Page 14 of Song For His Siren
He nodded, and the moment hung heavy between them. She couldn't help it anymore. She dropped his hand and squared her body to his. He looked down at her with questioning eyes, but she would swear she saw hunger in those eyes too. She licked her bottom lip and reached up, moving a lock of his long blond hair that had fallen over his eyes.
He took that hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. Her breath caught in her throat as a wave of energy moved through her entire body. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached up on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.
He tensed for the briefest of moments before he slid his hands around her waist and pulled her soft body to his. She wished she wasn't still in her corset from the fair and she could feel his body pressing against her. But then, his mouth started moving against her, and she was lost in this kiss.
The world around them fell away as they connected. She had never experienced anything quite like this before. Calli had kissed her fair share of people. Actually, she’d done more than kiss her fair share of people. Calli often enjoyed the physical side of love, but this sensation was completely new to her. She’d only known this man one day, but the connection she felt was intense.
She opened her mouth and let her tongue trace his lips. He opened to her and deepened the kiss. Before she knew what had happened, he wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he growled, and justlike that, Calli was more turned on than she had been in her entire life.
His tongue danced with hers as he walked them back until her back hit a tree. He pressed into her, and she groaned as she clung to him. Holy shit. She was going to have sex with him right here in the woods.
Only, he pulled back and leaned his forehead against her, panting.
"I'm sorry, Calli. I shouldn't have done that," he said as he stepped back, allowing her space and lowering her, setting her feet on the ground.
"No, you totally should have done that," she said, reaching back up to kiss him.
He kissed her again and gave a small chuckle. That chuckle pulled at her heart more than it had any right to.
"Let's head to Bridget's. I’d like to talk to both of you before we continue this," he said with a warm smile that settled deep within her.
"Okay," she said, and she smiled as he took her hand again and they made their way to Bridget's camp.
Calli couldn't quite figure out what was going on, but whatever it was felt big, life-changing big, and she had no clue why.
7
KHULDRUK
The feel of his mate's hand in his was like heaven. He’d been surprised when she stopped him and kissed him. He’d been even more surprised by the fact that he was ready to mate her right there in the woods, but he wouldn't do that yet. He needed to find a way to explain all of this to her first. She needed to know the truth before she could consent to being his mate.
That thought terrified him. He hadn’t thought this through. He had come here with the intent to save his kingdom and their most ancient and revered magic, but he had not factored in what it would feel like when he found his mate.
He’d known from the moment he saw her she was his mate. He’d felt that from afar. When they interacted, it was undeniable. When she merely touched his arm, it had awakened a need for her he had never felt. It was the call to mate her. When she laced his hand with hers, he knew he would do anything to keep his little mate, but when he had kissed her, the ancient magic coursed through him. The magic called on him to not only rut, but to make her his queen. She was the center of his universe now, and they hadn't even completed the bond.
The idea that she could turn him down terrified him. Now that he knew the feel of the mating bond, he would forever be hers. He only hoped that whatever magic lived in her felt that bond too.
They came to the clearing and made their way to Bridget's tent. As they approached, he saw her head of red hair pulling a pot off the fire and setting it on a picnic table next to the tent, three bowls and a plate of bread in the middle.
"Hello! Come and join me," she said, gesturing to the table.
Calli dropped his hand as they made their way in to help her. He was glad she had knowledge of the ancient magic. He knew he would never be able to explain it all to her, but he had faith that Bridget would be able to help him.
Calli sat down at the table first and looked at the bowl of stew in front of her. "Wow, Bridget, this is impressive. I don't think I've ever made anything over a campfire like this," Calli said with a warm smile.
"Och, it's nothing. When ye've been doing this as long as I have, ye can cook over an open fire."
The wink Bridget gave him was lost on Calli, but his nerves were tying knots in his stomach. How do you tell a human about something as foreign as a mating bond?
"Isn't that right, Dru?" he heard Bridget say.
He gave her a slightly panicked expression, letting her know he had not been paying the slightest bit of attention to whatever she and Calli were discussing.
"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "Would you mind repeating yourself?"
“I was just telling Calli how magical ye’ve found our little fair,” she said with a wink.
"Oh, umm... yes, that's right."
