be danger everywhere. Raiden had seen plenty of casualties among magickind’s innocents, who had no defense against a maniac like Mathias. “Civilians” like Blackbourne were ill-equipped to fight this terrible threat. Mathias could come for Tabitha again and again. Raiden shuddered to think what would happen if he wasn’t by her side.
Meeting Blackbourne’s stare, he simply said, “Yes.”
Blackbourne sighed with regret, then looked at Tabitha. “I don’t have to ask what you want. It’s clear that you love him.”
Tabitha’s lips pressed together as she slowly made her way to Blackbourne and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, but… I do.”
A sad half smile crept across the older wizard’s face. “Your haunted eyes made that hard to miss. At first I thought that mourning was strictly for your family, but when you said his name, I knew.” Then he glared up at Raiden. “You’re mating with her, correct? No more crap about lacking instinct?”
Raiden stiffened. “That’s something Tabitha and I will discuss.”
“See that you do. Quickly.”
Biting back anger, Raiden resisted telling Blackbourne what he could do with his edicts. But the wizard was letting them go with no malice, and getting Tabby to safety was more important.
With Blackbourne’s permission, they all teleported away from his estate and back to Ice’s caves. The other wizards quickly made themselves scarce. Raiden took Tabby’s hand and dragged her to his cave, then set her on the edge of his bed.
He knelt beside her, resisting the urge to fidget. “You deserve much better than me.”
“You’ve done your very best to keep me safe,” she argued quietly.
“It hasn’t been enough.”
“You don’t have to do it alone. Together, we survived these past few days. We will in the future, as well.”
“You don’t know that!” He jumped to his feet.
“I know without a doubt that you’ll do everything in your power to keep me and our youngling safe.”
True. And he’d never stop.
“This war is dangerous. I may not live to see old age.”
“I’ll cherish every moment we have, but I have faith you’ll do everything to return to me safely.”
Another truth.
Tabby grabbed his hand and urged him back down with a gentle tug. “Life doesn’t come with guarantees. These are dangerous times. Is anyone safe?”
No. And he knew it, had thought it himself mere minutes ago. “You’re right, but I’m…” Raiden shook his head, trying to force the words out of his mouth. He wanted Tabby so badly. But he wanted her happiness more. “I’m terrible mate material.”
“How do you know that for certain? You’ve never tried mating.”
Closing his eyes, Raiden hung his head. Shame clawed through him. He’d wasted years, focused on nothing more than conquering one female after another. It was all he knew. “You know my reputation.”
“Indeed.” She sighed. “If I released you now and gave you leave to bed any woman you wished, are you certain you wouldn’t choose me?”
Not choose Tabitha? No woman had ever affected him so much. He’d choose her every time. “You know I want you. God, so much…”
“Have you ever felt about another woman as you do about me?”
Until her, he’d never fathomed feeling about any witch as he felt about her. “No.”
“Have you ever told another woman you loved her and meant it?”
Say the three scariest words to some meaningless lay? “No. But your parents wanted—”
“My parents believed that you would never love me. If they were here now, what would you tell them?”
A wave of emotion broke over him. A realization. Sadness, joy. Raiden’s love for Tabitha flowed through his veins, as natural as breathing.
Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted. Always before, he’d been afraid to believe in it, fight for it.
Not anymore.
Raiden took her face in his hands, feeling tears well in his eyes. “I’d tell them that I’ll defend you to my dying breath, that I will want you always, and that I love you more than my own life.”
She smiled softly, tears running from those thick-fringed hazel eyes. “That’s what I hoped you would say.”
His thoughts raced. Only one thing stood between him and Tabby now. He’d faced down Mathias tonight with less terror than asking his encinta the question on the tip of his tongue. “Do you have any reservations about mating with me?”
She caressed the side of his face and sent him a huge, bright-eyed smile that lit up his heart. “Call to me and find out.”
Issue the formal vow of a wizard to his mate. Right. Hell, did he even know the words?
Raiden closed his eyes and pictured the rest of his days with Tabby. In contentment, shrouded in love.
The sacred words filled his head.
“Become a part of me, as I become a part of you. And ever after, I promise myself to thee. Each day we share, I’ll be honest, good, and true. If this you seek, heed my Call. From this moment on, there is no other for me but you.”
Tears flooded her beautiful eyes, and Raiden swore that even with her hair half-tumbling out of its knot and her clothes soaked, she’d never looked more radiant.
“Was that so difficult?” she whispered.
No. In fact, he’d never felt more certain about anything in his life. Except… “Are you going to answer?”
“I can’t wait.” Tabitha pressed a kiss to his lips, and nothing had ever tasted sweeter. “As I become a part of you, you will become a part of me. I will be honest, good, and true. I heed your Call. ’Tis you I seek. From this moment on, there is no other for me but you.” She smiled again. “We’re officially mated.”
“We are, indeed.” He tore off his shirt and hovered above her to remove the last of the pins from her hair. Then he sent her a lopsided grin. “I need to make you mine. Now.”
She sighed as she unbuttoned her dress. “I already am.”
Darkest Temptation
Sharie Kohler
Chapter One
The car rolled to a hard stop beside the house’s perimeter wall. Lily’s head bounced against the headrest, her seat belt biting into her chest. The moon-soaked night throbbed around her.
This was it. Where
Fighting back a swell of nausea, she rotated her still tender arm, gently fingering the deep wound there, cringing at the sticky warmth of her blood.
The man beside her spoke, his voice as rough and gritty as the asphalt burns on her hands and knees. “Remember what I said. If you lose the gun, use the knife. Lose both, and you’re dead. Nothing else will work on him. Got it?”
She turned to stare at the hunter.
