Mate Bond

by Jennifer Ashley

  Kenzie stared at him. “What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t feel it until later, and only figured it out when I was trapped in the mists.”

  Gil shook his head. “I’m sometimes amazed at the things I can see, but I’ve stopped letting it bother me. I wasn’t completely sure what I was looking at when I saw the sparkling threads coming out of your chest. When the warmth inside me built . . .” He again pressed his hand to his chest. “I thought about how you and me seemed to connect so well, and I let myself believe . . .”

  “Oh.” Kenzie had been wanting to gut him for making her think they shared the bond, but her anger turned to sympathy. Remembering the anguish she’d felt, she could imagine Gil’s dismay when he discovered he’d been mistaken.

  Gil’s eyes held a sadness. “I saw the threads in Bowman too, when I met him. But neither of you seemed to notice, so I let myself believe. A thousand years is a long time to be alone.”

  Bowman had gone silent, but Kenzie looked at Gil in compassion. “When did you figure out you were wrong?”

  “When I saw Bowman after you got trapped. The threads around him were—I don’t know—desperate. They were stretching out, looking for you, crying out for you. It was heartbreaking. I knew then that you two had always shared the bond—that you had a powerful and profound connection. It was such a natural part of you that you didn’t even know it.” Gil shook his head. “It took both of you being in terrible danger for you to realize it. You two were trying so hard to feel what ordinary Shifters felt, that it didn’t occur to you that the pair of you are extraordinary.”

  “Oh,” Kenzie said. She glanced at Bowman, remembering every encounter with him since the first, her constant awareness of him, her need to tease and dare him, the way she’d so easily accepted that they would be mates. She’d made him persuade her the day he’d come to mate-claim her, but Kenzie had already known, in her heart, that she’d go home with him.

  Bowman still had to growl at Gil. “And it took you, oh wise one, to show us the way?”

  Gil grinned, his humor returning. “Nah, you would have got there. Eventually. Goddess, but you two are stubborn.”

  “And you are a pain in the ass.” Bowman gave him a growl. “Are you sure you’re not some kind of Fae?”

  Gil held up his hands, and deep pain flashed in his brown eyes. “Don’t ever call me a Fae. Those bastards wiped out everyone I held dear—don’t ever confuse me with anything Fae.”

  Kenzie gentled her tone. “Or a ghost?”

  Instantly, Gil’s rage departed, and his amusement returned. “That’s just fun. That family really did adopt me a hundred and fifty years ago and left me the house. And everyone loves a ghost.”

  Bowman said nothing, but looked slightly less angry. Kenzie looked Gil over. She didn’t understand him, and thought she might never, but he’d helped them every step of the way.

  “Is your name really Gil?” Bowman rumbled at him. “Graham called you Ben.”

  Gil shrugged. “Neither.” He winked at Kenzie again. “You couldn’t pronounce it.”

  “And why didn’t you tell us?” Kenzie asked. “Why pretend to be the cop? Why the glam?”

  Gil let out a breath. “Well, to be honest, gnomes or goblins—whatever you want to call me—are not that good-looking to humans. And I’ve lived in stealth mode so long that it’s my natural state. I don’t know how to open up and be myself. When I heard about the attack of the beast, I knew I needed to investigate. It smacked of Fae. And if I’d told you I was from Faerie, you’d have gone for my throat first and asked questions later. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t. So I used a persona you’d find agreeable. When the creature turned up dead real quick, I planned to move on. But then . . . I thought I had a connection to you, Kenzie. I wanted to stick around and see what was going on, and I wanted to help.”

  “Do you still feel it?” Kenzie asked him softly.

  “Yes,” Gil said, his eyes quiet. “But I know it’s not with you.”

  Kenzie’s anger had gone, and now she felt sad for him. “That means she’s still out there,” she said to Gil. “The other half of your mate bond.”

  “If it even is a mate bond,” Gil said. “I’m not Shifter; I’m not even human. What I am feeling, the person I need—it might not be that simple.” He shrugged. “I guess I keep on looking. Maybe someday . . .”

  Kenzie was still curious about the enigma that was Gil, but at the moment she was restless, wanted to go home, and wanted to see her cub. “When can I get out of here?” she asked.

  Gil took a step to the bed and touched the handcuff around Bowman’s wrist. The locks clicked, and the cuff fell away from him and the bed, Bowman jerking in surprise. Gil caught the cuffs before they hit the floor and tucked them around his belt.

  “You’ve got some healing to do first, young lady,” Gil said sternly to Kenzie. “Do that, then have your fun with Bowman. Maybe once you feel better, I’ll tell you my life story.”

  Bowman rubbed his wrist and gave Gil a hard stare. “Can’t wait.”

  Gil laughed. He turned away and beckoned to someone outside the door. “Another person to see you. She’s been hoping you’d wake up soon.”

  A woman in a white coat breezed in, her eager smile in place. “Remember me?” she asked. “Dr. Pat, the vet?”

  “Nice to see you again,” Kenzie said, wondering that she had ever been jealous of the woman. What Kenzie had with Bowman left jealousy and anger far behind. Those were surface emotions, while the real ones were deep, deep down. “Don’t tell me they called you in to work on us.”

  “Afraid they did,” Dr. Pat said. “Some of your Shifters were injured so much in their animal forms that they couldn’t shift back. Gil told the hospital to call me, and here I am.” She looked pained. “That grizzly bear sure is grumpy.”

  Kenzie grinned, her heart light. “Cade doesn’t like to admit when he’s hurt.” She gripped Bowman’s hand again, his warmth flowing through her. “Thank you, Dr. Pat. I mean that.”

  “Don’t mention it. While they were fixing you, Kenzie, something came to light, and I asked to be the first to tell you. And you,” she added to Bowman.

  Bowman half sat up, his eyes narrowing. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing at all.” Dr. Pat’s smile widened. “Kenzie’s pregnant.”

  Kenzie blinked a moment. “What? How can I be?” Her hand went to her abdomen. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.” Dr. Pat held up a file folder. “I have the proof right here if you want to look.”

  Kenzie gaped, while Bowman’s hand clamped down on hers. Kenzie knew she’d never understand a single thing on a doctor’s chart, so she didn’t reach for it.

  Then worry washed through her. “But I was hurt. Shot, for the Goddess’s sake. How could . . . How could the cub survive?” She swallowed, fearing the answer.

  Dr. Pat looked cheerful. “Shifters have an amazing physiology and sense of self-preservation. Even cubs inside their mamas, it seems. The bullet went nowhere near it, and even though you lost a lot of blood, your tissues healed fast, and your blood count is already back to normal. Your uncle Cristian told me that pregnant females become even more robust—they have to be, he said. The doctors checked you and the cub inside you thoroughly. So far, you’re fine.”

  “But I thought I couldn’t conceive again,” Kenzie said in a rush. “I thought Bowman and I would never . . .”

  Her words were choked off as tears flooded her eyes. Bowman was out of his bed, naked except for his bandages, heading for her. He never let go of Kenzie’s hand.

  Dr. Pat made a squeaking noise and spun and faced the door, her face flaming. Gil stood behind her, his grin wide.

  “Maybe, ah, we should leave them alone,” Dr. Pat said. “They just got life-changing news.”

  Gil gallantly offered his arm. “Sure thing. How about we go grab some coffee? We can talk about them behind their backs.”

  “Right.” Dr. Pat, flustered, took his arm, and the
two left the room. Gil thoughtfully closed the door behind them.

  Bowman yanked the IV out of his arm. He lifted Kenzie carefully, got into bed with her, and pulled her against him. The bed was narrow, Bowman taking up most of it, but Kenzie thought it a perfect fit.

  “A cub,” Bowman said, voice breaking, his hand on her abdomen. “Kenz . . .” His eyes were wet.

  “She and Ryan are going to drive us crazy,” Kenzie said shakily. “They’ll gang up. We’ll be outnumbered as soon as she’s born.”

  Bowman kissed her forehead, the touch incredibly gentle. “How do you know it’s a she?”

  Kenzie smiled at him. “I know.”

  Bowman gave her a serious nod, believing her. She’d known Ryan was a boy as soon as she realized she carried him.

  Bowman’s kiss soothed the rest of her hurts. Kenzie rose to it, her heart beating faster at the rough feel of his tongue, the rumble in his throat, the way his fingers bore down as he held her. The promise of things to come.

  They’d been through so much, and yet, it had been just one more adventure in the lives of Kenzie and Bowman. They fought side by side, they protected Shiftertown, they argued, they made love, they came together with Ryan as a family. Now that family would be larger, and, if Kenzie had her way, would grow even more.

  The way Bowman rolled her down into the mattress, his bare body all kinds of good, she thought it wouldn’t be long before they filled their entire house with cubs.

  The mate bond wrapped them in its strands, humming in the silence. Kenzie twined her arms around her mate, who growled into her throat, opened herself to his kiss, and welcomed him home.

  EPILOGUE

  Bonfires danced all over Shiftertown. Music blared in the darkness, pulsing beats that led to dancing, or sex—usually both.

  It was February, and the celebration of Imbolc. Spring was coming, winter would loosen its hold. Shifters danced in the circles to celebrate fertility, coming growth, new birth. Kenzie and Bowman’s unborn cub was being celebrated, as was Marcus and Bianca’s, the newly mated pair already expecting.

  But really, Bowman reflected, Shifters loved any excuse to light fires, get drunk, dance around naked, and run off with one another into the darkness.

  Not that he didn’t enjoy it himself. He sipped beer as he watched Kenzie laugh with her friends. Her female cousins and girlfriends surrounded her, chattering with her, excitedly touching her abdomen.

  Every once in a while, Kenzie would shoot Bowman a glance, and then burst out laughing. Her girlfriends would giggle with her. They were making fun of him, he knew, and Bowman was fine with that.

  The night deepened. It was cold, but bonfires glared heat, and Shifter frenzy was rising. Cristian was the calmest, as usual. Right now, he leaned against a tree, talking with Brigid.

  The Fae woman was trying to find a way back into Faerie so she could get home. Cristian was setting things up for her to go to Austin, where there was a known and navigable gate. They had to proceed slowly if she was not to be stopped by the humans, but Brigid seemed to trust that Cristian would get her there in the end.

  Graham and Reid had departed before the cops had shown up at the university, knowing Graham couldn’t be caught outside his state of residence. Bowman hadn’t been able to say good-bye, but a call to Eric let him express his gratitude for their help. Graham had apparently said, When Bowman needs someone to get him out of the deep shit he digs himself into, tell him to call me. Reid had not passed on a message, but he’d kept Turner’s Fae dirk.

  Gil had been invited to the party tonight, at Kenzie’s insistence, and now he was talking with Dr. Pat, who was smiling, as usual. Bowman still wasn’t happy with Gil, though he had more sympathy now that he’d heard the man’s story. Eric had confirmed that the Fae had driven Gil’s people out of Faerie centuries ago, and most of them hadn’t been able to adapt to the human world. Gil had lost his family, his friends, everyone he’d cared about. The Fae had put him through hell, and he’d led a lonely existence since.

  Ryan, on the other hand, showed no sign of being lonely. He was dancing with his friends, the cubs being goofy, waving their arms and jiggling their bodies, before bursting into riotous laughter. Bowman enjoyed watching his son, thinking of the new cub who would soon join them, their little family increasing.

  “Hey, Bowman.” Kenzie’s dusky voice came out of the darkness. She sashayed up to him, laid both arms on his shoulders. “Want to dance?”

  Jamie, who’d been talking with Cade next to him, said, “Watch it, Bowman. Fertile females can be dangerous stuff.”

  Cade laughed, his rich voice surrounding them. “Like Bowman cares. I caught these two going at it in the hospital bed. Kenzie’s machine was beeping like crazy.”

  “Bite me,” Bowman said softly. Cade laughed louder, clapped Jamie on the shoulder, and the pair of them moved off into the darkness.

  Music floated from the speakers in the trees, the beat sultry. Kenzie loved to dance, and Bowman loved to watch her.

  She lifted her arms, her dress clinging to her belly, which didn’t show much of anything yet. But Bowman knew his cub was there, could sense her tiny heartbeat.

  Kenzie swayed against him, her body brushing his. He supported her in his arms while she leaned back in complete trust, moving her hips to the music.

  I love you, Kenzie. My light. My life.

  Kenzie smiled lazily, her eyes half closed. She hadn’t heard him, he knew. Their ability to communicate inside their heads had vanished when the danger had gone. Maybe the thought connection would return when they had to fight again.

  Didn’t matter. The mate bond was true, twining them together. Always.

  Kenzie trailed her hand through his short hair. “Anyone ever tell you that you were sexy, Bowman?” Her smile deepened. “Oh, wait, a lot of women have. That’s why you’re so conceited.”

  “You love giving me backhanded compliments,” Bowman said. “That’s why you’re such a shit.”

  Kenzie stuck her tongue out at him. Before he could follow up with an interesting response, she kissed him on the mouth, spun out of his arms, and grabbed his hand.

  “Come on. I know somewhere we can be alone.”

  “Home?” Bowman asked hopefully.

  “Can’t go there yet. Not when we’re guests of honor. But if we slip away for a little while, they won’t blame us.”

  Kenzie cast her gaze on Ryan, surrounded by his friends, carefully watched by Afina and other older females. Their son had taken being nearly drowned in a bog, captured by a madman, subjected to a cruel “experiment,” and helping fight a battle with a monster in his stride. He was very proud of his part in the adventure and hadn’t tired of telling the story yet, though his friends were starting to tease him about it. Ryan would be all right.

  Kenzie took Bowman’s hand and led him, at a run, through the darkness.

  “Where are we going?” Bowman asked as they climbed hills. Perfectly cured and whole, Kenzie ran on light feet, loosening her dress as she went.

  “To the zip line,” Kenzie laughed. “We missed the zip line streaking last time.”

  “What?” Bowman pulled her to a halt. Their breaths came fast, fogging in the cold night. “We won’t be alone there. Cade’s friends will already be lining up.”

  “No they won’t.” Kenzie broke free of his hold and kept moving. “I told them they had to stay the hell away for a while.”

  Bowman sprinted after her. His body grew hot, his frenzy rising, as Kenzie’s dress slipped off, leaving her in nothing but a patch of black silk panties, the ones he liked best.

  She reached the top of the hill and climbed up to the zip line platform, loosening the straps that held the bar in place.

  “Kenz.” Bowman caught her wrist. “You can’t go zip-lining. You might fall. You could hurt the cub.”

  Kenzie gave him her sexiest, most smart-ass smile, her golden eyes gleaming. “Oh, I’m not riding the zip line naked. You are.”

  Bowman s
topped. “Say what? The hell I’m stripping down to ride that thing in the middle of February. A good way to chap every bit of skin on my body. Especially in the important places.”

  “Aw.” Kenzie gave him a sly look. “Are you scared?”

  “Gimme a break. Damn it, Kenz, you drive me crazy.”

  “Good. My work here is done.” Still holding the bar, Kenzie rose on tiptoe and pressed a long, promising kiss to his mouth. She thrust the bar into his hands as she backed off. “Bet you I can make it to the bottom of that hill, on foot, before you can ride down.”

  Bowman growled. “Doubt it.”

  “Yeah? Want to put money on it?”

  “No.” Bowman took hold of the bar. “I want a better payout than money.”

  The smile Kenzie gave him made his insides molten. He felt himself grow hard, even in this cold.

  “Tell you what,” Kenzie said. “Whoever reaches the bottom of the hill first gets to have the other do to them whatever they desire.”

  Her emphasis on the word desire made Bowman’s cock jump. To hell with the bet. He wanted her now.

  Kenzie took the bar again. Holding it made her breasts thrust out toward him, and Bowman started sweating through the chill.

  “I’ll even wait here until you get undressed. So it will be a fair match.”

  Bowman leaned down and licked across her full lips that spoke the sassy words. “You are crazy.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “But you’re on, sweetheart.”

  Bowman got out of his clothes faster than he thought possible. He enjoyed Kenzie watching his body come into view, liked the way her gaze traveled down his torso, healed again, to his jutting hard-on.

  “Give me that.” Bowman grabbed the bar from her. “You are so screwed, my mate.”

  Kenzie laughed. “Off you go,” she said, and pushed him away from the platform, swatting his ass as he went.