"It's okay, baby, just breath." He could feel her discomfort through their newly developing emotional link. She was concerned, but not frightened. He wasn't even really sure how long the lock would last, having been told it varied from person to person.
Dipping his head, he kissed the tops of her breasts and then slowly worked his way up her neck to her mouth, sending reassuring calming thoughts to her. It worked. She'd relaxed in his arms and returned the languid kisses, smiling against his mouth.
A few moments later the lock loosened. He slid from her body, rolled to her side, and sighed. "Goddess, you were amazing."
Her body shivered next to him and a small chuckle rolled from her chest. "I was, wasn't I. But, it was like I could feel your release alongside mine."
He rolled to his side and caught her gaze in the moonlight. Her blue eyes twinkled with amusement. Heat from their union still radiated from both their bodies, warming the air around them. He sighed, tracing a finger along the curve of her heaving chest. Her breathing was heavy and labored, like she'd just run a marathon.
"You did." He leaned and kissed her lips, running his tongue along the seam of hers. "And I felt yours."
"What happened with the...?"
He knew what she was referring to without asking. "It was a mate lock. The first time a bonded pair find release together they are locked together with magick while the bond seals in place."
"That sounded rehearsed," she answered, a giggle shaking her chest. "I would've loved to be a fly on the wall when someone made you memorize that line."
He chuckled, feeling her amusement. It'd been the most uncomfortable ten minutes with both of his parents he could remember in his entire life. "Yeah, it wasn't one of my favorite parent-son moments."
He stared at her, and waited. She had something she wanted to tell him.
"So, I am on birth control, just in case you were wondering." She rolled to her side and met his gaze.
Shit! He hadn't even thought to ask. "I ... I didn't. Kara, I should've asked. I'm sorry. But, the bond wouldn't have worked with a condom."
"Yeah," she paused, cocking her head to the side like a confused puppy dog. "I can feel your regret ... Can I just say, this is really strange."
He sighed. At least she wasn't pissed. "At least now we won't be quivering masses of upended hormones bent on stripping each other naked at every turn."
A smile curved her lips, and a second later he could feel her arousal and her excitement.
"Such a needy girl, you are." He grinned down at her.
Embarrassment bloomed in her mind and he shook his head. "Don't be embarrassed. I want more of you too."
"I'm not sure I'm going to handle this emotional sharing very well. It's a lot."
Her worry crept into his heart and he nodded. "My parents said they can teach us to control it. That we can learn to turn it off and on."
Relief flooded through her system and he relaxed, too. She was right. The emotional toil of this connection would wreak havoc on any sane person. He caught one of her hands and held it up into a beam of moonlight.
"What do you think of your new tats?"
***
She twisted her wrist and studied the second line of tattoos. They were nearly identical to the first bracelet, but now there were several places where they intertwined. It mirrored the way her heart was starting to feel, connected to Luke's. A warm wave of affection poured over her, and she looked up at Luke, meeting his gaze. His blue eyes shone like gemstones in the moonlight. She could feel everything. His concern, his possessiveness, his absolute adoration and... love.
He loved her. The words had not been spoken, but his feelings wrapped around her like a soft blanket. Tears pooled in her eyes, and she buried her face in his chest. It was so much. She didn't really know how she felt about him yet. She was attracted to him. He felt right. Safe.
A week ago she'd thought she was in love with Vincent, but the more she analyzed that relationship the more she knew she'd been fooling herself a long time. Still, where did that leave her with Luke? He'd opened her eyes to a whole new world beyond what she'd ever known existed. He'd saved her life, but in so doing had changed it completely without her permission. It was scary to think about all the things out in the world that might really exist. If werewolves did, who knew what else was out there?
"Kara?"
"I'm fine," she murmured against his skin.
"You forget the bond goes both ways and I just got body slammed by a tsunami of mixed emotions." He caressed her hair and stretched out on the bed, pulling her into the crook of his arm.
She sighed and snuggled as close to his warm body as she could. "Sorry. There's a lot on my mind."
"I'm here if you want to talk about it."
"Not right now." His spicy scent filled her lungs and she tried to ignore the arousal sparking inside her again. Sleep was what she needed, not another romp in the sheets. No matter how utterly fantastic that romp might be. Her body needed at least a short break.
He gave her a squeeze and stole a quick kiss.
She smiled. This was exactly where she needed to be for right now. Of that she was certain.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Where do you want these boxes?" Noah hefted a large cardboard box from the back of his pickup. His face barely showed over the top.
"With the rest is fine. I'll sort through them later. Thanks." She pointed to the stack in the corner.
Luke came out of the house into the garage. Noah waved to his brother and walked to the back of Luke's blue pickup to grab another box. His black truck was parked a few yards away and had already been unloaded.
She'd been shocked how quickly they'd had all her things packed and cleared out of her room at the KAS house. Everything had been carefully stacked and secured into the back of their pickup trucks, and now it was almost all unloaded into the garage and house. Luke had made sure all her boxes of clothes and shoes were put in her bedroom so she wouldn't have to drag them in from the garage.
They'd packed everything without her, so Luke knew what was in all the boxes. After what happened with Samantha and Vincent, she just couldn't go back to the sorority, not even to pack, with her parent's house --her house-- sitting empty in town. Moving back home just seemed like the right thing to do.
She stood in the opening of the garage, watching the two guys go back and forth. She'd tried to help a couple of times, but neither one of them would hear of it and made her stand uselessly to the side and watch. It was sweet, but strange. She was an only child and used to doing everything herself.
Now she had Luke, his brother, their parents, and their aunts and uncles all checking in on her and asking if she needed something.
The first week of school had flown by. Classes were getting easier. She still cried anytime something reminded her of her parents, but it wasn't as overwhelming as it had been seven days ago.
It also helped to have Luke nearby. Their bond had been a source of strength for her. The empathic part had been difficult at first, but his mom and dad had shown them a few tricks to keep it from being overwhelming. Each day got more manageable, and now they were able to control when their emotions were shared.
She straightened and walked forward from the garage. Tonya and Aaron VonBrandt pulled up next to their son's truck. They were driving a white Avalanche. Kara laughed. This family was a fan of oversized vehicles. She glanced over at her small black Camry in the driveway. It looked so tiny compared to the VonBrandt's entourage.
Luke and Noah hurried over to their parents and grabbed the large takeout sacks from them. Tonya waved and smiled as they walked up the sidewalk toward her.
Luke made it to her first and leaned in to give her a kiss on the lips. "They brought lunch." He smelled as delicious as the food they'd brought from The Boiler Room in town square. She couldn't wait until they were alone again so she could taste him from head to foot.
His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face as she pushed her arousal through their
bond. She giggled when his surged back to meet hers and made her tingle all over. Being able to turn each other on with merely a thought was definitely a perk of the empathic bond.
"Y'all quit making googoo eyes at each other and let's eat," Noah said, a chuckle shaking his chest. He passed them with two more bags from the restaurant.
"How many people do your parents plan to feed?" She glanced at Luke.
"Uncle Jason and Aunt Alyssa are coming over, too, with Logan and Evan."
"So your family just kinda shows up wherever? Without an invitation?"
He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Welcome to the pack. You're more than welcome to pop in to their houses unannounced as well. Just bring food. It's kinda the custom. We always bring food everywhere we go."
She smiled inwardly and turned to follow him through the garage and into the house. They did seem to bring food. And a lot of it. The BBQ Noah brought over last weekend before the funeral could've fed her for the entire week. But since Luke had practically spent every waking hour with her since Monday night, it'd only lasted two days. He ate more food at one meal than she ate in an entire day.
Tonya and Aaron filed in right behind them. "Did the boys get all your things safely back to the house?" His mother asked as they entered the kitchen.
"Yes." She nodded and started to get a stack of plates from the cabinet. "Thank you for bringing food, but you really don't have to."
Luke shook his head and frowned.
"But it does smell good," she added.
Tonya gave her a quick hug. "I'm glad. I'll set it out on the table and then the guys can dig in. I swear I can already hear my husband's stomach rumbling."
Kara pulled out a handful of silverware and set it on the counter. The doorbell chimed and she moved to go answer it, but Noah waved her off and disappeared around the corner.
Luke came up behind her and nuzzled her neck, and his breath ruffled through her hair.
She smiled and leaned back against his broad chest. "What are you doing? Your parents are right there," she whispered, smiling when his mom looked her way.
"I'm not doing anything bad," he growled, nipping at her ear.
That tiny touch sent a shiver down her spine. Food was the last thing on her mind. She was thinking about his hands running up and down her skin. How good it felt last time he'd tasted every inch ... wait!
"Stop," she squeaked, slithering from his grasp and pushing away the emotions he was shoving her direction. "You sneaky little..." Kara grabbed a plate from the counter and shoved it at his chest.
A wolfish grin split his face from ear to ear, and he gingerly accepted the plate, ducking away from her hand as she tried to come back and hit his arm. "Just having a little fun while you were relaxed. It's good to see you smile and laugh."
Their conversation was interrupted by laughter in the living room and what sounded like an invasion. Poking her head around the corner she waved at the new arrivals.
She recognized Jason VonBrandt, Luke's uncle. He'd helped get all her parents’ paperwork in order, set her up on how to take care of the property she owned, and promised to help her out with any other financial advising. The small woman next to him must be his wife, Alyssa. He'd mentioned her and his two sons, but she'd not met them yet. The two teenage boys fist bumping Noah at the door looked just like Jason and she assumed they must be his boys.
It was nice to have the house full of people. Laughter and smiles were what should fill a house, not silence and sorrow. Her parents would be happy she'd found such good people to take care of her, even if they were a little supernatural. Not all of them were, though. Both of the women were human like her, bound to a VonBrandt through the magick.
Alyssa wore a half-dozen metal bangles on both wrists, but Kara could still see bits and pieces of her tattoo bracelets. She'd already seen Tonya's. Each woman's was a little different, but all held a Celtic quality to them - beautiful, intricate, and knotted together.
She wondered exactly how she was starting to feel about her developing relationship with Luke. With each passing day she felt more and more connected to him. Knotted together, just like the tattoos on both their wrists.
She leaned against the wall of the living room and watched his family laugh and pass around the plates of food. Luke looked up from across the room and smiled at her before turning back to his cousin.
A moment later he appeared by her side. She hadn't even seen him move.
"Hungry? I made you a plate." Luke held out the plate and nodded toward it.
She accepted the offering of sliced prime rib, diced rosemary potatoes, and grilled asparagus. It smelled heavenly. She'd only eaten at The Boiler Room a few times, usually for her mom's birthday when Dad wanted to splurge. Her mom had been a great cook, and they rarely went out to eat.
"Thanks."
He winked and leaned against the wall next to her while she took a quick bite off one of the asparagus stalks. "Couldn't leave you over here alone without food. I know my family can be loud and overwhelming. They practically take over wherever they are."
She chuckled. "No kidding. They’re stubborn too. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the word "no" does not exist in their vocabulary."
Laughter rolled up from his chest. He leaned over and kissed her temple. "You have only seen the tip of the iceberg."
She grinned up at him, losing herself in his bright blue eyes. He was so handsome, sweet ... passionate. Warmth crept up into her cheeks and his eyes twinkled in response.
Kara slipped her hand into her front jean pocket, snagging the spare house key she'd tucked there earlier. "I have something for you." She pulled it out and held it up. "I'd like you to have this."
"A key to the house?" he asked, his voice low and filled with surprise. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, setting her plate on the end table next to her leg. "I know it's really fast. If you don't want it I-"
He snatched the key from her hand, cupped her face in his hands, and captured her mouth with his. The kiss was filled with hunger, but she could feel his love and adoration of her cascading in waves from their bond.
He kissed along her jaw and nibbled on her earlobe before whispering. "I love you, Kara. I've always loved you."
"I love you, too, Luke. More and more each day." She drank in his scent and wrapped her hands around his strong arms.
He kissed her again and then pulled back to meet her gaze. "Mine forever."
Her vision was blurry, but she could see the love in his gaze —feel it pouring out of him. "Forever."
I hope you enjoyed TO SAVE A MATE!
TO LOVE A MATE, the next book in Somewhere, TX will be released in June 2015.
Thank you for spending time with me in my world. I hope you will continue to visit. If you would take the time to leave a review for my book, I would be very grateful.
XOXO
Krystal Shannan
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Be sure to pick up TEXAS SUNRISE, the first box set for Somewhere, TX —for more great books set in Somewhere, TX from the other Chick Tales authors! All our novels in the series have character crossovers. Get to know the town and the people that live there! We know you will love them.
Find us @ www.chicktalesink.com
www.krystalshannan.com
Other Books by Krystal Shannan
Sanctuary, Texas Series, in order…
My Viking Vampire
My Dragon Masters
My Eternal Soldier (June 2015)
Somewhere, TX Series, in order…
To Save A Mate
To Love A Mate (June 2015)
Vegas Mates Series, in order…
Chasing Sam
Saving Margaret
Waking Sarah
Taking Nicole
Unwrapping Tess
MacLaughlin Family Series, in order…
Trevor
Caiden
Harvey
&n
bsp; Lizzy
Stand Alone Titles
A Very Russian Christmas
Just Right
Morgan’s Match
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
You Can Find Out More @ www.krystalshannan.com
Krystal Shannan goes to sleep every night dreaming of mythical realms with werewolves, vampires, fae, and dragons. Occasional a fabulous, completely human story slips into the mix, but powers and abilities usually crop up without fail, twisting reality into whatever her mind can conceive.
As a child, her parents encouraged her interests in Ancient Greek and Roman mythology and all things historical and magickal. As an adult, the interests only grew. She is a child of Neverland and refuses to ever stop believing in fairies. She is guilty of indulging in and being a Buffy the Vampire Slayer groupie as well as an Angel fan. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Joss Whedon, you are missing out!
She also makes sure to watch as many action and adventure movies as possible. The more exciting the better. Yippee-Ki-Yay..... If you don't know the end of that phrase, then you probably don't like the same movies.
She enjoys reading romance in all genres, but especially paranormal. Her favorite book is ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon. But really, if it has a 'Happily Ever After', she's on board!
Krystal writes stories full of action, snark, magick, and heart-felt emotion. If you are looking for leisurely-paced sweet romance, her books are probably not for you. However, for those looking for a magickal ride, filled with adventure, passion, and just a hint of humor. Welcome home.
To Save A Mate (A Western Shapeshifter Werewolf Romance): Somewhere, TX (VonBrandt Family Book 1) Page 10