“Why not? Seems like your coven wants you to.”
“I don’t think I can follow in my mother’s footsteps. She was a great woman.”
“So are you.”
“You’re just saying that because I let you come inside me.”
He laughed, then she laughed, both their bodies shaking with mirth.
“I’m afraid that’s the only reason,” he said.
“I knew it.”
“Geneva, you have no idea how brilliant you are. Just standing next to you, I can barely see from all the light that shines around you.”
“Rowan,” she said, extending the syllables. “You’re too sweet.”
“It’s always going to be this way, baby doll. We’re mated. You’re the one.”
He hugged her tight. She felt so good in his arms.
“My father disappeared when I was twelve and never came back. It isn’t unheard of for a magic user to time slip, jump through a portal, or be transported to some other magical world. But I still grew up without a father. Maybe I’m a little jaded because he never came back for me.”
“I just want to be here for you now.”
“You have no idea how much strength you give me, Rowan. Just knowing we are together makes me look at the world in a whole different way.”
“It does for me too, babe,” he said into her neck. He needed to get her home and safe. This was a borrowed gazebo and they’d taken a borrowed boat.
“It’s probably time to go.”
“Yeah. It probably is time to go.”
On the way back in the boat, Rowan watched Geneva’s black hair flutter around her shoulders in the moonlight. His heart almost burst open with pride. His lion roared. He needed her more than anything else. He’d do anything for her, lay down his life, and give his last breath to be what she needed.
They made it to the opposite shore, and he helped her out. They tied up the boat and walked all the way back to the parking lot at the front of the lodge.
“I’m over there,” she said, pointing to her car. “Do you want to follow me home?”
“Of course I do,” he said.
He followed her to her car and waited for her to get inside before he went to his motorcycle and turned it on. He followed her all the way up a dirt road and pulled up in front of a Victorian style farm house.
He met her near her car, taking her hand to walk with her up the front path. She unlocked the door and brought him into her house. They were together now; he could feel it.
“Now I’m going to have to figure out what to do to be useful around here,” he said.
He looked around and saw cracks in the plaster, flooring that could use refinishing, plenty of chores for a man like him. He smiled, knowing he could help her already.
“There’s plenty to do around here,” she said. “But I’ve got a more important job for you.”
She stepped into his arms and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.
“What’s that, baby doll?” he whispered.
“I want you to take me upstairs to the bath.”
He picked her up off her feet, drawing out a surprised scream. She giggled and threw her arms around his shoulders, kissing him. He carried her up the stairs, and she directed him to the bathroom.
There was a big claw foot tub on a tiled floor. This room looked like it was pretty nice. Definitely a good place for him to give his woman a bath. He turned on the water and they waited for it to fill, kissing the whole time. He helped her out of her clothes and she helped him out of his.
They climbed into the water and held each other in the warmth, Geneva leaning against Rowan’s chest. Rowan picked up a sponge and squirted body wash onto it. He ran it over her breasts and down between her legs as she leaned against his chest. She wiggled under him, her curves stirring his desire anew.
He nuzzled her neck, growing hard against her round ass. She moved over him, stroking him with her body. He grasped her chin and tilted her lips toward his, kissing her softly on the lips. She moved back over him, his cock slipping along her slick pussy.
He slid inside her, and she came down on him with a groan. He wrapped his arms around her, grasping her breast with one hand and her sex with the other. Rubbing her clit, he moved his hips back and forth to slid in and out of her. Geneva groaned and cupped his chin, resting her own against his shoulder.
They kissed deeply and he tweaked her nipple, making her entire body quiver. He reached for the other breast while moving his thumb in a tight circle against her clit. She gasped, her pussy throbbing on his cock. He grasped both her breasts and squeezed, thrusting into her clenching pussy. She felt so good around him. The pulsing of her body around his shaft drove him to his own climax.
He growled into her neck, remembering the taste of her blood when he’d claimed her. The bite had already healed, but he bit the spot again with his flat teeth, coming deep inside her for the second time tonight.
“Baby, you blow my mind away,” he said into her neck.
She slid away from him and turned over, looking him in the eyes. Her knees rested around his lap, squeezing them both together under the water. She kissed him with a smile and then pulled herself out of the bath. Water dripped down her gorgeous body as she stepped on the bath mat and grabbed a bathrobe. Turning, she handed Rowan a towel.
He took it and followed her into the bedroom, patting himself off. She pulled down the quilt on her bed, dropped her bathrobe on the ground, and climbed inside. He got in behind her and turned off the bedside lamp. They snuggled together in the darkness, her warm cheek resting against his chest.
Rowan had never felt so full and so complete in all his life. After the horror of war and his long journey on the road, he’d come to a place he never could have imagined before. It was a million times better and brighter than anything he could have dreamed. His love for her pulsed through his heart and radiated toward her, mixing with her own adoration of him.
His little witch was a magic user, and the bond between fated mates was like magic too. Mates felt each other deep in their souls. It was perfect unity at the most basic place inside them. No matter what happened, from here on out, they had each other’s back. That’s what it meant to be mates.
But his connection to his mate was even more magical than that. He felt her love radiating all around him, coming from her heart. He kissed her head, the bond he felt for her, giving him a new reason to live.
Chapter 9
Geneva woke to the smell of frying bacon and coffee wafting up from downstairs. She yawned and opened her eyes, remembering that her life had changed last night. Rowan had come into it.
She climbed out of bed, still naked, his seed still inside her. She walked to the closet and put on some clothes. A pair of jeans, a sweater, and soft clogs. She walked downstairs and found Rowan in her kitchen, wearing a pink polka dot apron and nothing else.
He slid a pancake onto a plate next to bacon and a bunch of chopped mango. Geneva sat at the breakfast table under the window while Rowan carried everything over. She couldn’t help admiring the long muscles of his body as he walked by. He looked adorable in her apron.
She giggled when he sat down across from her. She bit her lip when he winked back. The plate of food, coffee, and orange juice was waiting for her. She took a sip of juice and then a bite of pancake. He’d put whipped cream on it and it tasted perfect with the blueberry syrup.
“You’re a good cook. I can’t believe you put this all together from what I had in the fridge.”
“I had to dig,” he teased.
She didn’t do as much grocery shopping now that her mom was gone, but she was used to keeping a full kitchen for her coven. She liked having a man around who could cook like this. Definitely an asset.
Rowan’s wild hair waved around his face, and his eyes gleamed in the morning light. Geneva reached across the table and grasped his hand.
“Thank you, Rowan, for coming into my life.”
“Babe, I should thank y
ou. Now I’ve got it all. We trusted each other and now look where we are.”
She leaned over the table and kissed him, the taste of bacon on his lips. Sitting back, she started to think about what she had to do next with her coven. She knew she didn’t want to change, but now she felt more confident to take on the position she was given.
“I’m expected to take leadership of my coven,” she said. “Everyone expects it.”
“What makes you so reluctant to do it?” he asked, his expression turning serious.
“I didn’t go to the mage academies. I stayed home and taught myself and learned from my mother and the other midwife in the coven. Traditionally, it is the most educated, most powerful witch who takes the position.”
“Education and power aren’t the same thing,” he said thoughtfully. “And it’s not like you didn’t have an education. You just said you learned a lot.”
“That’s true. I did.”
“So, what’s so wrong with the way you learned what you know?”
“Nothing really.”
“And wasn’t your mom your teacher? She was supposed to be some great mage.”
“That’s true, she was. And I was her student. And something else I want to tell you.”
“What is it, babe?”
“My mother told me to sign up for Mate.com in the ritual last night. So I did. Then I met you and we made love. Right at the end, I saw a light come down into my womb. I know it was her. I think I’m pregnant with the spirit of my mother.”
“Wah. That’s wild babe. I think it’s beautiful. We’re going to have a baby girl? For real?”
“I think so.”
He stood and knelt beside her, his apron slipping dangerously down his thigh. He put his hand on her belly and looked up at her. She put her arm around his broad shoulder and they gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I just became the happiest man alive.”
She kissed his forehead and he leaned his head against her heart. Their love radiated between them and expanded until she felt so much joy she could barely contain it.
“There is so much I want to share with you Rowan, now that we’re together. The sky is the limit. The world is ours.”
“All I want is to see happiness in the eyes of my mate and our child. It’s all for you.”
They finished breakfast, telling each other their stories. Geneva finally started to understand how her father’s disappearance had shaped her life. In a lot of ways, she’d given in to the pain. More than that, she’d started to second guess her own decisions.
Rowan had opened her eyes to her insecurity. He was the first man to love her as fiercely as her father had. It reminded her who she really was before her fears set in.
After breakfast, Rowan cleaned up and went to get his things from the hotel. He also promised to get groceries. While he was gone, Geneva called the coven together for a meeting. She intended to finally tell them she would take the position as matriarch.
When Rowan got back, they prepared food for the meeting and set everything up before her people arrived. Every one sat around the dining room table over squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
When everyone had a plate and a glass of red wine, Geneva took in all of their faces, gathering her strength. Rowan grasped her knee under the table.
“I called you all here to introduce you to my mate, Rowan Tark, he’s a lion shifter.”
“You’ve mated with a shifter?” Trixie asked, her white hair shimmering around her face.
“Is that a problem?” Geneva asked.
“Does he know what you are?” Dominique asked, lifting and eyebrow.
“Yes. Of course. He could smell it.”
“He smelled … what you are?” Marcos asked.
“I could tell she wasn’t human,” Rowan corrected.
“The shifters don’t know about us,” Shayla demanded.
“I’m her mate,” Rowan said. “The connection is strong.”
“That must be it,” Trixie said. Dominique nodded at her.
“So now we have a shifter among us,” Marcos mused.
“I have another announcement. I have decided to take on the position of matriarch,” Geneva intoned.
“Good, because it’s your job,” Trixie said smartly.
Geneva resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was the leader now. She had to be a grown up. But she had one more thing to tell them.
“There’s something else,” Geneva said to the group. “Last night, I conceived a child who is the spirit of my mother, Tisha Zales.”
Everyone burst into happiness and laughter. Clapping and cheering for the couple and their new family. They were also clapping and cheering for Tisha, her mother. She was coming back to them, to be reborn as a child of the future.
Geneva rubbed her belly, feeling warm and alive with her beloved child growing inside her. Rowan grasped her hand and brought it up to his lips.
“I knew you could do it, babe,” he said into her ear.
Cowboy Bear’s Christmas Surprise
Bonus Book Two
His mate has collided with his life -- but her past is a blank and her future is in danger. Can he save her?
Connor Milton has given up looking for his mate after years of searching. But when a woman crashes her car into a tree on his ranch not long before Christmas, he’s certain he’s finally found her. There’s one big problem--she doesn’t know who she is.
Mia Royce can’t remember anything about her past or where she was going the night before. Connor seems like the perfect man, but how can she move forward with her life when she doesn’t know where she came from?
When Mia finally accepts Connor as her mate, she remembers everything. But it’s too late--the bad men she was running away from that night have found her. Can her mate defend her, or is her past too dangerous to overcome?
Chapter 1
Mia Royce threw her suitcase into the trunk of her car and hurried around to the driver’s seat. The late fall air was cold and numbed her fingers as she clutched the door handle and pulled it open. She slid inside and shoved her key into the ignition, then caught the look in her eyes in the rearview mirror.
She could see the abject terror radiating from her own gaze. She’d never been so afraid in her life. Getting involved with those people had been a mistake.
She started the car and pulled out of the parking lot of her apartment building. She had to leave. She had to go somewhere that no one knew her, and hide. Maybe eventually they would forget about her and leave her alone. She needed an entirely new identity or they would track her down. There was no way she could give them what they wanted. What else could she do?
Mia drove through the fading twilight and pulled onto the freeway headed north. She wasn't sure where she would end up, maybe a small town where the men after her would never think of looking.
In the silence of her car, without even music playing, she could hear her heart pounding. The sound of blood buzzing in her ears was deafening. After everything she'd lost, they wanted to take all that was left from her too.
She may not have had anything to lose, but she would be damned if she was going to let those men hurt her anymore. As Mia kept driving, the hours passed but her anxiety did not. Once she crossed the border from California into Oregon, she continued north.
She needed to start a whole new life, deep undercover, where no one knew her, and no one would think anything of her. After long hours of driving, Mia was starting to feel fatigued. When she made it to Portland she decided to go east rather than continuing north into Washington. The morning light was beginning to peek over the eastern horizon as she drove east up the mountain.
This place was called Fate Mountain. Maybe it would be a good place for Mia to start over. She didn't know anything about Fate Mountain except what the road signs told her. Apparently, there was skiing and other outdoor activities available in the area. But it was late fall and the snow was already falling and collecting in drifts on the ground.
The gray sky hung low above and even as the sunlight peeked over the mountains, the world was dim.
She passed through a small town called Fate Mountain Village, wondering if she should finally stop, but decided to keep going. Maybe there would be somewhere even more rural to hide. She could never let those men find her. The things that they had planned for her were things she would never allow. She had only wanted to help. That was the only reason she had gone to them in the first place. But now she couldn't pay them back, and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
As Mia continued up the mountain, the snow began to fall in heavy clumps. She turned on her windshield wipers, trying to push away the falling snow. Visibility was not very good even as the yellow rays of sunlight brightened the world.
She could feel the road was icy after a long night of snow and freezing temperatures. Maybe she shouldn't have decided to go over a rural mountain pass after an entire night without sleep. She briefly considered going back to Fate Mountain Village but decided against it.
As her car started to bog down on the incline, Mia pressed her foot into the gas, encouraging her little old Honda to work harder. She moved farther and farther up the mountain and came to a plateau where she could see a steep drop-off on one side. It fell away to nothingness. On the other side was a mixture of forest and pastureland. She could see the black dots that were cows grazing in the snow. She glanced out her side window at the pickup truck with a cowboy standing on the back, throwing clumps of hay for the cattle.
She was distracted for just a split second, but a split second was all it took. When she looked back at the road, a deer jumped into the highway in front of her. She slammed on the brakes, her anxiety, fatigue, and terror all mingling into one. As her car began to spin, Mia desperately tried to regain control. If she ran off the cliff she would fall to her death. She panicked and swerved toward the pasture. In the brief second it took for her to spin off the highway and toward the safety of the pasture, she barely had time to react.
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