I pressed my forehead against the wooden door. Despite the cold, sweat beaded on my brow as waves of lust rolled over me. I wanted her so badly. Badly enough to burst into that room, rip her away from the bear, and take what the goddess had gifted me.
Only if I did what my body wanted, we’d be mated for life.
That couldn’t happen. My mother would never tolerate her son mating a female from a different species. She expected me to mate a mermaid, sire the next generation of merbabies, and then ascend the throne.
Raven could never be my queen. She lacked gills and could not survive underwater. Hell, she couldn’t even swim!
Her sweet perfume hit me in the balls. The scent of her arousal triggered my mating frenzy, and my cock throbbed in my pants, threatening to shred the thin fabric as my body readied itself for her.
I clutched the door frame, not caring that my nails shredded the wood, scoring deep marks in the paintwork. Blood andpheromones pumped through my veins. Heat rose from my skin. Steam and musk, my special scent, designed to send my soulmate wild with lust, filled the air.
My sanity clung to a knife-edge as my body grew bigger, harder, and thicker.
Oh goddess, forgive me for what I am about to do…
“You okay?”
A heavy hand fell on my bulging shoulder, and I leaped into the air like I’d been electrocuted.
The mage looked at me with a mixture of concern and sympathy. Could he smell her arousal too? Probably not. Mages and witches weren’t blessed with enhanced olfactory senses like shifters and aquatic species.
“I’m fine,” I gritted out, while my nails remained attached to the door frame. The mage nodded in understanding.
“Maverick’s credit card will take a hit.” He looked at the shredded wood and smirked. “Oh well.”
Fuck. He was right. I closed my eyes and forced myself to step back. The witch was off-limits, no matter how much my primitive self wanted her. As soon as the danger passed, I’d jump into the river and swim home. Some time spent underwater would restore my shredded equilibrium. And if that didn’t work, I’d track down the old sea witch and see if she knew of a way to get rid of the bond I didn’t want.
Alaric patted my shoulder. “I brought a bottle of elderwine. Want some?”
The witch’s room had gone silent. Our conversation must have disturbed them. At least the bear hadn’t come charging out to see why I’d camped outside his door. I felt grateful to be spared that embarrassment, at least.
“Yeah.” The mage strode off down the corridor, his hands tucked in his pockets. I had the feeling he was putting on a show for my sake, and beneath the calm exterior, fires raged.
I tore myself away from the ruined door and adjusted my pants. My cock hadn’t softened one bit, but the light was dim, and unless the mage checked me out, he wouldn’t notice.
He disappeared around the corner, and I padded after him. By the time I reached our bedroom door, my head had cleared and the mating frenzy was over. I exhaled and took the glass of elkwine he offered.
“Thanks.”
He nodded and went into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind him. The shower turned on a few moments later.
Dawn was only a few hours away, but there was still time to catch some sleep. Tomorrow would be a long-ass day, and the thought of being stuck in a moving vehicle for hours with no access to water made my skin itch, but I’d survive.
By my estimation, it would take us at least two days to reach the island where Raven wanted to go. Once there, we’d have to travel on foot. There was a small settlement by the harbor, but no roads into the mountains.
I still wasn’t sure why we were risking our lives visiting such an inhospitable place. The entire area was prone to seismic events, although nothing had happened in the last thirty years.
The bear shifter had revealed nothing to me about the purpose of this trip, but I’d heard the witch mention a vampire. I assumed they were all dead, but if she believed otherwise, then one must have survived the virus.
I sank down on my bed and pulled the cover over me, intending to sleep, but something heavy landed on my feet. When I sat upright, I spotted the witch’s familiar with a sparkling gem in his mouth.
He threw me an innocent look and hopped off the bed. The mage walked out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Why’s the kitsune here?” he asked, his brow pinched in confusion.
“No idea.”
“Ugh. The others must have thrown him out so they could have some privacy.” He scowled. “It’s not sleeping on my bed,” he muttered as he dropped his towel and grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor. I averted my gaze while he got dressed.
