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“No. I don’t hold any affection for Quinn.” She confessed easily and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Clay relax against her.
“Then why was your first thought to wonder if he would be a better choice than me?”
Jade shifted so she was sideways and could meet his gaze. She licked her lips nervously while debating how much to reveal. She flushed feeling guilty because she knew his secret and had felt rejected when he refused to share it with her immediately.Well, I’m a big hypocrite.She peeked at him sheepishly trying to determine if he’d had a front seat into her thoughts again. He made no indication that he’d “heard” her this time so she took a deep breath to gather her nerve.
“I’m a witch.” She held her breath while she waited for his reaction
“A witch?” his tone was skeptical and Jade felt her anger rising.
“Are you really that arrogant? You turn into an animal at will and it’s inconceivable that I might be a witch?”
She tried to hide the hurt she was feeling uncertain about what would leak through their new bond. She called up her power imagining a wall between them, thick, high and smooth without blemishes or weak points. She slammed it in place so quickly the result was staggering.
There was a void where only a moment before there had been his presence. Now she felt cold and alone. He gasped as if feeling her absence just as keenly.
“Please don’t.” The two words were strained, the separation seemed like it was physically painful for Clay, and it might have been because it was beginning to hurt her as well.
“I didn’t mean to sound callous or arrogant. I just wasn’t expecting that. Please don’t shut me out.” He reached for her hand and the contact of his skin on hers had the wall she’d erected crumbling. As it came down his presence filled the void again.
“What the hell?” Jade asked shaking but not with anger. Not being able to touch him even for such a brief time had her going into shock.
“I told you it was uncomfortable.”
“This uncomfortable already? We haven’t mated there’s no way. Not from what you described but all I did was put up a shield between us and I felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin.” She fought the urge to rub at her arms to disperse the creepy sensation.
“It isn’t normally this strong so quickly. It could be because you are a witch and have powers of your own.”
At the mention of her abilities, Jade tensed. Maybe he did want her power. The thought made her guarded, uncertain if she could trust his motives.
What kind of bond would they have if she never opened up to him though?The thought nagged her and she forced herself to open up to him.
“You asked about Quinn before we got distracted by me being a witch. Quinn was chosen by our coven to link with me.”
“Link with you?”
“It’s similar to mating though probably less – amicable.” She shuddered thinking about what her life would be like with Quinn. How the ritual to link them would dim her magic allowing it to bolster his. She explained the process to Clay.
“And you worry that mating with me will feel the same?” Clay linked his fingers with hers coaxing her to lean against him again while they talked.
“Well you’re right I know that lycans exist but I don’t know about your customs or beliefs. Just like you didn’t know about witches or our traditions. Our coven is unique not all witches are expected to merge our talents with our partners but my coven believes that magic should be balanced. After the linking ritual, the men have much better control of their abilities and are more powerful if they have a female’s energy to help balance and enhance theirs”
“Well since I didn’t know witches existed before I met you it’s a safe bet that things don’t work that way between lycans and witches. I’m not sure there are any other relationships like that. We can find out if you want.”
“You aren’t staying though right? This isn’t your pack.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Clay wasn’t sure how to broach that topic. He knew he’d have to reveal why he was there and talk to her about staying in Martin’s pack. He didn’t want to tell her how potentially dangerous that could be but though he hadn’t known her well he sensed she wouldn’t be pleased if he held anything back.
She would insist that theirs was a full partnership and truthfully he wouldn’t want it any other way. He was also reluctant to bring up the potential move because they’d only known each other for such a short time. If she’s been a lycan she would understand how much of a whirlwind mating could be. She wasn’t a lycan though and he couldn’t in good conscience hold her to that standard, yet he felt he had to say something.
“I live north of here. I’m a member of the Yellow Claw pack. I’ve been visiting all of the packs in the hopes of helping our leaders find a solution to a growing problem.” Clay paused not keen to tell her about the fertility issues plaguing lycans. He wasn’t sure if she’d want children of her own but he didn’t want to worry her that if she did he might not be able to have them. He didn’t want to say or do anything that might discourage their mating.
“What is it? I can tell it’s upsetting you. Maybe it’s something that I could help with.”
“Our couples seem to be having difficulty getting pregnant and it’s becoming more frequent. If the problem persists our species will be in danger of going extinct within a few generations if not sooner.” The horror of the situation seemed magnified once he’d said it out loud causing a heavy weight to settle in his chest.
THE SAD TONE of his voice created an echoing sadness in Jade making her wonder if she could feel his feelings through their bond.
