Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

  His tongue circled, and stroked, building me higher and higher. My fingers curled on the countertop, searching for something to grip but coming up empty. Just when I thought I couldn’t stand it any longer, Noah caught me between his lips, and I flew off the cliff. Glittering lights burst before my eyes. Heat flashed through every vein in my body.

  Delicate kisses traveled the inside of my thigh, working their way up to my middle as tiny tremors erupted over my skin. When he straightened, he curled an arm around my back and lifted me upright, holding me against him.

  I moaned as delicious shivers danced along my spine.

  Noah swept hair back from my face and kissed me. I rocked my hips, trying to increase the friction as the ache built once again. His fingers dug into my butt cheeks, pressing me harder against him.

  “Condom?” I panted.

  He cursed. “My wallet’s in my jeans.” He stepped back, his breath fast and hard. “Maybe we should slow down. Talk first.”

  “For real? You’re not leaving me hanging like this.” I shooed him. “Go. We’ll talk later.”

  His brows furrowed. “Don’t leave.”

  “Why would I leave?”

  He held my stare for a moment. Loss and pain flashed across his face. I’d unintentionally left him once before, without warning, and he’d waited fifteen years for me to come back.

  I placed my hand on his chest right above his thumping heart. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Good. ’Cause I’m never letting you go.”

  In less time than humanly possible, Noah dashed outside and returned with his pile of clothes. He grabbed a condom from his wallet and tossed the jeans on the floor.

  Back between my legs, he gave my butt a playful squeeze. “Now, where were we?”

  “You were kissing me.”

  “Hmm, that sounds right.” His mouth trailed down my neck, while one hand rolled and pinched my nipple. The ache between my legs soared to even higher heights.

  I moaned as my limbs became jelly. His arm snaked around my lower back, holding me closer to him. Tingles burned and ached. My insides twisted and clenched, building to that glorious place just out of reach.

  He broke our kiss to rip open the condom packet with his teeth and cover himself. He took my mouth again, wrapped his arm around my waist and lifted me off the counter. In a few long strides, he lay me lengthways on the couch beneath him. Lifting one of my legs, he eased inside me. My world shattered. I didn’t know much about shifters or destined mates, but if it felt like this, I’d die happy and complete.

  Noah gently rocked. An intensity I’d never experienced slowly built from within, higher and higher I climbed until I teetered on the edge of another release. I locked my other leg around his lower back, changing the angle. A delicious burn spread through my blood and I closed my eyes, losing myself in all the sensations.

  “Open your eyes, baby.”

  They fluttered open. His gaze locked with mine, and the possessiveness undid me.

  “I want you to see me claim you.”

  Claim me? Need and desire took over and I didn’t bother questioning his choice of words.

  I couldn’t deny our connection any longer, and in that moment, I surrendered to it. I gave into every sensation swirling through my body into one giant collision. As though sensing my release, Noah reached his hand between us. I cried out. Fireworks exploded before my eyes as I flew over the edge so hard and fast, I almost blacked out. Heat flashed across my skin, and something deep inside me shattered into a million pieces.

  Noah increased the pace, fingers digging into my hips holding me in place. My back rubbed along the couch fabric. I’d probably have a burn there tomorrow, but I didn’t care. He bent down, pressing his weight on top of mine, taking my mouth in his. His tongue caressed mine as his powerful body shuddered and a low growl rumbled from his chest.

  His lips trailed down my jaw to my neck. The second his teeth grazed the sensitive skin at the base of my neck, I checked out, flying over the edge again, this time with him. One word flashed over and over in my mind: Mine.

  I didn’t know how long we lay there while our breathing steadied. Noah buried his face in the crook of my neck, gently grazing his fingers up and down my side while the tremors faded. My leg slid from behind his back to dangle over the side of the couch.

  Every muscle in my entire body was utterly spent. This right here was everything I didn’t know I wanted.

  Chapter 11

  Noah

  I snuggled on the couch with Mia wrapped between my arms and a blanket draped over our naked bodies. I hadn’t meant to mate with her, but it seemed so right. All those glittery stars and far away worlds had aligned once again, so I ran with it. Then why the hell was there a dull ache in my chest? As right as being with her felt, I should’ve told her about the mating bond before we had sex. Just as I divulged one secret, I gained another.

  Mia rolled over in my embrace to lay on her side facing me. Her eyelids heavy, cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink, lips looking as though I’d thoroughly devoured them. Which I had. She was so damn beautiful I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve her.

  I should probably take her to bed rather than squishing together on the couch.

  “So…you’re Thor,” she murmured, tracing her finger along my arm.

  I snorted. “Thor? For my god-like…hammer?”

  “No.” She chuckled and playfully swatted my shoulder. “I named the wolf version of you Thor because he was so protective of me, turning up at the same time each day, never letting me wander in the forest alone. He was always one step behind me.”

  Could this woman be any more perfect?

  “He’ll always protect you.” I brushed a lose strand of hair behind her ear. “We both will.”

  A smile warmed her face. “Are your brothers wolves, too?”

  “Shifters. We can shift between wolf and human form. The Coles are the only shifter family here in Woodland Falls.”

  My shoulders lightened telling her about the shifter world, being honest for once and not hiding behind a human mask. I envied Liam telling Ivy when they were so young. They had all that time together without secrets. Mia and I had just met in person, so I guessed this was the start of our lives together.

  Would it have been harder if I told her fifteen years ago, only to have her leave? Absolutely.

  She drew soft circles on my chest. “Are there other animals or just wolves?”

  I thought for a moment. How much should I tell her? She seemed to take all of this in her stride. Given her reaction on the lawn she clearly knew little, if anything, about this world.

  “There are plenty of different shifters out there. A bear pack lives in Cedar Valley, plus there’s another wolf pack in Timber Falls.”

  Dad believed the universe matched shifters with not just their equal, but someone who made them stronger. I witnessed that with Mom and Dad, also with Liam. I’d always joked that Ivy had more bite than him. Being with Mia made me feel exactly that. Stronger. Complete. Worthy of a life with her.

  Mia held the key to my soul, but she also possessed an unearthly amount of courage. To be a Whitcome and still choose me. Not everyone would do that. An invisible thread stirred deep inside my soul, connecting us. An unbreakable bond that now tied us together for the rest of our lives.

  “The hunter hunts wolves. That’s why you’re so concerned.”

  I wriggled my arm out from underneath her to prop up my head. “How much do you know about Joan?”

  “I hardly knew her. I came here once when I was fourteen, and then never saw her again.”

  Her gaze grew distant, tracking her finger as it trailed along the lines of the ink over my chest.

  “I wish I’d known her better. She obviously cared for me. I mean, she left me all this.”

  Maybe there was hope after all.

  “Why do the hunters hunt wolves? Do they know you’re an actual person?”

  I swallowed, not liking wh
ere this conversation headed but I didn’t want to lie to her any longer. I didn’t want more secrets between us. “Hunters are born human but with a dormant curse.”

  “A curse? As in from a spell?”

  I nodded. “Some say it dates to an ancient war between witches and shifters, where a powerful witch performed a blood ritual to annihilate all shifters. But it backfired when she turned herself and her entire coven into hunters. Now, the hunter curse is passed down to every descendant.”

  “Oh my god,” she whispered. “Wolves, witches and hunters. An entire world I knew nothing about.” She thought for a moment. “How is the curse triggered in the hunters?” She paused, screwing up her face. “Or do I not want to know?”

  I clenched my jaw. Even though she barely knew Joan, it still made me uneasy introducing her to this world. What if I planted ideas in her head? But I had to trust she was different.

  Mia was now officially my mate. That had to count for something.

  “Blood. The curse compels the hunter to not just kill shifters but drink the blood. Although the compulsion is weaker while the curse is dormant. The blood provides heightened abilities and near immortality. That addictive power, combined with the curse, makes a hunter kill again and again.”

  I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. I slid my hand over her hip, drawing her closer.

  “That hunter wants your blood?”

  “Once maybe. This hunter and I have a history. Now he’s out for revenge.”

  She gasped. “What happened?”

  I turned one of his own against him. “We got the upper hand a few months ago and helped another pack capture him, but…he escaped.”

  Mia lay her head on my shoulder, snuggling in close. “That’s why you were so freaked out at the waterfall.”

  “Not for me. For you.” I kissed the top of her head. “Anyone who knows about the shifter world is in danger. I want you to stay with me until it’s safe.”

  She thought for a moment before nodding. “I get it now.”

  “And stay out of the woods, especially at night.”

  “I will.” She covered a yawn and her eye lids drooped.

  “C’mon. Let me take you to bed.”

  I climbed off the couch and pulled on my jeans, before lifting her and the blanket into my arms. I carried her upstairs and tucked her into bed. She wiggled to one side, and I lay there on top of the covers until she fell asleep. I should check in with my brothers, but I couldn’t get my legs to walk back down the stairs.

  Instead, I lay there awake for what seemed like hours while Mia slept beside me. Why didn’t I feel better? I’d told her what I was and warned her about the hunter, yet, the lead weight in my chest remained. Thanks to the mating bond, my need to be near her was so strong I couldn’t think of anything else.

  First thing in the morning, I’d tell her. She deserved to know.

  A wolf howled in the forest behind Mia’s house, interrupting my thoughts. I recognized the call. As quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders before softly kissing her temple. At the bedroom door, I looked back at her asleep in the bed. My heart swelled. She was here. We were together. For the first time in a long time, maybe things would be okay.

  I tiptoed down the stairs, shoved on my shoes and slipped out the back door, jogging to the forest.

  Liam stood beside a thick tree trunk with his hands in the pocket of his jeans.

  “How’d it go with M—” Liam’s nostrils flared with a deep rise of his chest. His eyes widened. “Whoa. You mated with her?”

  Was it that obvious?

  “Holy fuck. That’s one way to tell her. Did she already know?”

  “About me being a shifter? Nope, she had no idea. About the mating bond? I haven’t raised it yet, but I presume not.”

  Liam’s lips rolled inward forming a grim line. Once again, I wanted to deck him and remind him that he was my younger brother, not the other way around.

  “Listen, I don’t need any shit about it. I know it wasn’t ideal. I didn’t exactly plan to complete the mating tonight, it just…happened. I’ll tell her everything in the morning.”

  “What the universe wants, the universe gets.”

  I craned my neck and stared at the shadowy forest canopy. “I’m beginning to believe that.”

  I screwed up tonight. Even though Mia said she sensed our connection and agreed we’d waited long enough to be together, I still should’ve told her the ramifications of two mates having sex.

  It sealed the mating bond forever.

  “What will you do if she sells the house and leaves?”

  Fuck Liam for stating the obvious. I couldn’t think about that right now. I’d mated with her, no one else could ever fill the void she’d create if she left. Ever. I’d waited for her and I’d continue to wait for the rest of eternity if it took that.

  But would I leave my brothers and my home to follow her?

  I glanced back at the house then leveled my brother with a hard stare. “Is there a reason you came here, ’cause I doubt it was just to give me shit.”

  “A hunter attacked a wolf in Rhett’s pack tonight. The pack took him down.”

  “The same hunter?”

  “They think so. I thought you’d wanna know.”

  Relief burst inside my chest and for the first time in what felt like forever, my lungs inhaled to their full capacity. “Thanks, man.”

  At least now time was on my side. I didn’t need to rush and could tell Mia properly. We could finally start our new life together.

  I turned to leave but Liam snagged my shirt.

  “You gotta tell her, Noah. This won’t end well if you keep it a secret.”

  I shrugged out of his hold. “I will.”

  I rolled over, reaching out my arm for Mia but came up empty. My eyes snapped open as I jolted upright. Mia wasn’t there. Heart pounding, I bolted out of bed and down the stairs, but skidded to a halt at the back door.

  She sat in a chair on the porch, looking like an angel sent from heaven. A vision of light in my dark, dreary existence. With her head angled toward her lap, and white earbuds dangling from her ears, I took my chances sneaking up on her. She didn’t even flinch as I slipped out the door and crept up behind her. Leaning over the back of the chair, I nuzzled the spot on her neck where I’d marked her last night.

  Her initial squeal lowered to a moan as she tilted her head to one side, giving me better access. I ran with it and trailed kisses along her neck and back up to her jaw. Cupping her cheek, I angled her face toward me and took her mouth, kissing her deep. Before things got too heated and I threw her over my shoulder and stormed inside, I drew back.

  I glanced at the sketch pad and cocked a brow. “Should I be jealous of your fascination with my wolf?”

  I still couldn’t believe she named my wolf after some god.

  She laughed and removed the earphones. “Maybe.” She wrapped the cord around her cell and lay it on top of the sketch pad, placing them on the floor.

  I rounded her chair and leaned forward, bracing my hands on the armrests. “How’d you sleep?”

  Her lip kicked up at the corner. “The best I have in years. You?”

  “Same.” I lowered and brushed my lips over hers. “Thanks to you.”

  “Well, if you need another good night’s sleep, I’m happy to help you out.”

  “I think that’s a brilliant idea.” I leaned back slightly. “I spoke to my brother last night. They caught the hunter over in Timber Falls.”

  She exhaled a slow breath. “I’m glad.”

  “Me too.” I held her gaze for a moment as unsaid words passed between us. Hopes for the future, a silent commitment between two mates. Or maybe it was a one-way conversation from me. “What are your plans for tonight?”

  “Why?” A smile gradually grew on her cheeks. “Are you going to take me to another hidden spot?”

  “I have something better in mind.”

  A se
xy smirk lifted at the corner of her mouth. “Is that so?”

  “Yep, so keep it free. I gotta get a few things done at the bar, but after, you’re all mine.”

  Her smile widened, lighting up her eyes. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Me too, baby. Me too.”

  She clutched the front of my shirt and pulled me in, kissing me in a way that made me want to keep the bar closed for a whole week just so we never left her bed. The thought was so damn tempting.

  Instead, I drew back and kissed her forehead. “See you tonight.”

  Chapter 12

  Mia

  Tiny butterflies fluttered around in my belly each time I thought about seeing Noah. I kept busy by cleaning out Joan’s bedroom and the spare closet downstairs, but regardless of my efforts, those butterflies wouldn’t settle. I lasted until mid-afternoon before I gave up and headed to the bar and grill.

  A drink while I waited for Noah to finish would ease my nerves.

  Why was I so nervous? We’d already slept together, technically, we were doing this whole relationship thing in the wrong order anyway.

  I pulled up short outside the entrance to Cole’s Bar. Relationship?

  I didn’t come to Woodland Falls for a relationship. I came to sell Joan’s house so I could finally stand on my own two feet. A relationship was never part of that plan.

  What if Noah wanted more?

  Of course, he wanted more. He’d waited fifteen years for me to come back here. I’m his mate. What did that even mean?

  Ugh. I couldn’t let all that overwhelm me. Tonight, I just wanted to spend time with Noah, get to know him more, now that I knew his secret.

  After composing myself, I strode into the bar. My heart flipped around in its cage the moment I spotted Noah behind the bar, chatting to a woman around the same age. He casually dried a glass, fully engrossed in their conversation. I just hung out at the door staring at him.

  A soft smile warmed my cheeks when I thought of the moment he shifted into a wolf. How magical and fascinating the shift was. Then all the things we did last night and how much my feelings for him had grown. For the first time in a long time, someone made me feel not just complete, but worthy.