by Lyra Winters
I smirked. “Enjoying the view?”
“Dodging the question?” Her voice came out breathless, and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard.
“You’re my mate, Harlow. I couldn’t just leave.” I reached up, twirling a piece of her velvet-like hair around my finger. “I don’t know what the fuck to do, but I can’t leave.”
Her eyes closed as she sighed. “But I thought you didn’t want me.”
My jaw clamped tight. Moving quickly, I cupped her cheek and gripped her thigh with my other hand. I pulled her down to where her face was inches from mine. “I never fucking said that,” I growled.
Wide lavender eyes shot open, and she squirmed, eliciting a low moan from the back of my throat. She glanced down as if just realizing our position before scrambling off me like I was made of hellfire, or whatever the fuck witches were scared of.
“What the heck was that?” She held her head in her hands, taking shallow breaths. “And are you naked again?”
I shrugged lazily. “Maybe, but you’re the one that landed on me.”
“I was trying to land on my bed. Not a… a… monster!” Her hands moved frantically as she spoke.
“I’m a werewolf, sweetheart. Not a monster.”
“Same thing!”
I flinched as if she’d hit me, and then it all clicked into place. It was the reason she was so scared of me when we first met. The way she kept the distance when I talked to her, and the way her body trembled right now.
The little witch was scared of wolves. But why?
I opened my mouth then snapped it shut. It was better not to push her just yet.
“You need to leave, Xavier.” She crossed her arms and straightened her posture. “You were right to run away when you figured out I was your mate.”
My heart twisted in my chest when she said that. “I was wrong to run away. I can’t run away from my mate. From you.”
“So, now you’re sure I’m your mate? At first, you thought I put you under some love spell.”
“I was wrong. You can’t fake a matebond.” I shook my head. “These feelings I have for you are too strong.”
“I can’t,” she whispered so low I wouldn’t have been able to hear her without my enhanced senses.
“Why the hell not?” I hauled my ass up and strode towards her until her back hit the wall, and I planted my hands on either side of her head.
Her bottom lip quivered as she locked her eyes on mine. “Werewolves can’t be trusted. You’re all monsters.”
“Don’t judge the pack for one’s mistake.”
“Mistake?” Anger combusted out of her as she shoved her finger into my chest and walked me backward. “Senseless slaughter is not a mistake!”
A growl rumbled in my chest, echoing in the room, as I grabbed her wrist mid-poke. “I have never senselessly slaughtered anyone. You cannot blame me for what another werewolf did. Just as I could not blame you for what another witch had done.”
Jerking her wrist away, she narrowed her eyes. “Put some clothes on. I bought some sweats that should fit you. I dropped the bag by the bed when I teleported in.”
With that, she stomped out of her cottage and flicked her wrist, slamming the door shut behind her.
My wolf roared inside me. I’d never had anyone treat me differently because of my species. Granted, I grew up in a pack of others just like me.
But fuck, did it sting—especially when the one doing harm was my mate.
The only notion keeping me somewhat sane was that she didn’t kick me out… yet. And I hadn’t missed the arousal that came through the matebond from her. I wanted her. I needed to make her trust me like a mate was designed to, but I couldn’t unless I found out what happened to her to make her hate werewolves the way she did.
I guess I could start by putting on the damn sweats like she wanted.
SEVEN
Harlow
“No shifting in the house,” I started.
“I figured that. I’m not an animal… Oh wait, I am.” Xavier winked at me.
I glared at him through slitted eyes, ignoring the wetness between my legs. It was sickening. I’d known him all of two seconds and was a virgin. Yet I still wanted to jump his bones like I was the animal. “Focus. I’m not very keen on living with a werewolf, so listen up.”
His gaze shifted down, and he smirked. “I can smell your arousal, little witch. You may act as if you hate me, but your body doesn’t lie. You’re thrilled to be taking me in.”
I huffed. “It’s the—” I waved my hand side to side. “—matebond thingy. I can’t help how my body reacts to you. Now can I finish?”
He leaned back on my bed, crossing his arms behind his head. “You may proceed.”
Xavier was infuriating, but it was like my body craved his presence. My brain reminded me that he was dangerous, built to kill. But my stupid heart and body wanted him, no questions asked. And since he had nowhere to go and practically invited himself to stay with me, I couldn’t say no.
I mean, I could’ve. But I didn’t want to.
That was how I started laying down ground rules before we went to sleep tonight.
“Clothes must be worn at all times. At all times, Xavier.” I wiggled a finger at him as he smirked. “And absolutely no biting.”
He chuckled. “I won’t bite you until you beg for it. And trust me, you will beg for it.”
I raised my brows. “I doubt that.”
“You will. Sooner than later, if I had to guess. Now—” He patted the space on the bed next to him. “—come sleep with me.”
Butterflies released in my stomach, but I quickly squashed them. “You can sleep outside, like the dog, or wolf, you are.”
He pouted his bottom lip out. “Harsh.”
I caved with little convincing needed because I was weak for him, and I hated it. I’d have never caved so quickly with anyone else. I wouldn’t have let anyone else stay with me either. I was an introvert at heart, but I guess it was the matebond that made me feel so needy when it came to him. I needed to feel things out with him anyway.
Maybe we could find a way to get rid of the bond. He wasn’t so keen on me either when we first met. But earlier… the way his hands caressed my body, and the rush that came between my legs was surreal. And when those words left his mouth, my heart soared. “I never fucking said that.” He’d growled out the words like the thought of him not wanting me angered him more than anything.
“Fine. You can sleep here,” I said. “But I’m going to the village to buy another twin bed for you tomorrow.”
“Get a queen. My feet hang off these things, and we’re mates so I need to be close to you.” He reached up and yanked me onto the bed with him. Sparks tingled from his touch, and I leaned into him, letting him wrap his arms around me and pull me close.
My gaze fell to his lips. They were so close, all I had to do was lean in a little bit and... I squeezed my eyes shut and flipped around to where my back faced him.
He pulled me back into him and nuzzled my neck, inhaling deep. “You smell fucking amazing.”
Heat raced through my entire body. “Um, thanks.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t bite you until you beg, remember?” He chuckled. “But you didn’t say anything about kissing.” His mouth skimmed the curve of my neck.
I gasped. “I’ve never been kissed, Xavier. Don’t.” But it was too late. He pressed a soft kiss to the base of my neck.
“Good. Then I won’t kiss your lips until you ask, but your neck is fair game.” He peppered several more kisses against my neck.
My core clenched, and I whimpered.
“So sensitive.” Another kiss. “I can’t wait to soul-bond with you.”
“Soul-bond?” I couldn’t think straight. The only thing I could focus on was his lips on my skin.
“Curious, little witch?” He pulled back.
I sighed, flipping back over. “Explain.”
He grinned. “Gladly. So, as you know, soulmates are
bonded from the start.”
I nodded. “Right. The intense attraction for each other.”
“It’s more than just attraction, Harlow. It’s love. Mates experience love at first sight and never go back.”
My heart slammed against my chest so hard I thought I’d crack a rib. “Love?”
He nodded like it was the most normal thing to say. “Of course. And to begin the soul-bond, each wolf marks the other at the base of their neck…” He hesitated. “But since you’re not a wolf, I guess I will be the only one marking.”
A shiver worked its way down my spine. “Marking?”
“Marking is elongating our canines and clamping down to pierce the other's skin. Both mates are supposed to feel euphoric, and the wound heals within a few hours of marking. The scar of the canines is the mark itself, and our souls are one step closer to being bonded.”
“What! You have to actually bite me? Like, sink your wolf teeth in my neck?” I sputtered the words with what I was sure was a horrified expression.
“It doesn’t hurt. I assure you.”
“Have you… done it before?”
His eyes clouded over with an emotion I couldn’t pinpoint before he blinked it away. “No. She never wanted to soul-bond or mark each other. She was abused so the thought of being bitten or puncturing skin scared her.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat but nodded. I hated the feeling that wormed its way into my chest, but I couldn’t dwell on that right now. “What’s the next part?”
“To seal the soul-bond, we have to complete the mating process. To create an everlasting link, we have to make love.”
“Make love?”
I’d never had my first kiss, much less had any kind of sexual encounter with someone. I had accepted that I’d die a virgin alone out here, and I was fine with that. Sex hadn’t been on my radar until Xavier waltzed in and made me feel things I’d never felt before.
He leaned in, passing my lips and kissing my neck. “Yes, and when we do, not even death can separate our love.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes. For now, let’s get some sleep.”
He snorted a laugh. “Alright. Go to sleep.”
“Don’t do anything weird.”
“You have my word, little witch.”
I closed my eyes, and tucked in his arms, I fell right asleep. No tea or spell needed.
EIGHT
Xavier
Spending the night with Harlow in my arms was a slice of fucking heaven, and I never wanted to let her go.
Guilt seeped into my soul at the conscious thought of leaving Olivia behind, but I couldn’t ignore the bond forming between Harlow and me. It was nothing like what Olivia and I had. As shitty as it sounded, the connection I had with Olivia seemed surface-level compared to what Harlow and I shared already.
When I’d left Olivia for missions in the pack, I missed her but it didn’t feel like a piece of me was gone. Harlow had left to go to the village for a queen-sized bed, after less convincing than I’d thought on my part—honestly, I think the cuddling convinced her more than I did.
She told me where to find the river she bathed in so I could wash up while she was out, which was why I was walking through the forest in human form, missing the hell out of her.
Thick trees and old roots twisted among the soil. I thought there would be birds chirping and a shit ton of woodland animals roaming around, but I guess I’d gone so deep in the thick of it there were only a few here and there. The canopy of the treetops was so dense only an occasional streak of sunlight would touch the forest floor.
I heard the sound of moving water before I saw the river, but when I did, my jaw dropped. It was a ribbon of living blue, flowing amid the greens and browns of the forest. No wonder Harlow loved coming here. It was almost magical, which made sense since she was a witch.
Walking to the water’s edge, I slid off the black sweats before stepping into the cool water. A smile spread across my lips as I realized she must’ve bought them specifically for me. My feet sunk into the mud on the bottom as I walked deeper, and water moved around my limbs in swirls.
I reveled in the coolness of cleansing myself, scooping up handfuls of water and scrubbing my face with it. Sinking into the water, I ran my hands all over my body to knock the dirt and grime off from my travels. Admittingly, when you run off into the wilderness for days on in, personal hygiene goes on the fucking back burner. I was surprised Harlow hadn’t gagged from the smell of me last night.
From the hatred she’d displayed for my kind, I wasn’t expecting her to cave on my staying with her. Definitely didn’t expect her to let me sleep in her bed with her, let alone cuddle her. I mean, for a werewolf-hating witch she sure was rubbing up on one last night—not that I was complaining. I fucking loved the matebond, and how it caused us to crave each other’s touch.
Still, the hatred burned in her eyes as she spoke of us, but I didn’t miss the hint of fear. I needed to find out what happened to her. She’d mentioned senseless slaughter, and yeah, some wolves were monsters. But not all of us, and sure as hell not me. I was sure she’d sensed that because she put her guard down around me whether she’d realized it or not.
Stepping back onto the grass, the brisk wind slithered across my wet skin. I shifted into my wolf, and the pain was more noticeable than before.
I wondered if it had to do with me feeling for someone again. I wasn’t as numb since meeting Harlow, but maybe it wasn’t all good. Being numb had worked in my favor when fighting Lockhart’s pack. If I didn’t care about pain, it didn’t hurt.
I shook my heavy wolf head before grabbing the sweats in my teeth. I wasn’t about to have Harlow bitching at me for ruining those pants too.
NINE
Harlow
Xavier’s scream tore through the cottage in the dead of night. It was the kind of scream that made my blood run cold and adrenaline surge through my veins. I bolted upright and whipped my head toward him. His body was tangled up in the woven blanket as he twisted and turned in agony as if he was being tortured.
My hands slipped on his shoulders from the sheen of sweat coating him as I shook him. “Xavier, wake up. Everything’s fine. You’re dreaming.”
His bloodshot eyes popped open as he sucked in a sharp intake of breath. “Harlow?” His voice was hoarse.
“It’s me. You’re okay.”
His arms snaked around me, squeezing me into his chest like I was his lifeline. I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the darkness and wrapped my arms around him, holding tight.
His pain radiated off him, crashing into me like waves of torment. Tears burned my eyes. What had happened to him to cause so much anguish?
We held each other like that for a while with only the sound of our breathing occupying the space around us.
He pulled away first, clearing his throat with a cough. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head vehemently. “I’m an empath.”
Fumbling with the blanket, he kicked it off him and rested his elbows on his knees as he huffed out a breath. “Like you have empathy or some shit? I don’t need your pity.”
“Not pity.” I rolled my bottom lip in my mouth and reached for his hand. “It’s part of my powers as a witch. I can feel the emotions of others. I can feel their emotional highs and lows. It affects me the same way it affects them.”
“So you felt what I felt in my dream?” His fingers threaded through mine.
“Yes. It was the worst emotional pain I’d felt from another person.” I wanted to ask what his dream was about, but I didn’t want to keep talking about his pain. Not when it felt so raw. “Do you get nightmares a lot?”
He let out a harsh chuckle. “The only night I didn’t get them was when you were in my arms. It must be an effect of the matebond. You put me at ease.”
A shock jolted through my stomach. When I got the queen size bed, I’d told him he wasn’t allowed to touch me. He respected i
t, but look at what happened. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He squeezed my hand. “Don’t do that. I respect you. I don’t need you to cuddle me because you feel bad for me. When you do it, do it because you want to touch me.”
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and let go of his hand as I got off the bed. Throwing my hands up, I lit the wicks of the candles around the cottage and rummaged through the kitchen until I found what I needed for a sleep spell.
His presence was close behind me as I gathered the thyme, lavender, anise, amethyst, rose quartz, smoky quartz, and jasmine oil and put them into a sachet. I closed it in my hands and pushed some of my magic into it to boost the benefits of the spell.
“What’s that?” His warm breath tickled the back of my neck.
I spun around, his face was inches away from mine. My heart thumped so hard against my chest I knew he could hear it. “It’s a sleep sachet.” I held up the small bag with the ingredients inside. “For safe sleep.”
“Safe sleep?”
“It keeps the negative spirits away and puts your thoughts to rest while you sleep.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Aren’t you handy?”
“A little bit of magic keeps the monsters away.” I shrugged, recanting what my mother used to tell me when she’d make me these as a child.
“I am a monster.” His callous voice sent chills down my spine. “Isn’t that what you said?”
I dropped my arm and cupped my elbow with my other hand. “You will always be a monster.”
His lips curled into a sneer. “Thanks for that.”
“But what type of monster you become is completely up to you.”
He barked out a laugh. “What kind of fucked up shit is that?”
I shrugged, holding out the sachet to him again. “Whatever kind of shit you want it to be.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard you cuss before.” He cracked a smile as he took the little bag from me. “But thanks.”
“Put it under your pillow when you sleep.”
“Like I can sleep now,” he mumbled.