by M. L. Briers
He took a long moment to not only steady him, but to steady her as well. He could feel the rush of emotions within her and knew that if he hadn’t of stopped them it would be more than likely that things would have progressed to their natural conclusion. Humans were a lot weaker than Fae with regards to the mating pull. The Fae could put up their shields to hold it off for longer, but humans had no such defences and were just too open not be affected so strongly.
“That was one hell of a kiss. I’m guessing you’ve had a lot of practice.”It was out of her mouth before she’d filtered it, and when she tipped her head back and looked up into his eyes they were smiling down at her.
“That’s the mating pull between us. The bond. The desire…”
“Will it always feel like that?”She rushed in again and he grinned harder at her. Those sexy dark eyes telling her all she needed to know and he saw her face flush a darker red than what their kiss had placed on her cheeks.
“Always.”He promised her anyway.
“Ok.”She tried to take a step back from him, but couldn’t. Not only were her knees still kind of nonexistent, but his arms were still holding her in place. Their bodies were not quite touching, but close enough that she could feel the warmth of him. “You can let go now.”
“Are you certain of that?”There was humour in his words and his eyes, and she felt the need to roll hers, but didn’t. She guessed he felt her lack of stability and she forced her knees to hold up her weight as she dropped her hands from his chest. Not that she didn’t instantly miss the feel of him against her fingertips and her palms, she did.
God, no. “Yes.” She assured him and he released her and took a tentative step backwards. See, the human can stand on her own two feet. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.” She made a conscious effort to walk around him, giving him a slightly wider birth that she might have done anyone else. But then he wasn’t anyone else, he was the man who’d nearly brought her to her knees.
“I suppose it’s too early to ask if I can join you?” Callum teased and then regretted it when she tripped over her own feet. He reached out and set her straight, releasing her as soon as she was able to get her bearings for fear that if he held onto her too long then he wouldn’t be able to let her go this time.
“Yes, and thanks for the trip.”She muttered between clenched teeth. Humiliation was overriding her body’s need for his touch and she almost raced from the room for the security of her bedroom, but remembered what the vampire had told her about the claws and the fangs and the wolf hunting her down.
When she got to the sanctuary of her room she closed the door and put her back to it. Her knees were still pretty damn weak and her heart was pounding inside her chest. She wiped her clammy hands down her sweat bottoms and rolled her eyes to the cracks in the ceiling. It was the strangest sensation, she felt alone, not just physically, but emotionally as if someone had cut a tie that had been binding her to him, and yet it still tugged on her.
Callum pulled open the back door and wasted little time in stripping off his clothes. He didn’t even bother to fold them, letting them drop to the floor where they may. He needed to shift. His body was hungry with a fever for his mate and he needed to run damn rings around this little cottage until he could think straight again. It’s going to be a long night…
Cyrus had heard everything, even the heavy breathing of their kiss. He was glad for his friend, having found his mate, and yet there was the little matter of their bet. He could do the decent thing he supposed, and call it off. Let the mates mate unhindered, and yet, he’d had to wait months to have his mate snuggled beside him in bed. Would an extra day really hurt Callum any? He pondered the thought.
If he was going to act then he needed to do it quickly. Kiera was human. She wouldn’t last long playing the mating game with a Lycan. The damn wolfmen were like chocolate to females. Mate or not. Not that he was complaining. It wasn’t as if vampires could be turned down when they wanted a little female companionship, they oozed sex appeal just as much as any Lycan did. But those damn wolves must have more going for them when it came to mates, after all, it had taken Teri long enough to notice he was alive, so to speak, and then he had to spell it out for her.
I should be good… but where’s the fun in that?
Cyrus slipped out from beneath the covers and yanked on his clothes. He was sure that Kiera wouldn’t scream, and if she was about too then he would surely stop her, but she was more than likely to scream if he turned up in her room naked. And if things went wrong, how the hell was he going to explain to his mate what he was doing in her friend’s room with no clothes on? No, clothes were good for what he had in mind.
He slipped out into the hallway and along to Kiera’s room. He could hear her tossing and turning beneath the covers and couldn’t help but grin. Her wolf was getting under her skin so badly that the poor little thing couldn’t even sleep. He had a cure for that…
Cyrus gave a little tap on the door and didn’t wait for the welcome mat to be laid out in front of him. He pushed the door open and saw her turn towards him in the bed. Her eyes went wide with fear and she went to open her mouth to protest but he shushed her…
“I’m not here for blood or anything else that you can imagine in that overtaxed brain of yours. I’m here to warn you…”He moved slowly towards the bed so as not to frighten her. But she pulled herself up to her elbow and yanked the covers up around her neck anyway. “Where’s the trust?”He teased and saw her lips quiver. “Ok, so no trust, but you should be aware of a few things…”In a heartbeat he was leaning over her. His eyes locked with hers and he pushed his will out towards hers.
“Don’t scream. In fact, don’t speak…”He offered. Now that he had her under his gaze he lowered his backside to the bed beside her and set about his task. “You will remember that there are Lycans and vampires, and you won’t be afraid of me anymore, because I’m not going to hurt you. But you’re not going to remember that Callum is a Lycan, just that he kissed you and you liked it…” Cyrus took a moment to consider where he should go from there and then with a devilish grin he continued…
“Good morning.” Kiera was in fine fettle this morning. She’d had a fantastic night’s sleep and she was ready for the day ahead when she walked into the kitchen and found everyone there. Plates piled high with food ran the length of the table and everyone was tucking in, until she made an appearance.
Callum jumped to his feet and pulled her chair out for her with a smile and she was more than impressed with his manners. “Good morning, Kiera.” His breath touched her ear as she started to sit and he leaned down over her. “Let me get you a plate.”He offered and she gave Teri a wide eyed grin of amusement.
“Thank you, Callum.”He seemed like a nice guy, and he made her feel all tingly inside and out, but she wasn’t into holiday romances, not that this was a holiday, and not that she had any real interest in romance… But she’d shared a kiss with him last night, and it was a good kiss, from what she could remember, but still…
“You’re welcome, my love.”He slipped back onto the seat next to hers with all the grace of his beast, but when he turned to look at her, she was slightly frowning and he wasn’t sure why. “Is something wrong?” Now she just looked confused…
“No. Just hungry.”She lied and he caught it. My love? A little strong for a kiss? I’ll have to set him straight on that later, but not in front of everyone else.
“Perhaps when you’ve eaten you’d like to take a walk?”Callum asked and she nodded. Perfect, she could make sure he didn’t have any lingering thoughts that last night was anything more than a little fun…
“That sounds nice.”She smiled politely, not wanting to encourage him into thinking anything more about it. Changing the subject might be a start. “So, who would win a fight between a vampire and a Lycan?” Now she had her new found knowledge she wanted to know more. Sitting at a kitchen table with a vampire should have seemed scary to her, but for some reason she just didn’t
feel that way. Cyrus seemed perfectly nice and he was Teri’s boyfriend.
“A vampire of course.”Cyrus gave her a teasing grin. The low rumble rolled towards her and she frowned, turning towards Callum she eyed him.
“Did you just growl?”
“That was probably his stomach.”Cyrus shot back, hoping someone would change the subject quickly to avoid his mischief being discovered so soon.
“The Fae could wipe the floor with both of them.” Caren assured her and Cyrus could have hugged the witch for her timing.
“Quite probably.”He agreed and watched as Kiera went back to eating her breakfast. How was he to get through the next thirty two hours keeping the mates apart? He could see how her body already leaned slightly towards Callum as she sat there, unaware of who or what he was, the mating pull was already hard at work to get them together, but he needed to be stealthier than that.
“Does it hurt when you’re sucking the blood out of someone?”Kiera turned her attention back to Cyrus and saw a small smile of amusement on his lips.
“Geez, Kiera, we’re having breakfast here.”Teri felt the flame in her cheeks like someone had turned the blow torch on her.
“Would you prefer I wait until lunch to ask?”Kiera shot back and saw Teri’s eyes narrow as she flustered.
“I’d prefer you mind your own business…”Teri mumbled between thin lips.
“I can make it as pleasurable or as painful as I wish.”Cyrus informed her and her eyes dismissed her friend and came back to the vampire, eager for more.
“So how much blood do you need to…?”
“Really?”Teri challenged her and she shrugged innocently.
“Look, yesterday vampires were just in novels and movies. But here he is, a dead guy, sitting right there, why wouldn’t I ask him stuff?”Kiera couldn’t see the harm in it. It’s not like Cyrus was going to go crazy and attack everyone at the table because she mentioned blood, was it?
“Perhaps you should be curious about your own…”Teri stopped when Cyrus went into a coughing fit right next to her. He hadn’t known what else to do. He noted that the alpha was eyeing him as he reached for the water and swallowed it down.
“That went down the wrong way…”He lied and then turned his attention back towards his mate. “Are you opening the shop today? I thought I might go with you.” And smoothly into another change of subject, he could have patted himself on the back but he didn’t want to make it that obvious.
“I thought I was going with you?”Kiera was more than eager to see exactly what they sold, now that she knew they really were witches.
“I thought you’d have better things to do with your…”
“Oh, look at the time, love. We can’t keep all those people waiting for their love potions, now can we?”Cyrus was already behind Teri’s chair practically ripping it back from the table. “Eye of newt, and all that.”He teased down at her as he practically yanked her from her seat and put her on her feet. Teri turned to question him with her eyes, but she couldn’t help looking at him as if he had two heads.
“What has got into you?”Teri demanded and Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. His eyes widened for a moment in innocence as he tried to come up with a rational answer.
“Fae blood.”He informed her with an emphatic nod of his head. “Perhaps I took too much…”His eyes sparkled at the memory and he saw hers do the same. “Guess it makes me a little hyper at times. Shall we go?”He demanded quickly and she was back to questioning him with her eyes again.
“In my housecoat?”Teri cocked her head to one side and regarded him with suspicion. He was acting shifty, even for him.
“Perhaps I should help you to change…”There was the old Cyrus that she knew. The teasing look of the pleasures he could offer her were in his eyes and that gleaming, toothy grin swept across his face.
“Then I’ll never get to work.”Teri shot back. Nudging him in the shoulder until he was back in front of his chair where she pushed him down into his seat. “You stay right there, I won’t be a minute.” Teri informed him.
“Is that a female minute? Because I could take a nap…”
The sound of Callum’s deep chuckle seemed to fill the air around Kiera and she couldn’t help but turn towards him. She found his dark eyes on her. Her cheeks coloured a little as her eyes dropped to his lips and a wicked sensation shot through her with images of last night.
“Can I do anything for you?”Callum leaned slightly towards her and she felt the heat sweep through her body. She couldn’t help but lick her lips.
“Do you?”Her brain wasn’t even involved in that question she realised as he grinned at her and she revisited what she’d said.
“I think I do, what do you think?”His voice became deeper, more seductive. His eyes darkened slightly and when he reached out his hand towards her she almost vaulted out of the chair.
“I have to get ready too.”Kiera felt something akin to a pulling on her mind and body for her to sit her backside right back down beside him, but she shook it off. Staring for the kitchen door she didn’t give the man a backwards glance for fear she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from leaving. What is it about him that makes me want to just purr? It felt as if she should know the answer to that question, sadly she didn’t.
“Well with all of your handy little helpers today, I guess I can’t take the day off.”Caren announced with glee before popping the last of her breakfast into her mouth and chewing happily and Teri snorted.
“Great, gives you time to do some housework.”Teri announced before turning on her heels and walking away before Caren had the chance to swallow the food in her mouth and reply to that.
The snow had deepened overnight. It wasn’t just footprints that they left behind now, but deep holes gouged within the fresh virgin snow. Kiera walked with a happy step. There was something so childish and yet so enjoyable about being the first to leave footprints on the pristine white veil over the land that just made her feel alive. This wouldn’t be the case in the city. By now the snow would have been pounded under a million feet and be a thick ice sheet, or the cars would have churned it into a brownish mash in the roads. There was certainly something to be said for the country life.
Callum’s head snapped to the left and she followed his eyes into the vast expanse of white, dotted with barren trees and a few sprigs of hardy grass tuffs that poked up here and there, but she couldn’t see what had gained his attention so rapidly. Teri snorted a small chuckle and brought Kiera’s attention back to her. “Lunch?” Teri teased, causing Kiera to turn back to what Callum had seen and squint against the too bright snow.
“Hard to resist…”Cyrus chuckled, but then he remembered that Kiera was oblivious to Callum’s species, or that she was his mate for that matter. “Rabbit stew, nothing better on a harsh winter’s day.” He added and was rewarded by the way that Kiera turned up her nose at the prospect.
“Poor little rabbit. Don’t be so mean.”Kiera’s eyes noted the way Callum turned to look at her, a slight twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes as he tipped his head to one side and regarded her with a curious look.
“You should get used to the idea of hunting, it’s all part of the life…”Cyrus took a step forward to intervene.
“Out here in the countryside, rules are different.”Cyrus cut Callum off. The longer he could keep a wedge between the mates the better. “If rabbits don’t want to be hunted perhaps they should move to the city.”He added flippantly and Teri shot him a look of disbelief.
“So how much Fae blood is too much?”She snorted, thinking that he was behaving strangely, even for him. Perhaps it was her blood, or perhaps the mating had made him go slightly cuckoo, whatever it was, hopefully he’d get over it quickly.
“Perhaps he hit his head on the bedpost once too often.”Callum offered, thinking Cyrus seemed to be acting strangely around Kiera.
“At least I’ve bedded my mate…”Cyrus rushed to glee before he’d even thought about it. His eyes quickly flash
ed to Kiera and then back again to the alpha, and he could see the flash of annoyance in the alpha’s eyes.
“Not something that will be repeated with that damn attitude.”Teri snorted. Turning on her heels, she dropped her chin downwards and started off across the snow. Testosterone was a wonderful thing in the bedroom, but not outside of it. Bragging rights and men, it was a slippery slope if she didn’t curb it now.
Cyrus was by her side in an instant. “Now, Love…”He offered and she grunted at him. “I was just…”
“Being a douche. I know, I heard, no recaps necessary.”Teri grumbled, trying her damndest to ignore his presence, but finding no ally within her own mind or body to do that. A moment later he’d swept her into his arms, pulled her body up against his and was kissing her with so much passion that she could have just lay back in the snow and beckoned him on. When he finally released her, she wasn’t exactly sure what she’d been mad at him for…
Kiera was amused by the vampire’s ability to turn her friend into a kitty cat that purred with just a kiss, but from the looks of it, what a kiss it had been. It was much like the kiss from last night that she had experienced from Callum, and she wondered briefly, but only briefly, if he was a vampire too. But she was sure someone would have mentioned that somewhere along the way, although he did seem a little, strange.
“Perhaps we should leave the shop closed today…”Teri offered and from the look in her eyes, Cyrus knew just what his mate was offering him. The desire for her was already instilled within his veins and he wanted her that very minute. But there was Kiera to consider, could he leave her with Callum and not have to worry about their mating? Is the damn bet that important to turn down ones mate? The little devil on his shoulder demanded.