by Reina Torres
Locke wanted to say he understood, but he didn’t really. He hadn’t really understood much of what Xavier had gone through after meeting True. What he did know was that he’d been jealous and unwilling to tell his friend those very thoughts.
It had been different when Aaron brought Celeste to Mystic. They’d known for years that Aaron had found his mate.
Both of them had pestered him over the years. Tell her she’s the one. Bring her home.
Aaron had suffered their jokes and jibes with seemingly endless patience. That was until Xavier had told him to man up and do what he’d wanted to all of those years when he’d stood by her, watching but not stepping in the way they’d both known that he’d wanted to.
That’s when Aaron had shed his normal calm and roared them into silence.
“She’s the one,” he’d explained even though they’d both been too hard-headed to really understand, “and what I want doesn’t even come close to what matters. What she wants matters. What she needs matters. And what she needs is my help. My friendship. And that’s what she’s going to get until she needs more.”
And he’d waited.
Only to find out that he could have had more. More time with her. More of a connection.
But Aaron had always been more circumspect than either Xavier or Locke had ever been.
Seeing what Xavier himself had gone through with True had been eye opening as well.
Locke felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Xavier’s concern written across his features. “Are you still worried about what happened to True?”
“Always.”
The answer was given before Locke could think better of it. He didn’t want to worry his friend. Especially not when Xavier had his own worries to deal with.
“This time last year,” Xavier laughed, “we had no idea.”
Locke felt an unfamiliar feeling coil in his middle. “Would you go back?”
“Back?” His friend looked at him with an odd mix of curiosity and distaste in his expression. “Not a chance.”
“I didn’t think so.” Locke looked out at the forest surrounding them and shook his head. “What the hell are we doing, sitting out here when-”
Xavier was already on his feet. “We’re out here because you needed to get your shit together and run off some of your energy.”
Locke pushed off of the ground and glared at his friend. “You make me sound like some kind of dog.”
Xavier’s eyes darkened with his panther. “Then don’t act like one. If she’s really your mate, you know better. Do better.”
Xavier shifted in a moment.
From human to cat with such grace that it made him question whether or not he saw it happen.
The dark swish of a night-dark tail was all that he could see as Xavier headed back toward the house.
His lion snarled at him, demanding to take control.
Locke held him off for a moment, looking down at his hands he knew that Xavier was right. He’d behaved badly.
He would do better, much better, because Katherine deserved that and more. She was his mate.
His life.
And every moment of his future.
Locke felt his lion lean into their link as if his massive shoulder pushed against him physically.
The message was clear.
His lion was done waiting. Done thinking.
He wanted to act.
To run.
Run to her.
Where he belonged.
He let go of his human form and found himself running through the trees toward home.
Four
During dinner, it was impossible to miss the way that True and Xavier just fit. The way he looked at True as if he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. Then, when his hand dropped down from the tabletop, Katherine could tell he was holding True’s hand in his.
The two of them were all about each other.
That didn’t mean they ignored everyone else. Instead, it seemed that the way they felt about each other made it that much easier to fold the others into their happiness.
And maybe it was their happiness that reminded Katherine how much she wanted the same thing.
Being sensitive to magic, but not a witch herself meant that she touched the edge of the magic in her hometown.
True had been a member in her own right from the start because of her place in the family.
But as good as True had treated her, Katherine had only been tolerated by the Sinclairs.
Only instead of the ‘red-headed step-child,’ Katherine had been a honey-blonde with a penchant for sweets and creamy drinks.
It didn’t help that True’s family had scoffed at the legend of Katherine’s family. It only seemed to solidify the feeling that Katherine was beneath her friend in society as well as size.
During dinner, Katherine had been able to fill True in on the aftermath of her family’s treachery.
It didn’t seem to really matter to her. True had finally learned the secrets of how she’d become a part of the Sinclair family in the first place and it had lightened the weight on True’s shoulders.
It was good to see.
Even better to feel.
Joy rolled off of her friend in waves.
Just like heat and arousal had rolled off of Locke and washed over her like a dangerous undertow, hidden from sight, but no less real. Katherine was sure that her cheeks had been flushed with pink the entire meal.
It felt like she was standing in a hot house, with heat surrounding her, moving over her.
A soft laugh fell from her lips.
What an apt description. The images of exotic blooms, their petals coaxed open in the humid heat.
And that heat had stayed with her after everyone had left.
It was probably why she was wandering around the shop just shy of midnight trying to understand exactly what was happening to her, beyond the obvious ache that hadn’t left her since the moment she saw Locke walking naked out of the pond.
Over the years, she’d had a bunch of wild dreams, but her reality had been even better.
Her soft sigh seemed to echo off of the walls. There was no need to crawl back in bed. Doing that would only remind her why she wasn’t fast asleep in the first place. She wanted Locke.
She wanted him like she’d never wanted anyone in her life.
And she was fairly sure that he felt the same way.
A soft knock at the door turned her head.
She sensed no danger from anyone. At least nothing overtly malicious.
The room was dark enough that she was sure she could duck back into her private rooms at the back of the shop and pretend she didn’t hear it in the first place.
Then again, the town of Mystic was nearly seventy percent shapeshifter.
Whoever was on the other side of her door could probably see her even in the dark.
It didn’t leave her many options.
The knock sounded again. “Katherine? It’s Locke. Are you awake?”
Smiling, she crossed the room and took the latch off the door before she undid the lock.
She was surprised that her hand wasn’t shaking when she pulled the door open. “Hi.”
His answering smile was just a lazy curl at one corner of his mouth. “I had a feeling you were awake.”
Maybe it was the soft purr of his voice or the way he leaned closer that made her breathless, she didn’t really know. All that mattered was that he was there.
“You just wanted to see if you were right?”
He leaned in so close that she couldn’t see a thing, but she could smell the woodsy scent of his skin. Locke let out a little exhale and his breath fanned across her cheek. “I wanted to see you.”
Oh god. She wanted to see him too.
“Are you going to let me in?”
It didn’t matter that the question came out like the old spider and the fly fable, only she knew that he had fangs and she just might let him use them.
But first, she ha
d to gather her thoughts together. He was still so close that she could feel the heat of his body warming her skin without touching.
“Katherine?”
Oh god, the way he said her name.
For as long as she could remember, she hated when people called her by her proper name. It sounded too staid and bland. Not Locke.
The way he said her name sounded like he tasted it, rolled it across his tongue, and liked the taste of it.
“Are you planning to let me in?”
She stepped back and he stepped forward, the two moved together until Locke was far enough into the room to close the door. He locked it with a heavy click of the lock.
“So, I guess you’re planning to stay?” Her cheeks warmed even more and wondered if it had sounded as cheeky to him as she’d felt saying it. “I mean-”
“I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” He looked down into her eyes and she felt as if she was the only other person in the world. “I just wanted to see if you needed some company.”
“Company?”
Before her mind could wrap around the idea, Locke lifted his hand and she saw a thermos held gently with his fingers.
“I brought you some spiced cider.” He continued on quickly. “Not the moonshine version. This should help you relax enough to sleep.”
With an awkward wave toward the back rooms, she gave him a smile. “Do you need anything from the kitchen?”
“I can find a few cups, Kitten. Come on.” He held out his hand and she took it securely in hers. “Let’s find you a place to sit.”
Before he met Katherine, Locke hadn’t given a thought to a woman’s comfort. He wasn’t an ass by any means, but he’d never gone out of his way to care for someone else that way.
Sitting her down in the same chair she’d used for dinner, he took a moment to look at her before turning to the stove.
He knew he wasn’t in any danger of making a mistake and burning down her house, but he still managed to focus on the task at hand.
His lion growled at him from the darkness. He’d made his opinion known hours ago. He’d wanted to stay and take Katherine to bed.
Locke hadn’t given in and he wasn’t planning to. Knowing that ahead of time, his lion wanted to sulk instead of arguing with Locke. They were both stubborn to a fault at times, but normally they agreed.
“I’m glad you came back.”
He turned and leaned his hip against the counter. “You are?” His smile broadened. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
“You seemed pretty sure that I wasn’t asleep yet.”
He hoped her expression was a playful one, but he couldn’t really tell.
“How did you know?”
For a moment he hesitated.
Talking to women wasn’t exactly his forte either, but he was looking forward to talking if it was with Katherine.
He held his hand over the surface of the cider and felt the heat rise against his palm. It was ready to drink.
He poured the spiced cider into a mug, and answered her the only way he could, with the truth. “I felt it.” He set the pot down and put his palm over his heart. “I felt it here and took a chance.”
Locke picked up the cup and carried it over to the table, setting it in Katherine’s hands.
When he did look up into her eyes, he was surprised at not only her reaction, but his own.
She kept her gaze on his as she took her first sip. As she drew in a long, full breath, she closed her eyes and smiled. “So good.”
His reaction to the soft sound of her voice was as physical as it was emotional. The warm hum of her voice sent shivers through his body, but he felt pride as well.
Comfort. Maybe there was even a bit of joy in her voice as well.
Before he could reign in the thought, his hands reached out and lifted her from the chair. Turning about, he sat down and settled her on his lap.
When she leaned back a little to look into his eyes, he saw her smiling down at him.
“I hope you didn’t hurt yourself.”
He narrowed his eyes and scoffed at the idea. “I have no problems picking you up. You never know,” he dropped his chin a little bit and made sure she was looking at him as he continued, “maybe I’ll just carry you around all the time.”
“Are you worried that I’ll run away? Or maybe you think I’ll get lost in Mystic and disappear into the woods?”
She took another sip and he waited for her to lower her mug. He felt like he needed the time to process her words.
“You could run away,” the words grated against throat, “but I’d go with you to make sure you’re safe.”
He saw a slight shift in her expression, and he knew that he’d shocked her.
“If you got lost in the woods,” he tamped down on the sudden rise of panic that whipped through him, “I’d find you. I’d find you and bring you home.”
She shook her head and he saw the silvery glint of tears gathering on her eyelashes. “I don’t know what to say,” she paused, and her eyes searched his for a long moment before she spoke again, “or what to think. Everything you’re saying sounds perfect. It sounds like a fantasy. I just don’t know what to think.”
He lifted a hand and smoothed some of her curls back from her face so that he could see more of her beautiful face. “Then don’t worry about it for now. There aren’t any decisions to be made. No rush to do anything more than relax and remember that you’re here.
“You’re home in Mystic. You are home,” he turned his hand gently and brushed the pad of his thumb against her cheek, “with me.”
She watched him quietly, her eyes fixed on his face, but softening as she gazed at him. “I thought you said no decisions.”
He smiled and his shoulder shook a little at the comment she’d made. Locke swept his thumb over her temple and felt her lean into his touch.
“You don’t need to make any, kitten. I’m just telling you what I feel. You’re home to me.”
He watched as she took another sip and this time, he saw her lips touch the edge of the cup. Just that simple touch had him aching for her.
Needing her.
“I know what I feel, Katherine. I know who you are to me. After seeing Aaron and Xavier find their mates, I would be an idiot to ignore the way I feel about you.”
“So, you’re saying you’re smarter than they were.”
She leaned against his chest and he felt the soft tremors of laughter that rolled through her body.
“No,” he leaned closer and kissed her cheek where his thumb had been moments before, “not that. I think I’m just luckier. I have their examples to follow.”
Locke felt her move closer to him, or at least she let him have more of her weight. The rounded curves of her body were going to drive him to distraction.
“Lucky that you have to come over and help me settle down so I can sleep?”
“Lucky to spend time with you.”
She shook her head and chuckled. “It’s like I’m in a whole new world here in Mystic.”
He set his hands on her hips and let his eyes roam over her face, taking in every beautiful inch. “I have a whole new world right here.”
Locke loved the way her color shifted with his words. Leaning closer, he brought his face within a few inches of her neck and pulled in a breath. His lion snarled and dug into their link. Patience was not his virtue.
Katherine smelled like sunshine.
She smelled like home.
Locke felt her shift and heard the soft clatter of the cup as she set it down.
He felt her hands on his head. Her fingers sliding through his hair. When she drew him closer and laid his head on her shoulder he went willingly.
Even with his cheek against her shoulder and his mouth tantalizingly close to her neck, his lion wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more.
“It’s like I can’t help myself,” she spoke to him with a soft, gentle tone. “I wanted to touch you.”
He felt her fingers slip through h
is hair again and when they met at the back of his neck, he felt her lean her cheek on the top of his head. “I’m not going to stop you.”
If she wanted to touch him, he was going to allow it… happily.
His lion, the beast that he was, rolled over on his back and bared his belly. He wanted a good scratch too.
Locke pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. He didn’t want to share Katherine. He wanted to be alone with her.
His lion cast him a hard look that spoke volumes.
Her hands traveled the same path again, but this time, her fingertips slipped past the neck of his Henley and lightly grazed his back.
Locke’s fingers dug into her hips, just enough to ease some of the tension in his shoulders and also enough to make his cock just a little harder against her bottom.
“Are you ticklish?” Her question came with a good measure of humor, but her voice was roughened with arousal. He could hear that easily.
“I don’t think so.” He turned his head slightly and drifted his lips across a bit of her collarbone.
Katherine’s indrawn breath made his cock twitch.
“But I’ll let you try, and we’ll find out.”
Yes, he hadn’t gone to her home to start something like this, but he wasn’t going to fight it if she wanted to touch him. He’d never stop her from finding her pleasure. Of course, he reasoned as her fingers scratched lightly at the nape of his neck, he’d be happy to help. He just needed to make sure she understood what it would mean to let him inside.
“Let you inside?”
Locke froze, his heart pounding against his chest.
Katherine shifted higher on his lap and wiggled a little. Whether it was to seat herself better or drive him insane, he didn’t know. Still, he liked feeling her delicious curves pressed tighter against him.
It was torture but deliciously so.
“You didn’t say that out loud?” He heard the soft giggle in her voice. “Oops.”
As much as he hated to do it, he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “What’s ‘oops’ got to do with this?”