Xavier

by Reina Torres

  She turned her focus inward, and then shook her head slowly as if she was still searching for something in her head. “There’s only one thing that I can remember.” True leaned into his hand upon her cheek and smiled. “She kissed me goodbye. Elizabeth. She really was here. I felt her leave.”

  This is what love is, Xavier. This…

  As his uncle’s voice echoed in his head, he gathered True closer against his chest, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

  There was an explosion of sound and a lion leapt from the brush beside the waterfall, his sides slick with exertion and his giant paws eating up the wet ground. His large maw working as if he was trying to speak, Locke turned toward them and his eyes sought out True.

  Relief filled his dark gaze and his head dropped, his mane fell forward and they could see his sides heaving to catch his breath.

  “Did you find… him?”

  Xavier watched as Locke touched his chin to the ground before he nodded.

  “And, he’s gone.”

  He didn’t ask it as a question, because he knew the answer. Locke would not have left that man alive. Not knowing what kind of danger he presented. Xavier needed True to know that she was safe.

  Another nod, but this time the lion got back up and left the clearing and the couple to themselves.

  True felt the security of his arms around her, but more importantly, she felt the surety of her heart beating deep inside her chest. For so long she felt apart and alone. Coming to Mystic had been an escape of sorts and what she found was herself. Her mate. And a future.

  For once, her heart and her soul were right where they were meant to be.

  With Xavier.

  Epilogue

  On a rare afternoon of pure sun and summer joy, a small gathering of family took place in Aaron and Celeste’s private, fenced off hot spring. The small deck along the side of the pool was alive with color, rivaling the bright reds of the Japanese Maple trees and bamboo that created some of the shade that the ladies were enjoying.

  Celeste cradled little Aiden as he slumbered with a full belly and his sister Laine sat in True’s lap with her hands full of dark wavy hair.

  “Careful, True. She’s strong.”

  Lifting the baby up in her hands, True leaned forward and blew a raspberry against Laine’s belly. The baby giggled and True repeated the silly noise and that’s when the baby released her hair with a laugh.

  “Oh, you’re so good with her. Eventually, I stopped trying to get her to let my hair go, so I cut it.”

  True looked at her friend in surprise. “I thought you cut it because it was hot.”

  “That was my cover story. It sounded better than ‘my baby’s going to make me bald.’”

  The two laughed and watched as Xavier splashed Locke with a wave of water. True was still surprised at how skillful her mate could be under the water. Even in his human form he twisted and turned under the surface like he was born to it. Then again, he had other skills underwater that made her burn even if they weren’t in the hot spring.

  “Oh, I know that smile.”

  True turned to see Celeste’s eyes sparkling with humor. “What smile?”

  “The my-mate-is-so-hot-I-can’t-wait-to-get-him-home-and… and…”

  Grinning, True looked at little Laine. “See? Mama finally realized that you were here so she couldn’t say the naughty words she was planning on.”

  If she thought she’d gotten one up on Celeste she was wrong.

  “So, you admit you were thinking dirty thoughts about Xavier.”

  True rolled her eyes and Laine laughed and clapped her hands. “Well, it involved a lot of splashing water so maybe it’s not so dirty.”

  The two women looked out at the water and saw that Locke was still sitting in the same place he’d been before Xavier had covered him in water. The only difference was that Locke was dripping water from his hair, nose, and chin.

  “I wish we could get him out of this funk.”

  Celeste agreed quickly. “I think he’s still upset about what happened to you.”

  “To me?” True felt an ache in her chest for her friend. “He took on two of my cousins. If he hadn’t done that, Xavier might not have made it to me in time.”

  “But he thinks it was his fault that you were left alone in the bar.”

  Laine must have felt True’s frustration, because she gave a little hiccup and her face scrunched up.

  Cooing at the child, True felt horrible for letting her mood affect the little cub. “Oh, sweet one, shhh… I didn’t want to make you cry.”

  Celeste touched her shoulder. “She’s probably getting hungry.”

  Laine turned her bright blue eyes toward her mother and Celeste laughed.

  “See?”

  It was hard for True to hand the child over to her mother. She didn’t want the baby to be upset, but there was something so lovely about holding the babies when she had the chance.

  Celeste easily took her daughter in her arm and hugged her close, and True all too happily, took little Aiden’s sleeping form into her arms.

  Cuddling the cub in her arms she felt yet another tug deep inside her body. Leaning in, she drew in a long breath and enjoyed his smell. “I don’t know how it happens, but they smell like snow.”

  As Laine latched on to her mother’s breast, Celeste turned her attention to True again. “What did you say?”

  “The babies,” she grinned at her friend, “they smell like snow.”

  Celeste’s expression was oddly curious. “You can smell that?”

  Shrugging, True agreed. “Of course. It’s a lovely clean smell and…” she stopped when she realized that Celeste was staring at her face and then lowered her gaze over her body. “What?”

  “When are you planning on telling Xavier?”

  Something pulsed through the water, and the men at the other side of the pool looked up. Xavier looked from True’s face to Celeste’s and whatever he saw darkened his features in concern.

  With a short indrawn breath, he disappeared underwater and as she watched him rocket across the small pool, the tan of his flesh became midnight dark fur. It didn’t shock her in the least when he emerged from the water as his panther.

  Carefully holding Aiden in her arms, True looked into the dark eyes of the large cat and smiled. “What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t say a word, couldn’t really in that form. Instead, he set his large paws on either side of her thighs and laid his head on her lap.

  Out of the corner of her eye, True saw Celeste smiling to herself as she held Laine through her nursing.

  Finding some kind of purchase underwater, the sleek form of Xavier’s cat moved closer and laid his cheek against True’s belly.

  At that moment she felt that strange movement inside of her body and realized what it was.

  A quickening.

  The first movements of their child inside of her.

  The panther purred and rubbed its broad cheek against her as she turned her gaze to Celeste.

  “How did you know?”

  Celeste smiled at her. “My sense of smell was crazy good when I was pregnant. It’s still much better than it was before, but when I was carrying there was no way Aaron could hide anything around me that had a scent. I could find cheese puffs two valleys away when I was ready to pop.”

  A shift on her lap turned her attention back to her mate.

  He was watching her with his expressive emerald-green gaze. “You look good, True. Holding a baby.”

  “Well,” she cuddled Aiden close, “they’re pretty perfect to hold.”

  His gaze dipped down to her belly, and she saw his shoulders and chest rise and fall with each deepening breath. Looking at him, she didn’t need a better sense of smell to tell her that he was aroused, but one indrawn breath and her whole body was on edge.

  When Celeste said her sense of smell was better, she didn’t say anything about what it meant to breath in the scent of her mate.

  She could smel
l the water on him, as if each individual drop had its own unique scent, and the woods. The scent of the woods rose up from his skin and into her lungs.

  “Here,” Celeste’s tone was soft and sweet, “give Aiden back to me. I can hold them both.”

  As she did what her friend asked, True could already see Aaron moving around the edge of the spring toward his mate. He would help her with the twins as he always did.

  And True?

  Well, as Xavier moved to the side of her and planted his hands on the deck, he rose up out of the water like Poseidon himself, his naked body giving the water a number of delicious paths to follow to sluice from his form.

  She couldn’t help but notice the thick curve of his erection and tried not to blush at the sight, she knew all too well that they weren’t alone.

  Xavier didn’t wait for her to get to her feet. No, he reached down and took her into his arms, cradling her already curvy form against his chest, and started for the gate in the fence.

  True leaned close and laid her head on his shoulder. “Don’t you want to put something on before we walk up to the house?”

  The corner of his mouth tipped up in a grin. “Your friend won’t be here for a few weeks, so until then we can still use the cottage.”

  As he adjusted his hold on her body, she felt the broad tip of his cock nudge her hip and she groaned. “Yeah, the cottage sounds great. And I guess it makes sense.”

  “Hmm?” She felt him draw back from smelling her hair and nuzzling against her forehead. “Why’s that?”

  “If you don’t put on any clothes,” she reminded her mate, “then all we have to do is get me out of mine.”

  “I’m good at that,” he reminded her.

  “Yes,” she breathed as he made his way up the handful of steps up to the porch, “you’re very good at a lot of things.”

  As the front door swung shut, his eyes darkened and the glimmer of emerald in their depths made her tremble. He set her down on her feet and reached for the line of buttons down the front of her sundress. And as soon as he could work his fingers in between the buttons, he rubbed a knuckle against the lush curve of her breast.

  “Love isn’t enough to say what I feel for you, True. Not nearly enough.”

  “Then show me, Xavier.”

  And he did.

  LOCKE - Book 3

  Home is where the Heart is… She was his heart and he’d never let her go.

  They say it’s the little things that make a house a home, but for Locke Ascher it was one single thing. His first breath of air in Mystic. It wasn’t just the fresh air of the quiet mountain town. It was the scent of shifters in the air. His whole life had been spent in a town composed solely of Lion shifters and that’s how it was going to stay. But, Locke wanted more. Moving to Mystic was just the start of his new life.

  Katherine Lincoln was on her first grand adventure. She knew that moving to Mystic was going to be an eye-opening experience, but the man who came to give her the keys to her new shop was drop dead gorgeous. So what if he could turn furry with fangs and his roar shook the windows, he says he belongs to her and she belongs to him. Heaven help her, but she’s willing to buy into the fantasy. Why not? What could she lose?

  Well, when you’re ‘all in’ with something, you suddenly have everything to lose. And Locke’s past comes knocking on his door and threatens everything they’ve found together. What steps are they willing to take to get what they both want? A Happy Ever After.

  Get Your Copy of Locke

  About the Author

  Who would have thought that I'd start off as a painfully shy child writing stories and end up as a painfully shy adult writing books and publishing them for others to read? Crazy? That's me!!

  When I was a little girl, I read every book I could get my hands on and if I didn't have one available to read, I'd get out my pencils and paper and write down stories and scenes. Waiting for my mom to finish working, I'd duck into the ladies' break room and use the typewriter. I'd feel like Jessica Fletcher, happily tap, tap, tapping away until I got to 'The End.' Couldn't quite get the flourish after that and end up tearing the paper, but it was cool and scary to sit down and read the book or give it to my friends to read.

  Now my 'typewriter' doesn't clack the same way and the I don't even have paper to pull out of it with a nod of satisfaction, but I have the joy and excitement of sharing my characters and books with people all around the world!

  I hope you'll enjoy reading my books, because I'm going to keep writing as long as the characters are feeling chatty!

  Also by Reina Torres

  Reina writes a variety of romance books from Heat to Sweet and back again…

  **ALL of Reina’s books are available in

  KINDLE UNLIMITED**

  First Responders & Military Romance with Heat-

  Justice for Sloane

  When Sloane’s life is in danger, FBI Agent Vicente Bravo steps in to make sure she’s safe, but his heart isn’t safe from falling in love.

  Justice for Miranda

  Retired Game Warden Miranda finds herself in the crosshairs of a drug smuggler. Her former partner, Trace Carson, is ready to protect her, but is he ready for love?

  Shelter for Viviana

  Station Seven Fire Chief Ethan Blaise has seen an entire shift of his firefighters find love and happiness. When he attends one of the weddings, he meets a woman who sets his heart on fire - Viviana.

  The Mechanic

  When offered a job with the Brotherhood Protectors, Adam Masterson refuses, determined to live a quiet life until Blake Lennox walks into his life running from someone determined to keep her quiet. He’ll fix it for her, he’s the Mechanic.

  Shifter Romance that will bring the Heat

  The Orsino Security Series – Three Bears who find their fated mates (BBW)

  Her UnBearable Protector

  He may be the one hired to protect her, but she brought him to life.

  His UnBearable Touch

  Her music calmed the beast within him and he brought light into her darkness.

  Their UnBearable Destiny

  He may be the youngest, but he’s no baby bear, and she’ll make him earn his place at her side… and love every minute of the chase.

  Sylvan City Alphas –

  The Tiger’s Innocent Bride

  When his mate’s life is in danger, Devlin has to make the choice between keeping his animal a secret or saving her life. To him there’s sonly one choice. Love.

  Too Much to Bear

  A single dad to a whole house of foster shifters, Boone asks for help from a Dating Agency to find his mate. How could he know that the first try would be the only one he’d need?

  The Fighter

  When Cage has a hard time understanding how to keep his teenage foster’s moods and asks for help. Who knew that the answer to his trouble was also the missing piece of his soul?

  Bear His Mark

  He’s looking for a mate to have and hold and she’s afraid she’s full of broken pieces. These two opposites might just make the perfect whole.

  Small Town Contemporary Romance with Heat –

  St. Raphael, CA Series –

  Finding Home (this book also has a SWEET version)

  Neither of them wanted to find love when they moved to St. Raphael. Fate & his Nonna had other plans.

  Playing With Fire

  She swore off ‘True Love’ – He wants ‘Happy Ever After.’ How could this end badly?

  Healing Hearts

  They’re both going after their dreams. Little did they know that they’d find love along the way, with each other.

  Taking A Chance

  They dedicated years of their lives to their careers. When they met, they decided to take a chance on love.

  Sweet Western Historical Romance –

  Bower, Colorado Series –

  Home to Roost

  He wasn’t looking for love, so he wasn’t expecting the perfect woman to stumble across his
path.

  Imogene’s Ingenuity

  She came to Bower hoping to work in the print shop and ends up falling for the printer

  Three Rivers Express Series –

  Always, Ransom (Book 1)

  He rode for the Pony Express through a score of dangers on the trail. Danger followed her to her doorstep. Would their love end before it even began?

  Always, Wyeth (Book 3)

  Tillie lived a life driven by her father’s ambition, when she met Wyeth she found joy and love. Will her father allow her to be happy?

  Always, Ellis (Book 5)

  Ellis spent years in prison for trusting the wrong people, but when he meets the Marshal’s daughter he finds himself working harder than ever for redemption… and love

  Ellingsford, Montana Series-

  Stay With Me

  In a world trying to bend their wills, these two lonely souls will find their strength together.

  Her Gentle Heart

  A man who never asked for help, a woman who gave him what he needed, Her Gentle Heart.

  Hold Her Close

  A world-weary gambler meets a young woman trying to keep her family together. Is he ready to make a bet on love?

  Stand Alone-

  The Sailor & The Siren

  He found a job on a paddlewheel boat and fell in love with a young woman whose voice and beautiful soul was the melody his heart was searching for.

  Sweet Holiday Romance

  A Dance for Christmas

  His daughter’s favorite dance teacher agrees to join them as part of their family on stage in the Nutcracker. What a perfect Christmas miracle to fall in love and make their family real!