“Why?” Lia had obviously come to the same conclusion that he had from the look of confusion on her face. Aella shrugged.
“Something to do with not having a forceful enough voice anymore. We’re too peaceful a people and we’re getting weaker every year. I told Daddy I could change that if I was on the Council, without a husband. But you know what he’s like, he won’t accept that I’m capable of all that.” She looked saddened by her words, and Kem briefly wondered if there was more to the woman than they made out there was.
“Aella…” Kem could see the indecision in Lia’s eyes, thanks to his enhanced senses. Her eyes flickered to the wardrobe and, even though she couldn’t see him, Kem nodded. “You won’t have to marry Kem.” Aella looked up sharply.
“You know him?” Lia’s fingers made a fiddling gesture near her neck, which made it seem like she regularly wore a necklace. Except that she hadn’t been wearing one last night. He’d have to remember that.
“Yes, Kem’s my mate.” There was silence as Lia’s statement sunk in. He wasn’t sure how Aella would take the news and that worried him. During one of their brief lulls last night, Lia had told him about Aella’s infamous temper, and he didn’t like the idea of Lia being on the receiving end of it.
“How do you know?” Aella asked quietly, and seemingly calmly.
“We met a year ago, I’ve been able to shift for the past eight months.” Kem’s shock mirrored Aella’s. He hadn’t realised she’d been able to shift that long, and he was kicking himself for leaving her alone to deal with the shocking change that must have been.
“You’ve what?”
“I can shift. Into a panther. Just when I was angry or upset at first, but now it seems I can do it anytime if I want to.” She shrugged, as if it was no big deal, when actually, even in the shifter community, it was. Most mates didn’t manifest shifting powers, and only some of them even manifested any of their mate’s powers at all. It made him wonder if he’d gained anything through their bond.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” The hurt in her voice changed something in Lia, and she quickly wrapped an arm around Aella.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t even want to admit it until I saw him yesterday.” It was then that the pieces seemed to slot together in Aella’s head, and a knowing grin spread over her face.
“Not feeling well?” Lia’s cheeks flushed bright red, and Kem had to fight the urge to leave the wardrobe and protect her from the embarrassment, even if he knew she could deal with it on her own.
“Something like that.”
“Have you told Daddy?”
“Not yet,” Lia admitted. “Kem went to see the Shifter Council to stop the marriage talk. They’ve agreed, but told him that he has to be the one to tell Dad.” Her gaze flicked back to the wardrobe as Aella laughed.
“The poor, poor man!”
“Aella! He’s my mate, what else is he supposed to do?” Lia looked horrified.
“Maybe Daddy will go easier on him if we’re there too,” Aella suggested, patting Lia’s hand in a way that Kem guessed was supposed to be comforting.
“Yeah, sure.” Lia tried for a smile, but it came across weak, filling Kem with dread about the meeting he had to have with her father.
10
Dinner was a pained affair that night. Aella and her father were barely speaking, and Lia couldn’t keep her thoughts off Kem. After Aella had left earlier, Kem had come out of the wardrobe, fully dressed, to Lia’s dismay. He’d told her that he needed to go and freshen up so that he could come and talk to her father properly, and she had to admit that it was probably better that he did; arriving in last night’s clearly rumbled suit to claim his daughter wasn’t likely to go down well. Even so, she was nervous, and completely unsure about how her father would take the news. While he’d been willing to marry Aella off, his feelings seemed to be more protective towards Lia, possibly something to do with the fact that their mother had died when she was still a baby, and she doubted that he’d be pleased by this turn of events.
There was a brief knock on the door, and their butler walked in, his black and white penguin suit pressed to perfection. “Sir, there is a Mr Davis here to see you.” A brief look of shock passed over her father’s face, he clearly hadn’t been expecting to see Kem again for a while.
“Very well. Show him to my office, I’ll be with him shortly.” The butler cleared his throat and shuffled his feet slightly, showing a discomfort that he didn’t normally convey.
“I’m sorry sir, but Mr Davis insisted on seeing you and your daughters.”
“Both of them?” Her father raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, sir.”
“Very well, set a place for him at the table. We’ve only just started our main, he may as well join us.”
“Very good, sir.” The butler left the room, leaving her father levelling inquisitive looks at the two of them.
“Either of you know what this is about?” Aella’s hand found hers under the table, and she gave it a quick squeeze, reminding Lia that her sister was fully on her side. Despite her temper, Lia didn’t doubt that Aella loved her. Plus, she hadn’t wanted to get married anyway, especially not to Kem.
“No Daddy,” Aella said with a wide eyed innocent look. Her father huffed, clearly seeing through the act. The door to the dining room opened again, shutting off any conversation between them, and the butler shuffled back in, leading a freshly showered Kem into the room. He’d replaced his rumpled shirt with a new one, this one a pale blue colour that suited his dark hair and showed off his powerful form in a way that made Lia’s mouth water. It was all she could do to tear her eyes away from him and back to the meal in front of her.
“Mr Dentro, ladies.” Kem nodded his head reverently, before taking the seat the butler showed him, a new place setting having been hastily added to the table. He was sat between Lia and her father, in the only free space, and Lia yearned to reach out and touch him. Apparently, he felt the same, as she felt his hand slide onto her knee under the table. She slipped her own hand under the table cloth and slid it on top of his, noticing a slight smile tugging at the corners of Kem’s mouth.
“To what do we owe the pleasure, Mr Davis?” her father asked between mouthfuls of vegetables. Kem waited while his own plate was set down in front of him before answering.
“I’ve come from the Shifter Council,” he started, a serious look on his face. “They require me to be the one to tell you that I cannot marry Aella.”
“What?” Knowing her father as well as she did, Lia could see the anger building even through his calm tone. There was clearly more at stake than either she, or Kem, had realised.
“The Council was not aware that I was already mated.” He took a bite of the fish that had been served for dinner, and gave a small satisfied nod.
“And you didn’t think that it was important to tell them that in the first place?”
“I’m sorry sir, but I didn’t know.” The anger built again, almost popping a vein in her father’s forehead.
“Dad, please.” Lia met his gaze, but wasn’t certain what was going on behind it.
“How could you not know you were mated? And who is the whore that’s stopping this union?” He seethed, his rage now coming through his words.
“Please don’t talk about my mate like that…” Kem started, but managed to keep a tighter control on his anger. Though his hand had balled into a fist on her leg. She prized it open, and entwined her fingers with his.
“I’ll talk about her any way I wish. She’s displaced my daughter and brought shame on her…”
“It’s me, Dad.” She’d had enough. Nothing was going to diffuse the situation now, and the tension in the room had reached breaking point for her. “I’m his mate.”
“You’ve never even met.” The anger was still an undercurrent in his voice, but she could tell that it was waning slightly.
“We met a year ago, and that was all it needed apparently. Neither of us fully
realised we were mated because we hadn’t seen each other again until last night,” she explained gently while stroking her thumb over the back of Kem’s hand, trying to soothe away his anger.
“You’re sure?”
“She can shift,” Kem said quietly, and her father nodded, his anger transforming into something softer, something like thoughtfulness. Which, if Lia was honest, was the more worrying thing to deal with.
“I don’t see why this has to change anything. I’m still a nymph, Kem’s still a shifter, surely our union has the same consequences.”
“With the advantage of everyone will know that we’ll always like each other,” he added. “No offence Aella.”
“None taken.” She held her hands out in surrender. “I find I like you better now that I don’t have to marry you.” She winked at him and Kem gave a low chuckle.
“You knew?” their father asked Aella, who shrugged.
“Only since this morning.”
“A marriage ceremony will still happen.” Her father fixed Kem with a stare that clearly meant there was no budging on the subject.
“Absolutely, as soon as she says yes.” She squeezed his hand under the table.
“Dad?” His gaze flipped to her, softening as it did. “Why is the marriage so important?” Her father sighed loudly.
“We have no influence Lia. While there are many of us, we’re not forceful by nature, and even Aella at her most angry pales in comparison to a vampire or witch that wants their way. The shifters are low on numbers, but if it came to it, they have the aggression that we need. Together, the two Councils will be able to make a difference, and the quickest way to achieve that was an unbreakable alliance.” Silence greeted his explanation as it sunk in. It did make sense, though surely a true mating would do more for an alliance than a forced marriage anyway.
“So, it really doesn’t matter that it’s Lia and not me?” Aella finally broke the silence.
“No. The rest of the Nymph Council pressured me to offer you because you’re slightly older and your status as the only storm nymph. I was given as much of a choice as you were. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, Daddy. But please don’t try to make me get married again, even if it would help the Council.” Her words were surprisingly level for Aella, but Lia knew her well enough to detect the hurt behind them. As was their father it seemed, who hung his head in shame Aella didn’t feel the need to say anymore, as she pushed to her feet and walked from the dining room, leaving her dinner half eaten on the table.
“You said the Shifter Council is aware of this?” her father asked, his guilt showing on his face. Kem nodded. “Very well, I shall go inform the Nymph Council and begin the wedding plans.” He followed Aella from the room, leaving the two of them alone.
“Well that went well,” Kem deadpanned, causing Lia to giggle slightly.
“It could have gone worse.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and she got to her feet, pulling him behind her as they left the room.
11
Lia slammed the door of her bedroom shut as they reached it, eagerly reaching for his shirt. She unbuttoned it swiftly as Kem took a moment to catch on to what she was doing. He pulled her jumper over her head, revealing a lacy white and blue bra that should have looked innocent, but definitely didn’t; the sight of her breasts heaving was enough to have him hard and ready to go. He unhooked her bra as she finished pushing his shirt over his arms. He made a move to kiss her breasts, but Lia stopped him, a feral glint in his eye.
“No time for that, claim me,” she ordered, surprising him. Her hands went to the button of her jeans and she pushed them, and a thong that matched her bra, down her legs and off her body, leaving her completely bare to him. Stunned, it took Lia’s hands on his fly to realise that he should have been doing the same. Swiftly removing the last of his clothing, she pushed him backwards onto the bed. Straddling him she lent down to kiss him, all while guiding him into her. Instinct took over and he thrust up into her swiftly, causing them both to moan with pleasure into their kiss. Lia moved her hips above him, sending pleasure shooting through his body. The primal part of him flipped the two of them over so that she was lying beneath him, knowing that that would be the best position to bite her from.
“Are you sure?” He panted in her ear, the pleasure making it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the feel of her around him.
“Yes,” she responded. “Bite me.” The commanding side was back, making him thrust into her harder. His teeth lengthened and he nuzzled against the bottom of her neck, causing an odd purring moan to come from Lia. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth a sunk his teeth into her neck, knowing from the experience of her doing it to him, that it didn’t actually hurt her. Lia’s moans increased as Kem withdrew his teeth, and the moment she started to tighten around him, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. With one last powerful thrust, they finished together, collapsing into a sweaty tangle of limbs on the bed.
“You’re mine now,” he murmured, unable to think straight past the sated feeling.
“Cause I wasn’t before?” She laughed, and he joined her, chuckling low in his throat. He pulled her close, and she rested her head beneath his chin, her blonde hair fanning out over his chest. “Or are you mine, because I bit you first?” she teased.
“Not sure that’s how it works,” he grumbled good naturedly. He didn’t care whether he was hers or she was his; all that mattered was that she was with him.
“I think you’ll find that it works the way I say it works,” she told him sternly, and he had to admit that he liked this side of her. He’d never have been content with a quiet mate who wouldn’t stand her own ground. He’d seen enough relationships like that in his time, particularly those between shifters and humans, and each time he’d felt slightly disgusted by the shifters behaviour. It didn’t seem to matter if the shifter was male or female either, somehow it always came across as wrong.
“I got lucky with you.” He tweaked her nose affectionately and she smiled.
“Not wishing you were with Aella right now?” While her question came across as a continuation of the teasing, he could tell that there was more to it. He imagined that she’d been compared to her sister for her entire life, and it was a difficult thing to get past.
“Absolutely not. I’m sure Aella will make some man very happy someday, but there’s only one woman for me.” He kissed her gently, making it clear that it was her he was talking about.
12
2 Months Later
“Daddy’s abdicated his seat on the Council for me!” Aella bounded into Kem and Lia’s apartment without even knocking first. It was only because of their enhanced hearing that they hadn’t been caught in a compromising position.
“What?” Lia asked, shocked. She knew that her father wouldn’t retain his seat forever, but Aella had only just turned thirty, and for a long-lived race, that was considered to still be a baby. A lot of their people still thought that Lia was too young to be married, but they’d slowly been coming around to the idea. Even if it reeked of hypocrisy considering they’d expected Aella to marry at just a few years older.
“He said that I was right about needing a more forceful voice, and that that voice should be me.” She was clearly excited, a position on the Council was something that Aella had been working towards since she was just five years old and their father had taken them to their first Council meeting. Unlike the Shifter Council, the Nymph Council invited its people to its sessions, believing that it helped them reach better decisions for their people. In reality, it just led to a lot of arguing, making Lia think that maybe the shifters had it right after all.
“So why did we have to get married?” Kem’s confused expression was adorable in Lia’s mind, though he’d probably hate knowing that.
“Because the connection is what the two Councils need to actually support each other. Say the Nymph Council suggests a motion, like the outlawing of blood sacrifices. They then
know that the Shifter Council would stand behind the motion regardless,” Aella explained patiently, her face lighting up as she spoke about something she was so passionate about. Lia had always found it amazing how controlled Aella was when she talked about politics.
“But the Shifter Council would be behind outlawing blood sacrifices anyway. That’s a necromancer thing.” Kem’s confusion didn’t seem to be waning at all.
“She’s only using blood sacrifices as an example.” Lia slipped onto his lap and put her arms around his neck, while Aella pulled a face at her. She’d definitely warmed to Kem since not having to marry him, but she often pulled faces over their displays of affection.
“Oh.” Understanding dawned on him and Lia giggled. He wasn’t normally so slow on the uptake. In fact, he couldn’t be, considering he was a chartered accountant with a well-known firm.
“Besides, do you not want to be married to my sister?” Aella teased, showing exactly how much more at ease she was with him.
“Of course,” Kem spluttered and the two sisters laughed.
“Anyway, I need to go, enjoy his back-tracking Lia.” She waved goodbye and let herself out, leaving the two of them alone.
“I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to be married to you…”
“I know you didn’t.” she smiled and kissed him chastely. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The End
The Vixen’s Bark
The Vixen’s Bark Blurb
All she wants is to make a difference. All he wants, is her.
* * *
The last thing Arabella wants is to accept that Bjorn is her mate. Not that she doesn't like him, quite the opposite, but because it would mean giving up her position on the Shifter Council.
The Paranormal Council Complete Series 1-5 Page 5