Page 60 of Magic & Secrets
“It’s not your nature to bond with each other,” I'd heard more than once when I was a youngling. “You were designed by science. You aren’t like other Shifters.”
Even after we were freed, my kind hadn’t changed our ways. I spent a hundred years barely reaching out to my pack.
Meeting Calla had changed something inside me. I wanted more. Returning to Mt. Elysium wouldn’t be enough.I needed Calla now.
My desire for the warrior helped me feel her again. The forest’s whispering faded from my mind. Her scent grew stronger in the air.
The Armgard were powerful, but they could suffer and die. I didn’t trust Calla’s magic to save her. Only I could keep her alive.
Her alluring scent grew stronger with my every step. The forest became powerless against the connection between Calla and me.
I broke into a sprint, shifting from one form to another to quicken my speed through the dense forest. I roared her name, sounding more desperate each time.
A frigid rain attempted to confuse me. The forest wanted us lost, yet I needed to see Calla one last time.
Her lovely scent drew me to the warrior balled up against a boulder. Her weapons, shield, and armor were nearby on the ground. She shivered wildly yet had removed all but her undergarments. My name was on her lips.
I shifted into human form, wrapping my arms around her body. At first, I worried the shivering, frightened creature against me was another trick. The rain suddenly stopped, and I felt the forest playing its tricks.
Calla’s green eyes found me. In the darkness, I saw them warming as she realized I’d returned to her.
“Roque,” she whispered as I embraced her.
“If this forest means to swallow us up, we’ll go out together.”
Cradling Calla, I craved to touch her soft skin. My hand cradled her jaw. Magic filled the air as I gave up fighting my desire for this ravishing creature.
My lips pressed against hers, tentatively, still unsure if what I wanted would create pleasure. The magic between us, thatlonging I’d suffered from since she dropped into my arms, demanded to be fed.
In the darkness of a cursed forest, I embraced what had long seemed impossible.
Calla
THE COLD INFUSED MEwith hopelessness. My skin burned as if on fire. I couldn’t catch my breath. Every moment exhausted me.
I tugged free from my shield and armor. The swords clanged against each other when they dropped to the wet ground. I removed everything heavy from my body.
An icy rain broke through the tree canopy. The Serpent Shifters’ blood washed away, along with my will to keep moving. I gave up on finding Roque. Curling up on the ground, I hid inside the sanctuary of my mind.
I dreamt of Roque and me running through the forest. Not the inky black woodlands of Pandorium, but the bright green and lush land on Mt. Elysium. I imagined us together every day, feeding the magic between us. The fantasy in my head left me immune to the cold.
Roque’s voice followed me in the dream. He called out my name despite being right next to me as we explored the mountain. His scent grew stronger, leaving me lightheaded even in my fantasy.
I opened my eyes to find Roque cradling me in his powerful arms. He wasn’t the male in my dream. This one was real. I breathed in his presence and felt the mate bond burning through the forest’s lies.
His lips found mine. The kiss was hesitant. I draped my arms around his shoulders and pressed my body tighter against his. The magic around us bloomed. Our passion formed a glow,sending Pandorium Forest’s curious creatures fleeing into the darkness.
A heat sparked inside my belly, moving lower, filling me with desperation. Tugging my undergarment over my head, I craved Roque’s bare flesh against mine. His skin was hot under my touch. Roque growled deep in his chest when my fingers moved across his shoulders and slid into his hair.
Pushing me away, he seemed rattled. Before I could react, he trapped me against his chest and kissed me harder.
Adjusting in his arms, I won more growling from the confused yet aroused beast. Roque attempted to hold me in place on his lap. I tugged free, ending up on the ground. His gaze brightened with rage.
I shook my head and insisted, “You’re doing it wrong.”
“Don’t tell me what I’m doing.”
I laughed at his stubbornness and pounced on him. His large hand nearly swiped me away before Roque realized I was offering him what he craved. His arms pinned me to him as I straddled his lap. My hands stroked his jaw. Our gazes met. I inhaled the magic burning bright between us.
