by Vella Day
She thought it would never be an issue. “What do you mean?” Her heart jumped to her throat.
Her mom twisted her around and lowered her shirt. “So it’s true. Have you seen this?”
“Only my whole life,” Izzy spun back around, a bit irritated at her mom’s odd reaction.
“You now have a paw print underneath the vine. This means you two are mates for life—should you agree.”
Her breath hitched. “Rye’s hot, and I feel safe around him, but forever is a long time.”
“Are you in love with him?” Suddenly, her mom’s tone had lightened. “I realize that you played together growing up, but you hadn’t seen him in years.”
Why was she asking? “It’s too early to tell.”
Her mom huffed out a breath. “I’m glad you’re being cautious. Our communities are quite tight, but cross-breeding has rarely occurred as far as I know. I never understood why not, but I always figured Naliana had her reasons. Just so you know, if you decide he’s not the man for you, you can walk away and find another that suits you better. In time, that paw print will fade. Wendayans aren’t bound if a shifter mates with them, but Rye is committed to you. He can only have one mate, and apparently, you’re the one for him.”
Izzy didn’t know how to respond. “Not that I’m planning on it, but can’t he mate again if I leave?”
“No. Shifters without their mate go crazy eventually or die.”
“That’s horrible.”
“I didn’t make the rules. I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed that he bit you without explaining the consequences, but he’s the one who will suffer if you decide you don’t want him.” Mom held up a hand. “However, in my humble opinion, it’s a real honor for a Wendayan to be with a shifter—especially a McKinnon.”
Izzy stood straighter. “I think it’s an equal honor that he’s with a Berta. After all, we are a rather powerful family.”
Mom smiled. “We are indeed.”
Izzy tried to recall what Rye had said about mating—or if he’d said anything at all. She’d been so wrapped up with losing her powers that she might not have heard everything he’d said. “It was my fault that we ended up in bed. Look can we not discuss this anymore? I’m still trying to process everything.”
“Sure, but you need to be thinking about whether you’re ready to be an Alpha’s wife. That’s a big responsibility.”
Izzy held up both hands. “Whoa. We had sex once! It’s not like he asked me to marry him.” Though after last night, the idea held a lot of appeal.
“Shifters—whether wolves, bears, or whatever—are a highly possessive breed. You could do worse, and the McKinnon blood is strong.”
Izzy had to change the subject. Too much was being tossed at her at once. “Duly noted, now, where’s my sister?” Usually she drove in with Mom, though the shop wouldn’t be opening for a little while.
“Missy has the day off, and I told Teagan she could rest too.”
Mom always liked to have three of them at the store in town in case she needed to work on a McKinnon or a Murdoch at Izzy’s house. Given both the Alpha and the Beta were on a cruise, she probably wouldn’t be needed. “May I ask why?”
Her mother glanced to the front door. “Dad and I think it would be best if you kept busy. Having four of us here won’t allow that. But being here doesn’t include you visiting your father every few hours. He can take care of himself.”
Izzy planted a hand on her hip. “Are you worried that creep will come after me again?”
“Honestly? Yes. Until your powers return, we want you safe.”
As much as Izzy wanted to argue, she had to agree with her for now. She was rather helpless against him. “What do you want me to do first?”
“You can clean the back room for starters. Mrs. Farrell will be in shortly.”
Not having the energy to argue, Izzy headed to the rear of the store. No sooner had she cleaned that room than her mom gave her another chore. By lunchtime, she was giving serious thought to looking for a teaching job. To make matters worse, her father came over with sandwiches from the deli, saying he didn’t want her going out to eat alone. Sheesh. Here she thought Rye was overprotective. These two were worse.
For the rest of the day, she performed some aura cleansings, gave massages, or played cashier. With only the two of them there, she was indeed busy.
A few minutes before closing, Rye arrived to drive her back to his place, and unexpected joy filled her. Compared to her folks, he was pure freedom.
As much as she wanted to pummel him with questions about this mating stuff, doing so might imply she’d accepted that they were going to be together permanently. For her own sanity, she wanted to wait a little bit longer before she decided.
Rye spoke with her mom then escorted her out. “How was your day?” he asked.
“Busy.” As he led her to his truck, she glanced around. “I trust you-know-who isn’t near.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have let you out of the building if he had been.”
That was one benefit of being with a shifter. He could detect when another one was near. “So are you going to lock me in your house for the night?”
He opened the truck door and looked around as she crawled in. “I might if you don’t behave.” Rye grinned. “But first, I thought you might like to go to your special spot and test your powers.”
“Yes!” That was so sweet of him. “I’ve been chomping at the bit to try something, but I didn’t dare do anything inside the store. It would be horrible if I ended up setting the place on fire.”
Rye looked over at her and raised his brows. “Speaking of which, I’d feel more comfortable if you stuck to making waves on the lake or growing a plant. We don’t need a forest fire.”
“I promise. Fire’s my weakest talent anyway. Dad is the amazing one. His accuracy is something I aspire to someday. My aim sucks—kind of like my pool game.”
Rye laughed then started the engine. “I’ll be sure not to piss you off.”
She hoped he was kidding. “You should know that I only use my talents under dire circumstances.”
“Like when you ensnared that Changeling?”
“Exactly.”
Once they turned into Wendaya Cove, Rye drove past her house toward the small lake. He parked and helped her out then withdrew a basket from the truck bed. “Thought we’d have a picnic.”
She looped an arm through his. “You are amazing, though we could have gone out to dinner. With you at my side, surely my stalker won’t try anything.”
“You’re assuming he’d come alone. Though I’m confident I could best one of them, if three attacked me all at once, I’m not so sure I’d be victorious.”
Shivers traipsed up her body. “All the more reason to pray my powers will return soon.”
Rye nodded, though his pinched brows implied he didn’t want to rely on a woman to save him. “Where would be a good place to set up? I want to watch you do some magic,” he asked.
“I know a good spot.”
On the other side of the rock outcrop was a small pine tree area, lined with pine needles that was far enough from the water so that any wind tunnel she created on the lake wouldn’t affect him, but close enough so that he’d have a good view.
She led him over to her choice spot. “How about here?”
“Perfect.”
From inside the basket, he retrieved a small blanket that he spread out. “How about I finish setting up while you see if your powers have returned?” he said.
“That would be great. I won’t be long.” Izzy wanted to give him a thank you kiss, but if she did, she feared they wouldn’t be able to stop. Creating a waterspout was something she’d been able to do since she was young, so she decided to start with that simple task.
Stepping to the edge of the water she inhaled, hoping that the witch’s curse had worn off. Pretending she was stirring the water with an invisible spoon, a small spout formed and her heart hammered. She t
hen lifted her arm to increase its size. Wanting to add a bit of wind to the mix, she blew out a breath. Instead of the large spout she desired, the cone of water rose two feet then fell. Well, crap. She tried a few more times but had the same results.
Izzy glanced back at Rye who thankfully didn’t seem to be paying attention to her failures. If she couldn’t manage wind or water, perhaps she’d attempt to grow something. Izzy found a patch of ferns and lowered her hand over the area. With a twirl of her fingers, one plant lifted its fronds and grew. Pulse beating fast, she willed it to reach her hand. Unfortunately, it stopped after two more feet. Her shoulders sagged, but it was better than yesterday’s attempts.
Content with the small progress, she worked her way back up to Rye.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“It wasn’t a total loss.” She explained the extent of her abilities.
“You should be good as new tomorrow.”
“I hope so.” She sat cross-legged and picked up one of the sandwiches he’d purchased. “Can we talk about that bite you gave me?”
Rye glanced to the side. “I’m sorry. I should have asked you first, but shit, when I’m with you, my need is out of control.”
“It’s all good. My mom noticed the bite and said we were mated. Was that your intention?”
He blew out a breath, appearing out of sorts. “Intention? I don’t know, but what I do know is that you are my mate.”
Her temple throbbed. “How did you know?”
“Your scent drives me crazy, the wolf in me wants to protect you to the death, and be with you forever.”
“What about Rye, the man?”
He stroked her face. “He wants all of that too.”
She leaned back on her elbows to study him. “Why did you think I’d be okay with it? After all, we are different breeds.”
The corner of his lip curled up. “The blue aura around you when we were in the front seat of your car was my first clue. That and how you seemed to enjoy poking that pool cue at my crotch.”
She laughed, loving the release in tension. Izzy couldn’t deny the sexual attraction. Izzy turned her back to Rye and tugged down her T-shirt. “Do you see the paw print that appeared on my shoulder?”
He finger traced the spot. “It’s beautiful.” When she twisted around, Rye had his shirt off. “Has mine changed?”
“No.”
He turned back around. “I thought not. I’ve been told that when you accept the mating it will change.”
“How did my change? I mean it wasn’t like you secretly inked me.”
“I don’t know. It just did.” Rye moved closer and picked up her hands. “So now you know. We are mates.”
“What happens next? Will I suddenly shift into a wolf or something?” Two of her human friends had been mated to a bear shifter and they’d learned to transform between species.
“I don’t even know if a Wendayan has ever mated with a shifter before, so I can’t say for sure.” This time, it was Rye who leaned back on his elbows, and he looked highly appealing. Something about him today appeared stronger and more virile.
“My mom said she thought one had a long time ago.”
He sat up. “Really, do you know who it was?”
“No. Mom didn’t know either, but why should it matter?”
“I’d hate to have you try to shift, only to have your own powers diminished.”
Her pulse quickened at the horrible thought. “You think that would happen?”
“I really have no idea, but I think we should be cautious. I know how important your magic is to you.” He leaned toward her.
Having Rye a few inches closer made her heartbeat soar. “You are a sweet man.”
Actually, he was a lot more than just sweet. Perhaps the partial return of her powers was doing a number on her head. Then again, all during work, she couldn’t keep her thoughts off Rye. Her body kept cramping with need.
While she’d never heard of a Wendayan mating call, thanks to a mom who wasn’t the most forthcoming when it came to the sex talk, Izzy believed she was experiencing one now.
“If you want to try to learn to shift, I’m game to teach you, but we have to wait until the white moon appears. That’s the first time a human who has been bitten by a shifter would be able to shift.”
Now that she had asked, she questioned her desire. “I’ll think about it. In truth, sometimes it’s hard enough to refrain from using my magical powers. Can you imagine if I could shift too?”
“You’d be one freaking powerhouse, but if you had to choose between the two, which would you pick?” He held up a hand. “Not that you really have a choice, but I figure if you don’t even try to shift, the gods might let you keep your powers.”
Goose bumps raced up her flesh. “I never want to be without my magic. I’d gladly leave shifting to you.”
“On the other hand, you might be able to keep both.”
“That’s true too. I wish I could summon Naliana and ask her.”
“Good luck with that.” Rye nodded to her sandwich. “Don’t you want to eat? You told me that you liked roast beef.”
“I do.” Here she’d chosen that sandwich and hadn’t even sampled it. Rye distracted her in so many ways. Izzy took a big bite, and the spicy mustard with the medium-rare meat made her taste buds explode. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. It’s possible you’ve received other benefits regardless of whether you have the ability to shift.”
“Such as?” she asked, trying not to talk with her mouth full.
“You should be able to heal quickly.”
She recalled how he’d been stabbed one day and was almost back to normal the next. How much of it was because of Missy’s healing ways or his ability to shift, Izzy didn’t know. “That would be nice, but let’s not test your theory just yet.” He chuckled. “Any other super powers you possess I should know about?”
“They’re hardly super powers, but you should live a longer life because the lifespan of a shifter is considerably longer than it is for a human.” He held up a hand. “And a shifter will look younger longer too.”
“I’d like that—especially the looking younger part.”
He smiled. “Your skin is already like alabaster. If you take after your mother, you’ll be fantastic at any age.”
She set her sandwich down. “Thank you. Not that healing and living longer aren’t already great bonuses, but is that all? I want to be prepared.”
“You might be faster and stronger, but only time will tell.”
Time. It was something she didn’t have a lot of, especially when it came to deciding her fate. Rye moved closer, and she saw no reason not to kiss him. The moment their lips touched, it was as if Rye had suddenly possessed the power of creating fire, because her insides burned for him. Her level of need had escalated since yesterday, and as their tongues battled for position, she straddled him, not able to get close enough.
Rye slid his hands under her shirt and unhooked her bra. He then leaned back, breaking their kiss. “I needed this. You don’t know how hard it was to be at the station and focus on work. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
That did it. It might not be smart to give into her lustful urges the day after their marathon lovemaking session, but since he’d bitten her, it seemed her need had grown by leaps and bounds. Whether it was a result of her powers being out of whack, or something Rye had done, she didn’t know. “I need you too.”
“Give me some room.” Rye scooted out from under her and toed off his shoes. “You don’t think that witch lady will be back, do you?”
She glanced around. “Ophelia? I doubt it. Besides, it’s rather secluded here.” It was why she’d chosen it. As Rye’s fingers latched onto his pants, she swatted them away. “Let me.”
“Not on your life. One touch and I’ll spontaneously combust. I don’t want you to think that I only want you for sex, but damn, I can’t keep from ravishing you.”
She l
aughed, partly out of embarrassment. She’d been thinking the same thing. “Not at all. I figure since this is new, the only way to get this intense longing out of our systems is to seek release.”
He grinned. “I love the way you think.”
In a flash, Rye ditched the rest of his clothes. The sight took her breath away. “If I didn’t need you so bad, I’d just drink you in,” she said.
“You can do all the drinking you want afterward. Right now, I need to get you out of that rather prim and proper outfit.”
Izzy glanced down at her what she was wearing. “There’s nothing wrong with my white shirt.”
“Unless you’re naked, you’re too prim for me.”
She laughed, loving how this man could make her feel so special. “I say go for it.”
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Having Rye’s hands all over her would ratchet her desire, and she hoped her glow didn’t go crazy and encompass him. If it did, it would be her total acceptance of being mated, and she needed a little more time.
When he undid the top button on her shirt, Izzy reached out and grabbed his hard shaft.
His eyes turned a golden green. “If you don’t want me to rip this off of you, you better let go.” He nearly growled his command, sounding like he was holding on by a thread.
Izzy released him. Watching him fumble with the tiny buttons on her blouse made her push his hands away. “Let me. Your paws are too big.”
He held them up. “I am not a wolf yet.”
Teasing him was fun. “Well, let’s see if I can turn you into one.”
Rye groaned and slipped off her shoes then managed to remove her pants and panties before she could take off her shirt and bra. Despite it being summer, there was a slight chill coming off the water and her nipples hardened.
“I see you need warming up,” he said.
The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back and Rye was drawing a taut nipple into his mouth. The intensity of his touch was like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and she wondered if it was the bite that had altered something inside her.