion which had been long since forgotten.

  Deliberately, he slipped her black halter dress above her head, pausing to stare at her slender, lithe body. Admiration lit his eyes, and he stopped to bite his lower lip before embracing her firmly by the hips, his face falling into her small, firm bosom.

  “You’re exquisite,” he whispered, and Kate could not breathe. She closed her eyes and let him taste the rising heat in her nipples, sighing quietly as his tongue and lips took turns painting her skin. He teased her gently, nibbling at her breasts with both his lips and teeth, causing her skin to prickle with gooseflesh.

  Each time his mouth contacted her body, she experienced more heat in her center, her mind becoming intoxicated with the need to have him possess her. Her own fingers entwined in his dark blond hair, she felt him lower his face into her quivering stomach, arching her back slightly as a delicious tickle spread throughout her frame. Her white silk panties slipped off around her knees, and Graham spread her thighs apart, delving into her wanting center.

  He began slowly, his tongue making long, wide circles against the wetness while his hands cupped her rear, massaging into the firm flesh. His palms brought her deeply against his face, and Kate began to tremble. A gasp escaped her, and he skillfully explored her throbbing depths, bringing her higher, her back bucking as she met an almost instant climax.

  “Please take me,” she heard herself begging. She did not feel the least amount of shame in pleading for his hardness inside her. She had never wanted anything so desperately in her life.

  Graham did not need to be asked again. Instantly, he was atop her, his face inches from hers as he inserted himself into her body, their frames becoming one. His large hands braced the small of her back, his fingers resting on the cleavage above her tiny buttocks, driving himself further into her. She felt as if she were slipping in and out of her body, sometimes watching herself from above the bed, witnessing the fervent act of lovemaking.

  Is this really happening, or am I dreaming? Falling into her second orgasm, she knew it was no dream. She had been brought to heights she had only read about in books.

  He consumed every inch of her with his hands and thickness, his thrusts becoming more urgent with each push, but she wanted more. She wanted him inside every part of her simultaneously, grabbing his hand to suck on his index finger as he drove himself into her. Kate felt her calves tense again, a release building within her once more, and they exploded in unison, Kate crying out loudly. His fingers dug into her tender skin, and she held fast to him, never wanting him to stop. Graham grunted, burying his face into her sweaty brunette tresses, shaking as he relaxed into her small body.

  When they were spent, they lay unspeaking for several moments, their breaths in sync with each other. Kate inhaled the muskiness of Graham’s scent. Her heart thumping, she realized that she did not feel guilty or ashamed.

  He’s my mate. My mate has been sitting here, under my nose, this entire time, and I’ve been too exhausted to see it, Kate thought, her fingers tracing circles against Graham’s naked shoulder blades as he lay, still inside her. She almost rolled her eyes at the thought, and her fatalistic side tried to kick in and ruin her brief sense of happiness. This is a one-time thing, she told herself. It means nothing. He is going to look up at you and offer to take you home—or offer to give you money for a cab.

  As if hearing her thoughts, Graham looked up at her, easing his way out of her and propping himself up on one arm to stare in
to her face. She dreaded to hear the next words out of his mouth.

  “I would say we have two options at this point,” he told her somberly, and Kate felt her heart sink.

  Oh, God, please don’t fire me now, she thought desperately, suddenly furious at herself for allowing the situation to escalate. How could you be so stupid! You should have known that he was just using his power to get in your pants. You know his reputation. It’s all over the internet. Why would you think he is interested in you? You have nothing to offer this guy. He has everything already. She forced a stoic expression onto her face.

  “Oh?” she answered. “What are those options?”

  A gorgeous smile lit up his face, and suddenly, Kate’s doubts dissipated. Graham glanced behind her at the nightstand. “Given that it’s almost ten o’clock, I would say our options are limited to pizza or Chinese. What’s your poison?”

  Poison. Instantly, her smile faded, and a worried shadow fell over her face.

  “What’s wrong? You hate both ideas?” Graham asked, instantly noting her change in demeanor.

  “No! No, that’s fine. I-I just remembered something.” He arched an eyebrow and sat up to look at her.

  “You forgot you have a husband at home or—?” She laughed and punched him playfully in his muscled arm.

  “Of course not. If I had a husband, he would have left me by now with the workload you give me,” she joked. “No, I was just thinking about a patient.”

  Graham’s eyebrows both shot up now.

  “I’m going to try not to be offended,” he said slowly, and Kate laughed again.

  “Nothing like that,” she assured him quickly, drawing the sheet up around her naked body. “It’s a demon who claimed he’s been poisoned.”

  “What?” Graham laughed. “What are you talking about?”

  “His name is Anthony Lockhart, and he’s been under Dr. Brummer’s care for a few days. He’s being treated for aranium poisoning.”

  “Wait… are you sure about this, Kate?” Doubt flooded Graham’s voice, but she didn’t blame him. If the roles were reversed, she was sure she would have looked at him the same way.

  “I know. It’s weird, but the thing that concerned me the most was that he was asking about you and the labs.” Concern touched Graham’s face, and he leaned forward, his eyes darkening.

  “What was he asking?”

  “I didn’t really give him a chance to ask anything, but he wanted to know what floor they were on and about your experiments. I didn’t say a word,” Kate continued quickly. “But I was thinking this might be a case for corporate espionage.”

  Graham visibly swallowed and sat back, his jaw locking.

  “It might be something worse than that,” he muttered. “It might be Helios.”

  “I thought about that,” Kate agreed. “But he doesn’t look anything like Helios. I’ve seen sketches of him over the centuries.” Graham didn’t speak, his face twisting.

  “If he was poisoned by aranium, he will die,” he said quietly, though his eyes were unreadable. “I’ll have to speak with Brummer about him.”

  “It might be that I’m paranoid,” Kate volunteered brightly. “It’s probably nothing.”

  He met her gaze and offered her a tight smile. “You did the right thing by telling me,” he said. “How long ago was this demon admitted?”

  “Couple days…” She instantly saw his eyebrow raise and jumped to her own defense. “You haven’t been the most approachable being up until now, Dr. Griffin.”

  Graham burst into laughter.

  “I think you can call me Graham now,” he chuckled and nodded. “And you’re right. I haven’t been the nicest to you. I get wrapped up in my own world and tend to block everything else out around me. Forgive me?”

  Kate exhaled and returned his grin. “Of course.”

  “Forget about everything else. You never answered my original question: pizza or Chinese?”

  “Whichever one will be faster,” she answered. The neurosurgeon nodded and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

  “Pizza it is,” he declared, reaching for his boxers on the floor. “The bathroom is right there, if you want to use it.” He gestured at a closed door to his left before disappearing into the huge condo.

  Swallowing, Kate slipped off the mattress and allowed herself into the master bathroom. She stared at her disheveled hair and shook her head in disbelief. What got into you? Why would you sleep with your boss? she asked herself. And this is not just your boss—this is your entire future. He can ruin you in a second without batting an eyelash.

  Yet as Kate looked more closely at herself, she saw something she had not seen in many years. In the depth of her brown eyes, there was a sparkle of contentment, a deep-seated peace that had not been there since her sister had passed. He may be able to ruin her life. He may even do so, but in that moment, she was happy. He was everything she had ever expected in a mate, and she intended to soak up the feeling entirely.

  Turning away from the glass, Kate knew in her soul that her tryst with Graham had not merely been a fling. Their spirits were linked, and they had found each other through the unsuspecting hand of Nurse Creighton.

  Can this work? I mean, if he genuinely cares for me, can we make this work? she wondered. Kate refused to let the shadows creep into her mind, and she opened the bathroom door, swallowing her doubts. Graham was back in the bedroom, sprawled naked on the bed.

  “Come here,” he said. And she obliged.

  8

  They lay awake until dawn, making love and talking. Graham told Kate things he had never discussed with anyone.

  “Tell me about your family,” she said, nibbling heartily on a piece of pizza, her dark eyes fixed on him with undiluted interest. She had already eaten four slices and was not showing any signs of stopping. Graham was impressed by her ability to put away so much food in such a small figure.

  My God, she probably hasn’t eaten properly in months. I must ensure she starts taking care of herself, Graham vowed to himself. Someone has to.

  “Do you have siblings?” Kate asked, wiping her mouth.

  “Two,” he answered. “A brother and a sister. I am the oldest and the leader of my pack. You?”

  “No.” He stared at her, surprised by her flat answer, and he suspected there was more to the story than a simple “no”. He waited as a faraway look overtook her face. His patience was rewarded after a long moment of silence. “I had an older sister. Her name was Veronica.”

  Empathy filled Graham as he realized her sister must have been exiled.

  “What happened?” he asked softly, studying her soft, pained features.

  “She died when we were still children. I was eight. She was eleven.”

  Shock overtook his compassion. He had not been expecting that answer.

  “From what?” he demanded, even though he knew there were only two ways to kill a fairy: lava and demon bites. What were the chances that a small child had chanced upon either?

  A grimace passed over Kate’s face, and he was suddenly concerned he was pushing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. If it’s too—”

  “No, no,” she assured him. “It’s still hard to talk about. I don’t know why. I mean, it happened centuries ago, but Veronica’s death… I still can’t reconcile how or why it happened.”

  Graham waited for her to collect her thoughts, his eyes locked on the pain on her face.

  “Was it a demon?” he asked, suddenly understanding her worry about the patient under Dr. Brummer’s car.

  “Yes,” Kate replied quickly. “It was. I still can’t believe I was there to witness it when it happened.”

  “What did happen?” Graham pressed gently. Kate refocused her stare onto Graham’s face, a strange smirk appearing on her lips.

  “You spoke of Helios earlier, so I imagine you’ll understand this,” she sighed.

  “What did he do?”

  She shook her head quickly. “No, it wasn’t Helios—at
least, not directly. This demon, his name was Vaughan.”

  “He was Helios’ sidekick,” Graham recalled. “Half-formed and vile creature, cast out of the Enchanted even before Helios went mad.”

  “He is all those things,” Kate agreed. “Just as vindictive as Helios, particularly in those days. Helios had bigger numbers then, an army who still supported him. Of the hundred demons in worldly existence, it was said that ten of them believed in Helios’ cause.”

  “I remember,” Graham said slowly, still not understanding why Vaughan or Helios would go after a helpless fairy child.

  “They wreaked havoc for half a century, seeking out all those who sought to help Alaric Aldwin in the creation of the sword and killing Carina.”

  “But Veronica was a child. She wasn’t even born when all that transpired!” Graham insisted. “Why would he pick her?”

  “He picked us all,” Kate explained dully. “He intended to murder us all—my parents, cousins, aunts. Me.”

  Graham was beginning to understand. “Your family helped Alaric with the slaughter.”

  “It wasn’t a slaughter, and my ancestors barely helped at all. My great-great-grandmother cast a spell to disorient Helios and Carina, sending them to the place where they were killed. Alaric needed to know where they would be so that he could take them by surprise. Somehow, Helios must have learned the truth, and…”

  Graham swallowed. “How is it he only claimed Veronica?” he asked, wincing at the terrible question.

  “Vaughan’s magic is weak already,” she explained. “It is nothing against a dozen furious fairies. We managed to cast him back until we could flee to safety. We were forced out of our home and into hiding until we knew he wasn’t coming back. For centuries, we moved around…” She paused, tears filling her eyes at the memory. “My whole life, I only wanted to find a cure for demon bites,” she confessed when she finally found her voice again. “I guess that’s why I’m here now.”

  “Is that why you decided to become a doctor?” he asked her gently, and Kate shrugged.