Page 22 of A Mate for the King
Chapter Seven
It was some time before Zehr and Cora were able to disentangle themselves from one another, but when they did, Cora felt a lightness in her spirit. She had always scoffed at the gushing of newly mated omegas, believing all the starry-eyed looks and excited whispers to be nothing but the product of overactive imaginations and too much optimism.
She had been so wrong.
She lifted her eyes to her alpha and a smile tugged at her lips as she saw him absentmindedly touch the fresh bond bite at his neck. He was wearing a green tee, and the soft jersey material of the shirt perfectly showcased the new mark.
She ran a hand through her hair and did her best to pay attention to what was going on around her, but it was a difficult task to accomplish with erotic images of her alpha screaming her name swimming through her mind’s eye.
Zehr had brought her to meet a few members of his clan, all higher elders from the look of the tattoos that covered their hands, necks and arms. At first Cora had shrank back in intimidation at the sight of so many elders, a sight that had always inspired fear in her as a Moonwater omega. But a comforting word from Zehr and his hand at the small of her back had calmed her.
“They are pack. You are safe with them,” he had rumbled, giving her a reassuring smile, and indeed the elders had welcomed her with warm smiles and open arms.
“Are you comfortable with that?”
Zehr’s question jolted her from her thoughts and Cora blinked owlishly at him.
“Sorry?”
Zehr chuckled and reached out to tug on a lock of her hair. “I have to go for a few minutes. There’s…” He waved a hand at the elders nearby and rocked back on his heels. “A meeting I need to be a part of. I’ll go and listen for a few minutes, give them enough instruction to cool tempers. Will you be alright until then?”
Cora nodded automatically. She wouldn’t be a burden to her alpha, not now, not ever.
“Of course. Go on, I’ll be here.” Cora smiled at him and reached out ready to press herself close, to touch her lips to his as some of her magic starshine spilled out of her and onto him, but Zehr only nodded quickly at her words and stepped back.
The step away was small, but to Cora it felt like a yawning gulch. She swallowed hard, wondering how she had gone from feeling bright, shiny, and happy to alone and second-guessing herself.
Her hand fluttered to her chest, fingers rubbing at her sternum where the seat of her magic was.
It ached.
Cora’s eyes widened when realization dawned on her. It wasn’t just the bliss of a new bond, but her magic itself that had been humming like starshine and sparkles through her body.
Now that feeling was dulling, and she almost groaned out loud. It hadn’t been romantic nonsense earlier when she had thought her magic had recognized Zehr.
It truly had.
Her magic was now, it seemed, bonded just as much to her alpha as it was her. Or rather her response to her alpha.
She pursed her lips, not enjoying the thought of her magic being at the mercy of her heart. Her eyes darted up tot Zehr, who was looking away from her at that moment.
Bond-fueled magic could prove to be a problem, especially when only a moment before shehadfelt connected to her alpha, tethered to him by their bond bites, but now she was right back to where she had been that morning when he had said the wordsI don’t know.
She would be lucky if she could magic her way out of a paper bag at this rate.
Zehr gave her a quick nod and without a word turned away from her, and like a light switch the flame of her magic stuttered and nearly went out.
Cora rubbed a hand against her chest and worked to control her breathing. It hurt the way he could turn so easily from her. A new bond was supposed to be intense, but already Zehr was moving on to more pressing matters. She took another measured breath and blinked against the tears that pricked her eyes.
Why was she getting so emotional?
Of course, he had to attend a council meeting. The shifter world hadn’t been the most stable since his father’s murder.
He alone was the one responsible with guiding the clans into something resembling peace.
Steeling herself against the feeling of loneliness, of her hindbrain screaming at her that she had been abandoned, Cora wrapped her arms around herself and turned to survey the empty camp around her. Everyone had vanished alongside Zehr to the meeting.
Now the small space where three paths met, forming a crossroads, was empty with only the rustle of the trees and chittering of nearby pixies for noise.
