by Nicole Hall
Aiden had intended her to be a means to an end, but somewhere along the line, she’d become more important than defeating Torix. More important than everything.
The depth of his feelings for her scared him, but he couldn’t let her believe he’d been using her. “It wasn’t like that, marenkya. I never intended for you to get hurt.”
“What did you intend then?”
She was so fierce, so sure he was playing her, that Aiden told her the truth. “I intended to watch you and keep you at arm’s length until I was ready to take on Torix.” He couldn’t resist touching her any longer, cupping her cheek and running his thumb along her lower lip. “Then you tossed me that granola bar and stared at me with knowing eyes. I watched you for so long, and I wanted you to see me. The real me.”
Her eyes closed for a second, those hazel eyes that had captured him in the first place. When they opened again, the anger was gone. He’d known she would understand. Like him, she’d been hidden away, unable to connect with other people. She craved that connection as much as he did. “You wouldn’t let me keep you at arm’s length.”
“Distance is stupid,” Maddie muttered. “Like your dumb plan. Everyone knows bait is more effective when the bait is…” She jerked her head away from his hand. “Would you stop that? I can’t think of a good comeback when you’re getting me all hot and bothered.”
Aiden dropped his hand and took a few steps back to grip the countertop. He hoped she could sense the truth in everything he’d said. “You never stopped being hot and bothered.”
“Maybe, but that’s not the point.” She jabbed a finger at him. “I don’t appreciate secrets that have to do with me. Why not just tell me in the first place? Clearly, I’m well aware Torix wants me.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t want to risk you running away.”
“You literally told me you didn’t want to team up when I offered. What did you expect to happen?”
“I expected you to write me off and team up with your family. They’d keep you safe while I found Seth and got what I needed. I underestimated the love you have for them.”
She huffed out a breath. “I want to stay angry, but this whole no shields thing is making it hard.”
Aiden almost—almost—made a joke about other things being hard, but he was trying to keep his mind out of his pants. Seth’s announcement about completing the binding had surprised him as much as her. The more he thought about the idea though, the more sense it made. The claiming created an intimate sharing of magic, and the mate bond moreso. At the moment, the power ebbed and flowed between them, but the ritual demanded closure.
He dropped his head to his chest for a second, pushing himself back against the cabinets. His arm muscles strained, but his conclusion remained the same. Sex would lock the bond in place, and he didn’t want Maddie tied to him because of his mother’s machinations.
Decision made, he raised his head. “Since you’re not angry anymore, we should talk about the binding.”
Maddie raised a brow. “I wouldn’t say I’m entirely done being angry, but sure, let’s change the subject.”
“You didn’t know what you were getting into. Hell, I didn’t know what we were getting into. If Seth is right, and he usually is, sex would make the binding permanent, so I’m giving you an out. If you tell me to stay away, I will.”
Maddie shook her head and walked toward him. “I may disagree with your terrible plans, but I chose you, Aiden. I’m not going back on that.” Fears he hadn’t let himself examine too closely melted away in the face of her determination. Lexi had betrayed him for reasons he still didn’t understand, but Maddie wasn’t Lexi. She belonged with him in a way Lexi never had.
Maddie stopped in front of him and reached up to brush a kiss along his jawline. “I don’t want you to stay away.”
His fingers flexed involuntarily on the granite. She’d asked him to stop while they talked, and he’d respect that. The edge of the counter dug into his back as he held himself still.
“You’re right. I’m not angry any more. I don’t care about the binding, about Seth, about manipulations done by your mom or anyone else.” She leaned closer, and her breasts grazed him, igniting another surge of need. “I care about you. I trust you, and I’m proud to be bound with you. It goes both ways though.”
Aiden turned his head toward her. “I’m already yours.”
Maddie smiled, and a wave of anticipation damn near made his knees weak. Some from him, but most from her. That involuntary reaction convinced him better than any of her pretty words that she embraced their bond.
Before he could act on it, she patted his chest and moved away. “Good. I’m glad we have that settled. Now about Torix.”
Aiden groaned and willed his mind to follow along. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Don’t be dramatic. I’m thinking we rest up, and first thing tomorrow, I go hang out in the nexus until Torix shows up. You wear the necklace and use your convenient wards to keep yourself hidden. I’ll distract him, and when his guard is down, you murder the fuck out of him. Okay?”
He frowned. “No. Not okay.”
“It was your plan.”
“Like I said, the plan changed.” Aiden pushed away from the counter to grab the pack she’d dropped inside the door. He wanted to carry her into the bedroom and keep her busy for the next lifetime or so until she forgot all about Torix, but even that probably wouldn’t shift her focus. The next best idea involved taking care of Torix first, then celebrating with Maddie. His jaw clenched. Either way, he wouldn’t let their former master anywhere near her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
He dug through the inner pockets of her pack for the necklace. “I’m going hunting. I need more information about the source of Torix’s power before I confront him. You’re going to stay here where it’s relatively safe.”
She stalked to him and yanked the pack out of his hands. “You’re not going without me. I’m the bait remember?”
His frustration boiled over, and he slammed his hand against the wall. “Dammit, Maddie. Can’t you understand that I don’t want to risk you? I can’t lose you to him. Not again.”
She dropped back to the soles of her feet as the fight slipped out of her. Her hand cupped his cheek, and he leaned into it. “We’re stronger together.”
“I won’t use you as bait.”
“Your first plan sucked, but I understood it. I do make good bait. Your second plan pisses me off though. Protective instincts are all well and good, but you’re not the only badass around.”
He grimaced. “Believe me, I know.”
“And you’re not leaving without me.”
Short of tying her to the bed, Aiden knew there was no convincing her to stay. She was determined to face the problem head-on, and he was determined to keep the woman he loved out of harm’s way. Loved?
Fuck.
Aiden shook his head and paced away from Maddie. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get sucked into that trap again after Lexi, but he couldn’t make himself regret his current predicament. What he’d felt for Lexi paled in comparison to his feelings for Maddie. She watched him with her arms crossed while he paced. He’d do anything to keep her safe.
Anything.
Aiden stopped and met her eyes. He didn’t have time for more reconnaissance. Tomorrow, he’d go after Torix on his own, and he’d make damn sure Maddie would be safe.
Tonight…tonight, he’d take for himself.
13
MADDIE
She hadn’t expected to convince him. In fact, she’d been mentally preparing to follow him and save his ass again. Instead, she’d watched him come to a decision. The emotions flowing between them were too jumbled for her to figure out what it was, but his eyes met hers and a frisson of excitement went through her.
If the hunger in his eyes signified anything, he wasn’t leaving any time soon.
“Aiden?” The question came out husky and
rough.
His gaze trailed down her body and a smile flitted across his face as he walked purposefully toward her. “I think we’ve talked long enough.”
“Thank goodness.” She exhaled a jagged breath, and Aiden pulled her against him to capture it.
He groaned against her mouth, and Maddie let go of her restraint. She’d tried to resist touching him long enough to have the necessary discussion, but it had been torture. Anger had been the most effective tool to distance herself, and she gladly released it.
Whatever Aiden had decided, she was on board.
His hands dragged up her stomach, taking her shirt and sport bra with them. She lifted her arms so he could pull them all the way off, and cool air caressed her heated skin. His clever hands found her breasts and teased her with soft touches. Taking his time, enjoying the moment.
Maddie pushed his shirt up, eager to feel his skin against hers. They stumbled into the bedroom, neither willing to let go. Aiden broke their kiss to shuck his shirt and pants. Maddie grinned at the sight of him full and heavy for her.
He followed her down onto the bed and feathered kissed down her neck, leaving rough patches where his stubble scratched her. Maddie didn’t care. She arched up, but he seemed to be determined to go slow this time. When his mouth finally closed on one nipple, her head dropped back and currents of pleasure shot directly to her core. She buried her hands in his hair to keep him there, pulling the hair tie loose. Aiden chuckled against her chest and paid the same careful attention to the other breast.
He worked his way down her stomach, lowering her leggings as he went. She kicked off her pants as his hands traced the curve of her ass. The magic between them lashed at her, insisting they quicken the pace, but Aiden paused and looked up at her with glowing golden eyes. Maddie drew a shallow breath. The corner of his mouth tipped up, and while holding her gaze, he ran his tongue inside the line of her low-cut panties.
With excruciating care, he eased her panties down her legs until she was naked in front of him. Maddie felt the heat of his mouth a second before a long, slow lick echoed in every sensitive part of her. He used his hands and his tongue until she shivered and clenched the bedding in tight fists. Power and tension coiled within her, with release just out of reach. Aiden murmured words she didn’t understand against her skin, and a zing of magic ricocheted into her setting off explosions along her nerve endings that pushed her over the edge.
Maddie lay still for a moment catching her breath, and Aiden pressed a kiss where she was still highly sensitive. He pulled back, but Maddie’s hips jerked toward him. Her nipples ached, and she wanted his mouth on her again. But more, she wanted to taste him. Maddie pushed on his chest until he stood, then slid off the bed to her knees.
“It’s my turn.” Her hand closed around his shaft, stroking him firmly. She licked the glistening tip, then smiled at him.
He wrapped her hair around his fist, and Maddie reveled in the power to make him groan with a swipe of her tongue. It didn’t take long for him to reach the edge of his control. She felt it in the clench of his fingers in her hair, the thrust of his hips as he took her mouth.
Maddie looked up at him through her lashes, and Aiden cursed, pulling her off him and dragging her to her feet. She licked her lips as he eased her back onto the mattress. Maddie watched as he grabbed a condom from the wardrobe to sheath himself. His burning eyes never left hers as he stalked forward. Aiden lifted her leg and kissed the inside of her ankle, her knee, her hip. A fleeting flick of his tongue against her clit, then he was moving over her, his hair loose and wild around them.
He worshipped her breasts as his cock nudged her entrance. Finally. Maddie arched up to meet his thrust. As Aiden sank into her, their magic surged like they’d completed a circuit. Maddie gasped at the feeling of utter rightness. He moved slowly at first, pulling out almost all the way before plunging forward again. She opened her legs wider, and he leaned forward to change the angle.
His mouth captured hers, and he kissed her slow and deep, his tongue mimicking the rest of him. Aiden slid his hands into hers, guiding her up to grip the headboard above them. They rocked together, urged on by the magic swirling inside them, until Maddie couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
She teetered at the edge of a precipice, reaching for him with her body and her magic. He reached back, and the connection locked into place. A jolt of fused power sizzled through her, and she trembled, then fell. Maddie gripped his hands until her nails dug in. Aiden pressed his face against her neck and slammed into her as he followed her over.
Some time later, Maddie lay spread across Aiden’s chest, naked and grinning as she traced paths through his sparse chest hair. Their shared magic had settled contentedly inside her. “Why are you always sniffing me?”
Aiden laughed. “My kind have advanced senses of smell compared to humans. Everyone has a unique scent, and I happen to really like yours.”
“Well that’s a relief. I thought it might be some kind of fetish thing.” Not that it would bother her.
“I can also smell my mark on you after we’ve been together.”
That explained his mom’s weird comment earlier. She yawned, fighting to keep her eyes open. “What do I smell like?”
“It’s hard to describe since it’s not a scent so much as a series of feelings it evokes.” Aiden pulled the blankets out from under her and covered them both, curling her into his side. His hand trailed lazily down her back and up again. Maddie’s eyes fluttered closed as his voice rumbled beneath her cheek. “Blinding, fierce light tempered by softness and compassion. Freedom. Home. Mine.”
Home. They’d gone to his home, and he’d rushed back here with her. Would he leave her once Torix was dead? Mine. The magic bound them, but that wasn’t all. She’d given herself to him, and she refused to regret it, no matter what the future held. They’d defeat Torix, protect her family, and then she could daydream about a life with Aiden.
Maddie was drifting off, but she wanted to tell him something.
“I love your shoulders,” she mumbled. No, not that.
He chuckled. “Good to know.”
Her relaxed body refused to stay awake in his warm, squishy bed, but she gave it one final effort. “Torix…”
Aiden brushed a kiss against her temple. “Sleep, marenkya. I’ll keep you safe.”
She roused once in the night reaching for Aiden, terrified he’d been taken away from her. He held her until she calmed, then the heat built again. Maddie reached for him in an entirely different way, but something niggled in the back of her mind. Something she’d meant to tell him earlier.
Maddie woke up the second time alone in Aiden’s bed. She could tell because she was starfished sideways, and she couldn’t feel the warmth of anyone near her. Her body ached, despite the luxury around her. Next time, stretching. She pulled the pillow closer and inhaled Aiden’s scent. Maybe there was something to his sniffing after all.
The daylight filtering through her cracked eyelids implied she should get moving, but Maddie wasn’t a morning person on the best of days. Jake had accused her of being part sloth once because it took her so long to get out of bed.
She rolled over and blew blonde frizz out of her face. The ponytail had disappeared sometime in the night, and her hair had a mind of its own when it wasn’t contained. She sat up, naked. No surprise there. But her clothes had mysteriously disappeared. Maddie distinctly remembered the sound of her leggings hitting the floor last night.
The room wasn’t well-lit, but she could see enough to know that there weren’t any piles of clothes on the floor. She hadn’t taken Aiden for a clean freak, but he must have moved them. Maddie threw the covers off and hit the bathroom.
She found a neat stack of several pairs of undies that she’d washed yesterday – the day before? – and silently thanked her mom for instilling a sense of prudence. Her pack with her toothbrush was still in the living room, but she did her best rinsing her mouth out, finger combing her hair, and
washing her face. Clad in underwear and nothing else, Maddie sauntered out of the bedroom expecting to see Aiden.
The cabin was empty.
Maddie frowned. Last night had been amazing, and she’d finally felt like she belonged, completely connected to Aiden. She’d expected to wake up with him this morning, but clearly that wasn’t happening. A warm breeze that did not belong in January wafted across her bare skin from an open window. She spotted her long-sleeve shirt, bra, and leggings neatly folded on the table. Her panties were missing, but there were plenty of clean ones in the bathroom.
Belatedly, Maddie remembered that Seth had been prowling around the house yesterday. Nothing stopped him from being there now since he could apparently come and go through the wards as he pleased. She quickly got dressed and peered out the window.
The plants in Aiden’s garden swayed gently in the breeze, but the man was missing. Her boots had been lined up neatly by the door, so Maddie laced them up and went out to look around. Her frown deepened. The knee-high vegetables in his garden didn’t do much to obstruct her view. She could see from one end of the empty circle to the other.
Where was Aiden?
A gust pushed through the trees, and Maddie glanced up. The sun peeked past the canopy, so it must’ve been almost noon. Nothing made any noise beside the wind. She shook her head at the sensation of being alone in the world.
They’d expended a lot of energy last night, so it made sense that she’d needed to rest, but even she didn’t normally sleep this late. The shimmer of the wards caught her attention, and Maddie watched the sheer magic undulate above the stones. Unlike before, she could see them clear as day, and strangely, she could feel the wards as if she’d cast them herself. The magic in front of her wasn’t flowing so much as floating.
When she reached out, her hand slid to the side like it had before, but the ward felt solid this time, smooth and hard to the touch. No matter how much she pushed, it didn’t give at all. With a grunt, Maddie stepped back and narrowed her eyes. What had Seth done?
