by G. K. DeRosa
“No, it’s not.” As much as I hated to ask any favors of these people, I had to know more about my purple wolf. “When I’m in wolf form, my fur glows violet. Any idea why that might be?”
The witches exchanged a loaded glance. “You’ve been blessed by the goddess Luna herself.”
It sounded like the same vague answer Grams had given me. “What does that mean exactly?”
“Luna will make it known to you when the time is right.”
I muffled the growl by clenching my jaw. Why couldn’t anyone give me a straight answer?
The Empress narrowed her gray eyes as they ran over me. “I don’t sense her presence. Are you sure about the glow?”
“Uh, yeah. That’s why I’ve been taking a potion to cover up her purple luminescence.”
“That’s not wise, child. Hiding the gift the goddess has bestowed upon you is an insult. It will only muddle fate and anger the gods.”
How much worse could things get? I glanced at Hunter who slowly shook his head. We couldn’t let my purple wolf out of the closet just yet.
“Is there anything else?” she asked.
“No, that’s all,” I hissed. “I should’ve known better than to look for help from a coven my grandmother led. If she could turn her back on her own flesh and blood, what could I have possibly expected from the rest of you?”
“Watch your words, little wolf,” the Empress grated. “You never know when we shall meet again.”
“Not in this lifetime, sister.” I jerked on Hunter’s hand and tugged him back through the passageway. Hot tears pricked my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall. Not yet. Doing so would admit defeat and there was no way I was giving up. I’d find my grandmother somehow, some way, because despite my feelings on the mating without love thing, Hunter deserved to love.
We reached the end of the cavern, and the murky waters of the Manta Sea sprawled ahead. Hunter stopped and spun me to face him. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For what you said in there.”
“The part about the pups?” I shot him a smirk to lighten the mood.
His arms encircled my waist, and he dropped a feather light kiss on my forehead. He may not have looked like my Hunter, but he sure felt like him. “For all of it. For everything you’ve done for me since I blew up your life.”
I fixed my eyes to his and was surprised to find the deep emerald instead of his wolf’s gold. “Stop saying that. That’s not at all what happened, and you know it. We were meant to be, Hunter. And maybe my grandma knew all along. Maybe that’s the real reason she cursed you. Then all of this would be my fault.”
He smiled against my lips, despite the depressing scenario I’d conjured. The more I thought of it, the more it made sense. More than just being cruel, Grams didn’t want me mated to a Dragos. It was the ultimate slap in the face from fate.
Fate really did have a wicked sense of humor.
But I’d be the one having the last laugh in the arms of my mate. We’d have our happily ever after no matter the cost.
Chapter Ten
“How pissed is your dad that we skipped the trials today?” I cocked my head at Hunter as I stuck a toe into the chilly lagoon. I’d missed his wild dark hair, chiseled jaw and rugged beauty. I’d begged Hunter to go straight to Terra to drop the cloak when we’d returned.
Hunter waded across the middle of the inlet, dipped his head under and jumped up when he reached the edge, shaking his hair out like a wet dog. Icy droplets rained down, and I let out a squeal. “Hunter!”
“Come on, get in. It’s not bad after a few minutes.” He splashed another small wave in my direction.
“Are you avoiding my question?” After numerous attempts at sleep after returning from our underwater visit to Lune Sacré, I’d given up. I was too wired to get any rest, so we’d decided on a run in the forest. The day’s events were being held in the arena, so Hunter figured we’d be safe.
He stalked closer, revealing his finely sculpted torso as the water receded near the shore. I couldn’t help but ogle every cut of his abdomen, every precise dip and curve of his chest. The goddess Luna really outdid herself when she made my mate. Heat sparked low in my belly as images of our almost first time flashed across my mind.
Hunter reached the shore and draped his wet arms around my middle, coaxing me forward until my legs wrapped around his waist. Dampness seeped into my jeans, and I pushed him back. “You’re going to get me all wet,” I whined.
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.” A wicked gleam sparkled in his irises, setting the gold ablaze. He tugged at my jeans, and I almost forgot all about my question.
“Wait!” I pressed my finger to his approaching lips. “What did Tyrien say?”
He scowled, and a low growl vibrated his throat. “Nothing yet. I’m sure the trial commissioner must have alerted him by now, but it’s been radio silence through the pack link.”
“Well, that’s good, right?”
He huffed. “Or he’s waiting to confront me in person. He’s supposed to return tomorrow so I imagine he’ll scold me then.” He swirled a finger through the water, his eyes intent on the small spiral growing larger by the second. It whipped and churned, much like my mate’s emotions.
I weaved my arms around Hunter’s neck and drew him closer, despite his damp body. “Let’s run away together. Screw everyone and everything.”
The corners of his lips turned upward, and my heart fluttered. “I wish it were that easy.”
“It can be.” I blew out a breath and hugged him closer. “My thirst for revenge was the only thing getting me through the day when I first arrived in Moon Valley, and now after Mom and Sonia… I don’t know if Tyrien’s worth it. There are so many other things to live for now.” Brushing my lips against his, I savored his taste, his scent, everything that made Hunter mine. “We could travel and search for Grams without anything holding us back. When we find her, we’ll break the curse and finally be free to do whatever we want, wherever we want.”
He murmured against my mouth, “It sounds perfect.”
My heart rammed against my ribcage as my words turned into actual plans in my mind. “We can leave right away, be gone before Tyrien gets back that way we’ll have a nice head start. If we go to the human world first, we’ll be much harder to track. With my magic and your powers, we could totally pull it off.”
Hunter’s lips captured mine, the intensity making my breath hitched. He swept me into his arms, keeping me suspended just a few inches above the water. His hands cradled my backside as he worshipped my mouth. His tongue became more demanding, driving harder until his fangs lengthened and he nipped at my lower lip.
“Is that a yes?” I rasped out between kisses.
“Gods, yes. I’d go anywhere with you, Sierra. You are my everything.” He took a step closer to the edge of the lagoon and lay me down on the soft grass. “I’m tired of waiting to make you mine. Cursed or not, I want you to be mine, if you’re willing to try again?”
“Willing?” I blurted. “I’ve been counting down the minutes since last time.”
He chuckled as he hopped out of the water and got to work on my jeans. After he peeled off the damp denim, he moved to my top, leisurely unbuttoning each one as I wriggled with need beneath him.
His arousal skimmed my bare thigh as he hovered over me, his drenched boxers sprinkling chilly droplets on my heated skin. I bit down on my lower lip. Now that we’d broken the seal, I hoped things would go more naturally. And less painfully.
Impatient, I reached for his wet boxers and dragged them over his perfect glutes, palming his damp skin on my way down. A groan slid through his teeth as our flesh touched and the snap of thread came a second later as he popped off the last few buttons of my shirt.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’ll get you a new one.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I palmed the back of his neck and brought his lips to mine once more. Only my bra and panties remained between us. I tried to shimmy out of the black lace,
but Hunter stopped me.
“Let’s take it slow…” A grin curled the corners of his lips, and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. “I want to enjoy every inch of you.”
He continued his fevered kisses as his hands wandered my mostly naked form. The mix of his wet skin against my heated one already had me close to combustion. He trailed his tongue across my jawline, down my neck and flicked at the sensitive skin at my collarbone. Then he moved lower, dropping soft kisses on the swell of my breast. With one hand, he undid the clasp of my bra, and my breasts tumbled free.
Hunter sucked in a breath as he palmed each, his big hands enveloping my well-endowed chest. He bent his head and took my nipple in his mouth, and my back arched as a swell of pleasure rocked my core.
Oh gods, I was going to explode before he even got inside me. “Hunter,” I panted as my hips tilted to meet his arousal. The pressure against my apex only fueled the brewing storm. “Hunter…”
“Not yet.” As he continued his assault on my breast, one of his hands moved between us. His fingers danced along the waistband of my panties for an endless moment before sneaking beneath the lace. He slipped inside me, and a sharp groan escaped my clamped lips. “Almost,” he whispered, releasing my swollen nipple.
My wolf let out a deep growl, the beast restless within her skeletal cage. I rocked against his palm as his fingers teased the raw bundle of nerves at my core, each stroke driving me closer to the edge. “I want you inside me,” I rasped out and reached for him, pressing his hardness between my legs.
Hunter shuddered as he slowly thrust his hips forward. The feeling of fullness came over me, but this time there was no pain. I tilted myself up to meet his next plunge.
He let out a groan before his gaze snapped to mine. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, so okay,” I said as I cupped his backside and urged him on. Our bodies moved as one for a devastatingly perfect few minutes, our hearts beating in synchrony, our haggard breaths coming out in matching time.
The ring of my phone jerked my attention to my discarded jeans. They were too far to reach and I was too gone to care, refocusing on the fire consuming my body.
I was enjoying myself so much I almost forgot the reason for our mid-forest romp. I stopped abruptly and Hunter froze above me, eyes wide. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. I was just wondering what we have to do next to complete the bond. Not that I’m not enjoying this…”
A streak of relief flashed across his golden irises. “You’re sure you want to do this?”
I nodded quickly, gnawing on my lower lip. He snagged my chin with his thumb and index finger and released it. “That’s my job.”
My phone rang again, shattering the perfect moment. Hunter let out a curse. “Just ignore it,” I said. “So what comes next?”
“We have to exchange blood while connected.” He glanced down between our bodies.
“Okay, let’s do it.” My wolf hummed at the idea of finally consummating the bond. She’d been waiting so long for this, almost as long as I had.
The sharp trill of my phone halted us both once again. I was about to tell Hunter to disregard it when his eyes went vacant. The pack link.
I lay there impatiently, the brewing storm between us fizzling out. When Hunter’s eyes refocused on mine, panic were etched into his features. He leapt off me, and an icy chill invaded my veins.
“What?” I cried out. Sitting up, I shielded my naked torso with my arms.
“It was Vander. Cass said there’s someone at your apartment claiming to be a Mystic wolf.”
“What?” I repeated, shrieking a little this time. “It can’t be.”
Hunter tossed me my clothes and then stepped into his jeans. A swell of anxiety rocketed through our bond, emanating from the scowling man in front of me. His wolf clawed its way to the surface, his musky scent tingeing the air. There was something else bothering him…
“What is it?” I asked as I shimmied into my shirt.
He blew out a breath and raked his hand through his still damp locks. “The male says he’s your mate.”
Chapter Eleven
Mate. Mate. Mate.
The familiar chant resonated across my mind, beating a pattern into my skull. Only this time it didn’t come from my wolf or Hunter’s. It was my own voice repeating the dreaded word. It wasn’t possible. Hunter was my mate. I felt the certainty with every bone in my body. This guy had to be an imposter. And a Mystic? That was definitely impossible.
Or at least that was what I thought until I whipped the door open to my den and saw him. The blood in my veins thrummed as my gaze ran over the tall, blonde male. His eyes widened as I burst through the entrance and crept toward him.
Hunter grabbed my arm and held me back before I got too close. His words finally silenced the chant. Be careful. This could be a trap.
Vander and Cass stood behind the stranger, both wearing identical what-the-eff expressions.
My brain struggled to form a question. At least a dozen of them flitted across my mind, but I was too shocked to string an entire phrase together.
“Who the hell are you?” Hunter barked.
The guy took a step back as my mate’s beta power thickened the air in the small space. He kept his gaze trained toward the floor and muttered, “You must be Aristaeus, the supreme beta.”
“I am.” He moved in front of me, standing between me and the stranger. He threw his shoulders back, crossed his arms and his massive chest puffed out. “I’ll politely ask again before I try a different approach.”
I reached for Hunter’s arm, stilling him. We need answers, and we’re not going to get any if you scare the crap out of him.
He grunted and dropped his threatening stance. A little.
“Please, just tell us who you are,” I tried.
Cass folded herself onto the couch and Vander moved beside her, remaining on his feet. I could feel the SIA agent on high alert. No doubt my mate was spouting off instructions through the pack link.
“Like I told your friends when I got here, I don’t know much. My name’s Braxton, and I just found out I was a wolf like a minute ago.”
“Seriously?” I couldn’t help my incredulous twang. Driving the snark away with a head shake, I motioned to the couch. “Why don’t you tell us exactly what happened?”
“And how you ended up here,” Hunter growled.
Braxton uneasily lowered himself onto the end of the sofa, opposite Cass as Hunter and Vander circled him. I took a seat on the oversized chair just across the coffee table. “Please, go ahead.”
“I grew up in the human world my whole life, then out of nowhere I woke up this morning and my parents sat me down. They tell me an insane story, and as it turns out, they’re not my parents at all. They’re witches who were tasked to protect me when my real parents were murdered.” He dragged his fingers through his close-cut hair and loosed a pained breath. “Then they handed me two letters. One was from my real family and the other I’m thinking is from your dad.”
My heart stopped. “My dad?”
“Alaric Wildstone?”
I nodded blankly as he pulled an envelope from the back pocket of his jeans and handed it to me. I held it tight against my chest, terrified to open it.
“What did your letter say?” Hunter asked.
“That I was a Mystic wolf, one of the last. That I’d learn the truth of my heritage when the time was right, and I had to fulfill my duty to the pack.” He ticked his head toward me. “By mating with a Sierra Wildstone.”
Hunter muttered a curse, his fury radiating through our bond in toxic waves. “It has to be a mistake.”
“Listen, dude, I didn’t sign up for this. One minute I’m home from college on summer break and the next thing I know, I’m a fuckin’ wolf destined to save an extinct pack.” He braced his hands on his knees before looking back up at me. “I’m sorry, all right. It’s just a lot to take in all at once. My ‘parents’ made me come here today. This is the last thing I e
xpected to find out a few weeks before classes. I’m supposed to be starting vet school next month.”
“The animal thing makes sense,” Cass muttered under her breath. I shot her a narrowed glare, and she shrunk back in her seat, mouthing “Sorry.”
“So to be honest, I don’t know what it is I’m doing here besides following the instructions of my adoptive parents and the final wishes of my biological ones.”
“In twenty-some odd years, you never realized the people you lived with were witches?” Hunter asked.
“No. They kept it a secret from me, just like everything else apparently.”
I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. I’d been through the exact same thing just a few months ago.
“How’d you get past the testing for the Half-Blood decree?” Vander interjected.
Braxton shrugged. “I have no idea. I took the blood test just like every other kid when I turned sixteen. My results were negative.” He shifted uneasily, dragging his hands over his thick thighs.
“That’s gotta be some pretty strong magic to be able to evade those tests.” Cass glanced from Vander to me and back.
Just like what was used on me.
The obvious answer was that his adoptive parents were Lune Sacré. The fact that he showed up the day after we paid them a visit couldn’t have been a coincidence. My finger ran across the envelope tucked to my chest. I had to read it if I wanted more answers. I just wasn’t sure I could. An actual letter from my dad. I wasn’t ready.
You can do it. And I’ll be here with you. Hunter’s voice echoed through our ever-strengthening bond. Which made me think of the man sitting across from me. Sure, I felt something between us, but it wasn’t anything like what I’d experienced when I first saw Hunter.
Braxton wasn’t my fated mate. He couldn’t be. I was certain I’d know.