“You knowingly put my mate at risk so she could prove herself to you?” Camden growled.
“Not to me,” he disagreed. “But to the rest of the shifter world. The prophecy being what it was, I had no doubt you’d be successful.”
“Not if I hadn’t opened myself up to what I was feeling for him,” I said, pointing out the flaw in his logic.
“There was no risk of that happening,” he replied. “Not after you accepted his mating mark.”
“You still haven’t explained why you needed my son’s mate to make such a demonstration.” Carrick’s tone was as hard as the look he sent his way.
“It was the only way I could ask her to join us on the council.”
I had to have heard him wrong. Maybe I was still suffering from the recoil and it messed up my ears. “A witch on the shifter’s council? How is this even possible?”
“Damien was persuasive in his argument for the benefits of having you join the council,” the wolf shifter explained. “Cementing the union of the witch and shifter communities in a manner by which nobody can mistake its permanency.”
Damien? “I thought he was just the council’s enforcer?”
“Damien isn’t just anything,” he corrected. “He chooses to act as our enforcer when he could easily take my place as the leader of the council, as humbling as it is to admit.”
“I don’t understand,” I murmured.
“The council is lucky to have him in the enforcer role, but it’s his choice to serve the shifter community in this way. We don’t have the same control over him as we do the other shifters who work for us.”
“Why did Damien concern himself with getting Selene on the council with us?” Carrick asked.
“His great-uncle was the dragon shifter fated to mate a witch—the original couple in the prophecy Selene and Camden were destined to fulfill.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Camden grumbled.
“His family knew details about the prophecy that weren’t known by anyone else, specifics he only shared with me recently. It was enough to convince me this was a necessary step to take if I wanted shifters to flourish in the future as much as we have in the past.”
I didn’t appreciate his vagueness. “If there is more to the prophecy, then we deserve to know the details.”
“Damn straight we do,” Camden agreed.
“Selene and Camden already fulfilled part of the prophecy by accepting each other fully as demonstrated by how Selene was willing to sacrifice her life for her mate. But it was bigger than the two of you, or your families. The prophecy also stated it would be the shifters who needed to make the next move to fully unite our worlds, or else we’d never have a real alliance and this would all be for naught. If I didn’t find a way to accomplish this, then I ran the risk of failing all the shifters I’m tasked with protecting. I couldn’t think of any better way of doing so than creating a spot on the council for a witch and asking Selene to fill it.”
“It’s kind of brilliant in its simplicity.” Carrick was the first of us to speak after several minutes of utter silence while we all struggled to accept what we’d been told. “There would have been discord amongst some shifters at the news of Camden and Selene’s mating. They would have been vocal about their concerns and might have pushed for the council to nullify the mating. With Selene on the council, in a position of power alongside me and the rest of the council members, you’ve made the strongest statement possible about the support she has. It should be enough to dispel quite a bit of the dissension.”
“It will only work if you accept my offer,” the council leader added, looking at me. “You haven’t given me an answer yet.”
I looked at Camden, searching his face for a sign of what decision he wanted me to make. I found nothing other than love and acceptance shining in his eyes. He’d support me regardless of my answer. The certainty of his love gave me the courage to give my reply. “Yes, I’d be proud to be the first witch to serve on the council.”
Things moved quickly after that. We discussed the details for how we’d move forward, and it took almost an hour before everything was settled. The second the door closed behind our guests, Camden turned toward me with a devilish look in his eyes. “I never thought I’d say these words, but I think it’s about time I fucked a council member.”
“Oh, you do, huh?”
“I figure now that you’ve proven you’re the strongest witch in the world and you’ve accepted an unprecedented offer from the council, I’d better demonstrate my power over you.” He swept me off my feet and carried me up to his room—our room now.
Dropping me onto the edge of the bed, he quickly followed me down. Shirts flew to the floor, our pants not far behind. Then, he pushed the cup of my bra down, pinching my nipples and rolling them around until I was writhing beneath him. When he lowered his head and sucked, pulling my nipple firmly into his mouth, I gasped. “Camden.”
My legs opened, allowing him to fall between them. I felt his hardened length pressed against me and moaned. He switched his attention to the other side, sucking even harder, and I squirmed beneath him. When his hands drifted lower, I lifted my hips off the bed so he could pull my panties down and toss them to the floor.
I lay there, completely bared to him, and didn’t feel the least bit vulnerable. I knew I had nothing to fear from Camden.
“I need to taste you,” he growled before pushing my legs further apart.
I stared at him as he was on his knees, his fingertips drifting up my inner thighs until they grasped me firmly, holding me in place. He drew circles on the tender skin at the crease of my leg, a possessive gleam in his eyes as he watched his fingers. He leaned forward and I jerked at the feel of his lips over my slit. When he breathed hot air on my core, I lifted up off the mattress. My moans grew stronger as he tormented me with flicks of his tongue along my pussy lips.
My hips bucked against his hold as I begged. “Please, Camden. I can’t take any teasing right now.”
I fisted my hands in his hair, trying to pull his face closer. He gave me what I wanted, nudging my leg higher and using his hand to spread me open with his fingers. He flicked my clit with his tongue, gently at first, before increasing the pressure until I was writhing in need. His fingers slipped lower and one of them sunk inside me.
“I’m going to make you come before I take you.” He didn’t wait to fulfill his promise, adding another finger and twirling them around. He followed it up with a flick of his tongue to my clit. The combination made my pussy clench against his fingers. My hips surged up and I screamed out his name in climax.
When I stopped shuddering, he stood and shoved his boxers down his legs. His cock sprang free, standing at attention against his abs as he dropped back down onto the bed. He nestled between my open legs, pushing against me as he lowered his head to my ear.
“You’re mine,” he growled as he sank into me in one powerful stroke.
“Just like you’re mine,” I gasped, wrapping one leg around his thigh and pivoting my hips to flip us over. “And I want to ride you.”
I began to move slowly, sliding up and down on his cock. My hands braced against his chest, nails digging into his skin while I stared down at the consort’s mark on his bicep. I kept my eyes locked on his as I rode him, swiveling my hips in search of my pleasure. His hands clutched the sheets and I reveled at the sight of him close to losing control.
“Mine,” he rasped again, surging up and wrapping his arms around my back.
I might have been the one on top, but he was the one in charge now. My tits crushed against his chest as he fucked up into me. His hands tightened on the cheeks of my ass, hard enough that I knew it would leave bruises. When he surged again, his cock hit my G-spot. My pussy quivered as light splintered behind my eyes. Camden didn’t hold anything back. He slammed his cock into my pussy over and over, going deeper with each stroke.
“Now,” he ordered, sending me over the edge just as I felt the heat of his com
e.
I collapsed onto his chest, drained of the small amount of energy I’d felt when I woke up. His arms loosened as he rolled me to the side, but I clenched him tightly, unwilling to let go. “Don’t leave me yet. I want to keep you inside me as long as I can.”
“I’ll stay inside you as long as you’d like,” he promised. “And as often as you want, for the rest of our lives.”
Epilogue
Camden
Today wasn’t a special occasion, unless you counted the news Selene and I were going to share with everyone, but the whole family was together at my dad’s house once more. Annora, Parker, and Kyla were in town again, even though they’d just visited last week, probably because she knew he wasn’t going to let her out of the house once her pregnancy progressed much further. They had to come to us since Finley was already at that stage and Alasdair wouldn’t let her in the car for more than a drive across town. Tahlia was only a couple months along, but I was certain she’d find a way to keep her freedom since she didn’t let Braden boss her around. The pregnancy hadn’t changed that, and she could still kick all of our asses.
It was incredible the difference a few months could make. It wasn’t too long ago that I was standing here at a similar family gathering feeling lonely as I watched my brothers and sister with their mates. Now my loneliness was a thing of the past—and I owed it all to Selene. My gaze drifted her way. She was standing at the front window, talking to my dad. I wasn't surprised to find them together. They’d grown closer since she’d accepted her position on the council. It was more than I’d ever hoped for back when I’d had to browbeat my dad into accepting a witch as my mate. Then again, everything with Selene was better than I’d imagined. As corny as it sounded, having her for my mate completed me.
“He’s never going to have this for himself.” I didn’t even say the words aloud, my lips forming them without a sound escaping. But apparently Selene had figured out how to read lips based on the look she sent my way from across the room. My gorgeous mate never let me get away with anything. She gave my dad a quick hug before turning away. She held my attention, just like she had from the moment we met, as she walked toward me with a determined stride.
As soon as she reached me, Selene looped her arms around my waist and tilted her head back to look up at me. “What happened in the fifteen minutes since we got here to wipe all the joy completely off your face? You’ve been dying to share our happy news with your family since we found out this morning.”
I slid my hand between us so I could cup her belly. “It’s not that. I’m still looking forward to telling everyone about the baby. There’s nothing in this world that could possibly dim my excitement over the family we’re building together.”
“Then what is it? And don’t try to put me off. I know something’s bothering you.” I turned my head to look at where my dad was playing on the floor with my niece. Selene’s gaze followed mine. “I’m pretty sure your dad will be happy about our news too—even if we have a girl who gets magical powers from her mommy instead of a bear from her daddy.”
“Boy, girl. Shifter, witch. It won’t matter as long as our baby’s healthy. Not to me, and not to my dad. But he’ll never have this,” I waved between us. “Even with four children and all the grandchildren my brothers, sister, and I are giving him, it kills me to know he’ll spend the rest of his days feeling like something’s missing because he doesn’t have a mate. I’m going to have to get past it, though. You can’t fight fate when it comes to shifters and their mates.”
“You might not be able to, but maybe I could.” She punctuated her statement with a wink, her eyes twinkling with humor.
“Such a sassy little witch,” I murmured, my mood lightened by her playfulness. “But I thought there’s a limit to a witch’s magic, even one as strong as you.”
“With love, anything is possible. You’ve taught me that, Camden.” Her gaze turned serious as she looked over at my dad. “If such a spell exists, I’ll find it. Your dad deserves the same happiness you’ve given me.”
What’s Next?
Bear Your Fate
McMahon Clan 4
Carrick finally gets his own mate.
Releasing in March 2016.
Other Books By This Author
BLYTHE COLLEGE SERIES
Push the Envelope
Hit the Wall
Summer Nights (novella duo)
Outside the Box
Winter Wedding (novella)
BACHELORETTE PARTY SERIES
Sucked Into Love
CRISIS SERIES
Identity Crisis
BLACK RIVER PACK SERIES
Crying Wolf
Shoot for the Moon
Thrown to the Wolves
McMAHON CLAN SERIES
Bear the Consequences
Bear It All
About The Author
I absolutely adore reading—always have and always will. When I was growing up, my friends used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.
I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author. I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.
When I told my mom that my new year's resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me, "About time!"
Connect with me online!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rochellepaigeauthor
Twitter:
@rochellepaige1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7328358.Rochelle_Paige
Website:
http://www.rochellepaige.com
Bear the Burden: McMahon Clan 3 (Fated Mates Book 6) Page 8