Page 76 of Of Magic and Murder

I give him an impish shrug. My hand caresses my lower belly, and all I say is, “Just thinking about you and me having kids one day.”

Riordan jolts, and for a moment, I think I’ve done just enough to make him rethink this mating thing. But then, in the next heartbeat, he’s rushing toward me, taking my elbows in his grip, staring down at me in a mix of lust and wonder.

“Forget Delilah,” he says, his vow deliciously deep and husky. “I want you under me, Pen, accepting every drop of seed I have until it takes and I get to parade you around Moonburrow, belly big with as many pups as you’ll give me.”

Ooh… my normally composed Beta mate has a bit of a breeding kink.

I go up on my tiptoes, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Later, love.”

He growls in frustration, though I know he doesn’t quite mean it. Oh, if I agree to pretend Delilah isn’t knocking at the door, he’ll have me stripped in seconds. But he won’t push it. My predator knows better, and if there’s anyone with the ability to swallow their commands, it’s Riordan.

“Fine,” he concedes. “Let’s go get rid of the witch and get down to business.” His lips curve, flashing a hint of fang. “I’m thinking two pups to start. A rambunctious pair of boys like Max and me. Yeah?’

“Whatever you say.” A beat. “Mate.”

Gripping my chin, he takes a much deeper kiss than I’m expecting. By the time he breaks it, heading out of the room, I’m both breathless and weak in the knees—and wondering if what the coven leader needs is really that important.

You know what else?

This is fun. As the cursebreaker, I have a reputation in my community. I had to always be on, always be professional, and my own insecurities led me to being both anxious and absent-minded when the stress got to be too much. Then, after I met Riordan, we didn’t have the greatest start—especially since he seemed to think I murdered Olivia at first, even if he says his wolf knew all along that I was innocent—and then I was so sure he was only sticking around because of my failed locator spell.

Only it didn’t fail, did it? It brought him back to me, and no longer ignoring his wolf’s instincts, he stayed close because I am his mate. And since he’s mine, I heft up my skirt and hurry after him in time to see him open the door and give that familiar closed-off expression to Delilah.

You’d never think he was seconds away from throwing me onto the bed and mounting me, I marvel as I stare at him, distracted from his beauty only when Delilah catches sight of me and calls out my name.

I move so that I’m standing right next to Riordan. “Delilah? So nice to see you.”

A small nervous grin from the head witch as her gaze darts between us. “Penelope. Riordan. I’m sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Riordan looks down at his bare chest. My shirt is a little askew. I’m sure both of our eyes are bright, and I can feel my face get hot. Oh, yes. She was definitely interrupting something and she knows it.

I shrug. Hey. I’m mated and my mate is this hunk of gorgeous wolf. If there’s one thing I don’t have to be ashamed of, it’s my feelings for this male. “Nothing that can’t be continued later. But what about you? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

Delilah worries her bottom lip with her teeth. A fleeting glance at Riordan again, then one at me. “I came because I… I need Penelope’s help.”

Of course she does.

Well, look at that.

Shoe? Dropped.

CHAPTER 22

SACRIFICE

mother? can we visit the magic lady and gus’s wolf friend?

they need us.

— gus

Something is wrong with Delilah.

I know it the moment I see her. It might be the way she keeps wringing her hands together, or how her usual bright smile looks like she had to remind herself to put it on before she approached us. Even the soft orange magic that normally clings to the chipper yet professional illusion witch seems subdued today.

Then again, I think it’s because she’s not as comfortable around Riordan as she was the last time we met…

A surge of jealousy rushed through me as I remember how he charmed her while sitting inside the coven house and how she seemed to enjoy the younger male’s attention. I understand now that he already considered me his mate—he did from the moment he got over himself and came back to Moonburrow—but he’s also been in law enforcement for more than a decade. To most of the supernatural town, Riordan is the ‘good cop’ to the Alpha’s ‘bad cop’, and he played that role perfectly when trying to get intel out of Delilah.