Walking the mall with Cat was so much fun. We are sitting in the food court having lunch, when Kelsey and her posse feel the need to interrupt.
“Picking up strays I see, Callyn. God, I thought you had better taste. I mean, you have the four hottest boys in school, I figured you could have picked up semi decent friends. Guess not.” They all cackle, and I do mean cackle.
“What was the point in coming over here, Kelsey? Don’t get enough of torturing people in school that you now have to do it outside of school too? You would think that you would get tired of acting like a bitch all the time. Wait, let me rephrase that, a bitch in heat, seeing as how you hop from one boy to the next, looking desperate. I guess I know why people call you a merry-go-round, because everyone gets a spin.”
Score one for Cat.
“Why, you little...” Kelsey doesn’t get to finish before Cat is up and out of her seat and in her face.
“What? You can dish it but not take it?”
“You should remember, Cat, I know more about you than most. Don’t think I won’t use it against you,” Kelsey sneers.
“Just remember I know just as much about you.” Kelsey huffs as she walks away; her entourage following behind her. I look at Cat as she sits back down. I want to ask but I don’t know if that would be crossing the line. She must see the question on my face. “Go ahead and ask.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“No, I should. You’ll find out later anyways. Kelsey and I have a history. We were friends, best friends. Then things changed the day that Elijah moved to town. We had run into him in the hallway at school, and I knew from the moment I caught his scent that he was mine. He knew it too. Kelsey on the other hand didn’t care. She tried to go after him, but he kept turning her down. He found his mate, there was no way he would betray that bond.
“Kelsey being the person that she is, didn’t handle the constant rejection. She tried to break us up from the start. Always coming up with some crazy plan. Then one day her plan went wrong. In the end Elijah lost his life, I lost my mate, and I stopped being friends with Kelsey.”
“I’m so sorry Cat.” I reach across the table and place my hand over hers. I give it a slight squeeze, trying to comfort her. “Please, tell me Kelsey got in trouble? On second thought why isn’t she locked up?”
“Shifters generally don’t follow human laws. We have our own set by the Elder Council. She got away with it. It was my word against hers, and I give you one guess whose side they took. They told me since I had no proof she did anything, they couldn’t do anything to her. I believe they knew but money talks, and I couldn’t prove that either.”
How could one person be so vengeful? How could she take someone’s mate and walk around like nothing happened? “She will get hers one day. Karma always has a way of coming back around.”
“I hope so, because she would deserve all of that and more.”
“Agreed.”
“Alright, that’s enough of this heavy shit for one day. I know your boys are probably wondering where you are.”
I blush. “They know I’m with you, so they’re okay.”
She snorts. Who am I kidding they’re probably losing their minds.
Cat drops me off at Graydon’s with the promise of seeing me later at the party. Here I stand knocking on the door waiting for one of the boys to answer. I’m not disappointed when Graydon opens the door. Black jeans, black, long-sleeved, Henley shirt, and his motorcycle boots. His hair is messy, like he has been running his fingers through it. His green eyes really stand out against all the black he wears. The second his eyes land on me, he is pulling me into a hug and I can’t help by inhale. I love his scent. I shiver.
“Callie bear,” he says as he inhales and gives me a tight squeeze. “You’re going to have to start dressing warmer, ‘winter is coming’.”
He mistakes my shiver as me being cold, but that is far from the reason. I pull back and look up into his eyes. I can see the smirk he is trying to hide. Game of Thrones quickly became one of my favorite shows to watch with them. I’m obsessed. I’ve been begging Lucian to let me read the books, but like a true book lover he is having a hard time loaning out his books. I’ll wear him down.
“Come on and let her in already. I want to see my angel,” Max says from inside the house. Graydon steps back, so I can enter the house. I take one step in the direction of the living room, when I’m being tackled. Instead of falling, I am swept up in Max’s arms as he twirls us around. “Hiya, angel.” He plants a kiss on my cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
“Good.” He puts me back on my feet. “How was hanging out with kitty Cat today?”
I sigh. “It was great until Kelsey came over and ruined it. Cat did tell me what happened with Elijah.”
“Wow, I didn’t think Cat would ever tell someone what happened to Elijah. I would have been surprised if she ever said his name.” Max takes my hand and leads me to the couch. I sit in the middle, so they can sit on either side of me.
“Kelsey really didn’t give her a choice.”
“That whole situation was messed up. A lot of people haven’t forgiven her for it.”
“She doesn’t deserve forgiveness. How long ago did this happen?”
“Freshman year.”
I don’t know what I would do if something happened to one of them. Cat is a strong person, and when I see her later, I’ll remind her of it.
“I couldn’t imagine.” That’s when I notice that I haven’t seen Lucian or Zeke. “Where are the other two?”
“Over at Lucian’s. They should be coming back soon. Lucian wanted to talk with his grandfather.”
“Okay. So, what are we going to do until they get back and to pass the time until the party?”
“How about if we continue watching Game of Thrones. Lucian brought over the season we are currently watching,” Graydon suggest.
“I’m game.” They chuckle.
Max sets up the disc and plops down on the couch next me. They are sitting so close, there is no room to move without bumping into each other. Graydon shifted so that one arm rested on the back of the couch. His fingers started off by playing with my hair. Now, his finger tips are brushing back and forth on my shoulder. Max has one arm crossed over his body and has been lightly caressing my arm. They keep distracting me from my show.
We’re about halfway through the episode when Max gets up. “I’m going to get us snacks and drinks.” Once Max leaves the room Graydon lowers his arm to around my shoulder.
These boys, my boys. They know what they do to me when they touch me. It’s been there from the very beginning. An energy drawing me to them. From the moment I first touched them, I felt electricity run through my body. My energy, my magic drawn to theirs, calling to theirs. Like now, with Graydon running his fingers down my arm. I can feel the tingle of magic lying under my skin. I know who they are; who they have always been.
Mine.
They’re my mates. When they claim me, it’s going to be powerful. Minute amounts of energy release when we touch. It’s been happening since we met. We didn’t know. It’s part of the reason the Elder Council didn’t want us together, according to Lucian’s grandfather. They fear the power we will wield once we fully mate. We aren’t ready for that just yet, but I want to see what their lips feel like. I want to see what happens. What kind of energy we could release. If Graydon doesn’t stop, he’s first on my list.
I peek at Graydon from the corner of my eye. He doesn’t seem as affected as I do by him touching me. I bite my lip. What’s stopping me honestly. He’s mine. I can kiss him… them, anytime I want. Just go for it Callyn. I shift so that I’m sitting sideways on the couch. Graydon looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I bite my bottom lip again. The motion drawing his gaze. He shifts slightly, angling towards me. I lower my eyes to his perfect lips.
His fingers tracing the same path on my arm, but up instead of down. His fingers didn’t stop. They skim my shou
lder, following the line of my collarbone to my neck. His hand expands around the base of my throat, not gripping. It slides up the slender column of my neck. Stopping just under my chin. He tilts my head back slightly. My heart pounds in my chest. Graydon searches my eyes. I try to convey how much I want… no, need this.
He curls his fingers under my chin, using his thumb to brush across my bottom lip. I part my lips, using my teeth to nip at the pad of his thumb. Graydon growls. He moves his hand to the back of my neck, bringing me closer to him as he descends towards me. His lips crashing onto mine. The second our lips touch, a jolt runs through me. It shocks me, causing me to part my lips, giving Graydon all the invitation he needs.
His tongue enters my mouth. Tasting. Teasing. I push my tongue into his mouth, doing the same. A burst of energy flows from us. Graydon growls, changing the angle of our kiss. My hands fist the front of his shirt, tugging him closer. Sensing what I was trying to do, he uses his free arm, wrapping it around my waist. Keeping the hand on the back of my neck. He pulls me onto his lap. The motion causing me to straddle him. I let go of his shirt and press my body flush with his. My arms going around his neck; my hands fisting his hair, tugging slightly.
Graydon moans. He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes. My chest heaving, trying to get air. I know he can see the desire in my eyes, because it’s reflected right back at me from his. His mouth finds my neck. Kissing and nipping a path down my neck, his teeth biting at the pulse point. I let out a moan, before his mouth finds mine. Kissing me like I’m the very air he breathes. Devouring my mouth, like a man starved.
“Hey guys, did you feel that small energy wave? Oh.”
I pull back to find Max standing at the threshold between the kitchen and the living room. I know I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. They’re my mates. It’s bound to happen. Then I go and do something unexpected, for me at least. I look Max in the eyes, making sure I keep the contact the whole time. I bend down and bite the pulse point on Graydon's neck. Max sharply inhales. I see his eyes sparkle. He likes what he sees. Graydon moans and pushes his hips up; his hard length meeting my core, eliciting a moan from me.
That’s all it takes for Max to close the distance between us. I’m still straddling Graydon, when Max’s hands cup my face. Max crushes his lips to mine. He uses his tongue to coax my mouth open. I let him in. The second our tongues touch, I feel another pulse of energy. Max moves his hands from my face but places them on my hips. Lifting me off Graydon. On instinct, my legs wrap around his waist, my arms going around his neck. I push myself as close to Max as I can get. We both moan. We change the angle of our heads, giving me a moment to draw in some much needed air.
We kiss until we both need a breath. I look into Max’s eyes. I love what I see there. Desire, longing, love. I give him the biggest smile I can muster. You can feel the spark, the current surrounding us. If this is how it feels to kiss these two, I shake my head, I can’t wait to find out how kissing Zeke and Lucian will feel.
Graydon
The show is completely forgotten about the second my lips touch Callie’s. I’m not about to wax poetic about it, but damn. I knew what she wanted the minute she turned on the couch to face me, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t give my mate what she wanted. But now that I’ve had a taste of her, she better be prepared for more. There’s no going back now.
The image of her sitting on my lap will forever be ingrained on my mind. Now, she’s wrapped around Max. I should be jealous. Not even two minutes ago she was sitting on me, kissing me, but I’m not. What I want to do is stand behind her and sandwich her between us, but I don’t. I don’t want to push her too hard too fast.
I did feel that surge of energy. I don’t feel any different though. I watch as Max lowers Callie back to her feet, that’s when the smell of something burning hits my nose.
“Shit,” Max says as he races back into the kitchen.
Callie giggles, but starts to shuffle uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Callie.” She looks over to me. “Come here.” She does, but she doesn't automatically sit down. I grab her hand and pull her down to my lap. I position her so she is sitting sideways with her legs stretched in front of her. “Don’t be scared. This was always going to happen. You’re our mate. You should feel comfortable doing whatever you please with any of us. Do you understand?” She nods. “Good. Now, I want another kiss.”
It’s just as good as the first. Not long after that, Lucian and Zeke come back to find me and Callie in the same position cuddling. Yeah, I know. By the looks on the guy’s faces you would think it was the end of the world. I’m not the cuddling type, let alone showing PDA but hell, Callie brings all of that out in me. She’s making me soft.
I hear the front door open and close. Zeke and Lucian are back. I should move Callie from my lap, but I’m not going to. It doesn’t take them long to find us.
“This is an interesting turn of events. Is there something we should know?” Zeke questions.
I shrug my shoulders. Just because Callie is sitting on my lap and we kissed, that doesn't mean I’m going to announce to the world. I’m going to leave that up to Callie to decide. If I’m not mistaken I believe I got the first kiss. I couldn’t help the sly smile that crosses my lips. I look at Callie, and I can see the blush on her cheeks. She tries to bury her face in the crook of my neck.
I move my mouth to rest right beside her ear, barely moving my lips, I whisper, “You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. You can tell them when you’re ready.” She nods her head. “Take a deep breath. Good girl.”
“What time are we leaving to go to this party?” Max asks.
“We have a few hours, but I want to know what you did in the kitchen. It smells like you’re burning something,” Lucian states.
“Yeah, I had to have a funeral for a bag of popcorn I forgot about in the microwave. I got distracted.”
I snort. I would say he was distracted.
“Okay, something definitely happened,” Zeke states.
Callie gets up from my lap and stands in front of Lucian and Zeke. “I kissed Graydon and Max, on the lips.” They both stand there with their mouths hanging open.
Zeke moves around Callie to stand in front of me. “You better not have forced her.”
I stand up and get right in his face. “You better watch the next thing that comes out of your mouth, friend or not, I will punch you. You know I would never do anything Callie didn’t want. You’re just pissed because she hasn’t kissed you yet. Tell me I’m wrong,” I growled.
Zeke takes a step back before he growls and heads to the back door.
“I’ll go and talk to him,” Max says.
Before I can say anything to Lucian, Callie rounds to him. “Is this going to happen every time I kiss one of you and not everyone?”
Lucian doesn’t answer. Callie snorts shaking her head before she leaves out the back door as well.
“You and Zeke need to pull your heads out of your asses. Callie initiated everything that has happened between us. You know I would never push her into something she didn’t want to do. Screw both of you for thinking that I would.”
I don’t give Lucian any time to answer me back before I head into the kitchen, to the basement door. I have weights down there, and my punching bag is calling my name. It doesn’t take long before I have my hands wrapped, and I’m punching, jabbing, and kicking the bag. My hits are becoming less forceful the longer I stay down here.
I can’t believe Zeke would think I would force myself onto my mate. I know that Lucian didn’t outright say it, but it was written on his face. I’m more surprised by Lucian’s reaction than I am Zeke’s. Zeke has had it bad for Callie since the first day of school. Lucian is usually more level headed. I don’t know what has gotten into them. I stop the bag from moving and walk over to one of the benches to grab my towel.
I can smell Lucian behind me. I turn slowly to face him and what I’m sure will be an ass reaming. What I see on Lucian’s face is de
feat.
He sighs. “I don’t believe you forced Callie do to anything. I’m shocked more than anything. I know we said we would take this at her pace. I’m just surprised. I didn’t think that she would be ready for that, at least not for a little while yet.”
“I know. Look I’m sorry for blowing up on you. I should have given you time to talk, but Zeke pushed my buttons, and I needed to get out of there. I honestly think that if you and Zeke where here when she decided to kiss us, she would have kissed you guys too.”
“You’re probably right. Zeke could have handled that better, and I should have stepped in. This is a hot mess now isn’t it?”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
Zeke
I just made a complete ass out of myself. I just accused one of my best friends of forcing himself on our mate. Callie must think I’m the worst kind of person right now. I shifted the moment I stepped outside. Walking around the perimeter of the fenced in backyard in wolf form helps me clear my head. All of my senses are heightened. Everything is black and white to my wolf. He thinks I’m a fool. He’s right.
Max has been following me at a distance. I stop and motion with my head for him to walk beside me. He shifts into his wolf form. I don’t know how long we walk but it’s long enough that I realized how wrong I really was. The first thing I’m going to is apologize to Callie. Speaking of Callie, she has been sitting on the steps for a while watching us. We lazily make our way over to her. This is the first time she has seen our wolf forms. The closer I get to Callie, I lower my head, and tuck my tail between my legs. I hear her gasp. I sit on one side of her and Max on the other.
“Your wolves are bigger than I thought they would be, a lot bigger.” I lean closer to Callie, to get her scent on my fur. “Can I touch you?” I use my nose to lift her hand. She runs her hand from the top of my head down my back. Over and over, until she stops and runs her fingers through the fur between my shoulder blades. “Your fur is coarse on top but soft underneath. Both of your wolves are magnificent.”
Queen's Guard (Shifter Royalty Trilogy Book 2) Page 8
