“Wow. Well, I’m not surprised.”
He drew close and sat down on the side of the bed. He took her hand in his. She had serious bed-head, but had never looked more beautiful.
She smiled. “You smell so wonderful.” She drew their connected hands close and sniffed. “It’s this brand of vanilla that I swear is the best.” She sniffed a second time. “Yet, beneath it, I can smell the musk of your wolf. Although, I have to say, your wolf scent is starting to come through more and more.”
Because he wanted to bond with her. But he wasn’t about to say that to her, not right now. “Are you hungry?”
Her eyes rolled back in head. “Starved. You would think I hadn’t eaten in a decade.”
He lifted up and plucked his phone out of his jeans pocket. He hadn’t wasted his time while she slept. At the very least, he’d made friends with Carmen, the chef. She’d fixed him his meals and wanted to know the second Maeve woke up.
When he had her on the line, he passed the phone to Maeve.
Her list of foods was long and thorough. She was lean as hell. He wasn’t sure where she’d put it all. Worse, he feared with her stomach full, she’d fall right back to sleep.
When Maeve was done, she handed the phone back. “You’ll have to let her in.” She glanced at the doorway. “Wait a minute, I don’t remember releasing the security spell. Did I? When we got back?” She reverted her gaze to him.
He shook his head and smiled. “I’m channeling your witchness these days. The spell, through my eyes, had purple waves.”
“That’s the one. But, wow. I’m amazed you could see it.”
“Me, too.” He thought maybe now was the time to begin his courtship. “So, I’m wondering about something. How would you feel if I marked you?”
At that, her lovely reddish-brown, arched brows rose. “You mean an alpha-wolf kind of mark?”
He didn’t want to scare her off, so he added, “It’s not a bond. That’s much more intricate and requires a big commitment. But a mark will keep other alphas from poking their noses where they don’t belong.” Literally.
To his nose, she smelled like heaven. From the moment he’d decided he wanted more from her, her lemon and lavender scent had been tearing at his mind and keeping him in a partially-aroused state.
She looked away from him and appeared to be thinking hard. She had a deep furrow between her brows. When she met his gaze again, she sighed. “Are we getting in too deep here, Braden?”
Several rebuttals came to mind, but he chose the simplest route. “Maybe we are, but this is for my benefit while we’re working together. If I mark you, I won’t have to think about any other unbonded alphas we might come across.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but she was gun-shy and he was trying to be wise.
“Just a maybe, huh?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I won’t pretend you haven’t become important to me, because you have.” His wolf ears picked up the sounds of footsteps. He’d been half-listening anyway. He could smell the food as well. “Chef is here.”
“Whoa. That was fast.”
He stood up, then leaned down and kissed her on the lips. “Everyone’s been on standby waiting for you to wake up, including chef. I’ll be right back.”
~ ~ ~
She watched him go, her fingers touching her lips. She loved the long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. He wore rugged boots as well. The whole look worked for him. Dammit, the man shouldn’t be so good-looking.
And he wanted to mark her.
Maeve wasn’t a fool. Besides, she could sense his emotions and that something had definitely changed with Braden. He wanted to be close.
She swallowed hard. She did, too. That was her truth. She wanted to shrink Braden down and carry him around in her back pocket for the rest of her life. But how wise would that be?
Her heart still ached something fierce for Frank. Besides, her memory still had one huge gap from the night she’d escaped Veyda’s clutches. She didn’t know who the woman was that had died. Somehow, she’d blocked seeing her face. And she had no idea how she’d made it out of the compound or gotten to Kiara’s home when she’d never met the witch before. Maybe if she could recall everything about that night, she’d have more confidence moving into a relationship with him.
Of course, he hadn’t used the word ‘relationship’, but he’d been a happily married man before. A man often took a wife again if he’d enjoyed his marriage.
Was that what Braden wanted? To marry her? To be her husband?
What did she want?
She hardly knew.
She glanced at her left hand. Her fingers still tingled at the tips. When she’d fallen asleep, her arm had vibrated all the way to the shoulder, a sensation just short of pain.
Now she was back to herself.
A few minutes later, when Braden returned carrying a large tray, she realized she was completely naked under the sheet. She held onto it as she scooted herself to a sitting position. She really didn’t want to expose her breasts to Braden. He stared down at her smiling as she worked to stuff some of the sheet behind her to maintain some decency.
He chuckled. “Don’t bother on my account.”
When she was ready, she took the tray and settled it on her lap. “Why don’t you grab a chair and talk to me. I want a full report on Kiara’s condition.”
“Be right back.” He left the room in search of something to sit on.
She turned her attention to her meal. On the tray was a cup of black coffee, a bowl of ripe, sweet chopped mango, and a bear claw. As she lifted the lid to what was an oversized oval plate, the aroma flooded her nostrils. She groaned loudly. Frying a few evil witches sure boosted a woman’s appetite. Steak, scrambled eggs, avocado, jack cheese. Her stomach rumbled.
She dug in. She ate quickly, as though her alter body demanded as much sustenance as she could give it and as fast as she could deliver.
She glanced up briefly when Braden returned, but all her attention was on her meal.
When her body started getting the message she was being well-fed, she finally surfaced. Braden now sat in a chair he’d drawn close to the bed. He held a cup of coffee in both hands, an amused smile on his lips. She took her own sip of the rich black brew.
“In case you’re wondering.” Braden pointed to her tray. “I know that exact same panicky feel.”
“Right. You were in the same state when you woke up from your coma.”
“I was.”
She stared at him for a moment. “You shouldn’t be so handsome, you know. It would make it easier to refuse your offer of a wolf-mark.”
“Are you saying no?”
She shook her head. “I’m still thinking.”
“Don’t worry. It can be undone. This is for my peace of mind.”
“But that’s not all, is it?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not. I want more. As I said earlier, you’ve become important to me. But how about you? Any thoughts that direction?” The question made her stop and think. She set her coffee back on the tray.
“I have a lot of affection for you, I might even call it love. That much I know. The sex is amazing. And your wolfness doesn’t bother me anymore. It’s not personal. I mean you being a shifter disturbed me in the same way I was a witch. I’ve had so much to get used to. A year-and-a-half isn’t that long.”
“No, it’s not.” He cradled his cup in both hands as he leaned forward. He rested his forearms on his powerful thighs.
His shift in position brought him within touching distance. She reached out and swept her fingers into his hair. Silky. A sensual slide across her skin. “It’s been a long time since I had a man in my life.”
Shifting his mug to one hand, he caught her wrist then kissed her palm. Her heart flipped a couple of times. She could get used to this. She just didn’t know if it would be wise. This was Five Bridges, a place of violence and death. What if she got close and Braden died?
“Hey.” He reached up and thumbed her che
ek.
She was surprised to realize tears had slid from her eyes.
“The last thing I want is to upset you.” His deep voice pounded against her heart. “Why don’t you finish your meal and I’ll tell you about Kiara.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good idea.”
He told her about the burns and Alfonso’s excellent care. “She’ll be scarred, but she knew that would be the case when the torture was happening. She’s been asking for you, though I think she’s asleep right now. I checked in on her about a half hour ago, not long before you woke up.
“Greg and the wolves celebrated her rescue in prime style.” As Maeve finished her steak, he talked about the bonfire, beer and a whole lot of howling.
“I would have loved that.”
“I’m sure they’d be happy to do a repeat just for you.”
She chuckled.
Once she finished her meal, she headed to the bathroom. A hot shower sounded good. Plus, she wanted to wash her hair and think. She could feel Braden holding back a request or two. She could sense his need to be with her and how much he longed to take her back to bed.
She wanted to be with him, as well, but she was scared. She was starting to care too much and relationships in this world tended to end in death.
Once in the shower, the warm water eased her. She was stiff from being in bed so long. She knew something within her needed to change, she just couldn’t figure out what?
Thoughts of Frank brought a new bout of unexpected tears.
Maybe it was the soothing water, or the long sleep, or that she’d actually succeeded in getting Kiara out of her hellhole, but her mind grew very open and relaxed.
Like a mist moving through her thoughts, Frank’s voice was suddenly there. I’m at peace, Sweetheart, you can let me go now.
Frank?
It’s me, but I can’t stay for very long.
His presence in her head was very distant and faint so she knew he wasn’t actually near her. She could also tell he wasn’t permitted to get any closer or to reveal himself to her in a physical sense. He could only communicate through telepathy.
But here was one aspect of Five Bridges that rarely occurred in the human world. Sometimes, ghosts returned to lend a hand. This time, it was Frank and he’d come to her.
Tears once more streamed down her cheeks. I miss you so much.
I know. But it’s time to move on and more than anything I want you to know some happiness as an alter witch. Alpha Braden can do that for you. Please tell me you’ll try to let him in.
In some ways, the prior eighteen months since Frank’s death had been building to this moment. She had to let him go. Maybe now she could. I’ll always love you.
And I, you. But our hearts were designed to love well and to love again. You can do this, Maeve. Be at peace.
He left, just like that. He was no longer present in her mind and she doubted he would ever come back.
The brief exchange, however, had brought more comfort to her soul than anything else could have. A heavy weight at the bottom of her heart suddenly gave way. All her pain and grief rushed out in a flood of relieving sensation. Then her heart resumed its normal shape but felt as though it was about a hundred pounds lighter.
She really could let go now. She could turn toward Five Bridges and begin building a life and not just her hole in the ground here at the Landing.
There was something else she wanted to do as well.
Damn. More tears. “Braden? Want to join me?”
As she listened for a response, she thought she heard a banging sound. She definitely heard Braden let loose with a couple of choice words. “Coming.”
As he appeared around the corner, he hobbled just a little. “Did you stub your toe?”
“It hurts like hell.”
“Well, why don’t you come here and let me make it feel better.”
A look of intense relief swept over his features. “You sure?”
“Yes.” She held out a bar of soap. “Besides, I need you to wash my back.”
Chapter Nine
The end of the shower stall, where Maeve waited, was open to the entire bathroom. It wasn’t a big space but it could definitely hold two people, even if one was the size of a small mountain.
As she watched Braden get undressed, and all those muscles appeared, her body started to heat up. She hadn’t understood until this moment just how much she’d needed this time with Braden, the physicality of sex, the pleasure, but mostly the closeness with another person.
When he finally got rid of his clothes, he still hobbled a little. She stepped aside for him. “Get under the spray.”
As he backed up, and dipped his head beneath the spout, she bent down and saw he’d really jammed up his big toe on his right foot. He’d been hurrying to get to her. The least he deserved was a little healing, something she could do even without a special potion in hand. It was one of the best gifts of her witchy life.
She grabbed a nearby towel, dropped it to the shower floor, then eased down on her knees. She placed her hand just above his toe, formed a picture in her head of healing waves flowing from her hand and just like that, the space between warmed up.
“Damn, that feels good.”
“I wish I’d been able to do this for you in the Graveyard but your condition was way past my abilities.”
After a minute, when he wiggled his toes then arched his foot, she knew he was good to go.
She had the oddest thought about this moment, something akin to worship. He was an extraordinary man with more muscles than she’d ever seen in her life, so she stayed where she was.
Using both hands, she caressed the back of his knees then slowly slid her palms in the direction of his feet. Her fingers rippled over all kinds of muscles along his calves and the sides of his legs, tapering to his ankles.
The whole time she massaged, he said nothing. His body and mind seemed quiet, yet intent on what she was doing.
She worked his thighs in the same way. He flexed for her and she looked up at him. His green eyes were lit with pleasure and amusement. “I like what you’re doing.” His voice had dropped an octave.
“I like doing it. You’re amazing.” With the heel of her palm, she pushed along the inside of his thigh. He kept flexing for her and each time he did, she rubbed the full-length of the muscle, up and down.
He was aroused as well. She wasn’t surprised. The shower smelled of Madagascar and his increasing wolf musk. The latter was richer now, a strong, marking scent and she loved it.
Her own sex tingled with need, but she wanted to take her time. Each second felt precious. In a world like Five Bridges, it was.
Slowly, she moved toward his arousal, her jaw working as though ready. Her tongue made an appearance. He groaned.
His hand slid to the nape of her neck and stroked. He didn’t try to push her, but she didn’t require the encouragement.
Her tongue touched his cock first, a gentle stroke from below as she swept up to the tip. She opened her mouth and took him in.
She felt him tremble as she began to suck. She used her tongue as well, swirling and licking. She pulled back, moved forward then set a rhythm.
He breathed heavily, his cock now a solid missile.
After what was a very short time, he stopped her. “Hold up there.”
She released him and rose to her feet. She slung her arms around his neck and kissed him. She angled her leg so she could feel his arousal against her sex.
His arms became a vise as he held her tight. He drove his tongue into her mouth and kissed her hard. She was so close. They’d barely done anything and she was ready to fly.
When he drew back, his nostrils flared. He shut the water off. She knew the question he was asking without saying a word.
“Yes, Braden. Mark me. I’m ready.”
He collapsed on her as he kissed her again. He turned her swiftly and pressed her up against the shower wall. He kissed her throat, fondled her breasts, squeeze
d her bottom. She’d missed this so much.
“Braden.”
He drew back. His eyes were rimmed with gold and his jaw quivered. His cheeks had elongated and tufts of fur appeared near his ears. To the part of her that was experiencing her own form of wolfness, the sight was sexy as hell.
What did you want to say to me?
She’d gotten lost in looking at him. “I have a place near my spellroom. I sometimes sleep there. It’s cave-like. I want you to mark me there.”
He stepped from the shower and drew a towel off the nearby rack. He handed her the towel then grabbed another one for himself.
He didn’t talk. She wasn’t sure he could. His features had remained in a slightly wolf position. He kept huffing air from his lungs.
She dried off but had her eyes glued to his face, then his shoulders, his abs. She loved looking at him. It wasn’t just that he was gorgeous. The wolf in him was at the fore, and he exuded a kind of energy that was almost a glow.
Something inside her began to hum in tandem with his wolfness. He’d told her she was alpha-mate material. Now she felt it, a hum within her own body that loved the fur along his cheeks, and the elongated look of his bones, that his lips kept drawing back so she could see his wolf fangs.
She wrapped herself in her towel. When he did the same, she caught his hand and led him though her house toward the spiral staircase that led to her spellroom. She didn’t let go and she didn’t levitate. She needed to feel his palm against hers and the stone beneath her feet.
Once in the spellroom, she meant to turn to the right, to take him into her sanctuary. Instead, her worktable called to her.
Suddenly, Sheba was there meowing at her. She settled herself in the center of the table and faced the wall of glass canisters as she’d done before, tail twitching.
“What are you doing?”
She wasn’t exactly sure, but she did know one thing. “This is something for your wolf. Don’t worry. Sheba approves.”
Braden drew close on the left side of the table and petted the cat. Once more, Sheba purred at the wolf’s touch.
She approached the glass containers and let the spell talk to her. She drew mint from the shelves, no surprise there. She went down the rows one by one and kept pulling them to the counter.