A shaky breath whooshed out of her, and she froze in surprise when heat flooded her as she remembered the last bite…and all that it entailed. She dropped her gaze and cleared her throat awkwardly when Caedmon chuckled, as if charmed by her reaction.
“A bite only.” He laid down his sword at her knees, giving her a hooded look as he peered up at her. “I’ve spent my whole life waiting for you. There is no way in hell that I’m giving up a chance to woo my mate.”
Morgan wilted in relief…which did nothing to explain the pang of disappointment that quickly followed. She ignored it, chalking it up to stress, and shot him a grateful smile. “I would love to get to know you more.”
Her breath caught as a brilliant smile spread across his face, transforming him from a fierce warrior to a stunningly handsome man. The tattoos on his face only made him even more striking, her fingers itching to trace the marks, and she curled her handsinto fists to resist the impulse.
Her eyes dropped to his mouth, the small fangs looking sharper this close. She waited for a twinge of fear or a hint of unease, but her brain must have gotten its wires crossed. Instead of fear, lust heated her core, and she barely resisted the impulse to squirm with the need. She cleared her throat twice before she found her voice. “How do you?—”
“Not me.” Caedmon dropped down on both knees, then rested back on his heels, placing both his palms flat on his thighs. “You are the alpha queen. You are the one who must lay claim.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ATLAS
Morgan shivered at the deep yearning in his raspy voice. A kaleidoscope of emotions twisted through her, swiping away the last of her reservations. Logically, she could think of a dozen reasons why this would be a disaster, but none of that mattered.
She wanted the life he’d described, her stomach fluttering at the idea of being romanced. A tiny part of her was worried about being able to live up to his expectations. He’d waited over a millennium for a mate. What if she wasn’t enough?
Her chest tightened, and she glanced down at the sword lying between them, noting the ancient design absently. “What if I’m not good enough? You’ve been waiting so long for the perfect woman, but I’m far from tha?—”
A chime went through the house, and her mouth snapped shut. She was so on edge, she shot to her feet, her jewelry melting down to blades. Heart thundering against her ribs, she whirled to face the door, worried that they were being attacked.
Again.
“Morgan!” Mistress McKay and MacGregor stepped in front of her, the witch shooting her a look of apology. “That would beWard and Shade arriving from the Academy. The chime is like a doorbell. The house was just alerting us to open the mirror.”
There was a flurry of motion outside the door, loud thumps and thuds, then Loki launched to his feet from where he’d been spying from the hallway. His feet scrambled, almost like he was running in place, his ears swiveling forward as he slowly gained traction, his claws digging into the floor. He didn’t spare them a glance as he scrambled down the stairs in a streak, his red eyes sparkling in anticipation.
“No maiming or death!” Draven shouted after the pup. He shot her a sheepish smile and shrugged. “I said if he stayed out of sight during the meeting with the fae, that Shade would come and play with him.”
Morgan’s lips twitched, and it took her a moment to lower her blades. She relaxed her grip slowly, still caught between her flight-or-fight instincts, her brain struggling to switch modes.
But there was no delaying the inevitable.
While she wanted to claim Caedmon, a case of nerves made her hesitate.
Once the decision was made, there was no going back.
She wanted to do the right thing
He deserved nothing less.
MacGregor grasped her by the shoulders, the tight grip grounding her. His faded blue eyes softened when he noticed her turmoil. “Your instincts have been honed over the years. It’s kept you alive when most people would’ve succumbed. Trust that instinct now. What is it telling you to do concerning Caedmon?”
Not giving herself a moment to overthink it, she said the first thing that came to her mind. “That he’s a good guy. He would give his life to protect me. And the thought of anything happening to him makes me sick to my stomach.”
“You would start a war to protect him.” MacGregor’s voice was gravelly. “While your brain is still processing all the revelations of the day, deep down, you’ve already claimed him.”
A strange calm swept over her at his simple logic. Her necklace warmed and twisted around her neck. Magic left in arush, and she glanced down to see two wolves were twisted around each other in a circle, much like a yin and yang symbol, one silver and the other black.
Tears pricked her eyes at the gorgeous symbol.
It felt like her mother was giving her approval from beyond the grave.
She felt suddenly foolish for panicking. She leaned forward and kissed MacGregor on the cheek. “Thank you so much for your support over the years. I know that I’m not your daughter, but you?—”
“You are in every way that matters.” His low voice was gruff, and he cleared his throat, blinking a sheen of tears away from his eyes. He curled his arm around Mistress McKay and pulled her close. “We’ll be here if you ever need anything.”
