by Kimber White
So, I couldn’t grieve for them today. I could only take my Alpha by the hand and point my face toward the sun.
I didn’t need to tell Erik where I wanted to go. He knew. The same desire called to him. We left the others and made our way back over the mountains. We ran side by side. I in my jaguar, Erik in his wolf.
I wondered if it would still be there. My little cabin in the wilderness. If it wasn’t, I thought I might rebuild. Something grander. Maybe even more modern and big enough for two...or more.
We reached the wilds of Flathead National Forest by the next sunrise. I knew the spot by heart. I led Erik to a small clearing beside the hidden pond where I liked to fish.
I shifted as I stepped to the water’s edge. It was cool, clean, and beckoning. I knew where the deep spots were, so I dove in a graceful arc.
As I came up for air, Erik was beside me, eyes shining. We swam for a while, sluicing off all traces of the last twenty-four hours. Then, when the sun reached its zenith over the mountain range, I led Erik back to the cool, wild grass.
He sat beside me and smoothed my wet hair away from my face. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asked.
I smiled. “I missed you,” I said.
His face darkened. “I never should have let him get that close to you.”
“Stop,” I said. “No more blame. No more regrets. No more second-guessing.”
“Did he hurt you?” he asked. He’d asked me that before.
“Only because he took me away from you,” I said. “He marked me to hurt you. Not because he wanted a mate.”
Pain flooded Erik’s eyes. I touched his cheek.
“I mean it,” I said. “No more. You’ve given enough of your heart’s pain to Mikhail Vadim. You’re not to blame for what happened. Not to me. And not to Irina.”
“He killed her,” he said. It was an admission to himself and I knew it for what it was. Up until now, Erik always viewed it as him letting her die. Now, he lay the responsibility where it belonged.
“Erik,” I said. “There’s something...I want…” I swallowed hard and started again.
“I’m ready now,” I said.
His eyes flickered. “Nova…”
“We belong to each other,” I said. “I’ve been fighting against it for all the wrong reasons my whole life. I was stupid to think that joining with my mate would diminish me somehow. It’s the opposite. I think it’s what we both need to be completely whole.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. He held my hands in his.
“I mean...unless you don’t want…”
He silenced me with a kiss. That instant heat flared between us. Familiar. Strong. Mine.
Then, his hands roamed further down. I was still wet from our swim, but the heat of his touch sizzled over my skin.
My body demanded a different answer from him. He gave it. Erik dragged me down.
His tongue was quick as he bent his head and found my nipples. I arched my back for him as I always would. He worshipped me with his lips, his tongue, his teeth. Every nerve ending in my body came alive all at once.
“Erik,” I whispered. My Erik. My mate. My fate.
I opened my thighs for him. New dampness grew between my legs. I was ready, swollen, throbbing. He worked me there, knowing just how rough to go. And oh, I liked it rough indeed.
I was a wild thing, ruled by primal passion. But, I was also ruled by my heart. I knew now it had only truly begun to beat the day Erik Kalenkov came into my life.
No. That wasn’t it. He had been in my life since the moment I was born. I just hadn’t known.
Erik slipped three fingers inside me, sending my heart racing and new pleasure straight up my spine.
“That’s it,” he whispered. “There’s my little wildcat.”
I purred for him.
He worked me into a lather as I bucked for him. He brought me to my first toe-curling orgasm and I knew we’d only just begun.
Then, it was my turn. I went on all fours as Erik knelt before me. I fastened my mouth around him. He threw his head back and threaded his fingers in my hair, spurring me on. I sucked him slow and deep. Then, I doubled the pace, loving how he threw his head back and howled at the sky.
It was as if we were the only two people in the world. The wilderness stretched all around us. We became part of it as we became a part of each other.
Erik flipped me until he had me on my back, my legs spread wide. He entered me, sliding all the way in to the root.
We fucked like that for what seemed like hours. Taking our time. Then, growing wild again.
It was later, as the stars came out we made our way back to the water’s edge. We drank from it. We drank from each other. Then, Erik led me into the tall grass.
It happened under the shadow of the moon. Which was fitting, to serve the wolf inside of him.
I went on all fours and dipped my head. Erik let out a hungry growl.
“Yes,” I whispered. As if there had ever been any doubt.
He came to me again, stroking my sensitive bud with his fingers. He slipped inside and held himself there. He smoothed the hair away from the nape of my neck.
I felt my fangs drop. I would let just enough of my jaguar out for this. Erik kissed me at the base of my neck. I arched my back.
A new pulse of desire thrummed where Erik grazed me with his teeth. He hesitated for a split second, then marked me. I felt the blood flow. There was a burst of pain that quickly blossomed into the greatest pleasure I’d ever known.
The sky opened up. Colors grew more intense. It almost seemed as if the moon and stars dipped even lower so we knelt among them.
Then, it was my turn.
My mark complete, Erik laid in front of me. I straddled him, taking him deep. I found my pleasure as he found his. He was in me. He was part of me. We were one.
As I crested down, I dipped my head. I found the soft space where his neck met his shoulder and marked him as he had done to me.
Erik’s heartbeat became mine. Mine became his.
“I love you,” he said. I smiled, realizing he’d not said it aloud.
“I love you too,” I answered back, our telepathic link complete.
Finally, exhausted and spent, I rolled off him. Erik caught me in his arms and pulled me close.
My love. My fated mate. With our hearts entwined, we watched the stars together.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Erik
Nova and I spent a relatively quiet month in Little Fork, putting her cabin back to rights. Part of me never wanted to leave. But, as much as we wanted to ignore it, the world kept spinning.
Now, we stood in the elevator, ascending to the offices of Wolfguard’s headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Payne waited for us in his suite.
I held Nova’s hand. In truth, I’d barely stopped touching her since the moment I’d claimed her as my mate. Desire burned through us both in a constant thrum. They called it the Rise. It was that critical, passion-filled time after an initial claiming of fated mates. In Nova’s and my case, things seemed to intensify. Her jaguar spirit ran hot. I loved every bit of it.
“Don’t you dare,” she smiled.
“What?” I said, feigning innocence.
“There are security cameras everywhere,” she whispered, scandalized. “And you think I’m going to let you bend me over right here in this elevator?”
I let out a low growl. She answered with a purr. Then, the doors opened.
Payne and his mate Lena waited. Payne’s office was a cavernous thing. It took up the entire south quadrant of the top floor. He was seated on a leather couch. Lena sat beside him.
I liked her. She’d fought with him during the Kentucky rebellion. Like Nova, she had survived a forced marking. In Lena’s case, since she was human, it was a harder road to recovery. She was one of the strongest women I’d ever met.
Edward was here along with my cousins Leo and Milo. Our Uncle Val had even shown up. They’d each come out to Littl
e Fork to visit and for me to introduce Nova. She was family now as much as they were. They embraced her instantly as one of our own.
“Thanks for coming all the way out here,” Payne said.
I’d been in a way dreading this meeting. Payne had given me the time off to be with my mate. But, he had one more promise to deliver.
Nova and I sat down opposite Payne and Lena. The rest of my family gathered around.
“Please tell me you have good news,” I said. Payne cleared his throat. “I do. Sort of,” he said. “We’ve finally gotten some reliable intel from our informant. The bounty on Nova’s head has been canceled. The Ring isn’t actively pursuing her anymore. They view her as compromised after what happened with Mikhail’s pack and with...well...now that you’re mated.”
I felt Nova’s relief flood through her. I squeezed her hand. “You’re sure?” she said.
“As sure as I can be,” Payne said. “But it doesn’t mean you don’t face danger from them. We all do. We still have to be vigilant. If there’s ever a circumstance where agents of the Ring think they can get a hold of you, they will.”
“That’s true for all of us,” Lena said.
“It is,” Payne agreed.
“So does that mean your contract with my late uncle’s been satisfied?” she said.
Payne leaned forward and met her eyes. “That contract is for life. You have the protection of Wolfguard forever. But it’s not just because of Simon Grey’s estate. You’re family now, Nova.”
Nova glowed with warmth. “Family,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I had one of those.”
“You’re a Kalenkov now too,” Val said. “Anyone comes after you again, they answer to an army.”
“About that,” I smiled. “We uh...have some news to share. Is it okay if I tell them?”
Her cheeks flushed, Nova nodded.
“I’ve spoken to Uncle Andre. We’re getting married. He’s arranging everything. The ceremony is going to take place in Moscow at the family castle. In two months. I want all of you to be there.”
Lena Fallon let out a squeal of delight. Nova took her hand from mine and flashed the diamond I’d put on her ring finger two nights ago. It had belonged to my mother. Only Edward knew about it. He’d given his blessing when I took it out of the safety deposit box at our bank. Later today, I would ask him to serve as my best man. Though it wasn’t the same as asking her own father, I hoped Payne wouldn’t mind giving her away.
“This calls for a proper celebration!” Payne said. He rose and went to the liquor cabinet he kept here. He produced a bottle of champagne and popped the cork.
I loved watching Nova at the center of everyone’s attention. She was gorgeous. Her eyes sparkled. And yet I still felt myself grow restless wanting to get her back all to myself.
Only Edward hung back a little from the others. I waited for the proper moment, then went to him. Nova relayed the details she knew about our wedding plans. I had a few surprises planned.
“You going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked my brother.
He sipped his champagne. I saw something go through his eyes then settle. I knew him well enough to know he had thought about telling me a lie but changed his mind.
“There’s still the matter of that strange medallion Mikhail had. We’ve taken it to Nadia’s coven and a few others we trust. No one can source it.”
“I see,” I said. As far as I was concerned, the less I had to think about Mikhail Vadim, the better. “But what does it matter now? We have it under lock and key. Whatever it is, the Ring no longer has access to it, if that’s where Mikhail got it from.”
“But it’s broken,” he said. “That medallion is part of a larger piece of something. And that alone gave him the power to mask the pack’s scent from Nova. And from you when they created that illusion of her. And they tracked her with it. We’ve finished the analysis on the Dragonsteel bullet they shot into Nova. There were pieces of the same metal as the medallion in it. It’s how they tracked her to our safehouse.”
“Nova said Mikhail hinted at that,” I said. “Well, I guess it’s at least a consolation that none of our people turned traitor.”
“Definitely,” Edward said.
“So what’s that got to do with you?” I asked. Before he said anything, I knew. My heart grew heavy.
“Payne’s putting you on solving this,” I said. I looked back at the crowd. Nova still had them enraptured with wedding plans.
“We have to know what we’re dealing with,” he said. “If there’s more where that medallion came from, we need to know how to either destroy it or counter it.”
“It’s dark magic, brother,” I said. “How the hell are you going to track that down?”
His face turned to stone and I knew I had all the answers he was going to give. Wherever Payne was sending him was top secret even from me. And it would perhaps be the most dangerous mission any of us had ever embarked on.
“When do you leave?” I asked.
“Tonight,” he answered. “We can’t waste any more time.”
“Shit,” I said. Then, new dread dawned on me. “Will you be back in time for the wedding at least?”
It was a futile question to ask. It was the job. We never knew when or where it would take us. But, we stayed in the field until it was complete.
“Dammit,” I said. “Be safe. Don’t do anything I wouldn't do.”
Edward’s face cracked into a smile. Laughter rose. Nova caught my eye. It was time to get back to her.
We each had another glass of champagne. Nova made Lena promise to come visit us in Little Fork. That made me happy. The two of them bonded quickly just as Payne and I knew they would.
Then, it was time to go. I didn’t say goodbye to my brother. It wasn’t our way. As the elevator doors closed, I had the strangest sense of foreboding and said a silent prayer that it wouldn’t be the last time I laid eyes on him.
A car waited for Nova and me as we stepped outside. It would take us directly to the airport where Wolfguard’s private plane waited. I wanted to get Nova back to Montana as quickly as possible.
As we boarded the plane, Nova’s eyes held a wistful expression.
“Are you happy, my love?” I asked her.
“I am,” she said. “But something’s bothering you.”
I hesitated. Of course she sensed my worry for Edward. For now, I brushed it aside.
“Come here,” I said, pulling her into my lap as the plane taxied down the runway. “I’m just antsy to get you all alone.”
“You really were going to fuck me right there in that elevator, weren’t you?” she purred.
She squirmed in my lap, finding me hard as a rock. “And you would have let me, my wildcat.”
Her eyes flashed with lust. Oh, yes, she would have.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, leaning forward to nip her ear. She let out a wicked little squeal. “I’ll settle for initiating you into the mile-high club!”
“Erik!” she gasped, but I could already feel her growing heat. I slipped a finger up her thigh and found her wet for me.
She looked over her shoulder. The cabin door was firmly closed. The pilot would be none the wiser.
“Spread your legs, cat,” I whispered. “I’ll show you how to earn your membership card.”
Her sultry laugh undid me. As we soared above the clouds, my little wildcat earned it with flying colors.
Keep reading for an exclusive sneak peek at Edward’s story!
Edward’s Story - CH 1
Secret of the Fae
Wolfguard Protectors - Book Five
Copyright © 2020 by Kimber White/Nokay Press LLC
All Rights Reserved
Edward
Magic. Why did it have to be magic? The stuff has a sickening, sweet scent that clings to you. One whiff of it could make my head feel thick and pound as if I’d had an anvil dropped on me.
Luna Point, Michigan. The place was crawling with magic users and
wanna-bes. It was the draw. From what I understood, the place had just been home to a tiny little pier that offered some of the best fishing on Lake Erie. There had been a harbor and a yacht club, but that was all.
Twenty years ago, Luna Point got its casino license and the town went to hell. In my opinion anyway. I never liked Lake Erie, preferring my adopted home on the more awe-inspiring Lake Michigan in Chicago.
But, they both were a very long way from Moscow, the place where I was born.
A hot, summer, sun baked my skin as I sat on a white, wooden bench across from my target. Downtown Luna Pointe had a boardwalk filled with gift shops, bait and tackle stores, ice cream and fudge parlors and one tiny little place on the corner with an unassuming purple sign in front of it, swinging from a chain.
Oracle Books and Mystical Trinkets.
My target. Its thick incense wafted across the street, overtaking even the fishy smell coming off the lake.
No one else seemed to notice. I sensed no other shifters here. All humans. Families. Tourists. I’d watched them come in and out of Oracle all morning. Not a witch in the bunch either so far, even though the stench of magic hung thick in the air. Nobody even looked my way. They had no idea an Alpha wolf sat in their midst.
I pulled out my phone and hit my boss, Payne’s number. Head of Wolfguard Security, this little mission of mine had been all his idea.
“Edward,” he answered right away.
“I’m in Luna Pointe,” I said. “There’s nothing to write home about. You sure this is where your contact said I should be? I’m sitting in front of the Oracle Shop and it seems pretty ordinary.”
Payne answered by way of a low grumble. His own inner wolf was getting restless. He’d grown just as frustrated as I had lately. For more than six months, I’d been chasing down dead ends about the source of a certain, mystical item that had been used in an attempt to kill my twin brother Erik and his mate.
