Shifter Magnetism (24 page)

He slid into her slow and easy. His eyes grew heavy-lidded yet never closed. He maintained eye contact for every stroke, and she held his gaze. It felt as if her soul was laid bare for him, as if he could see every hiding place inside her where she placed the best and worst of who and what she was. He desired it all. She demanded the same. She saw what she already knew. He was a fierce protector—possessive, humble, loving, and honest.

There, in his eyes and the firm stroke of his body, she understood on a fundamental level how much he loved her. He would give anything to see her safe and happy. He would try to be whatever she wanted.

“All I want is you.” Her whisper was so quiet, if he’d been a wizard, he might not have heard her.

But her mate was a shifter. “You have me.”

How he knew when she felt the telltale tightening in her belly and spine and needed him to speed up and thrust harder, she would never know. She was grateful. He plunged harder and deeper, pulling her into a release so powerful all her senses narrowed to the thinnest pinpoints.

She held him tight through his climax, wanting to absorb him and make him a part of her. And then she remembered she’d already done so when his wolf had saved her life, and she’d stolen a piece of his soul and given him a piece of hers.

He held her in a bruising embrace, and she allowed all her doubts and guilt to melt away. She couldn’t steal what he’d given freely. Nic was hers, and she was his.

“I can feel you.” He sat up and stared into her face, eyes searching. “What did you do?”

She could feel him too. He was wild joy in her heart and mind. “I stopped feeling guilty about the gift your wolf gave me the night I almost died outside the club.”

“It took you long enough.” He kissed her when she raised her eyebrows at his audacity. “Let’s go ring shopping tomorrow.”

“Isn’t it customary to ask someone to marry you?”

“Why? You told me I was marrying you when we were first mated. You aren’t trying to take back your proposal, are you?” He looked deeply offended.

“No, mate. I’ll make an honest wolf out of you.” She squealed in delight as he nipped at the slope of her breast.

* * * *

Two weeks later, Leila stood at the bottom of a ladder waiting for her mate to come down and eat lunch with her. There were shifters showing up almost every three days now asking for pack membership. They hadn’t had a group of over twenty at once again, but the steady stream of shifters meant a lot of construction. Nic and Jake were in talks to purchase the non-government-owned land to the east and west of pack lands.

Today, a group of shifters were putting up dorms to house all the applicants. The group included the alpha of the Coldwell Pack. Leila didn’t have to wait too long before her mate climbed down the ladder and cuddled her to his sweaty chest. She pressed her face to his neck and inhaled. Sweaty or not, he smelled delicious.

He put his arm around her shoulders as they began the walk back to the house. “Did you get any work done today?” he asked.

She grimaced. “I might have to quit. Everything my mother says these days revolves around her belief that I have rejected my heritage because you’ve brainwashed me. I still perform my duty to the Council.” She almost had all the details hammered out for the Showcase.

“I’ll back whatever you want to do.”

She knew that. If she wanted to take up sheepherding in the middle of a wolf pack, he’d buy her some sheep. There was one other thing on her mind. “Nic, people have been acting really weird today.”

“Oh, how so?”

“Everywhere I go, people stop, sniff, and then stare. Do I stink?” She lifted her arm and turned her head to smell her armpits.

Nic pushed her arm down and laughed. “You don’t stink. Your scent has changed, though.”

She was quiet until they stepped into the house. “Is that a bad thing?”

Nic chuckled and gathered her into his arms. “That depends on what you feel about having pups.”

Speechless, she could only stare at him.

“Leila, remember we talked about this when your heat ended early and the knot only happened once.”

She remembered, but at first she’d thought he was full of it and then it had slipped her mind. “Are you trying to tell me I’m pregnant? How long have you known?”

“I’ve known you were pregnant since I woke up this morning.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t know you couldn’t tell. I just thought you were quiet because you were upset.”

Ah. She caught the little bit of strain in his voice. How did she feel about it? Her baby would be a part of her and Nic. Anything that came from the love they felt for each other had to be awesome. She was in shock now but excited underneath.

She smiled, and if it was anything like the goofy grin on Nic’s face, their kid was going to be spoiled. “I love you, Nic, and I’ll love our baby.”

He kissed her, curling her toes. “I’m the luckiest wolf in the world.”

Loose Id Titles by Stormie Kent

Shifter Magnetism

Stormie Kent

Stormie Kent is the author of romance with paranormal, science-fiction, and contemporary elements. She resides on the East Coast, and spends many of the most enjoyable hours of her day reading and writing. Her books are filled with rugged shifters and warrior men who seek their destiny with the women who fiercely love them. Stormie has imagined a world of magic and adventure, where you might just have a passionate encounter with a witch, shifter, warlord, or space pirate. All you have to do is pick your pleasure.

Find out more about the author at
http://stormiekent.com/
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