Chapter 7: Burning Questions
Lilia POV
How to answer Dane? What to say?
The desire to tell the truth surged within her. Yet she couldn’t make herself say the words.
“If you’d done anything that they didn’t approve of, you would know it,” she hedged.
His eyes narrowed. “Evasiveness doesn’t suit you, Lilia. And you haven’t even told them about our bargain.”
“You could barely make it to the bathroom, how was I supposed to–”
He held up a hand. “I know, I know. The point is, you haven’t told them everything. I don’t know if your blithe friend would be pushing us together if you had.”
She glared at him. “You think I would keep it from them if you’d done worse than leave roses and ominous notes?”
His face relaxed. “No. What’s more, I think they would sense something wrong.” He leaned on his elbows, looking into her eyes. The sleeves of the robe had bunched to reveal long muscled arms with soft dark hairs covering them. “You’re lucky they didn’t notice that you didn’t want to come near me.”
She wet her lips. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“I should hope not.”
“ I… It was nothing bad. You were dreaming. It was a sexy dream,” she said. “I … I should have left.”
He groaned, burying his face in his arms, then lifted his head. “Tell me. Did I–”
“You didn’t harm me.”
“That’s not an answer. I said no evasiveness.”
“You caressed me. You kissed me and wanted me to kiss you back.” She flushed. “I did. I wanted your kiss.”
She had no idea why she would confess something so deeply intimate. He didn't remember anything. She could tell him nothing happened. But somehow, that felt wrong, and she sensed he wouldn’t believe her. That he knew the truth intuitively.
His gaze traveled to her lips. “I wish I remembered it, and I’m sorry. Not because you aren’t a beautiful and magnificent witch, but because I like to be conscious and AWAKE when I kiss someone and touch her. And because the mouth attached to the person I’m kissing is ripe and inviting. It would taste and feel heavenly on mine. But you … you wanted my kiss?”
She couldn’t believe he could speak so openly and seductively, and honestly. “I welcomed it…I’m sorry.”
His passionate tone took her by surprise. “Don’t say that! You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“Nor do you. You weren’t aware of your actions.”
His blue eyes smoldered. “I’m glad my kisses were pleasant for you.”
She touched her fingers to her lips, not knowing why, and ran one over her lip. She enjoyed the sensation. “They were.”
He groaned. “Don’t do that, unless you want me to kiss you again right now. I feel I should apologize.”
“The medicine and the healing spell can give you euphoria,” she murmured.
She wouldn’t tell him everything yet,.including how he’d touched her between her legs and made her damp and tingly. He’d been dreaming. He wasn’t responsible. He might not even want her that way, even though his eyes looked like flames when he stared at her mouth.
She knew how he felt. couldn’t stop watching his mouth, his beautiful golden hands. She babbled on. “It’s been known to make people lose their sexual inhibitions.”
“You seem … well, you seem untouched in many ways. It had to be shocking.”
“I’m a witch,” she said with a straight face. “I’ve seen things…I know about things.”
“Kissing people while they’re delirious?”
“We’ve healed many, many people,” she said, feeling her mouth go dry. “Ah … do you want some water before bed?”
“I’m thirsty, but not for water.”
“Information, then?”
“I want to know everything.” He gave her a serious gaze. “Did I do anything else?”
How to respond? She let her hair fall forward to hide her eyes, since he seemed to learn all her secrets through them. “You … you talked to me. About what you wanted to do with me.”
His eyes widened, and he looked impressed that she opened up to him. “And what did I say?”
When she paused, gathering her thoughts, he clasped her hand, stroking her wrist with his thumb. “You’ve shared this much and come this far. Don’t stop now.”
She trembled, remembering the words and how they’d filled her with longing. “You wanted to cover me with your scent. Your wolf aches for me. You wanted me to taste you the way you tasted me. You wanted me to savor you as you want to savor me. You wanted me to surrender to you.” Even speaking those words now made her body ache with that longing.
His eyes turned dark blue with flashes of white-hot desire, even more potent than the flames. “All of that may have been spoken while I dreamed, but all of it was true. It is true.”
“We hardly know each other.”
“And yet you’ve just told me very intimate things. Things that I don’t think you share with just anyone. And I saw the need in your eyes just now.” He rubbed her wrist with slow circles, feeling her pulse. “I like seeing your yearning for me.”
“This is impossible,” she whispered. “I’m a witch, and you’re a shifter.”
He sighed and leaned back, but didn’t stop stroking her wrist. “It’s rare, I admit. Not what I imagined at all.”
“Oh.” Now she felt indignation. “You’re disappointed, then?”
He growled. “It’s complicated, as you must know, even though witches and shifters have always had an affinity for each other.”
“Why is it complicated?”
“How much do you know about shifter society?”
She closed her eyes. Much easier to concentrate. “Most of the world doesn’t know you exist. Humans certainly don’t. Witches are aware of you.”
“Very good.” His thumb continued to rub her wrist. Then he added all his fingers, stroking up and down. “What else?”
“Are you really going to test my knowledge?”
“It’s important.”
“The Evenhide Pack Lunas are the most powerful,” she said, breathless as he caressed all the way to her shoulder. “Lunas are like noblemen’s wives. They advise. They guide. They lead the community in their way.”
“Excellent. If I could, I would give you a reward. Out of respect for Ravyn in her own home, I’m not going to. But when we go to Evenhide lands, I will give you a reward.”
Heat shot up her arm. “You just said it’s complicated. Mating, romance, is complicated with a non-shifter.”
“Explain why, and I might give you a little of that reward now.”
“I don’t know. I truly don’t. And what do you mean by the reward?”
“You can guess,” he murmured.
“About the reward?”
His laugh rumbled like approaching thunder. “All in good time. I meant you can guess about the complexity of shifter society.”
“I know that shifters mate within their pack, and sometimes with someone in another pack, especially if, as an alpha, you want to make an alliance. It doesn’t have to be a wolf shifter, necessarily. It could be a bear shifter or a lion shifter. A dragon shifter is rare …”
His hand trailed down to just above her breast. “Excellent. I think I will give you that sweet treat now if you want.”
She kept her eyes shut. “Why?”
“Because I promised, and because we’re alone. Do you want me to touch you? I won’t do it unless you say yes. And I will respect your home and your hospitality. If you say no, I’ll respect that.”
“You are still healing …”
“My hands on you will help me heal. And I’ll make you feel good.”
Her mouth went dry. “Shall I guess why witches and shifters rarely mate?”
“If you can do that … I’ll make you feel good.”
She opened her eyes and gazed into his. “I … I can only speculate.”
“Good enough.”
“Maybe … maybe it has to do with the power witches have. The magic. Our connection to the natural world, to the life force within all things. Combined with a shifter’s abilities, it might be too potent. Nobody quite knows what would happen … it would have to be approached with care. It seems like we would be the most natural fit in the world, but the mate bond is said to be … overwhelming in its intensity and give mates certain strengths when joined. Consider that I was able to heal the poison when few people could. Is that right?”
“It could be.”
“Could be?”
He growled. “It’s close enough to earn that reward now. We can ask the pack wise woman when you meet her, but until then, I’ll give you what you deserve.”
Goddess help her, she’d taken leave of her senses, because she nodded and leaned into his touch, allowing him access. “What did you have in mind?”
“So you want me to tell you first?”
She whimpered softly.
“Your breasts look perfect. I think they’ll fit my hands nicely. I’ll fondle them, then play with your nipples through this enticingly modest robe of yours. All the while, you’ll explore my mouth with your tongue. Kiss me, sweet witch.”
She must be mad to even think about it. But he treated her with such care, even while proposing such shocking things.
* * * * *
Dane POV
Dane hadn’t planned to take such liberties, but whenever she was near, his body and his wolf just refused to behave.
“It’s only right,” his wolf, Brodie, whispered in his mind. “She’s our mate.”
“She is a witch,” he answered Brodie.
“And yet she’s our fated mate.”
“We don’t know that until we take her to our pack lands. In the meantime, hold off. Stand down. I think I’ll tell her I changed my mind, that it’s not the right time or place. Which it isn’t.”
“If you really want to know, look at her neck.”
“It’s covered by that robe.”
Brodie just laughed at that. His wolf had a sense of humor that matched his brother Patch’s. “You’re clever enough to figure out a way around that.”
“I should just ask her.”
“That’s no fun,” Brodie answered.
“Just a moment, Lilia,” he said aloud, licking his lips. “I find myself parched after all. I can’t kiss you like this.” He sat up. “I’ll take that water.”
She got up with lightning speed, scooting back in a shy way that made him smile. She fetched the crystal pitcher from the nearby table and poured him a cup of water, then brought it to him.
He reached out and grasped the cup with fingers that still trembled from time to time because he was regaining his strength. As she leaned over, he touched the collar of her robe with his other hand and tugged it down in one swift, deft move, exposing the reddish mark on her neck. His fingers brushed the mark, and his eyes widened in shock.
Brodie just howled with triumphant laughter.
Lilia frowned, concerned. “What is it?”
He sighed, and fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “My wolf marked you, sweetheart. I marked you. It’s permanent. Within a few days, it’ll be obvious to everyone who knows about such things.”
He didn’t want it to be true, but by the Moon Goddess, he wanted Lilia for his own. What this meant for the pack, he couldn’t even begin to fathom. He shuddered to think how the pack would react. And he still wanted her.
Lilia sounded truly uncertain for the first time. “When you … you bit me? I didn’t know that’s how it worked. Well, I did … but I didn’t think it worked with non-shifters.”
“Your educated ignorance isn’t bliss in this case.”
She groaned. “No, it certainly isn’t.”
“I marked you as my mate. All we need is the pack’s wise woman to issue a declaration, and our fates are sealed. This changes everything.”