by Quinn Loftis
“I’ll admit,” she said wryly, “I want what Elle and Sorin have. I want what Sally and Costin have. I want to be looked at that way. I want to be loved with the condition that it’s until death rips us apart. Unconditional love sounds good, but to me, it’s the conditions set out before two people are joined that make it beautiful. In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. Those are conditions for the love a man and a woman promise each other in my world. For once I would like to see those conditions prevail and two people to actually back up the words they spoke at the altar.” She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “That was probably a lot more than you wanted to know about me. But there it is. I don’t trust easily, Nick. No one has ever given me a reason to trust until I met Peri and her group of crazy supernaturals. I never believed there were men out there like Costin and Lucian. Men who would die for the woman they love, but even more impressive, will live sacrificially for her. Dying is easy. Giving up your own wants and needs for another, that’s the hard stuff. Can you give me that?”
Ciro laid in his wolf form in front of the bedroom door of the three gypsy healers. Stella claimed she was taking a nap, though she was actually hiding from him. Each day she’d find some reason to slip away. She had to wash her hair, she had a headache, and, his personal favorite, she’d taken up meditation in her search for the meaning of life. It didn’t bother him. He simply followed and stayed as close to her as he could.
The Great Luna had made it very clear that Stella would need a patient mate, a mate with self-control and confidence. The confidence was necessary because she was going to, no doubt, shoot him down a hundred times. Some men, even a true mate, might get a bruised ego over it. Ciro had been living a very long time. He knew what it meant to find his true mate, how precious it was. He also knew that she needed him as much as he needed her. His ego did not play into the matter in any way. They were soul mates and incomplete without one another.
He heard her moving on the other side of the door and then heard her sigh.
“You’re still out there, aren’t you?” she asked, even though he couldn’t answer. She was able to feel how close he was through the bond.
He closed his eyes and let her voice soothe his hungry wolf. He was hungry for her attention, affection, anything. But his wolf was a patient hunter, and listening to her voice would suffice until she was ready to give him more.
“I know you’re not stupid,” she said. “I’ve been avoiding you, or at least attempting to. Your tenacity is impressive.”
Ciro smiled to himself, and he imagined it looked creepy on a wolf’s face.
“I’ve got a lot of baggage, Ciro. It’s heavy and suffocating, and no one should have to take it on just because they have a supernatural bond. And if my baggage wasn’t enough, I’ve got serious hang-ups about men. Doesn’t matter if they become a wolf or not. When it comes to the opposite sex, all I have are negative memories. That probably isn’t what you want to hear, but you need to know.”
Ciro listened as she told him that she didn’t want to or couldn’t be with him because of her past. His heart ached for her. He didn’t have to know the details to understand what she was saying. She’d had very, very few positive encounters with men. Quite possibly the only positive experiences she’d had were after meeting the wolves and fae.
But it pained him she wouldn’t let him help her bear her burdens. That’s what mates did. They took care of each other. She’d more than likely never seen a healthy relationship between a male and a female. She wouldn’t understand the dynamics between two flawed people who chose to love each other despite their flaws. It was something he would have to show her.
As they sat in companionable silence, Ciro considered the things he would need to do in order to claim his mate. He would need to show her through his actions he was not like the men she’d known over the course of her short life. He must teach her a different way to have a relationship than what she’d seen. He would have to move at her pace and pay close attention to her reactions. Ciro could feel Stella’s anxiety, her need to run because she was afraid. Ciro knew he wouldn’t get a second chance with her. He had to get it right the first time.
Elle frowned at the Alpha as she sat across from him in the living room of Peri’s home. It was late, or early, however you wanted to look at it. Sorin sat next to her, his hand rubbing up and down her back in a soothing gesture.
“Don’t you think you should have some sort of plan in place for when the spell dissipates?” she asked him.
Lucian shrugged. “You’re acting like this is something new, Elle. Our species has been claiming true mates for centuries. It’s in our blood. They’ve all survived it, and those three women up there”—he pointed toward the stairs—“will survive it as well.”
“But…” Elle began, but he cut her off.
“They won’t hurt their mates. You know this. Will they be a little overwhelming? Probably. But the Great Luna doesn’t make mistakes, and she put each of them with the male that was perfect for them. I think they can handle themselves without my interference.”
Elle understood what he was saying, but she still didn’t like it. She stood and headed for the stairs. “Give me a minute,” she told Sorin through their bond.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he said, pushing the feelings of adoration he had for into her mind.
She should trust the mate bond to protect the girls, but she’d grown to care for them, and she hated that they were just being tossed into something so intense.
When she made it to the hall, she rolled her eyes. Three huge wolves were laying side by side, heads on their paws, staring up at the closed door where their mates slept.
“You do realize that this is bordering on pathetic, right?” she asked them.
They huffed at her but paid her no more mind than that.
Elle grabbed the doorknob of the room and nearly laughed as their three heads came up as if they were attached to the same puppet strings. She shook her head at them and then entered the room, closing the door behind her. She didn’t lock it. There would be no point. A little lock would not keep the big, bad wolves out if they wanted in.
She wasn’t surprised to find the three gypsy healers huddled in a circle on the floor furthest from the door. Stella had a pillow in her lap and was chewing on the inside of her lip. Heather was running her fingers across a book, and, Elle realized when she got closer, that it was written in braille. Kara was laying on her back with her feet pointing toward the door. She had earbuds in place and was bobbing her head up and down to a wild beat.
Elle walked over and sat on the nearest bed. When Kara opened her eyes, she removed her earbuds and sat up. “Hey, Elle.”
“Hey ladies,” Elle said, sounding more tired than she wanted to.
Heather’s head popped up. “You don’t sound like you’re here to give us a pep talk.”
Elle laughed quietly. “No pep talk. But I did want to see how you all were holding up.”
Stella shrugged. “It’s not like they’re going to club us over the head and drag us by our hair to their den, right?”
“No, I don’t believe they will do that. I do, however, want you all to be prepared for the intensity that is a Canis lupus male. They don’t really know how to do things slowly. I’m not saying they’re going to push you into anything you don’t want, by any means. I am saying that if you need space, you can’t hint at it and expect them to catch on.”
“So you’re saying we need to go billboard on their arses?” Heather asked.
“Billboard?” Elle asked.
“Arses?” Kara added.
Heather shrugged. “What can I say? Hearing him say it is rubbing off on me. And yes, billboard, meaning if we need some space we need to smack that up on a billboard with flashing lights.”
“Ahh,” Elle said with understanding. “Yes, you are going to have to be extremely intentional or else they won’t get it.”
“What was it like when you found out Sorin
was your mate?” Kara asked.
Elle felt her cheeks heat as she remembered how she’d reacted. “Um, well. I didn’t really handle it very well.”
“Just go ahead and admit you ran like a scared rabbit,” Sorin said through their bond.
“Nobody asked you for your input, mate,” she retorted, though she knew he could feel her amusement.
“I sort of, um, ran.”
“What?” Stella laughed.
“Shut up,” Kara added.
Elle shook her head. “Nope, it’s true. I freaked out. My kind, we don’t necessarily mate for life. And aside from Adam, our males aren’t as possessive and protective as the males of the Canis lupus race. I’ve been around them for a very long time, and frankly, it scared the fairy dust out of me.”
Heather snorted. “Fairy dust, nice. Wait, you don’t really have fairy dust, do you?”
“No, Heather. There is no fairy dust.”
Heather gave a thumbs-up. “Just like to be clear on the supernatural facts.”
“But you guys worked things out,” Stella said, making it a statement and not a question.
“We did. Sorin was very patient with me and still is. He’s very protective, and, yes, possessive.”
“Okay, what does that mean?” Kara asked.
Elle sighed. “Honestly, I think it’s better if they explained it. Communication is huge in any relationship, but with these males, it’s imperative. Don’t let them dictate everything for you, but know if they try, it’s not because they don’t respect you. It’s because their first reaction in any situation is to keep you safe.”
The sun was beginning to rise, and the group grew quiet. After several minutes, Heather finally spoke.
“Does anyone else feel we should have some build-up music playing? Something that says, ‘Things are about to get real up in here.’”
Stella smacked herself on the forehead. “We have got to work on your ghetto, Helen. It’s just embarrassing.”
“You do realize that will only make me want to do it more, right?” Heather said with a grin.
Elle stood as she laughed. “I’m going to head out. If you three need anything, you let me know.” They nodded, and Elle moved to the door.
She turned the knob and pulled it open to find three, very large, very intense males staring at her. Gone were the wolves. and in their place were three men ready to claim their females.
Elle breathed out. “Oh dear.”
Chapter 15
“How can you want to throw yourself in someone’s arms but also turn tail and run? How can you want to tell them never to leave you but also feel terrified of a future you never imagined in your wildest dream?” ~Stella
Heather stood slowly as the breath was sucked from her lungs. She felt as though a veil had been lifted from her mind, and suddenly there he was.
“Kale?” she said as she turned toward the spot where she could feel his presence. She knew instinctively where he was standing. When she heard footsteps, she knew it was him walking closer to her. And when his large hand cupped her face, she felt as if she’d known his touch all of her life.
“What’s happening?” she asked quietly.
“It’s the true mate bond, lass. The spell was keeping our bond from fully connecting. It has lifted.”
“So can you hear me?” she asked in her mind.
“Aye. I can hear you.”
His voice felt like a caress, and she found herself leaning into his hand that was still touching her face.
“You’re lovely,” he said in the deep rumble she’d come to love.
Heather cleared her throat. “If you’re anywhere near as hot as your accent, then I’m sure you’re quite lovely as well.”
He chuckled and then spoke through their bond. “Can we go somewhere alone?”
“You’ll have to lead the way,” Heather said, making it clear that her blindness wasn’t going to be the elephant in the room.
“We have much to discuss,” Kale said as he took her hand.
“Understatement, Iceberg.”
He laughed out loud, and the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach did an Irish jig. It was a very nice laugh.
Heather started to follow him but pulled on his hand to stop. She turned toward her friends. “You two okay?”
“We’re good,” Stella said.
“If at any point you’re not good, I’ve got my phone. Call me.” It wasn’t a request. She wanted them to know that just because they had mates, it didn’t mean that they didn’t still have each other’s backs.
“We will,” Kara said. “We’ll see you in a little while, yeah?”
“Definitely,” Heather said and then turned back to Kale. “Lead on, mate.”
Kale didn’t have to be told twice. He held her hand firmly in his and led her from the room. When they reached the stairs, he reached for her other hand and placed it on the rail. “Stairs,” he said gently.
“Thanks.” She smiled as she followed him.
Kale considered taking her to the back porch but decided that area wasn’t private enough. He guided her out the front door and into the yard. “Do you mind walking for a bit?” he asked.
“Not at all. Just don’t let me run into a tree. It’s painful and embarrassing.”
Kale smiled. “Bumped into a few trees, have ya?”
She laughed. “More than I’d like to admit.”
They walked in silence, and Kale forced his wolf to behave. He wanted to rub all over her and cover her in their scent. And he wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh and mark her as theirs. But Kale knew they needed to take things slowly. Heather hadn’t been raised with any knowledge of the supernatural. He didn’t want to terrify her.
“I’m not fragile, you know,” she said after a few minutes.
“You picked up on my thoughts?” he asked.
“Some of them. You are afraid of scaring me. I don’t scare that easy.”
He let out a huff of laughter. “No, I suspect you do nah, lass.”
“Forgive my ignorance, but are you Irish, Scottish, some other kind of –ish?”
Kale couldn’t help the huge grin on his face. “Some other kind of –ish?”
“Just don’t want to assume.”
“Ahh, fair enough. I’m Irish.”
“Red hair? And no, I don’t really understand what ‘red’ is. But I do understand that the Irish people boast a lot of redheads, apparently.”
That made him laugh again. He had a feeling she would be the cause of much laughter in his future, and he liked it, a lot. “Actually, I have dark hair, but I grow a red beard.”
“Two-toned.” She grinned. “So, our children could be a toss-up?”
Kale’s heart stuttered in his chest, and his breath caught.
“What? What’s wrong?” Heather asked, obviously picking up on the strong emotions running through him.
“Nothing is wrong. It’s just the thought of you carrying my pups brings me to my knees.” He pulled her closer to him and put her hand in the crook of his arm as they continued walking. He liked the feel of her body against his.
“You want children then?” she asked.
“Aye.” He wanted kids very much, but Kale decided there was no need to tell her how many he wanted. He’d kept that thought to himself for now.
When they reached the small river that ended in a lagoon with a waterfall, Kale nearly groaned. He’d thought coming there would be good, not only because it was private, but because it was beautiful. He felt like an arse. She wouldn’t know that it was beautiful.
“Hey,” she said as she squeezed his arm. “Close your eyes.”
He did without question.
“I feel the wind as it gently caresses my skin, like millions of fingertips dancing across my face and arms. I hear birds as they announce their presence. I hear the grass blowing and the leaves in the trees rustling. I hear the water as is splashes, and it makes me think of summers I spent in the pond swimming. I smell
fresh air, lilacs, and freesia. I smell the earth, the soil that nourishes the plants. And I smell you.”
Kale was breathless as he turned toward her and stepped even closer. “And what do I smell like, lass?”
“Like the air just before a thunderstorm,” she said with a smile. “I may not be able to see beauty they way you do, Kale, but I still understand it.”
He was speechless. In less than a half hour, his mate had rendered him speechless. He stared down at her and fought the urge to press his lips to hers. He longed for the day when he would have the right to kiss her whenever he pleased. But today was not that day.
“Shall we sit?” He pulled her over to a spot beneath a large tree, helped her sit down next to him, and leaned back against the huge trunk.
“I imagine this is just as nerve wracking for you as it is for me,” Heather began. “You weren’t expecting to have to explain to your soul mate exactly who and what she was. That’s got to be a shocker.”
“But in no way a disappointment,” he said fiercely. He wanted her to understand that it didn’t bother him the reality of his true mate was different from his expectations, or that she was human, which was not something he’d ever previously considered. All that mattered was that he’d found her.
“Tell me about yer self,” he said gently as he brushed her hair back so he could see her face. His fingers dusted her skin, and she shivered. He loved that she reacted to his touch.
“Well, you know from my grand one-sided conversations over the last two weeks that before I found out I was some cool, supernatural-bad-ass gyspy lady, I was a Seeing Eye dog trainer. Peri seemed to think it hilarious that my fate had led me to a werewolf for a mate, and I already trained dogs for a living.”
Kale’s shoulders shook a bit as he held in the laughter.
“Go on,” she huffed throwing her hands in the air. “Laugh it up, Garden Mix.”