Page 36 of Country and Clove
“What do you mean?” The fogginess in Clove’s brain was slowly clearing as she peered into the unfathomable depths of his eyes. When he was this close she could see that soft-blue ring that only showed when they were mere inches apart.
“You’re crying.” Aaron’s fingers brushed across her cheek and up to the outer corner of her eye. When he pulled them back, they were damp with tears. Clove’s heart ached in that same bottomless way it had since the day Aaron rejected her.
“It was just a dream,” she murmured, wiping the back of her hand across her face, eager to leave the sadness of sleep behind.
“What were you dreaming of?” he asked, his eyebrows knitted together and mouth turned down in a frown. Clove knew it was best to make something up. She’d tell him it was a nightmare, something irrational and easy to forget. She opened her mouth to do just that, but when the word slipped free, she couldn’t stop it.
“You.” A fresh trail of tears streamed hot and unwelcomed down her salt-stained cheeks. Pain flashed across Aaron’s eyes.
“Clove…” His voice was laced with the same hurt that dripped from her eyes. She sat up, pushing past the cage of his body and moving to her feet. Why did she say that out loud? It made her vulnerable and weak. She clenched her fists in disgust.
“Forget I said that.” She took one step away from Aaron but his hand caught her by the wrist. He stepped around her until they were face to face. She stared straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the deep blue of his plaid shirt. Aaron’s finger dipped beneath her chin, sliding her face up to meet his gaze.
“I’m sorry I can’t be what you need.” He swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. Clove soaked up the sight of his face. His expression was serious, giving him a rugged look and hiding the dimples she loved so much. Her heart throbbed. What she wouldn’t give for one of those lazy half grins.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t enough to make you change your mind.” The words sliced through her soul as she spoke them aloud and her wolf retreated deep into the darkness within. The ugly truth uttered by her own lips hurt more than any rejection Aaron had dealt her so far. His eyes burned and a wild snarl spilled into the space around them.
“No.” He grabbed her, his hands cupping her cheeks as he drew her into his body. “That’s a lie. You’re more than enough. You’re more than I deserve. Don’t you see, Clove? It’s me. I’m the one who—fuck.”
His lips crashed against hers and her knees buckled beneath the torrent of passion he poured into her. The hard planes of Aaron’s body pressed against her and she moaned with that same desperate need she’d kept buried deep inside since the night beneath the moon. Heat seared through her clothes everywhere their bodies touched. Why was it so easy to get lost in his kiss?
Aaron slid his tongue between her lips, deepening their kiss and sending arousal flooding between her thighs. “You taste like heaven,” he murmured into her mouth. His hands slid down her body until they landed on her hips. His fingers toyed with the top of her jeans and she whimpered with need. He backed her up, never breaking their kiss, until her knees hit the edge of the bed. She dropped onto her back with Aaron’s body still pressed to hers. His mouth roamed down her face as he kissed a trail onto her neck. She rocked her hips beneath him, seeking the hard ridge beneath his jeans.
The dinner bell sounded from somewhere outside the cottage. Aaron groaned, his mouth moving away from her neck so that he could stare down into her eyes. The silence between them made her bones ache. His pupils were blown wide as he panted over her. Clove blinked, fighting to sweep her lust beneath the rug of indifference she’d carefully woven around herself.
“Thank fuck. I’m bloody starving.” Graham’s voice carried to them from just outside the bedroom door. Heat rushed to Clove’s cheeks. She had completely forgotten he was here. “Come on, lovebirds,” he sing-songed before rapping his knuckles on the door. Aaron sighed, dropping his forehead to Clove’s for a moment. He pulled away and offered his hand. She took it, jumping at the jolt of electricity that ran up her arm. The sensation made her hairs raise on end. Aaron gasped and looked down at his own arm.
Graham’s knocking became more persistent. “Oi, you’re not leaving me alone out there with that crazy Alpha. She was giving me the praying-mantis look. I might not be able to stop myself if she—”
“We’re coming,” Aaron practically snarled. He released Clove and threw the door wide. Graham gave them both a grin that made Clove blush once more. He headed outside, letting the screen door slam behind him. The two of them stood staring at each other for another uncomfortable moment before Aaron moved away. He held the door wide and gestured for Clove to walk through.
His eyes glowed slightly with the power of his wolf. “After you, pretty girl.”
A shiver ran up her spine and warmth simmered in her blood. Damn this mate bond. Her body reacted so easily to him.
She stepped out the door and sucked in a lungful of warm Texas air. From this point on she would see this for what it was. A mission. Gideon expected her to be professional, to get the job done. Aaron moved past her and her eyes dropped to the noticeable curve of his ass. His jeans were practically molded to his body.
Aaron glanced over his shoulder and gave her a wink.Professional, she reminded herself. It was only a few days. Surely she could hold it together that long.
* * *
“Ice? From straight outta her fingertips?” The wide-eyed blond man stared at Aaron in disbelief. His name was Davey. He apparently took on the role of temporary Beta anytime the true Beta was away. Dinner had given way to drinks around the fire where the topic of conversation had landed on Celestials and never left. “She the same one who brought that guy back from the dead?”
“No, that’s the Alpha’s mate, Dahlia. Nova’s got ice, Dahlia’s got plants, and Lark…” Aaron frowned. “I don’t know if anyone knows what the hell he really has, but he’s just as powerful as the others.”Maybe even more so. The idea that Lark still held so many unshared powers unnerved Aaron. So far, he knew Lark could slow down time, electrocute people, read minds, and teleport.
“Holy hell. I’d pay good money to see that in person.” Davey passed Aaron another beer.
“Well then just agree to join us as allies. That way you’ll get to see the Celestials’ powers firsthand,” Clove offered sweetly. Aaron cocked an eyebrow. Was she really gonna sneak that in there with Tawny sitting right across from her?
The Alpha narrowed her eyes and tossed back another beer. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, sugar lips. As impressive as your magical friends sound, I need to think about what’s best for my pack first and foremost.”
“But Aaron is your blood,” Clove reasoned.
“He may be my blood, but he ain’t a part of my pack,” Tawny said matter-of-factly. “He made that choice years ago. If he wants our respect and loyalty again, he’ll have to earn it.”
The group fell silent. Aaron had spent years burying the guilt that clung to him when he transferred into the Ulric pack. Back then he’d not only abandoned his pack and his family, but also his responsibility as Alpha heir. Things were so different under Gideon’s rule. He was a fair and loyal Alpha that truly put the needs of his pack before anything else. Or at least he did before Dahlia showed up.
It wasn’t that Aaron begrudged everyone finding their mates, but he’d seen how their loyalty slipped out the window when a mate became involved. He knew if Gideon had to choose, Dahlia or the pack, he’d choose his mate.
