Page 327 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 11

Noah

Isnuggled on the couch with Mia wrapped between my arms and a blanket draped over our naked bodies. I hadn’t meant to mate with her, but it seemed so right. All those glittery stars and far away worlds had aligned once again, so I ran with it. Then why the hell was there a dull ache in my chest? As right as being with her felt, I should’ve told her about the mating bond before we had sex. Just as I divulged one secret, I gained another.

Mia rolled over in my embrace to lay on her side facing me. Her eyelids heavy, cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink, lips looking as though I’d thoroughly devoured them. Which I had. She was so damn beautiful I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve her.

I should probably take her to bed rather than squishing together on the couch.

“So…you’re Thor,” she murmured, tracing her finger along my arm.

I snorted. “Thor? For my god-like…hammer?”

“No.” She chuckled and playfully swatted my shoulder. “I named the wolf version of you Thor because he was so protective of me, turning up at the same time each day, never letting me wander in the forest alone. He was always one step behind me.”

Could this woman be any more perfect?

“He’ll always protect you.” I brushed a lose strand of hair behind her ear. “We both will.”

A smile warmed her face. “Are your brothers wolves, too?”

“Shifters. We can shift between wolf and human form. The Coles are the only shifter family here in Woodland Falls.”

My shoulders lightened telling her about the shifter world, being honest for once and not hiding behind a human mask. I envied Liam telling Ivy when they were so young. They had all that time together without secrets. Mia and I had just met in person, so I guessed this was the start of our lives together.

Would it have been harder if I told her fifteen years ago, only to have her leave?Absolutely.

She drew soft circles on my chest. “Are there other animals or just wolves?”

I thought for a moment. How much should I tell her? She seemed to take all of this in her stride. Given her reaction on the lawn she clearly knew little, if anything, about this world.

“There are plenty of different shifters out there. A bear pack lives in Cedar Valley, plus there’s another wolf pack in Timber Falls.”

Dad believed the universe matched shifters with not just their equal, but someone who made them stronger. I witnessed that with Mom and Dad, also with Liam. I’d always joked that Ivy had more bite than him. Being with Mia made me feel exactly that. Stronger. Complete. Worthy of a life with her.

Mia held the key to my soul, but she also possessed an unearthly amount of courage. To be a Whitcome and still choose me. Not everyone would do that. An invisible thread stirred deep inside my soul, connecting us. An unbreakable bond that now tied us together for the rest of our lives.

“The hunter hunts wolves. That’s why you’re so concerned.”

I wriggled my arm out from underneath her to prop up my head. “How much do you know about Joan?”

“I hardly knew her. I came here once when I was fourteen, and then never saw her again.”

Her gaze grew distant, tracking her finger as it trailed along the lines of the ink over my chest.

“I wish I’d known her better. She obviously cared for me. I mean, she left me all this.”

Maybe there was hope after all.

“Why do the hunters hunt wolves? Do they know you’re an actual person?”

I swallowed, not liking where this conversation headed but I didn’t want to lie to her any longer. I didn’t want more secrets between us. “Hunters are born human but with a dormant curse.”

“A curse? As in from a spell?”

I nodded. “Some say it dates to an ancient war between witches and shifters, where a powerful witch performed a blood ritual to annihilate all shifters. But it backfired when she turned herself and her entire coven into hunters. Now, the hunter curse is passed down to every descendant.”

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Wolves, witches and hunters. An entire world I knew nothing about.” She thought for a moment. “How is the curse triggered in the hunters?” She paused, screwing up her face. “Or do I not want to know?”

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