Page 35 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
“No joke,” I rasped, when I’d recovered enough for conversation. I’d been wrong. She had heard the words, but she hadn’t understood them. Not really. How could I explain? “No Shifter wouldeverpretend to make a Declaration of Intent. Finding a mate is rare enough that we can only hope to get an opportunity in our lives to say those words.” I wrapped my arms around her luscious curves and dipped my head lower into the curve of her neck where her scent was stronger. Beast pushed under my skin, wanting out. It would be so easy to lick her there. To give her our bite. My gums ached as I repressed my fangs from punching through.Not yet. Not yet. But soon. Before I go insane from denying the pull.It would ease once we were mated. Once she had my bite, we would be linked. We’d be able to know how she was feeling. Know where she was. If she was hurt. Some of Beast’s aggression was coming from fear. Caly had been attacked and was lucky to not have been seriously hurt. She was never going to be far from my side from now on; and if I couldn’t be with her, I’d make sure she was well protected. But I also wanted, needed, the security of a link. And so did Beast.
Caly shifted in my arms, until she could see my eyes, her own green ones narrowed with wariness. “Really? You mean it? I’m no-one. With no magic. And you’re… you know… you. The President’s brother. A high-ranking Shifter.”
I couldn’t help but smile.Foolish mate. Beast’s tone was affectionate rather than angry.We will be a good mate to her. We will show her how precious she is, how special. But be quick with this ‘courting’. She is ours already.
“You’re amazing. Intelligent. Beautiful. Powerful. How could I not want you as my mate?”
She blinked, parting her lips as though she wanted to argue. I wanted another taste of her lush mouth. “Ssh,” I nipped her lower lip. “I want you and I mean to have you.” I ground my cock against her bottom to make my point.
She sucked in a breath, but her expression was determined. “Won’t your parents disapprove?”
What? I lifted one hand to stroke her cheek. “No, sweetheart, they will be thrilled.” My mother would be over the moon that one of her sons had found his mate. Despite being fucked-up. A non-shifting Shifter. Caly leaned into the contact of my hand, almost unconsciously taking comfort from me. Beast purred in my chest.Beautiful mate. Perfect mate, he crooned.
“Are you sure?”
“They will celebrate that I’ve found my mate.”
Her mouth had opened into a delightful ‘o’. My cock jumped as my mind conjured an image of how those lips would look when I shoved my cock between them and pumped my cum into her until she couldn’t swallow it all. Her breath released in a soft sigh. Her surrender whispered through our nascent link. It was sweet. So sweet and I was lost. I had to kiss her. Just a taste. I drew her back towards my body, lowering my head to hers.
Chapter 39
Calypso
I was drowning in sensation. Luc’s hands on my wrists, his thumbs brushing my pulse points. He had apologised for the misunderstanding in his apartment and my body melted for him. Just with the touch of his hands on my wrists I was languid, my thoughts scattered like clouds on a summer’s day.
“I wish to Declare my Intent.”
The words pierced through the daze and my brain had stuttered back to life.
A Declaration of Intent. Words for Shifter courtship. Part of the mating ritual. Did he think I was stupid? So easily taken in that I would believe he meant those words? To me. Shifters bonded for life. That was why I’d always fantasised that a Shifter would choose me. Once they formed a bond with their bite, the connection was unbreakable and they were faithful to their mate for the rest of their lives. And being mated made them faster and stronger, all the better to protect their mate and family. It was what I’d always wanted. But I couldn’t believe it. I wasn’t a Shifter. It had to be a pick-up line. His family was the closest thing this country had to royalty. With his family’s name, their wealth and his looks, he could have any woman out there.Shifter, Witch. He only had to crook his finger and women would come begging.
It hurt. Oh how it hurt, like a knife into my chest. I wanted a partner. One who wouldn’t cheat or let me down. Who’d be there when I needed him. Who wouldn’t forget his children’s birthdays. And before I knew it the hurt changed to anger. I tried to turn, to free my hands. I wanted to hit him, to make him feel as bad as I did. It wasn’t like me at all. I wasn’t a violent person, but something in me had snapped. How dare he use that promise against me?
And then… he lifted me, as if I weighed nothing, dropping me onto his lap and caging me in his arms. He lowered his head and nuzzled my hair. When he spoke, the words sounded as though they were torn from his throat. Even if his impressive erection straining against his pants wasn’t anything more than a declaration of lust, his voice when he told me that no Shifter would lie about a Declaration was utterly compelling.
He sounded as though his heart felt as raw as my own. I had hurt him with my lack of trust. Again. The night in his apartment, I had hurt him when I had insinuated that he lacked morals. And now I had done it again. It undid me. My anger drained away, as suddenly as it had arrived.
“You’re amazing. Intelligent. Beautiful. Powerful. How could I not want you as my mate?”
I found it hard to believe his words. That he wanted me. I knew I was smart, but the rest? Until the morning in his apartment, I’d thought I was a failure. A Null. And now? I had to be honest. I didn’t understand it, but something was going on. But beautiful? I didn’t see beautiful when I looked the mirror. I was nice-enough looking, but nothing special, and I’d always been curvy. Add to that that I wasn’t fashionable, preferring jeans and oversize cardigans to high heels and fancy dresses. Luc could do much better than me.
But there was the matter of the couch. He said it had been a gift. And Akira had given off very weird vibes when she thought I was going to refuse it. Did she know what Luc had planned? Or was the simple fact that he’d sent me a gift enough of a signal to all the other Shifters that Luc had… intentions? Her smirk when she’d told me that Luc had ordered my lunch yesterday was another piece in the puzzle. Had I been missing something the whole time? Misunderstanding his intentions? Convincing myself that he’d merely been overly protective because I was in danger. Missing the clues because I wasn’t a Shifter?
And now? Now he was going to kiss me. His eyes were soft, like melting chocolate, as his head dipped closer to mine. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to hold me close and tell me I was his mate. It was crazy. I had known him for such a short time, but the lightness in my heart said it was right. I wanted him with every fibre of my being. Something inside my chest tugged tightly, as if guiding me closer to him. I swayed forwards. It shouldn’t be true, but I was starting to believe it. I wanted it so much.
His lips took mine. There was nothing soft about the kiss. It was hard, almost punishing. He claimed my mouth with his lips, his tongue, devouring me. Prickles of heat burst on my skin at the rightness of his mouth on mine. One hand moved to the back of my neck, holding me in place. I moaned. Yes, right there. Just like that. The slight pain as he wrapped my hair around his hand. The electric arc that travelled through my body, straight to my throbbing clit. I gasped into his mouth. He growled as he swallowed the sound.
My breasts were full, my nipples hard and aching. It was as though we’d picked up from where we left off in his apartment. Somehow, he’d shifted me until I was straddling his lap and my gown was off my shoulders. I was bare down to thewaist. As if he sensed how I needed to be touched, one hand found a hard bud and rolled it between his fingers. My back arched and I almost lifted off his lap, grabbing one strong bicep to hold me steady. Fuck. Yes, just like that. My clit throbbed again and my core clenched, drenching my panties. Oh gods. He’d barely touched me and I was so close to orgasm already. But I needed something more.
I dropped my free hand to my lap, not thinking past my desperate need to get some relief. But, moving faster than a human ever could, Luc grabbed my hand and twisted it behind my back. His mouth moved from mine, pressing hot wet kisses to my neck. “Your pleasure is mine,” he rumbled. A sharp nip accompanied the words.
“Then do something about it.” My words were breathy. I didn’t sound like myself. I wasn’t acting like myself either. He had set a fire inside me and I couldn’t wait any more.
“Your wish is my command. Hold on darling.” My head was spinning. No,Iwas spinning. With one hand around my torso and one hand under my ass, Luc stood in one fluid moment, as if I weighed less than a feather, and in a blink he’d moved to the couch, laying me down like a sacrifice. Out of reflex, I had wrapped my legs around his body and my arms grabbed his shoulders when he moved, but it was clear that I was in no danger of falling. Shifter strength in action.
“What are you doing?” Luc tugged on my leg and I followed his cue, unwrapping myself from around his body.
“Satisfying my mate. What else?” On his knees beside the couch, he kissed me again, until I was boneless and soft against him. “Arms up. Hold the armrest. Don’t let go.” Half-dazed, I did as I was told while large hands pulled my panties off. My reward was a growled, “Good girl.”
