“But I didn’t…” He was about to say bite her, and while that was true, she had bit him last night, maybe it meant more than he’d suspected it did.
“Maybe not, but you didn’t need to.” Arabella looked at him sympathetically. “A bite, from either party, seals the mating, but all that needs to happen for the process to start is for the two mates to meet.” She threw a quick glance at the large man, before looking back to Kem.
“So, what of voiding the marriage contract with Aella?” He aimed his question directly at Arabella this time, instead of at the room in general.
“In the eyes of the Council that was done from the moment it was confirmed you were mated. However, I believe that you will be required to explain the situation to Aaron Dentro.” That wasn’t a conversation that Kem relished the idea of, but then again, if it smoothed the way for him to be with Lia then it would be completely worth it.
“Thank you,” he injected as much sincerity into the word as he could, not wanting the Council to think that he was ungrateful for their decision.
“You’re welcome.” He turned to leave, but she called out to him again, “Kem, not a word of what’s happened here today.” He met her eyes and saw a brief plea that told him she wasn’t just talking about the Council meeting itself when she said that.
“Of course.” She nodded once, relief flooding her features. But Kem couldn’t bring himself to care. He had more important things to worry about, like how to tell Aaron that he’d already mated with his daughter, and that it wasn’t to the one he actually wanted married off.
8
It took Lia three hours to calm herself down enough to return to human form, after which she had to sneak back into the house for fear of being caught naked in the gardens. After the first time she’d shifted, she’d somehow managed not to ruin any other clothes until this time; there was definitely something to be said for being able to control her emotions, she didn’t know how shifters managed to cope.
She sighed and leaned back on her closed bedroom door, relieved that she’d made it back without being spotted. A prickly feeling, almost like she was being watched, ran over her and she was suddenly alert, looking around the room to try and locate the threat.
“I was wondering where you’d got to.” Kem’s low chuckle came from the corner by her cherry blossom tree and a low growl sounded from her throat. At the same time, something stirred within her, and she felt the same desire to touch him as she had last night. Oblivious, Kem stepped forward, quickly crossing the room with his large strides. He was still wearing the same suit as he had been last night, which didn’t make sense to Lia considering how early he’d snuck out of her bed, but then, not much was making sense to Lia at that moment in time. He rubbed a hand along his jaw and she watched it, jealous of the contact it had with the dark stubble lining his jaw. Despite herself, she licked her lips, her gaze taking in his dishevelled appearance.
“And what about where you went?” she bit out, proud of herself for being able to think past the urge to touch him. Kem’s arms caged her against the bedroom door, his eyes doing a leisurely sweep of her naked form, only flaming the fans of her desire more. Hurt as she was, she still wanted him, and a part of her hated being so weak.
“I went to sort out a problem,” he mumbled against her neck, causing vibrations to travel down the length of her. Her back bowed and she pressed her naked breasts against his chest, only to be trapped there by one of Kem’s arms. He nuzzled further into her neck, kissing the smooth skin where it met her collarbone. An involuntary moan slipped from her before she could clamp it down.
“What problem?” she half panted, as his kisses turned into light nips. Last night she’d had the uncontrollable urge to bite him, and while that desire had faded somewhat, she was now feeling a similar urge to be bitten instead. Fleetingly, she figured that it was something to do with completing the bond that they’d accidentally started a year ago, but the thought soon vanished as his tongue darted over the spots he’d nipped.
“Your sister,” he mumbled against her skin, stopping Lia cold. It took all of her strength to put her hands to his chest and force him back.
“My sister?” Her eyes blazed with anger, stopping Kem in his tracks. He looked slightly sheepish, as if he was being caught doing something that he shouldn’t be. “As in, you’re supposed to be getting married to my sister, but are too busy seducing me?” She was almost hysterical, the idea of Kem with Aella was making her feel sick.
“No!” He tried to take a step forward, but the look on her face must have stopped him. Moving swiftly, she scooped up her robe from the bed and tied it around her waist. Even though the robe was thin, and made from a silky material that was doing nothing to stop the desire she as feeling, the act of putting it on almost felt like donning armour, giving her the strength to carry on confronting him.
“No?” She raised an eyebrow. She crossed her arms, trying to make it clear to him that she wasn’t giving in until he gave her a satisfactory explanation. Even then, she might not.
“I never wanted to marry your sister…”
“But you were going to?” she cut him off.
“Not if I could help it. Damn it Lia!” He looked angry, but she could see the undercurrent of hurt in his eyes and had to steel herself against it. Even so, her traitorous heart wanted her to comfort him in any way she could. “The Council is in trouble, and they need the support of the Nymph Council to help them, their way of dealing that was a marriage between me and Aella. I didn’t want to go through with it, and this morning I left to go tell them that there was no way I could.”
“Why, what’s wrong with Aella?” A smirk pulled at her lips. She believed him, and knew of several reasons why he might not want to be with Aella, but she wasn’t about to make this easy on him. Plus, he’d not actually said that he wasn’t going to marry her, just that he didn’t want to.
“Nothing’s wrong with Aella,” he responded hastily, causing her to give a short laugh. “I told them I couldn’t marry her because I met my mate.”
“Oh.” Disappointment flooded through Lia. She’d assumed that she was his mate, but he hadn’t actually said that. Just that he’d met her.
“You, Lia. I meant you.” He stepped forward and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. Their eyes locked and she could see the hope and uncertainty within them.
“You think I’m your mate?” she asked in a small voice. He pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.
“You don’t?” She took a step back and swiftly untied her robe, dropping it back to the bed. Hunger filled Kem’s expression as he looked at her, but Lia just shook her head. She’d never purposefully tried to shift before, and didn’t even know if it would work, but the best way to reveal the truth was to show him. She pictured a panther in her mind, with sleek black fur and glowing yellow eyes, though she knew from looking in the mirror while shifted that her eyes were duller than those of a real panther. She supposed that there had to be some differences somewhere.
Her teeth lengthened in her mouth and her bones reformed until she was on four legs instead of two, a long tail swishing behind her. While she supposed that the shift should have been painful, it wasn’t, nor had it been any of the other times. Instead, it was quick and painless, with only a slight tingling sensation to let her know it was happening. She didn’t know if that’s what other shifters felt, or if it was just because she’d been born a dryad and been unable to shift until now. She didn’t even know if she needed her cherry blossom tree close by anymore, though she doubted she’d ever change her ways where it was concerned; it was too much a part of her.
Kem stared at her with a look of wonder on his face. He cupped her large head in his hands and scratched behind her ears, which she hadn’t realised would be such a pleasant experience. She leaned her head into his hands and a small smile curved at the edges of Kem’s lips.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered reverently, before standing and stripping of his sui
t. A strange feline whimper came from Lia at the lost touch, but he smiled at her and continued to undress, until he was standing naked in front of her. If she could drool, then she would, but it appeared as if a panther’s drooling reflex worked differently to hers, and wasn’t going to drool over a naked man. Kem’s face took on a look of concentration, and then, just as she had, he morphed into a panther before her eyes. It was over so quick, that if she’d blinked she might have missed it, but her eyes had stayed glued to him. Like her, his fur was jet black, though up close, it looked almost blue as the light reflected off it, with the jaguar like spots showing through. He was slightly bigger than she was, and wider, just like he was in human form, and she couldn’t help but admire his form, even as a panther.
To Lia’s surprise, Kem rolled over and bared his throat to her. While she wasn’t too sure what it meant, something primal within her panther liked the display. She lowered her head so that it was lying next to his, and with a surprising amount of grace, Kem flipped so that they were lying down next to each other. He nuzzled into her neck, though unlike his earlier nuzzling, this felt like a sign of affection. She purred, a sound that was echoed by him. She knew that the two of them needed to talk properly, and that they’d need to be in human form to do it, but everything just seemed to make sense while they were lying there, and she was in no rush to break through the illusion. Settled and comfortable, it wasn’t long before Lia’s eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
9
Seeing Lia shift into panther form had been something else; he’d suspected from what Arabella had said, that she’d now have some of his abilities, but he’d imagined that to mean she’d have better senses or be able to heal quickly, not be able to change shapes. Now that he took a moment, she even smelled of shifter beneath the cherry blossom scent that she’d had when they first met. He stretched, finding that sometime while the two of them had been asleep, they’d shifted back into human form. Lia’s long limbs were curled around him, and her head rested on his shoulder. Gently, he traced patterns on her back and her eyes fluttered open slowly. He felt slightly guilty for waking her, but the look in her green eyes soon made him forget that.
“What time is it?” she asked, nuzzling into his neck. He chuckled, unsure why she thought he’d know when he was as naked as she was. He reached over to his discarded suit jacket, which had somehow managed to survive several trips to the floor, and pulled out his phone, lighting up the screen.
“It’s just gone three.”
“In the afternoon?” He nodded. “We fell asleep in the afternoon?” She seemed confused.
“Well we didn’t get much sleep last night.” He kissed her head, his voice low.
“And then you left.” She pouted, an expression that he found oddly adorable.
“I had to, I had to get things straightened out so I could claim you properly,” he tried to explain, but he knew he’d made a mess of it the moment that he left.
“So, you say.”
“Lia, please. You’re my mate, my one and only, I need you to believe me,” he pleaded, unashamed to be begging her.
“I do believe you. It’s just a lot to take in.” She closed her eyes, her head still resting on his chest. He couldn’t deny the contentment he felt from having her next to him.
“All that needs to be done is for me to talk to your father. The Council accepts that you’re my mate, but they don’t want to be the ones to tell Aaron I won’t be marry Aella.”
“I’m not your mate yet though am I?” There was a bitterness to her voice that he hadn’t been expected, but he didn’t know why. She’d bitten him, and she was able to shift into panther form, both things would show the world that they were mated. Plus, there was the fact that he couldn’t even look at another woman in that way. He hadn’t for the past year.
“What makes you say that?” he asked cautiously, the last thing he wanted was to upset her again.
“You haven’t bitten me. I’m not naïve, I know how it works.”
“Not like that.” She looked up at him sharply. “I didn’t know either,” he added at her confused look.
“How does it work then?”
“I don’t know, but Arabella…”
“Arabella Reed? The fox shifter who took the human legal system by storm?” He wasn’t too sure what she was on about, but then the idea of Arabella being a lawyer wasn’t surprising in the slightest. She’d come across as shrewd and intelligent, as well as having the wily streak that lawyers needed.
“I think so?” She gave him a bemused smile, clearly seeing through his ruse. “Anyway, she said that sometimes, all mates need to do is meet each other, and the bond starts to form naturally. Which must have been what happened with us.” She didn’t look convinced.
“And you’re sure she’s right?”
“Seems likely, especially as you can already shift. I know I never bit you that night, even if it took everything in me not to.” Just as it had taken everything in him not to bite her last night, even when she’d done the same.
“So do you need to?” She gulped, whether through nervousness or something else he couldn’t tell. “Bite me that is.”
“Why? Do you want me to?” He smirked and flipped her over so that her back was to the floor and he was hovering above her, their bodies touching and mouths just inches apart. She bucked against him, widening her legs so he fell naturally between them. The heat between them grew, and they lay there, breathing heavily and saying nothing, as they looked into each other’s eyes.
“Yes,” she admitted quietly. Instead of answering, Kem dipped his head and took her lips with his. The kiss was rough, the passion between them mounting with each movement inflaming him more. Her hands grabbed at his back, trying to pull him closer to her, but he wasn’t having any of it. Breaking the kiss, he took a path along her jaw and down her neck, thankful that neither of them had put any clothes back on.
He licked and nipped his way downwards, pausing only to pay particular attention to her breasts, drawing each of her nipples into his mouth in turn. She had small breasts, just enough to fit within his palm, but he couldn’t have imagined any more perfect if he tried. Beneath him, Lia was moaning and writhing with each lick, nip and suck.
A low purr began in the back of Kem’s throat as he finally sank into position between her legs. He looked up, to see Lia’s eyes locked on him and her hands twitching, as if she wanted to touch him. He grinned wickedly at her, before lowering his head and slowly drawing his tongue along her. Almost instantly, Lia lost it, moaning loudly, one of her hands gripping onto his arm, the other tugging on his hair, encouraging him to keep going. He made the purring noise again, knowing that the vibrations from his throat would drive her wild. He slid two of his fingers into her, curling them upwards as he sucked and nipped, and was quickly rewarded with a shudder and long groan from Lia. Satisfied, he rose back up towards her, so that his body hovered over hers, and watched as she came back down to earth, a small grin on her face.
Lia bucked her hips again, urging him to slide inside her and take what was his, and from the look in her eyes, and her earlier question, he imagined that she was also hoping that he’d bite her this time and make her his in all possible ways. Except that there were footsteps sounding from somewhere nearby. He stiffened automatically, listening to the movement and trying to gauge if they were a threat. From Lia’s sudden stillness beneath him, he guessed that she was doing a similar thing. Unfortunately, it sounded like the footsteps were getting closer and she batted him on the chest, urging him to move off her. Reluctantly, and with a great deal of regret, he pushed upwards, grabbing his discarded clothes as he went. He offered Lia a hand up, which she took with a smile.
Lia grabbed the robe from her bed and slipped into it, throwing Kem a quick glance as he climbed, completely naked, into her wardrobe. He winked at her, amused by the look of mock horror she gave him in return. Curious about what was hiding in her wardrobe with him, he quickly scanned the racks, findin
g a lot of silky dresses, all of them more modest than most women seemed to wear these days. The alpha in him was pleased, even though he knew that such possessiveness wasn’t acceptable, there was a part of him that liked the idea that most men would never see some parts of his mate.
A door creaked, and from how loud the sound was, he suspected that it was Lia’s door that opened. While he knew that he shouldn’t listen, he also knew that it was most likely Aella that had come to see her, and he was curious as to what she’d say, even if he wasn’t going to marry her.
“Where did you run off to last night?” The recognisable sound of Aella’s voice came through the wardrobe door, confirming what his thoughts.
“I wasn’t feeling well,” Lia mumbled, probably guilty about the lie she was telling. Kem peeked through the gap in the doors and took in the sight of the two sisters next to each other. Last night, he’d thought that Aella looked just like Lia, but now they were stood next to each other, he could see tiny differences. Aella’s nose was slightly broader and her lips slightly fuller; she was still an attractive woman, but she paled next to Lia’s beauty. Any woman would as far as he was concerned.
“Right,” the flat tone of Aella’s voice suggested that she didn’t believe Lia anyway.
“Sorry, I know it was a big night for you.”
“Yes, I met the man Daddy is forcing me to marry.” Aella huffed and dropped down onto the bed in a surprisingly unladylike gesture, especially for someone with the inbuilt grace of a nymph.
“I don’t think Dad will force you.” Lia sat down next to her, but didn’t move to comfort her. It was difficult for Kem to work out what the sisters’ relationship was like. They were obviously close enough to share some confidences, but they also didn’t seem as close as some other sisters that he’d seen, including his cousins.
“He says it’s a done deal. The Nymph Council need it.” Kem frowned. If both the Nymph and Shifter Councils thought that they needed the marriage, then was it really going to make much difference in the long run.
The Paranormal Council Complete Series 1-5 Page 4