“You do?” she said hopefully.
“Yes,” Councilor Morgan said. “We’ll want to aggressively go after any reports of foul play, so we’ll need all the help we can get. You’ve proven to us that you can learn from mistakes and work as part of a mission team. We feel confident that if we send you and Stan out again, you’ll have similar success. That is, as long as you’re open to continuing to work with Stan.”
Abby nodded her head vigorously. “Of course. I’m sorry I ever complained about working with him.”
Stan let out the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. This was the best news he’d heard all day. He was even more relieved that Abby’s internship would continue now that he knew war was brewing. If there was going to be a war, he wanted her by his side. He wanted to be able to protect her. Sure, she could take care of herself most of the time. But if she ever needed help, he wanted to be the one to help her.
The High Council turned their attention to Kurt, then, offering him bonuses, prestigious job titles, and numerous other perks if he would agree to stay in Torch Lake. The most they got from him was a commitment to “think about it.” Stan knew the best thing they could do was give Kurt some space. The man had been through a lot, and he did have a lot to think about. Dragons didn’t like to be pushed into doing things. Whatever decision Kurt made would have to be made on his own, in his own time.
As for Stan, he’d already made his decision on one very important thing: Abby was his lifemate, and he was going to talk to her about that the first chance he got. Unfortunately, that chance might not be for several hours. The High Council had several meetings planned for today, most of which involved Stan and Abby. But as soon as this workday was over, Stan was going to tell Abby that she was so much more than just a mission partner.
She was his destiny.
* * *
Abby had been in so many meetings today that she’d lost count of the exact number. She was weary of sitting and listening to a flood of information, and yet she didn’t want the day to end. When today ended, she would have to face Stan. There was no more delaying it. They were going to have to talk about what had happened between them, and Abby was terrified that she was going to find out that he wasn’t as interested in her as she was in him.
Sure, he had made it clear in the meetings today that he thought she was an asset to Torch Lake’s safety. He had fought for her to continue her internship, and because of his vouching for her, she knew she would be getting exciting projects all summer. She owed him a big debt of gratitude for that. Part of her success was due, of course, to her immense talent in the field of ancient magic. But a big part of it was also due to the fact that a dragon shifter was vouching for her now. Whether or not it was fair that having a dragon in your corner gave you clout with the High Council, this was the world Abby lived in. She felt lucky to have Stan rooting for her.
But she wasn’t sure that his support for her meant that he was also interested in continuing a romantic relationship with her. Abby wasn’t even sure that you could call what had happened between them a romantic relationship. Sure, they had slept together, which was about as intimate as you could get with another human. But that didn’t mean that Stan wanted to date her. He hadn’t said anything about having feelings for her since they’d gotten back to Torch Lake, and Abby was beginning to think that he viewed their romp in the forest as merely a moment of fun stress relief in the middle of a stressful mission.
So she was both excited and nervous when he asked her if she wanted to meet him at his house for dinner that evening.
“I’ve got one last meeting with Kurt and the High Council,” he said. “And then I’ll head home and order some takeout. Do you like Thai food?”
She nodded, her heart already pounding. She honestly didn’t care what kind of food they had. She just wanted a chance to talk to him.
“Good. Here’s the address.” He scribbled it on a sheet of paper and handed it to her. “Let’s say seven o’clock.”
She nodded again, and he gave her a winning smile.
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
Abby rushed home, showered, and then changed her outfit about a hundred times. She didn’t want to wear anything that made her look like she was trying too hard. But she did want to look good. The more time she spent with Stan, the more convinced she was that he was the one you did not want to let get away. He was smart, sexy, and so damn witty. She’d love watching him present during the meetings. He had such an easy confidence about him, which only added to the allure of his gorgeous smile. And he’d smiled a lot today, his eyes crinkling up adorably every time he did.
Abby finally settled on a pair of jeans and a breezy light green sleeveless shirt. She let her hair fall in waves around her shoulders, and put on a little bit of makeup—just some blush, mascara, and lip gloss. She hoped that she looked casually chic, but she wasn’t sure. She’d never been the best at fashion. Kicking ass in magical defense had taken up too much time for her to worry about the latest clothing trends.
Her nervousness only grew when Stan answered his front door. He gave her a warm smile, but she couldn’t fully relax. Not when she still didn’t know what was going on between them. He told her to come in and make herself at home, grabbing her a beer from the fridge and then turning to open an assortment of takeout boxes.
“You’re just in time. Food just arrived,” he said.
“Great. I’m starving,” she said, sitting at one of the barstools next to his kitchen island. She was hungry, but it was going to be hard to eat when her stomach was tied up in so many knots. She took a long swig of her beer, hoping it would help calm her nerves. A few moments later, Stan put a plate of Thai food in front of her and came around to sit beside her with his own plate of food. If he felt nervous at all, he was doing a good of hiding it.
“So, good news from the meeting with Kurt,” Stan said as he twirled noodles on his fork. “He’s agreed to stay in Torch Lake, at least for the time being.”
Abby raised an eyebrow. “Really? I’m surprised. He’d seemed so set against it.”
Stan nodded. “I think it’s because he realized he doesn’t really have anywhere else to go. He can’t go back to the same human town. The humans will all be suspicious that he disappeared for so many months, and besides, the Dark Warriors could easily find him there and make his life miserable. The High Council convinced him to stay in Torch Lake for six months and try it out. They’re paying him well, of course, which helped with persuading him. I’m hoping he’ll fall in love with the town and stay.”
“It’s hard not to fall in love with Torch Lake.”
Stan smiled. “Agreed. It’s a great place. But speaking of falling in love…I think you and I are overdue for a conversation.”
His voice had taken on a low, husky note, and he had turned to look at Abby with such intense eyes that she felt she might melt under his gaze.
“We…we are?” she said, then instantly felt like an idiot for not coming up with a better response. Of course they were, and of course she wanted to talk. But all she could think of right now was the fact that he had prefaced all of this with the phrase “falling in love.” Was he actually going to say he was falling in love with her? The possibility of that took her breath away. She felt like she might be falling in love with him. He had consumed her thoughts for the last few days, and all she wanted was to spend time with him. But was this love, or just a passing crush? How could she know for sure?
Stan was looking at her with those same intense eyes, but he was smiling. “We are definitely due for a conversation. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to have one, but things have been a bit…chaotic. I think you’d agree?”
She nodded. Her noodles sat untouched on her plate, and her whole body felt like it was going to burst at any moment from all the nervous energy pent up within it.
“Let me start by saying that I know this all might sound a bit crazy. But just bear with me. Hopefully, once I’ve explained
everything, you’ll see how serious I am.”
Abby could only nod again. This sounded like it was going in a good direction. She gazed back at him, taking in the handsome outline of his face and wondering if it might be possible that this gorgeous man in front of her actually wanted a future with her.
“Have you heard about the concept of lifemates?” he asked, bringing her attention away from his looks and back to his words.
Abby furrowed her brow. “I’ve heard the word tossed around before among some shifter friends. But I’m not really sure what it means.”
Stan nodded. “I’ve heard it’s more of a shifter concept than a wizard one. Basically, shifters all believe that we have one person that we are destined to be with from the moment we’re born. That person is your fated lifemate, and destiny constantly works to bring you together. Once you find that person and make love to them, the lifemate bond is formed.”
Abby gripped the edge of her seat, her heart beating frantically in her chest. Was he about to say that she was his lifemate? Was she really so lucky? “What’s the lifemate bond?” she asked. Her voice sounded strange, almost breathless. And no wonder. How was she supposed to breathe normally when such a gorgeous man sat in front of her, telling her about fated lifemates, and implying that she might be his?
“A lifemate bond is a deep, unbreakable bond that ties two lifemates together. It helps them know when the other person is in danger, and drives them to care for and protect each other. I felt that bond when we slept together, Abby. This is the part that might sound crazy, but I hope that knowing about lifemates will help you understand why I feel this way. You see, even though I haven’t known you for very long, I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re my lifemate, and I’ll always protect you and watch over you. I hope that you feel the same, but I’ll understand if the idea takes some getting used to. It’s just that—”
“Yes!” Abby interrupted, throwing her arms around his neck.
“Yes?”
“Yes, I feel the same! I don’t think you’re crazy at all. I didn’t know about the lifemate bond before, but I felt so connected to you after we slept together. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but I was worried that if I said that, then you would think I was crazy.”
“Oh, Abby,” Stan said, nuzzling his face into her hair. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
Abby giggled. She was pretty sure she did have an idea, because she was happier in that moment than she’d ever been. Her nervousness was fading, replaced with a giddy excitement. He felt the same as she did! In this crazy, unpredictable world, they had found each other, and they both wanted to share this adventure called life. What more could she have asked for.
Stan pulled back and put his lips on hers, kissing her deeply, hungrily. His kiss held so much emotion, and he was saying so much with it. She felt his love, radiating from his lips to hers and then throughout her entire body. He let out a low growl and thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, and that’s when Abby knew dinner was going to have to wait. They both had a different kind of hunger that they needed to take care of.
Stan broke their kiss to hop off the barstool, then pulled her with him. He carried her into the living room, where he dropped her on his oversized, plush couch. She giggled again, feeling a bit silly when she did, but unable to hold back her excitement. This was what she had been hoping for all day, but had not dared to allow herself to think about. She wanted Stan. Wanted all of him. Wanted him inside of her.
The thought sent a thrill through her. She could feel herself growing wet between her legs, her body already responding to the promise of sleeping with Stan. He wasn’t wasting any time in once again consummating their relationship. Now that they had both agreed that—against all odds—this was what they wanted, this was the most natural thing to do.
Stan tore off his clothes, and Abby moaned at the sight of his perfect, muscular body. The warm light of sunset that streamed in through his back windows seemed to make his body glow, and perfectly accented the way his long, thick erection stood straight out from his body. Abby trembled at the thought of that erection sliding into her. How could she have asked for anything more than this? A strong, sexy dragon shifter loved her. She felt more content than she’d ever thought possible.
He moved toward the couch then, and tore her clothes off as well. He didn’t move slowly, and she was glad for that. He tore at her shirt, bra, pants, and underwear as though he couldn’t get them off fast enough. When he finished, he pulled back to look at her naked body. She felt her chest rising and falling under his approving, intense gaze, and the space between her legs growing wetter and wetter with desire. She felt warm all over, like she might explode into flames if he touched her.
He did touch her then. He moved over her, first finding her lips, then her neck, then her breasts. He kissed her everywhere, moving all the way down to her ankles. She shivered from the heat, which was a strange but delightful sensation. But things were about to get even hotter.
He kissed his way back up her legs, until he reached her dripping wet entrance. There, he slid his tongue into her, thrusting it deep and massaging it back and forth across her most sensitive skin. She arched her back, moaning and feeling the pressure and tingling within her growing to an unbearable level. She barely had time to cry out his name before she felt herself overcome by the intensity of his touch, and she let go.
Her release came as an unrelenting series of strong spasms. Her whole body pulsed as it released the sweet pressure that had built up from Stan’s touch, and Abby felt like she was drowning in a sea of pleasure. He slid up to put his arms around her and his face against her face, holding her while she came, and nuzzling her neck when the tremors finally subsided.
But he wasn’t done yet.
“Ready for more?” he asked in a husky whisper. Abby couldn’t even find the words to answer before she felt him sliding down to hover over her, the head of his erection pushing at her entrance. She moaned, already trembling with anticipation at what was to come.
And then, he was inside of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, but still felt like a thousand colors were bursting in her vision. His tongue had driven her crazy, but his huge dick drove her over the edge. He pushed against her inner walls, going deeper and deeper into her as he began to rock his hips against hers. She felt the pressure that had subsided instantly building up again, and she moaned and thrashed beneath him as she tried to draw out the moment.
It was no use. She could not fight her release. It found her again, and for the second time she felt her body pulsing, and the wonderful, searing heat of passion flooding her. Her body squeezed violently around his erection, hungry to claim him as her own. A beautiful, tingling sensation filled her with every spasm. Abby felt a deep rush of satisfaction and happiness. This must be what it was like to make love to someone whom you actually loved.
And then, Stan followed behind her. He let out a deep roar, then thrust further into her, stiffening and pulsing as he found his release. The sensation of him coming inside of her only intensified Abby’s pleasure. She moaned again, the only sound she was capable of making amidst the swirl of emotions that filled her.
When the intensity of the moment subsided, Stan pulled out of Abby and rolled onto the couch next to her. He drew her into his arms, then kissed the tip of her nose.
“I guess I’m not such a bad mission partner after all, huh?” he said.
Abby grinned. “Nope, not so bad. Thanks for sticking with me, even when I tried so hard to push you away.”
Stan held her tighter. “I couldn’t let go of you. Not when you were the most amazing person I’d ever met. I’m just glad you finally opened your heart to me.”
Abby snuggled against his chest. “I have to admit, everything is much better with a partner. Especially a partner like you.”
“Good. Because we have a lot of adventures still ahead of us,” Stan said. “I have a feeling life in Torch
Lake is about to get crazy, but at least we’ll be living through the craziness together.”
Abby smiled. She knew troubled times were ahead for Torch Lake, but she’d never felt as safe and warm as she did right now, in Stan’s arms. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Well, then, let the adventures begin.”
Thank You For Reading!
Book Nine in the Torch Lake Shifters series, will be coming in March 2018!
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About the Author
There are shifters walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.
Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane brings you hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.
When she’s not busy crafting shifter tales, Sloane enjoys a good glass of wine, preferably shared with good friends. She loves reading (duh!) and spending time in the great outdoors.
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