Page 22 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

My bobcat stepped aside, allowing me to shift back. I struggled to catch my breath, while my body trembled from the whole ordeal. Fighting against Xander’s mind control for so long had taken it out of me.

“What was that?” I asked, my voice hoarse as I grabbed my pants off the ground and pulled them on.

Rachel’s eyes were wide and filled with disbelief when she faced me. “I think it was my gift,” she muttered. “I don’t know how that happened. All I could think about was him leaving—him getting away from us. And then…that happened.”

Maribel’s cryptic words from yesterday filled my head. She’d said something about how Rachel had to be here with me, how it was important that she came along today. Suddenly, I wonderedif the old woman knew this would happen—that Rachel’s power would surface from this moment.

Before I could think any more on it, Rachel rushed over to me.

“Are you okay? You were in so much pain,” she said, her voice laced with concern.

“I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “Are you okay, though?”

“Yeah,” she said, moving closer to me.

The air between us charged, and when her hand brushed against my arm, the same spark of electricity I’d felt earlier flared to life again and my bobcat stirred.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she pressed, her gaze scanning me.

The pull between us was suddenly magnetic and hard to resist. I leaned in, giving into it, my gaze zeroing in on her lips.

“You saved me,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

She lifted her chin, her plump lips parting. I erased the slight amount of space between us and noticed when her breathing hitched. When she didn’t pull away or rush to place distance between us, I brushed my lips against hers in a featherlight kiss. She responded, moving her lips beneath mine tentatively at first, and then with more passion. I cupped her face and skimmed my tongue along her bottom lip, searching for entrance. She parted her lips, allowing me to taste her. Everything about her invaded my senses. My bobcat went wild as all that we felt for her suddenly made sense.

It was her; Rachel was our mate.

The instant the realization hit me, she pulled back. Her gaze dropped to the ground. I swore I saw a flicker of regret cross her face. It felt like a swift punch to the gut. Until I realized where her train of thought could have possibly gone—to the husband she’d lost. That was when it made sense.

I’d pushed her too far, too fast.

She wasn’t ready for a kiss. She wasn’t ready to move on yet. I needed to be okay with that. In fact, I was.

I’d wait forever for this woman if I needed to.

“I need to go home,” she whispered.

I nodded. “Of course. We should probably get out of here, anyway.”

I grabbed my shirt off the ground and glanced around, hoping Xander’s raven had left a feather behind but it looked as though we weren’t that lucky.

Of course we weren’t.

9

RACHEL

Iclimbed out of Ellis’s truck, my mind still spinning. The drive home had been long and silent, each of us lost in our thoughts. I’d wanted to say something to explain myself and make sense of the mess in my head, but the words stuck in my throat each time I tried. I unbuckled my seatbelt and glanced at him.

“Thanks for bringing me home,” I said, the words sounding wrong as they left my lips. Of course he’d brought me home. Why wouldn’t he? “I should get inside and check on Serenity.”

Questions burned through his eyes, but he nodded in agreement instead of voicing them. “Yeah, of course. Have a good rest of your night.”

“You too,” I said, practically bolting out of the truck.

I couldn’t be around him. Not after that kiss. The man had my heart torn in too many directions.

When I made my way inside the cottage, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for support. Pulling in a shaky breath, I exhaled slowly. That kiss had left me feeling out of sorts. I’d liked it too much, and the guilt that came with that nearly broke me.

---