by Dana Archer
“I’m not just your lover. What we shared was more than sex.” He pressed a hand to his chest, right over his heart. “I feel you here.”
He couldn’t explain it any better than that, but the certainty of what he said rang true. She was a part of him.
Anxiety slid into her eyes, leaving them widened. “You can’t be my mate, not for real. I didn’t take a piece of your soul. You didn’t take mine. I would know, Josh. I can see mine. It’s whole, untouched.”
He’d have to believe her since the concept of how shifters could look inside themselves, viewing their soul as some sort of extension of their body, was a foreign concept to him. All he knew was what he’d told her. She was a part of him. He knew it as surely as he knew his name.
He brushed his lips to hers, a barely there touch that left her trembling in his arms. “Who’s to say that what we feel isn’t real, kitten?”
She kissed him, twining their tongues in a slow, sensual dance. Sharp fangs scraped along his flesh. The sting didn’t bother him. It fed his hunger. He deepened the kiss, needing more of her and what they could do to each other. He couldn’t get enough of Mira, didn’t think he’d ever tire of her, or be able to touch another woman. He felt as if he were caught by the tail…if he had one, anyway.
She eased back. “What we feel is real. I won’t deny that, but I don’t understand it.”
“There’s nothing to understand.” He laid a hand over her heart. “The connection that has built from day one will see us through. You need to have a little faith.”
“In who? The goddesses?” She laughed. “Or the Council? Because we all know how well the Council follows rules. They bend and break them as they see fit.”
“Then we should, too.”
“And if we do, I’ll end up killing you! I can’t mate you. If I try, you’ll die. That’s what Kade’s vision meant.”
His muscles tensed. He blew out a rough breath and focused on Mira’s pain, not the agony burning inside him. “That’s not what the vision showed. You’re inserting your fears into it.”
“Kade saw blood dripping from my clawed hands and Jazz crying over your lifeless body. How is that misunderstanding?”
“Why would—”
“Why would I kill you?” She rolled her eyes. “Umm…desperation?”
One word explained it all and didn’t surprise him one little bit.
“And you’re sure you mating me won’t work for us?”
“No…yes.” She groaned. “I can’t take the risk.”
He jumped from the bed and paced to the bathroom and back. “Has Kade had any other visions?”
She sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “No, but—”
“But nothing. You’re reading into it. Kade was the first to admit the scenes were flashes of the future, not a continuous scroll. How do we know how far apart those images are or if they’re even connected?”
“But his vision—”
“Is not complete.” Josh ran a hand through his hair and fought to contain the growl threatening to escape. Mira wore a frightened look on her face. He didn’t want to add to her stress. She needed reassurance, not him blowing up at her over something he knew was eating her up inside. “The vision is a warning. I get that, but I’m not about to base my future off it.”
She stood, her chin raised and stubbornness stamped on her features. “Well, I am. I refuse to take a chance with your life. I love”—she paused to take a deep breath—“I love knowing you’re still breathing. I’d rather you live apart from me than die by my hands.”
He clenched his jaw. He hadn’t missed her hesitation or the way her gaze dropped to his chin when she tacked on her qualifier. She was going to admit to loving him. The realization floored him. He opened his mouth to ask her if she did but snapped his teeth together before making that mistake. If she admitted her love, she’d use it as an excuse to save him from a fate he wasn’t convinced was real.
He walked to the dresser and made a point of checking his messages. Her reflected image in the mirror showed her nibbling on her lower lip while she stared at the floor. He glanced away before she saw him watching her. “Fine. If that’s what you want to believe, I’m not going to fight you.”
She whipped her head to stare at him, the wet ends of her long hair slapping against her chest. Her lips parted ever so slightly, and she inhaled—tasting the truth in his words as shifters often did.
Eyes narrowed, she studied him. She wouldn’t scent a lie because he was telling the truth. He wouldn’t fight anymore. He’d prove her wrong. They were mates. He felt the certainty of it in his gut. Everything else would work out.
Her brows scrunched, and full feline eyes assessed him. “That’s it? You’re just going to let it go.”
“Yep.” He bit his cheek to stop his grin and nodded. “I’m not a foolish man. I know when to pick my battles and when to retreat. I also know a stubborn woman when I see one. Nothing I say will change your mind, so I won’t bother.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “I see.”
He turned his head to hide the amusement on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her twist her fingers together. Good. Let her ponder his words. He wasn’t going to force the truth down her throat. Of course, he wouldn’t let her deny him either.
He picked up his ripped shirt and tossed it into the corner. The jeans were salvageable so he yanked them on, got down on his knees and looked around for his socks, found one. He tossed it aside with his shirt.
“Does Devin still have his clothes here?”
When she didn’t respond, he peered over his shoulder. She stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her chest. The way she gnawed on her bottom lip stirred up a wave of emotions. His first instinct was to go to her and offer her comfort. He forced himself to walk toward the door.
“Well, I’m going to look in those boxes in the living room.”
“Josh?”
He stopped but didn’t face her. If he did, his resolve would crumble. “Yeah?”
“I wish things could be different.”
He snorted and ambled out as if it didn’t kill him to leave her behind. His shoulders brushed the sides of the tight hallway. It was no wonder Devin had slept on the couch when he’d stayed here instead of the spare bedroom next to Mira’s. Easier than walking down this claustrophobic tunnel every night.
He entered the living room, found the boxes Mira’s twin had used for a dresser, and dug out a shirt and socks.
Josh returned to find Mira where he’d left her, tears making her eyes glassy. None dripped, though. She was trying to keep herself together. Trying being the operative word. Her lip trembled. She bit it and swallowed hard.
He fisted his hands. Endgame. Endgame. Endgame. He repeated the words. His resolve stronger, he sat on the end of the bed and ignored Mira’s bare thighs a foot from his face and her rich scent that literally called him closer.
“You’re not going to say anything?”
“Nope. I’m done talking.” He finished tying his boots and glanced at her. She stood, foot tapping, and a scowl on her face.
“Fine, then. If that’s how you feel, then leave. I don’t need or want you here.” She turned her back on him.
In one swift move, he yanked her close. “I said I was done talking, not done with you.”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond. He kissed her roughly. With sweeps of his tongue, he explored her, memorizing every inch of her mouth. She returned his passion, and the roughening of her tongue told him more than the hungry sounds she made. Both sides of her—the feminine and the primal—approved of him. He loved knowing his touch broke her control.
He leaned closer. The move forced her to arch into him, but he didn’t steady her. He couldn’t or he’d shove her back onto the bed and love her again.
A whimper accompanied the slight sway of her body. She grabbed his shoulders, and the bite of her nails in his skin did wonderful things to his libido. So did the press of her breasts
to his chest. He’d neglected them in his desire to get inside her. Next time. Yeah, next time he’d show them the worship they deserved.
She trailed her talon-tipped fingers down his arms. The scrap of the sharp tips sent bolts of electricity down his spine. He held still and let her tease him. She covered his fists and attempted to unclench them. When she couldn’t urge him to uncurl his balled hands, she abandoned them and reached for the button on his jeans. He smiled against her lips, broke the kiss, and stepped back. She stumbled. Her breath came in fast pants, and her gaze drifted to the bulge in his pants.
“Go welcome Micah but don’t get too friendly with him. I’ll have to hurt him if you do.”
“Don’t make idle threats. Micah won’t abide by the ‘no claw or teeth’ rule the other males enforce when you fight them. If you take Micah on, it’ll be to the death.”
Josh pulled her close. Her scent wafted around him, filling him up. Lust rode him hard, but he shook it off and focused on soothing Mira’s fear. He brushed his lips from her temple, down the column of her neck to the bite mark on her shoulder. With his flattened tongue, he licked once.
“Josh,” she moaned.
Yeah, he was right. Making love to Mira meant more than just them coming together for shared pleasure. With his lips touching the old wound he was certain belonged to him now, he murmured, “You’re my woman, Mira. I’ll protect you the same as any shifter male would.”
“I’m not yours.”
Her statement claimed one thing, but her breathless denial lacked conviction. He grinned. “Aren’t you?”
She shook her head, the strands of her hair sticking to his stubble.
Not giving her the chance to deny him a third time, he clamped his mouth over the mark so his breath warmed her skin. She shivered and clutched him tighter. Perfect. He nibbled on her flesh, biting to the point where the vulnerable flesh filled his mouth. Her answering groan encouraged him and instincts guided him. Fitting his canines to the entry points, he waited and enjoyed her quickening inhales.
“Please, Josh, please.”
That was what he needed to hear. He sucked on the bite, and she tensed in his arms. He ground his teeth harder into her shoulder and took her higher. Her body trembled. She moaned his name. Swirls of his tongue brought her down and proved his point.
He owned her.
Josh lifted her with an arm under her bottom and pressed a kiss to her mouth, working his tongue between her lips to stroke hers. He kept kissing her, licking the recesses of her mouth until she moved with him, returning the kiss.
A breathy sigh escaped her mouth, and she curled her hand around the back of his neck, taking control of the kiss. He allowed her to lead him, enjoying the sting of her fangs as they nicked his lips, his tongue, his cheeks. She lifted her legs, hooking them around his waist.
“I need you inside me,” she murmured between kisses.
How could he ignore that?
Driven to please her, he walked forward until her back met a hard surface. The woman undid him. He groaned and captured her lower lip with his teeth, tugging on the flesh, knowing the small bite of pain would intensify her pleasure. She shuddered. He bit harder, and the taste of sweet shifter blood coated his tongue.
The flavor fed some inner part of him that liked the primal aspect of it and wanted more. He sucked on the tiny wound, needing the rich ambrosia to sate the hunger, and took her, loving her as fully as he had hours ago.
Finally, he buried his face against her neck. Her fresh, spring rain scent was stronger along the delicate column. He parted his mouth to drag in a lungful. It centered him.
This moment would have to last him until tomorrow.
He righted his clothes, then lazily licked her neck. “Fulfill your obligation tonight, but tomorrow you’re mine. I’m picking you up first thing in the morning. Be ready.”
“I didn’t agree to go out with you.”
He gave her a quick kiss and strode to the door but glanced over his shoulder when he reached it. “Will you turn me away when I come to you?”
She dropped her gaze, and her silence answered him. She’d accept him. All it would take was his mouth on hers. He grinned and walked out before he found his way back inside her body. He didn’t want to explain to Rafe and Jazz why he was late picking up Megan and Molly.
Chapter 25
The door to Kade’s new home filled Mira’s vision. She focused on the ornate door knocker and took several deep breaths. She was no longer a cub. Her cats were vicious predators, feared and respected not only by her pride but by many dominants in the shifter community. She was desired and wanted. Edmund had no hold over her and neither did his great-great-nephew.
The mental pep talk steadied her and so did the invisible tether she felt to Josh, something she should not be able to experience with a human. Yet she did. That both pleased and worried her. The tie to him didn’t fit traditional matings. It wasn’t the one-way breeding bond where a male claimed a piece of his female’s soul or a soul-bond where mates exchanged not only pieces of their souls but also shared their animals. It was… She couldn’t even label their connection. All she could say was making love to Josh had changed her—physically, emotionally, mystically.
How exactly had the sex they’d shared accomplished that?
Her pulse kicked up with the ambiguity of their connection. Was she imagining it? Now was not the time to analyze anything. She needed to let it go for the moment.
Thinking of Josh and what they’d shared today would stir her passions and anxiety. Neither were emotions she could afford to feel, not with an enemy close.
She shoved open the door, unable to delay the inevitable.
Kade and Rafe stood like twin pillars of strength just inside the entryway. They’d been her lovers years ago. No longer, but their friendship remained strong. They’d protected and uplifted her when she’d been at her lowest. She nodded slightly, in acknowledgement of their support and in thanks.
A familiar brush against her mind, a tap that asked entry, not demanded, wrapped around her. She opened the mental pathway Royals shared and drew Kade’s mind to hers.
“What have you done?”
The accusatory tone was sharp, however Kade’s expression remained neutral.
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“You reek of Josh.”
She tensed. How could she smell of Josh? She’d showered again after he’d left. The bite on her shoulder, maybe? He had reopened the wound. Her pulse kicked up.
No. She couldn’t allow her confusion to show, not in the presence of predators. Though Kade and Rafe were friends, they’d dig for answers if they suspected she was hiding something, but she didn’t have any to give, none that made sense anyway.
She lifted her chin, hoping to convey her innocence and annoyance over being accused of something ridiculous. Image was everything. She’d learned that early on.
“And? He came to see me. I’m allowed to spend time with my suitors. You did approve him as such, and I refused to turn him away.”
“Spent time with him how?”
She forced herself to meet Kade’s gaze. She wanted to give him the same response he’d given her—it was none of his business. That would only stir his anger. As alpha, everything concerning the pride was his business. She settled for a half-truth. “We talked.”
“You lie. You did more than that, I’m sure, but I’m not about to argue with you. We have other concerns. I need you to be mindful of how you act and what you say. My cats are extremely agitated by Micah. He means us harm, and I fear he’ll strike through you. I want you to be careful once you leave here. Please, stay alert and don’t take unnecessary chances. I will have one of Xander’s protectors watching from the shadows. Do not ditch him.”
Pack protectors were known for being discreet. The valuable and elite tier of wolf shifter society also kept secrets better than anyone. Nothing forced them to betray their vow of silence, even torture. Whatever Xander’s pack mate saw or
heard would never be shared. There was also a good chance she’d never notice her tail, even with the advantage of her cats. Xander’s two best pack protectors were older even than Aron who had passed the thousand-year mark.
Prides didn’t have an equivalent position. The structure of pack life was so very different than the pride. Life as a feline shifter was less stressful. For the pride, there was the leader and the family. That was it, no tier levels of dominants as in a pack or clear distinction between betas and the rest of the members. Maybe it was the nature of their animals that had led to the differences, or the fact that prides were notoriously smaller. Either way, she was glad she’d been born with big cats. She might not agree with all the rules she had to follow, but they were simpler.
“Fine, but I wouldn’t have to worry about any of this if you hadn’t allowed Micah here in the first place.” She was being unreasonable but couldn’t help it. The idea of actually seeing Micah left her agitated.
Kade closed his eyes and released a long, weary breath. “Do not remind me. I had no choice in the matter. Tomorrow night you will go to the Black Widow for your date with him where I can have shifters in the background.”
“That was the plan anyway.”
“You must pick a mate by the end of the week. I want Micah off my lands.” Kade fixed her with a hard glare. “A shifter mate, Mira. Don’t even consider marrying Josh then asking me to bless your marriage under the light of the moon. The Council won’t stand for it, even if they approve of it. Remember, accidents happen, and once he’s gone, you’ll be back where you started. I refuse to lose you or Josh because of your stubbornness.”
She ground her teeth. “But—”
“Nothing has changed. The threat to your beloved human is still very real.”
She understood the danger. She just didn’t know what she was supposed to do about it. Making love with Josh had changed everything.
Or had it? Maybe she was being delusional.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
He motioned for her to follow Rafe. Kade stepped behind so she was surrounded. Protected. They were making a point to the shifter who thought to mate her—she was important to their pride. It made her heart swell. She’d lived a lonely life yet she’d never been alone.