Mac (Winter - Shifter Seasons Book 3)

by Harmony Raines

  “Exactly,” Nina leaned on Saffron. “In her own way. Just like she likes everything her own way with no real thought to anyone else’s feelings.”

  “It’s a good thing neither of us turned out like her,” Saffron replied.

  “Do you think we turned out like Dad instead?” Nina asked.

  “No.” Saffron grinned as they walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. “I think we prove that two negatives make a positive.”

  Nina’s shoulders shook as she laughed but then she gasped and reached for Saffron. “I wish I was stronger.” She gripped Saffron’s arm. “Promise me you will look after the boys if anything happens to me.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to you,” Saffron said too quickly.

  “We both know that is not true.” Nina’s mouth turned down at the corners. “I just wish I knew what was wrong with me.”

  “Maybe living in this house with a view out into the forest where you can sit with the sun on your face and learn to find peace once more might be the miracle cure you need.” Saffron glanced at Nina as her fingers dug into the flesh of her arm. Nina might be frail, but she had a hell of a grip.

  “You think this is all in my head?” Nina asked incredulously.

  “No, honey, I think it’s all in your heart.” Saffron looked sadly at her sister. “I think the shock of losing Evan hit you so hard it did real physical damage. But there is nothing to say you can’t turn that damage around and start repairing yourself. One step at a time, you have to find a reason to push forward and to live a new life, a different life than the one you imagined when you met Evan and married him.”

  Nina pushed her hand through her hair and fought not to cry. “You’re right. When I lost Evan, it was if someone had stabbed me. Real physical pain ripped through me and I just wanted to stay in bed and not face the day. But I couldn’t do that, not with the boys at home. So, I picked myself up and pushed myself to get to the end of each day. But it wore me down.”

  “Let it go, Nina. For the sake of the boys, let it go. Not all at once but a little bit at a time.” Saffron nodded at her sister. “You can do it. I know you can do it.”

  Nina nodded. “I’ll try. First, because I want to be your maid of honor when you get married and I refuse to be captured on camera looking like a woman who is old before her time. And secondly, because of the boys. I want to be around when they meet their mates. I want to watch them say I do. I can’t have them lose both parents.”

  “I’ll help you every step of the way,” Saffron promised.

  “There you both are.” Wes came down the hallway to meet them. “Hex was showing us his bear.”

  “Showing off his bear,” Beck said easily as he leaned back against the counter and sipped a bottle of beer.

  “Ah, you know you want to show off, too,” Hex said good-naturedly.

  “I would but I don’t want to show you guys up. We all know my bear is the biggest and the fastest and the best looking.” Beck chuckled and ducked as Hex grabbed a dishcloth and threw it at him. “Missed.”

  “And there was I thinking that things would be easier when the boys grow up,” Nina replied.

  “Oh, the problems just get bigger and more expensive,” Mac’s mom said as she came across the kitchen to greet them. “I’m Sue.”

  “Nina.” Nina nodded. “I should be taking advice from you. You raised three fine boys.”

  “They turned out all right.” Sue grinned as she looked at her sons. “Although, even when their father was alive, there were times when I didn’t think that they would. They are each so very different and they all have a mind of their own.”

  “That sounds like my two,” Nina confessed.

  “We’re very similar,” Sue told Nina. Although she didn’t elaborate, Saffron was certain she meant because they had been left to raise their children when their mate died.

  “I might need to come to you for advice,” Nina watched Wes and Jonas as they followed Hex out of the kitchen and into the cold air outside.

  “Any time.” Sue smiled and leaned closer. “I just want you to know that you are welcome here.” She reached for Saffron’s hand. “You, too, Saffron. I always thought it would be nice to have a daughter and now I’ll get firsthand knowledge.”

  “We’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a mother who supports us, so we can learn that from you,” Nina said drily. Then looked up sharply as Jonas laughed hysterically at something outside.

  “Don’t worry, Hex is the clown of the family, especially when he can sense the tension between two people.” Sue looked toward the open back door and wrapped her arms around herself. “Damn shifters never learn that we don’t have the same hot blood running through our veins.”

  “Wes, my oldest, is a lot like Hex. At least he used to be. He spent so much time trying to make us all laugh when really, I think his heart was breaking. I just never saw it,” Nina confessed.

  “Hex is like that. He’s a deeply sensitive soul but he doesn’t like people to know it. Not until people get to know him.” Sue smiled as Wes and Jonas gasped and then laughed out loud.

  “It seems Hex has a gift for entertaining the boys,” Mac said as he crossed the kitchen to join the three women.

  “You were always the sensible one,” Sue said with pride. “I love each and every one of you equally and I would not change a thing about any of you.”

  “Isn’t that what all mothers say?” Mac asked as he hugged his mom close and winked at Saffron.

  “It’s true. A mother always sees the best in their children,” Sue admitted.

  “Except ours,” Nina announced. “We are a complete disappointment to her.”

  “Surely that’s not true,” Sue shook her head in disbelief.

  “Oh, it’s true. Although she does love Nina’s boys.” Saffron looked up as the two teenagers and Hex came back into the kitchen.

  “Shut the door, it’s cold,” Sue called across the kitchen.

  “Will do.” Hex shut the door and went to sit down next to Martha.

  “What do you think of Hex’s bear?” Martha asked.

  “Awesome,” Wes replied. “And Hex said that he would start teaching me how to get ready for my first shift tomorrow.”

  “I’m out of a job.” Mac raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m sure you and Beck can give Hex a hand,” Kassia said. “He’ll need it.”

  “I can handle two teenagers,” Hex boasted.

  “It’s not about handling anyone, it’s more of Hex and Mac describing what’s happening while he shifts so that Wes and Jonas understand it all,” Kassia explained.

  “There is a reason my wife is good with kids,” Beck said with pride.

  “Yeah, because she has to look after you,” Hex teased.

  “I thought you said that brothers grow out of teasing each other,” Saffron asked Mac.

  “Sometimes they regress,” Sue answered with a laugh. “Okay, it’s been a long day and I’m going to bed. Nina, maybe we could talk in the morning?”

  “I’d like that, thanks, Sue.” Nina looked all done in when she added, “I need my bed, too.”

  “I think we all do,” Saffron said as she rounded up the boys. “You go. I’ll make sure they brush their teeth and don’t fight.”

  “Thanks.” Nina hugged her sister. “Goodnight, everyone.”

  “Night, Nina. Maybe we can catch up in the morning?” Kassia asked.

  “Sure, I’d love to.” Nina forced a smile on her tired face and left the room.

  “Okay, boys. Time for bed. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner you can get up in the morning and go and explore the forest.” Saffron glanced at Mac. “If that’s okay with you?”

  “Sure.” Mac nodded. “Maybe one of us can spare some time to come with you.”

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot to say, Kelos is back in town. He’s coming by tomorrow to ask if you have some work,” Beck told Mac.

  “Great, we could do with an extra pair of hands.” Mac waved good
night and followed the boys and Saffron out of the room.

  Ten minutes later the two boys were in their rooms and Mac led Saffron to his room. It had been a long and eventful day and she was ready for bed.

  However, the thought of being in bed with Mac by her side ignited her desire and awakened her senses. With thoughts of her mate in her head, she doubted she would find sleep even if she tried.

  Chapter Seventeen – Mac

  “They’re both in bed,” Mac assured his mate as she stood with her head tilted upward listening for the sound of the boys running wild upstairs.

  “Are you sure?” Saffron asked as she dropped her gaze and looked at him.

  “Yes, I heard them get into bed and there’s no sound of them moving around,” he assured her.

  “They did look tired out. It’s been quite a day for them.” She smiled gently, looking uncertain. “And for me. For us.”

  “It’s been a good day.” He stepped closer to her, not sure of himself. Saffron had said she wanted to share his bed and the implication had been that she wanted more than to sleep by his side. What if he’d read the signals wrong? He didn’t want to make a move and upset her.

  He never wanted to hurt her. Ever.

  “Let’s make it a good night.” She focused on him fully and heat flared in his belly and fanned out through his entire body. Saffron was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. Her blonde hair hung around her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkled as she took a step toward him.

  “Only if you are sure.” Mac clenched his fists, cursing himself for asking her if she was sure she wanted to make love to him. He didn’t want her to think he had any doubts himself.

  “I’m absolutely sure,” Saffron replied as she closed the distance between them and reached out for him. Her fingers caught hold of the hem of his shirt and she tugged it upward.

  Mac quickly undid a couple of the buttons at the collar of his shirt and helped her pull the fabric over his head. Pulling his arms out of the sleeves, he took hold of the shirt, balled it up and threw it to one side.

  “Better,” Saffron purred as she ran her fingers over his chest. “Much better.”

  She shifted the angle of her body and leaned forward, her lips pressing against his skin. He shuddered as desire for his mate bloomed and blossomed in quick succession. He groaned as her tongue curled around his nipple, which tightened into a taut bud.

  Mac’s brain refused to function as Saffron slid her right hand down over his abs and lower, over his stomach to curl around his hardened length through his jeans. With firm strokes up and down, she nearly brought him to his knees as sensations and longing flooded his body. He wanted her.

  It was a need as vital as breathing. It was as if his very existence depended on mating with her.

  His eyes snapped open and he jerked back to life. With shifter dexterity, he stripped her sweater over her head and tore the shirt from her back. After quickly undoing the buttons, of course.

  The clasp of her bra was no obstacle to the need to see her naked before him. However, the sight of her soft pale skin made him pause. His hand shook as he stroked her breasts and cupped each one in his hand. Lowering his head, he sucked one darkened nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue around and around. Saffron gasped and pressed her body closer to his as if offering herself to him.

  Mac accepted her offering and with a groan, he released her nipple and unbuttoned her black pants and pushed them down over her thighs. With his thumb caught in the elastic of her panties, he dragged them from her body, too.

  Saffron lifted one foot and then the other as she stepped out of her remaining clothes. With a small step backward, Mac watched his mate with hungry eyes while he unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the floor.

  “Naked and alone at last.” A small smile crept over her lips and her adorable dimples puckered her cheeks.

  “Naked but we’re not alone. We have each other.” He slipped his left arm around her back and leaned down to slide his right hand under her knees.

  Lifting her effortlessly, he carried her the short distance to the bed and laid her down on the bedspread. As he slipped his arms from beneath her, Mac stood up and took a moment to stare down at his mate, capturing the image of her in his head where it would live forever.

  “You are beautiful,” Mac told her.

  “In your eyes,” she conceded.

  “That’s all that matters,” he answered, and the mattress dipped under his weight as he climbed onto the bed beside her.

  “This is cozy.” Saffron shuffled away from him and lifted the covers before sliding under them. “Want to join me?”

  “An invitation I could never refuse.” Mac slid under the bedcovers and moved closer to his mate.

  “You are so hot.” Saffron placed her hand on his chest as she pressed closer to him.

  “Thank you.” Mac chuckled, unsure if it was meant to be a compliment or a statement of fact. “Shifter blood is always hot, but you have ignited a fire in me that just won’t dampen down.”

  “Do you want it to dampen down?” Saffron stroked his chest, her fingertips touching the soft springy hair that covered his toned muscles before traveling down over his abdomen in a fine line.

  “No, I want it to burn forever just as I burn for you.” He rolled her over onto her back and nestled between her thighs. He was painfully hard and the thought of taking her was all-consuming.

  Saffron cupped his face in her hands and kissed his mouth. Mac slipped his hand between their bodies and she opened her thighs wider, allowing him to slide his finger inside her. She sighed against his mouth as he pushed deeper, her inner muscles tight as he inserted another finger and stroked her inner walls.

  She gasped, and tension grew in her body as he pushed her arousal higher and higher. Saffron nipped his bottom lip, not hard enough to draw blood but hard enough to excite the primal beast inside him. He wanted to take her, to claim her as his own.

  Saffron slid her hand down over his arm and pulled his hand away. “Make love to me, Mac.”

  He lifted his head and looked down on her beautiful face as if searching for an answer. But she’d already given him her answer. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. So why did he hold back?

  This was the single most important event in his life so far. And he wanted it to be perfect. Not for himself but for his mate. It was as if he was trying to prove himself worthy of her. Which was kind of ridiculous.

  “Mac?” Saffron asked gently.

  “I’m crazy about you,” was all he could say.

  “I’m crazy about you, too,” she admitted. “I never believed in whirlwind romances but now that I’m caught up in one, I’d recommend them to anyone.” She giggled and the dark cloud that had gathered over Mac’s head was swept away and the sunlight filtered through and shone down on him.

  That was what Saffron meant to him. She chased away the dark clouds and brightened his world just by being there with him.

  Adjusting his weight onto one elbow, he guided himself into her. Slow at first, he savored the sensations flooding his body as he pushed deeper. Saffron’s inner muscles gripped him tightly, the friction between their bodies charged with the same electricity that had pulsed and sparked when they’d first touched.

  Saffron arched her back and slid her legs farther apart as he stretched her inner muscles. She gasped, her fingertips grazing his back and lower as she urged him on. Mac withdrew just an inch or two, the friction between them overwhelming, but he wasn’t going to lose his head now. With a thrust of his hips, he lunged forward and filled her completely, burying himself inside her to the hilt.

  Her mouth opened and a silent word slipped from her lips before he lowered his head and claimed her mouth, too. She was his and as he moved in and out of her, he took control of her pleasure and his own. Each thrust took them higher, each stroke of his fingertips over her soft skin pushed her closer to her climax.

  He plundered her mouth with his tongue, tasting her. E
ach of his senses was overwhelmed by his mate as they rose toward their orgasm. And it was theirs. Saffron was his equal partner in bed and in life.

  Her body tensed beneath him as he moved his hips back and forth, his body grazing the small bundle of nerves between her thighs. She was so close, and Mac was hanging on, trying not to come before he’d satisfied his mate. Lowering his head, he licked her nipple with the flat of his tongue. The tension in her grew and he repeated the motion, licking her nipple over and over until she exploded beneath him.

  Saffron’s fingertips pressed his flesh and her breath caressed his neck as she gasped for air. She invited him to join her in ecstasy and he could never deny his mate.

  Mac jerked forward, her body tense as his essence filled his mate. With fingertips curled into the pillow, he buried his head, drowning out his triumphant cry. He’d finally found his mate and claimed her.

  Finally, he’d accomplished the most important thing in his life.

  Although putting a child in our mate’s belly might beat that, his bear said.

  Mac would agree, but that was a thought for the future and right now he planned to live in the present with his mate. The woman he’d searched for his whole life and had almost given up on finding.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Saffron’s fingertips on his chin forced him to look at her.

  He cracked a smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

  “You looked sad for a moment.” She kissed his cheek and he locked eyes with her.

  “I caught a glimpse of the old me. The me before we met.” He chuckled. “Although, that me wasn’t much younger than this me.”

  “Are you okay with how fast this happened?” she asked.

  “Am I okay?” He grinned. “Yeah, this is…” He paused. “This is perfect.”

  “It kind of is, isn’t it?” she asked as she snuggled closer to him. “I’m so tired. But incredibly happy.”

  “I’m incredibly happy but I don’t think I could sleep if I tried,” Mac admitted.

  “Why?” Saffron asked as her eyelids fluttered.

  “I’m scared I’ll go to sleep and wake up and this will have all been a dream.” He stroked her cheek and kissed her lips. “That you were just a dream.”