Page 27 of Kell

“Bats have natural sonar. They hear us before we approach. I have never hit a bat in my life.”

“If it’s only going to take an hour to get there, then we will still be ahead of schedule if we leave at nightfall. What do we do in the meantime? I hope it includes more food.”

Natalie leaned on the table. “Mara and I will pack a bag for you. I think you should check out the grounds. Go for a walk by the lake.”

Alana blinked. “A walk?”

Mara nodded. “You have been surviving Alana, but you have not been living. Sometimes you need to slow down and enjoy the moments life has to offer. Take a couple of hours off.”

Kell stood and held out his hand. “Let me show you where I plan to build our new home.”

Alana froze as she met his gaze. Home? She hadn’t had one since she left her parents’ house. Lockers stashed all over the world were hardly a substitute. She realized she looked like a deer in headlights, but she’d had her running shoes on for so long, she wasn’t sure how to take them off. She took his hand, but the other snaked out and grabbed a fresh croissant before she stood.

She was nibbling the fresh pastry as Kell led her outside the large, cozy cabin. They took a trail that led to the lake in the distance. “You plan to build here?”

Kell nodded. “All the dragons will build here, eventually. The location is safe, and we can protect our women easier in one location.”

“The temple will be in the dragon caves, so the druids will be attracted to this place once Adara returns,” she said.

“Legion was drawn to this cave. To this location and he assumed it was the natural beauty of the environment and the ability to buy thousands of acres of land here. Now, I think Adara influenced him. She was connected to him then and likely nudged him to take up residence in the home she had chosen for her children.”

Alana’s eyes fixated on the sparkling water as they approached the edge of the lake. Sun glittered off the small ripples created by the breeze and birds chirped in the distance. “I can see why she chose this place. It’s so beautiful.”

Kell’s eyes roamed over her. “Yes, it is.”

She noticed a frog leap from the edge of the lake, and she stepped toward the fringe to watch him swim beneath the water, but her foot sunk into the soft mud. “Oh, crap.” She grabbed onto Kell, and the loud sucking noise as she retracted her leg from the sludge made her laugh. “I am usually walking on rock, not mud.”

“I can use magic to clean and dry you, if you like,” Kell asked.

“No. I have been part of the magical world since I was fifteen. It’s nice to feel... normal. Can we walk back to the cabin? I can change.”

Kell kissed her forehead. “Of course.”

They walked hand in hand back to the cabin, but found it empty when they arrived.

“Where are Mara and Natalie?”

“They are at Mara and Legion’s place. She is baking and prefers her own kitchen. Cole and Rhadan are overseeing the building of the community center. It is close to Mara and Legion’s home.” He pointed out the window toward a natural piece of property by the lake. “Our home will be there. You can start looking at floor plans and decide what type of architecture you like.”

Alana pursed her lips. “I don’t know anything about that stuff. I never considered anything long-term.”

Kell helped her take off her muddy boots and led her upstairs to his bedroom. Then he removed her pants and threw them in a laundry basket in the closet.

Alana started leafing through the clothes her sister had hung in Kell’s closet when his hand slid lightly down her back. Despite the morning light, his eyes glowed with intensity. A fire behind the crystal blue eyes. Her heartbeat raced, and she acknowledged her body’s anticipation as she turned toward him.

His fingers moved to the hem of her shirt before he lifted it slowly up her body and dropped it on the floor. He caressed her skin gently, then pushed her underwear down her slim hips to pool on the wooden floor. His gaze remained locked with hers as he shed his own clothing and stepped closer to her.

Kell’s palms moved over her body as his fingers lingered on the spots that elicited a response. He stroked and caressed her in an unhurried fashion as her breath hitched in her throat.

Alana had always faced her fears head-on, but it wasn’t sex that scared her. The intimacy and trust associated with giving herself to another went against everything her mother had taught her.

“You can’t run forever, little fox.” His voice whispered over her skin as he led her to the bed and lay her down gently. He knelt between her legs as a shiver traveled up her spine.

She had never felt so vulnerable or as sexy. His hungry gaze devoured her, and he wasn’t even touching her. Her eyes moved to his thick erection. “I am not sure you will fit.” Was that disappointment in her voice?

Kell’s smile was slow in coming. “You should have more faith in your mate, but nothing will happen unless you wish it.” His fingers caressed her inner thigh, making lazy circles on her skin until she moaned. He settled his shoulders between her legs, stretching them wider before his palm rested over her heated core. She felt his anticipation when her body clenched, and she quivered with pleasure. His head dipped down and nipped her skin and his silky hair brushed over her skin like a butterfly wing.

Alana cried out when he removed his palm to blow warm air against her heated skin. “Oh, God.” She arched off the bed with the first lap of his tongue.

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