Page 56 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
Which it wasn’t. My mother had Shifted when I was a child, so our existence was known. It was just a well-kept secret. But my failure to share that secret with her had added to Caly’s fears. When she woke, I would explain everything. The trauma that Bas and I shared. Our decision to lock away our Beasts. There would be no more secrets between us every again. I was her mate. Unworthy of her perhaps. But she was mine.
Chapter 65
Calypso
There was a soft knock at my door.
“Come in.” I didn’t look at the door. I had to keep my eyes on the shimmering shield in front of me. It was small, too small to be any good to protect anything larger than a gerbil, and it was wavering because it was taking all my concentration just to keep it in existence. But it was a start. I was effectively as good as a Witch mid-way through their first-year of college. I had a head start, because I already understood the theory of magic, but my practical skills were as wobbly as a newborn foal. I could move a couple of small items if I concentrated and I’d been practicing control, keeping my magic contained, so that when my emotions got high I wasn’t dangerous.
And since we’d gone into lockdown in the Palace a week ago, I really didn’t have much else to do. I wasn’t allowed to go back to my shop, because Luc was being a typical overprotective, overbearing Alpha. It was hard for him to even let me out of his sight, let alone out of the building.
Last night, when he’d finally come back to our suite, I tried again to convince him that it would be safe to go to work, but he went into bossy Alpha mode. And then he dragged me over to the bed, making me come so hard on his face that Ialmost blacked out before he fucked me with a brutal intensity that made me just about forget my own name. Of course, I completely forgot about the shop. Which was obviously his plan. While he didn’t say it with words, I could read between the lines. He’d just found his mate and he was scared. After we’d bonded, he’d told me about his childhood. About his mother shifting when he was young, to protect her family. Marguerite had saved her boys’ lives, but they’d been traumatised by the experience of watching their mother rip men apart.
Marguerite and Simon had taken the boys to therapy, but the damage was done. Both Luc and Bastien had locked the Shifter part of themselves away. Until that night in the parking garage, Luc had intended to keep his Beast locked away forever. But when I was in danger and he was injured, he’d shifted. For me, he faced his deepest fear and let out his Beast. He did so, expecting that I would reject him. If I hadn’t already been completely in love with him by then, I would have fallen even further in love with him at that declaration. The fact that he had potentially given up everything for me, to keep me safe, had made me cry.
Everything about him was over the top and I loved it. It warmed me inside. His love filled the empty places inside me, the place where I’d craved the attention I never got growing up, after I’d been declared Null. Maybe it made me needy. Or broken.
Stop it.A wave of reassurance and love poured down our mental bond.You’re not broken. You’re perfect.
And you’re perfect for me.
I was still getting used to the mate bond and how Luc could read me so easily. Apparently, Beast had bonded with me from the very beginning, but while he was locked behind the walls Luc had created in his psyche, he could only communicate with me in a limited way, such as when Luc soothed away myanxiety. It was also why his emotions had bombarded me when Beast was in control in the parking garage. Since we’d bonded, unless he sent me specific thoughts, his presence was like the sun. Warm and constant. Luc also taught me how to control my mindspeak to him, so that I wasn’t “shouting” all the time and he’d shown me that I could put up a mental shield, a bit like a curtain between our minds. But sometimes my thoughts still leaked out. Like just now.
And because he was perfect, and it was important for him to know I was safe behind the Palace wards with the Presidential security, I could cope with the physical restrictions for now. It helped that Pompy was with us. Pompy loved to roam the Palace corridors and she was delighted with the number of new friends she’d found, especially the staff in the kitchen.
When Pompy was sick of roaming, I spent my time in our suite, pushing myself to control my magic as quickly as I possibly could. I had years of catching up to do.
So right then, when the knock sounded, I really didn’t want to look away from my spell. Which was why I didn’t look up when the door opened. It was a single respectful knock, which was the trademark of the Palace staff. One quiet knock and they waited for you to give them permission to enter. Also, given that there was a guard at my door, no-one was getting into the suite unless they were trustworthy.
“Excuse me miss.” The voice sounded female. Young and nervous, a bit breathy. Maybe it was because I was using magic in front of her.
“Yes?” I knew I was being a bit abrupt, but it had taken me two hours just to build this shield. I was too slow and it was too small and I was frustrated. And hungry. Perhaps even hangry. Hopefully, this young woman had brought my dinner.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I’ve got something you need to see.” I’d asked them to call me Caly not ‘ma’am’ but they just ignored me.
Hmm, not dinner then. Maybe I could turn and still keep the shield in place. I turned my head slowly, concentrating on the spell. The woman had stepped into the room, she was closer than I expected. Before I could do more than gape in surprise, feeling my shield dissolve right when I needed it most, she lifted an arm, bringing her hand right up to my neck.
There was a sting and then I was pulled down into darkness.
Chapter 66
Luc
It was fucking eight at night and we’d been at this since early this morning without a break. I was tired and pissed off and I needed to see my mate. I wanted to sink into her soft body, hear the sounds she made when I had my tongue inside her pussy, as I brought her to orgasm. Fuck. Now I was hard and we weren’t finished here yet. I couldn’t leave. I scrubbed my hands over my face, looking round at my team. After I recognised one of the goons in the parking garage, we had slowly been getting closer to finding out where these bastards were hiding. By tomorrow we’d have them. And even if they were to slip away, the journal was safe in the Palace vault.
But I wouldn’t be happy until I had the ringleader.
And we will pull him apart limb from limb for hurting our mate. Beast’s words in my head were gentler now that we were merged, but he was still as violently protective as ever.Yes, we will, I promised him.We will indeed.
“Take five,” I told my team.
Even though I couldn’t be with my mate right now I could still show her I loved her. I concentrated on our bond, the psychic rope that would connect us for the rest of our lives. Shewas close enough that I could easily tune into her thoughts. I smiled. She was thinking about me.
My smile disappeared with her next thought.Maybe it makes me needy. Or broken.
No. She deserved everything and her desire to be loved could never be a flaw.
Stop it.I sent a wave of reassurance and love down our mental bond.You’re not broken. You’re perfect.
