Page 47 of Country and Clove
“Maybe he’s right,” Graham spoke from just behind him.
“About what?” Aaron barked.
“Maybe she is the devil. We should lock her away, just to be safe.” Graham’s eyes were steely on his.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Aaron’s wolf clawed to the surface, making his jaw ache with need for a shift. A sharp crack of lightning illuminated the room, followed by a booming thunder that rattled the windows. The winds gusted against the house, sending rocking chairs tumbling loudly into the outer wall.
“All right, calm down lad. I would never let anyone hurt Clove. I was just testing a theory.” He placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder but he shoved it off.
“What fucking theory?” Aaron snarled.
“Calm down and I’ll tell you.”
Clove moved in again, running her hands along his arms and face. Aaron breathed in her sweet scent, still glaring at Graham from the corner of his eyes. The sun peered through the clouds, letting a pale light in through the windows and everything quieted once more.
“Well I think it’s safe to say it’s not a theory.” Graham strode to the front door and wrenched it open. The sky was clearing and an expanse of blue replaced the cloudy grey. “I’m pretty sure we’ve found the second Celestial. It’s you.”
CHAPTER19
Could this day get any stranger? Clove stared out the door as the storm cleared. She looked at Aaron with concern. His handsome features were a mask of worry.
“Me?” he said incredulously.
“Yeah, you,” Graham confirmed. “Haven’t you noticed the way your emotions have affected the weather? The winds? The dark sky? They only appeared just now when you were having a temper tantrum.” He tossed Aaron a triumphant smirk. Could Aaron really be the second Celestial?
Now that she thought about it, it made sense. The weather did seem to teeter on Aaron’s mood since the moment her powers, or maybetheirpowers, emerged. Aaron’s phone rang but he made no move to answer it. He was still staring at Graham. Clove gently fished it out of his pocket and answered.
“Hey, Gideon.” Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“We got in touch with Ginger. She said nothing unusual has happened today. No emergence of power. She and Hunter weren’t answering their phones because, uh, they were preoccupied. Mate stuff.” Gideon’s words both comforted her and set anxiety spinning through her at once. “We’re still not sure about the other Celestial. We’ll keep a close eye on her for the next few days, but—”
“There’s no need. It’s not Ginger. It’s Aaron.” As she said it, Aaron turned to her, his maple eyes widening.
“Aaron is the other Celestial?” asked Gideon.
“And we’re fated mates. We experienced the bond this morning.”
Gideon was quiet for several seconds. “Congratulations to both of you. I don’t know what this means, but we will figure it out. I’ll have Lark come pick you up and then—”
“We haven’t gotten Tawny on our side yet. The rest of her pack is due back this evening. Then the decision will be made.” She and Aaron were sharing a look that made her heart somersault in her chest.
“Okay. Hang tight there. Give me a couple hours. I’ll get a plan together and send someone to you.” Gideon’s tone was confident and she suspected it was laced with an Alpha command because reassuring energy washed over her.
“Thanks, Alpha,” she offered before ending the call. Aaron was still staring at her in stunned silence. Clove turned to Tawny, addressing the other Alpha directly. “Someone will be here in a few hours to help sort things out.”
Tawny nodded. Her eyes were cautious, predatory. “Why don’t y’all go on back to your cottage? Give everyone here some time to settle down.”
Clove took Aaron by the hand, leading him toward the door. They both needed some time to wrap their heads around the events of today. Graham held it open but didn’t follow. “You’re not coming?” Clove asked.
“Someone needs to be here to make sure these scaredy cats don’t do anything stupid.” He inclined his head toward the mass of lycans whose eyes were burning a hole in her back.
“Thank you.” She reached out a hand and squeezed Graham’s arm. Aaron let out a low growl at the contact and she rolled her eyes, guiding them out and back to the cottage. She and Aaron were both covered in dirt and grime. Their bodies may have healed, but their clothes hadn’t recovered from the stampede.
Clove walked them both into the bathroom and turned the shower to hot. Aaron was so quiet, it was starting to drive her crazy. His eyes tracked her every movement. She unbuttoned his shirt, working her way down the front until it fell open. She pushed it off his shoulders, and the material dropped to the ground. Aaron remained silent, but his body heat kicked up a notch when Clove unbuckled his belt. Her fingers worked quickly, and she had his jeans down to his ankles in no time.
Aaron kicked out of his pants, his body seemingly coming alive with the motion. He dropped his boxers, his cock springing forward, before gripping Clove’s top and pulling it over her head. His fingers were warm as they danced along her flesh. He reached behind, unhooking her bra, then went to her jeans. His movements became more urgent, and the second she was free from her clothing, he had her off the ground and wrapped around him.
He stepped into the shower and Clove gasped as the hot water hit her bare skin. Aaron’s lips claimed hers, his kiss possessive and bruising. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
