Forever Mated Read online

  He was hurt and rightly so. She couldn’t deny him his feelings. It didn’t take away the sting they left behind, though. The spell forced him to speak his mind, and he had no plans to let her actions slide. Fair enough.

  He dragged his gaze up, and her heart stumbled over several beats. She’d hurt him.

  Pride had a way of choking a girl up, but she managed to force it back down. Just as with magic, all actions had consequences. Royal status didn’t give her any buffer from reality. “Sure, rules and laws have their place. Stoplights can save a life and in general are good to follow, but as of late, I haven’t found a law I’m not willing to break if it keeps me from you.”

  Devlin stared at her unblinking, so she pushed on.

  “But this law, the one that states no witch can marry outside his or her station, the law that tore a rift in my family and me away from you, is nothing more than a way to control the masses.” She pushed a step closer, pleading for him to understand. “It might have been necessary or even a good measure two hundred years ago during the Witches and Weres war, but I’d say that’s in the past with little to no hold over us now.”

  “So, why should the present be tainted by the past?” His question was more of a statement and she saw his angle a mile away. Bright sapphire eyes turned from stoic to withdrawn between one blink and the next. He turned away from her, obviously preferring the inky black view of his property highlighted by faint moonlight.

  Boy, if that wasn’t a loaded statement she didn’t know what was.

  With an elbow propped on one side of the window, his attention focused out over his property, she got a good viewing of all six feet of well-defined alpha. She bit down on her lip to hold back the groan. The jeans did nothing to hide the man she loved. He was a damned sight to behold from any angle. Hard muscles shifted and rippled along his back with the slightest movement. And his tousled brown hair never quite managed to stay put. It was shaved on the sides and longer on top. The bike ride home had tussled the locks in a sexy way. Her fingers worked over the corded gold design of his pack ring a little faster.

  With his back to her, the air between them grew colder with every passing second. How could she make him see how grief and pain had left her chest just as empty? Coming here was a bad idea. Damn her soft, unprotected heart. The one time she unhooked the chain-link fence long enough to see what was on the outside she got stabbed. A direct shot of reality to the heart. That shit was deadlier than pure snake venom in the vein.

  “I’ll go, but remember this, Devlin. I only love you and I came back here to fix what I broke no matter what.”

  Chapter Five

  “Love?” He spun on his heel so fast she almost got whiplash. Moonbeams crashed down on him, the light giving the fire in his eyes an otherworldly glow.

  “You’re joking? Keep pushing me and you won’t like what the wolf is howling for. Or maybe you will? I can’t tell anymore.”

  She smiled.

  He stalked forward. Slowly. As if the wolf were hungry for a witch hunt. “Keep pushing me, little witch. I dare you.”

  Really? A dare? Her breath hitched and her pulse raced.

  She shuddered with the spike of adrenaline that shot through her.

  Devlin all riled up was better than the dismissive Devlin that froze her out. She’d take the red eyes and the anger. That she knew how to handle.

  He was good, but she saw through his game. Little did he know buying time until the charm wore off wouldn’t get him anywhere. “Aww. Poor big bad wolf.” She planted her hands on her hips and let the smile on her face widen. “Is the spell making the aching burn just a little too much in all the right places?”

  It wasn’t wise to taunt the huffing shifter prowling toward her, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun.

  The drop of dragon’s blood made the charm three times as strong and foolproof when it came to a shifter's high-octane metabolism. Without it, Devlin would have burned through her charm two seconds after dusting, and she’d be the only one under the wand and dosed with magic.

  She might be young, but she’d been around the block with spell work and magic a few times. One little side effect of her charm… Her smile spread into a full-on grin.

  One very horny half-naked alpha.

  Completely not her intentions. Honestly. Well, her first intention anyway, but it did make the list. If the truth turned and bit her in the ass, the extra mojo in the lust department wouldn’t hurt her cause. She’d learned the hard lesson of always tipping the cauldron in her favor. Always.

  Eyes locked on her, he tilted his head back a few inches and scented the air. “And a naughty little witch. I might be hard,” his broad hand worked over his zipper until his entire hand cupped his shaft, “…but your pussy is already wet for my cock.” He drawled in a slow, husky come-hither tone.

  Shudder.

  Might as well shove a needle of pure crack in her vein, because the man was her addiction.

  And what a smartass.

  Just because he could smell her need didn’t mean anything.

  A flash of heat streaked through her body and collided with her clit to send another dose of heated liquid to wet her panties. Pleasure raged through her and he hadn’t even touched her. She breathed out roughly.

  Control. She needed a tighter grip of the truth or what really drove her would find its way out in a very different— non-verbal—way and more along the lines of dirty, kinky kitchen table sex.

  His fingers tightened then relaxed several times.

  “Go ahead,” he murmured. “We’ll go one for one. You ask one. I ask one. It’s a rigged game, but I’ll play. The minute I scent another drop of magic, though, I walk.” He straightened and dropped his hand before walking around the kitchen table cluttered with all the remnants of her spell. Eva crossed her arms under her breasts as he leaned down so close a piece of paper would not fit between their noses.

  “And it’s my turn, sugar.” He rose to his full height and locked his arms across his chest, mirroring her. He eyed her for a couple of heartbeats. “Does it bother you thinking I’ve been with other women?”

  Dirty, low down son of… He wanted to play dirty, huh? Her mouth worked a couple of times, the lie already on the tip of her tongue. “You betcha. I play out a hundred different spells that will leave you looking like the toad you are and anyone unfortunate enough to have desires for you, nothing more than a pile of ash.” She straightened her back and leaned in. Damn, that felt good. Getting the truth off her chest felt ten times better. His smirk dipped into a frown as if it pained him to hear her words.

  “My turn! When you’re with them, do you ever think about me?” She raked her gaze over the bulge in his jeans as she trailed her fingers over her breasts, the peaks pebbling instantly. “Wish it was me you were taking instead?”

  His fingers did that thing again where he tightened and flexed them by his side.

  She blinked. She should have never blinked.

  Air rushed out of her lungs. Stone hit hard wood and a mixture of herbs and potions collided in the cool air of the cabin. In half a second he had her wrapped in his arms, her chest pinned against his and the table cleared of everything. He planted her ass on the round edge and pressed forward, forcing her to recline, giving him full access to her breasts. Her thin, long-sleeved T-shirt and low-cut neck did little to hide their fullness or the fact her engorged, needy nipples tightened in record time.

  She didn’t fail to realize he didn’t answer her questions.

  Wedged between her thighs, Devlin threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her head back to expose her neck to his teeth. “Such tender flesh that’s ripe for claiming again. Do you want my bite, Eva? Would you take my mark again?”

  Fire streaked through her pussy and her channel clenched with need. With his free hand, he grabbed her jean-clad thigh and pulled until he settled his cock between her thighs, teasing her senseless. Jeans or no, she swore she could feel his shaft pulsate with the same need
that burned in her.

  “Yes.” She couldn’t lie if she wanted to. “Now answer mine. When you’re with another woman do you ever think about me? Wish they were me? I can smell flowers here. It’s not my perfume.”

  With his lips beside her ear, he chuckled. “Oh, baby. You want the truth? You got it, baby girl. Yes and no.”

  “I need more than that, Devlin.”

  “My turn.”

  What? Not fair. Good thing she specialized in playing dirty.

  With a flick, he popped the button of her jeans and the hiss of her zipper hit her ears. Just as fast he had both thumbs hooked in her belt loops. Surprised, she locked gazes with him. One tug and the cool air of the cabin replaced the warm material of her jeans.

  “Devlin!”

  “That’s me, babe. Now, where were we? Ah yes. My question.” He planted a firm hand on her chest and pushed until she lay flat on her back, legs pressed wide open. He maneuvered her other leg until her ankle rested on his shoulder. Wide-open and exposed, she could do nothing but wait for what he wanted next. If she really thought about it, the idea of being at his mercy wasn’t all that bad.

  “Have you slept with anyone since leaving me, Eva?” He pinched the soft silk of her panties between two fingers and guided the material until it rested dead center to press against her clit. She sucked in air and bowed from the pressure.

  “No.” Heat pooled between her thighs and stole her breath. How she’d love to torture him, let him think she’d taken another lover as he had, but the charm now held her firmly to the rules she set. Pure truth.

  His brows furrowed in contrast to the small smile that lit his eyes. Her thighs molded around him, his heat a delicious tease to her senses. He pulled on the material of her panties until she gasped. “Mmm. I believe you.” He slipped a finger beneath the silk, pulling a sharp gasp from her lips. “My mark warns off any other shifter, and humans feel a sudden urge to run when they get close to a mated woman.” A cocky grin slashed across his face and suited the deadly tone to his voice. His gaze traveled up her legs, over her panties and stopped at the end of her shirt.

  With a gentle hand beneath her neck, he eased her up, bunched the cotton of her shirt in one hand, and pulled it over her head. Every muscle in his body tightened.

  Slowly, as if she would break, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her shoulder, traveled up the slope of her neck then stopped. She could feel the heat of his gaze on his mark. It marred the tender skin a few inches below her ear and slightly behind. Any human looking would probably think it was a birthmark of some sort. The otherworldlies knew better. From shifter to witch and beyond, it marked her as his. But she’d thrown it all away out of misplaced fear of losing the wrong things that really mattered most.

  Bared to him but for her thin panties and bra, she held his gaze locked in place from the ember and flames that licked along his irises. The blue of his eyes glowed with lust so bright and mesmerizing that she couldn’t look away.

  She braced herself. “Are you going to claim me again, Devlin?” She swished her hips, moaning from the friction against her moist opening.

  “Better than my dreams.” Devlin thumbed her nipple to elicit another moan from her. With nimble fingers, he worked the clasp of her bra until the plump weight of her bare breasts filled his hands. Cupping her, he worked each rosy tip between his forefingers and thumbs then pinched and tugged.

  Liquid fire consumed her body and delivered a delicious heat wave that reached into her core. She was dying.

  Control. More control. She still needed answers and she still had so much to tell him.

  The hiss of a zipper reached her ears. Hard delicious male pressed against the barrier of her soaked panties, the bulbous head, thick and ready to part her folds.

  “You want to know anything else, baby, ask me. Ask me now, because I can’t hold back from taking what’s mine much longer.” He stroked the head of his cock along her soaked opening and nudged her clit only to repeat the torture in a slow tease.

  Eva raised her leg and pressed her heel into his ass until everything from the man’s hard cock and up aligned with her body.

  “Sweet Eva,” he whispered, his eyes closed as if he wanted to savor the moment.

  Now within reach, she ran her fingers down the length of his back until she found the special spot she knew he loved her caressing— just below his shoulder blades. With her other hand, she angled his head toward her. With his lips a breath away from hers, she mouthed a silent chant that would give her a definite answer.

  Speak true. Speak right. Give me full insight.

  “Naughty witch,” Devlin growled and bucked against her pussy.

  “I need more than a yes and no answer, Devlin.”

  He nodded once. “Do I wish every woman near me was you? Every damn day, Eva. And do I think of you when I’m taking them? Fuck. No.”

  His answer felt heavier than the weight of not knowing. Damn her for forcing him to answer. She looked at anything but him still wedged between her legs, his rock-hard shaft pressing into her. Why did she still want him? With that confession, she should be pushing him away and running back home.

  “You’re lying. I don’t know how but you’re lying through your fangs, wolfie.”

  “Can’t tell a lie, remember?” Muscles bunched and strained from holding himself back, he threw up the scout’s honor with one hand as if it was a lifesaver.

  Palms open, she pressed against his chest.

  “You’re so damn hard up for the truth. But you don’t want to play fair. You think it is fair you walk out on me without a word, without a fuck you very much twenty-four hours after I make you my mate?” He stroked a thumb across his mark that sent a shock of electricity along her nerves.

  “What do you think that does to someone? You think I’m made of stone because I’m a man? Or because I’m a commanding alpha? We bleed, babe. Our hearts hurt just as much. We’re just better at hiding it than most.” He stepped back a pace, his open jeans revealing his engorged shaft.

  Another step. Then two.

  The heat and strength that was pure Devlin pulled away with him, leaving her empty.

  Now, who was the asshole? Way to go, Eva. Tear the man’s heart out again.

  Chapter Six

  “Why did you do it, Eva?” Hades to blazes that burned. One question and all her defenses, her reasoning for staying away as long as she had, crumbled around her feet to reveal a tender heart. He moved toward her then stopped, his fingers doing the flex and clench thing by his side.

  “Why, Eva? You owe me that. And you can’t demand the truth from me if you’re not willing to give it, too.”

  “You’re right.” She’d gotten sidetracked by everything her body wanted and forgot there was more on the table here than her aching pussy.

  She moved to pull her legs closed, but he stepped between them.

  “No more closing yourself off.”

  “It’s ugly and you might hate me after you hear what I have to say.” Eva’s eyes closed out his cold stare as she dragged in a hard breath. Knots tightened in her belly.

  “Hate you?” The pain and grit in his voice brought her eyes level with his. Agony played out on his face before the stoic mask of an alpha commander slipped into place to hide his true feelings. Unfortunately, it was too damn late to hold back anything.

  “After I left your house that night, I had every intention of following through with our plan.” She fingered his gold pack ring, twirling it around, focusing on the way it shined in the moonlight.

  “The one where you and I became a family? Something I didn’t have growing up and you yanked out from under me before I could try and save it. Save us. Yeah, kinda hard to forget. We made a lot of promises that night for our new family.” He stroked a tender hand over her belly.

  She nodded. A million excuses at the ready, but he was right. As a young wolf without a family or a pack, Devlin had shared with her his desire to have a family of his own and she’d st
epped all over it when she let her family bully her into leaving. “I went home, started gathering my things.” She raised her head. “I never saw it coming, which was his plan, I guess.” Her voice grew faint. “And I never suspected he’d do that to his own daughter.”

  “What did he do, Eva?” Controlled anger. Devlin’s specialty. She’d heard it in his voice before in dealing with pack members. He could make a grown man shake and other alphas come to heel with the intention he inflicted in his words and the way he held himself.

  Devlin’s chest heaved and the blue of his eyes turned into a raging fire. “Tell me or I’ll find out on my own and when I do, don’t expect any mercy for anyone.” He angled his massive body toward her and took a protective step closer as if he could shield her from the past or future and anyone that meant her harm. “If he hurt you, all the magic in the world won’t hold me back.”

  And he meant it too.

  “What happened? I already know about the baby. Your father couldn’t wait to tell me that part.” Anger simmered just beneath the surface. She didn’t have to be a shifter to sense the beast ready to defend his mate.

  She smiled. The man held her heart and didn’t even know it. “I don’t know how he knew, but before I could defend myself he hit me with a charm that revealed I was pregnant.”

  Devlin rarely let his emotions show, but right now everything he felt played out in his expression. Anger shifted to surprise then morphed into the same pain that ate at her. She took some small comfort in knowing she wasn’t alone anymore. She could share the burden of the loss with him.

  He drew her into the warmth of his embrace.

  “His anger only escalated when he saw your claiming mark on my neck. He hauled me into the Silver Circle and before I knew what was going on I was given an ultimatum. In the span of a day, Devlin, I gained you and lost you. And a few weeks later, our baby, too.” Tears burned and threatened to spill down her cheeks at her admission. Water rimmed her eyes and blurred out the dimmed kitchen.