Witch Bound

Her mother’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Dad’s not coming out because Gary was injured on the hunt. Not badly, but he says since if there’s no wedding there’s no reason for him to be here and every reason for him to stay home. Which is fine because he would have me pack up everything I spent the last two years picking out.”

“But...there’s not going to be a wedding.”

“Today,” her mother said, and Audrey gave a slight warning shake of her head. Her mother grabbed Audrey’s hand too. “But look at the two of you. My two beautiful daughters. It’s only a matter of time. We’re not canceling the wedding so much as delaying it, Christian was kind enough to point out.”

Audrey grinned at whatever expression was on Raquel’s face. “Wasn’t that kind of Christian? He’s very devious.”

Something about the light in Audrey’s eyes when she spoke of Christian made Raquel pause, but then her mother turned her around and pushed her toward the door. “Can you go downstairs? The boys are supposed to be finding a place to store the boxes. Make sure it’s dry and well ventilated, will you? And you—” she swung on Audrey, “—I thought you were headed to the store for more bags?”

Raquel slipped past them both and into the big empty room, heading for the stairs. There was still one table set up beside the stairs. She recognized the binders that held everything from dress clippings to seating arrangements. Raquel paused beside the table when she saw it was opened to the guest list. Two typed pages of names and phone numbers. A small checkmark in blue ink beside each entry. Her stomach sank, and she sat down.

She’d done the right thing. The only thing. She couldn’t imagine getting married today.

Not to Christian.

“Having second thoughts?”

Fen stood in the doorway at the top of the stairs, his long legs splayed and his hands open at his sides. He wore beat-up jeans and a black T-shirt, the fabric worn and molded tantalizingly to his chest and biceps. A jolt hit her right in the chest, just like the first time she’d set eyes on him. Her instinct was to rush him, throw her arms around his neck and kiss him silly, but she thought that might freak him out. Instead, she tried to put some of that same welcome into the smile she cast his way. “No regrets. Not about this.”

Glancing over his shoulder as if checking to make sure they were alone, he crossed the room. “Audrey said there was a problem with your link to the witch. I was on my way to find you.”

“It’s fixed.”

His brows lifted, but she didn’t want to explain it all again. She couldn’t sense the witch at all right now unless she focused all her attention in that direction. And all her attention was here, on the man in front of her, looking tense and uncertain and so freaking perfect it made her heart ache. “Then it’s not...”

She tipped her head to the side when he paused. “Not what?”

“Rocky...” He knelt so they were at eye level and his arms settled to either side of her body as though he was afraid she would bolt. Even as part of her was alarmed by that, the rest of her was melting because Fen was finally touching her.

She smiled. “Fen.”

“I need you to check me for a mating bond.”

Her heart clunked in her chest, stopping and then turning over like an old car. “But...you said you didn’t bond to Carly.”

“Not Carly. You,” he said, searching her face. “I think I might have already started to bond to you. That’s what I was worried about—that my bond might have interfered with the geis. That me not telling you about it put you in danger.”

“And you think you bonded to me?”

He reached up to brush a tendril of hair away from her face. “Who else?”

Any woman with eyes and a brain and a heart. She didn’t think it was possible but reached out with her magic to check anyway. She found the geis first and dismissed it before moving on to the tangle of emotions that hit her every time she thought about Fen.

While she looked, searching for that telltale thread of magic, Fen’s hands slid up, slowly, over her hips to bracket her waist. “The first time I saw you when you stumbled through the portal, it felt like getting zapped by a thunderbolt. And every second we’ve spent together since has made it stronger. I fought it because of Christian. Because I still think you deserve better than someone already bound to a pack. You want children.”

“I want you more.”

His arms tightened around her, pulling her to the edge of her chair. As much as she wanted to sink into that embrace, she continued to sort through the magic that surrounded them both. There was enough of it to make it complicated—her a witch with some of her magic still tied to the wards. Him a hound with all of his pack ties.

“I didn’t suspect a bond until I decided to sleep with Carly and couldn’t even get an erection.” He said it as if it were an awful confession.

“Good,” she said fiercely. “I’m glad.”

His mouth turned up at the corners. “You’re glad I might be the only hound to ever bond to a woman without getting to enjoy even one night of sex?”

“You’ll get at least one night.”

She’d meant it as a joke, but he flinched. “I don’t want a pity fuck, Rocky. Don’t do that to me.”

She stopped what she was doing to focus on him. Pressing her hand to his cheek, she looked him straight in the eyes. “I already told you what I want. I love you, Fen, that hasn’t changed. Remember? I’m just waiting for you to get used to the idea. I’m waiting. And we both know how good I am at that once I’ve made up my mind.”

He was silent. She could feel his chest expand against her thighs with every breath he took. The warmth of his body. The rock-hard, wiry strength in the arms surrounding her. He didn’t seem to realize what amazing restraint she was exercising by not reaching for him.

“What if I told you I’m used to the idea now?” The words were soft, barely a whisper.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to woo you. A first date. Flowers. Dinner. I wanted you to have that.”

“We can still do those things. The bond isn’t an ending. It doesn’t have to be like that.” She traced a fingertip along the sharp edge of his cheekbone and pressed a kiss to his temple. “And you’re not bonded to me. Not yet.”

“You’re sure?”

The temptation to lie was there, but she couldn’t do it, would never do that to him. “The bond is desire and consent with sex to anchor it. When the first conditions are met, there’s a drive to complete it. That’s what you’re feeling now—that instinct. It’s probably stronger because you’ve been fighting it so hard when you know I’m willing.” She paused. “Don’t worry, though. There’s still time to change your mind if you decide you don’t want me.”

He exhaled sharply. “Not want you? Is that what you think?”

His hands flexed on her hips, fitting her tighter to his body. His chest pressed against her most intimate parts. She rested her arms on his shoulders as his arms encircled her back. His face was only inches away— expression intent and hungry and raw. His mouth was right there, so close she could feel his breath fan across her lips.

“I’m here thinking I might have bonded to you. Without sex. I couldn’t force myself to be attracted to another woman, but I see you and it’s all I can do to stop myself from throwing you down on the nearest flat surface. This table. That wall. The floor. Does that sound like I don’t want you?”

She shook her head. “Then why hold yourself back? You were going to bond to Carly. Why not me?”

She thought she knew the answer. She was only waiting for him to catch up. She would wait for him, however long it took. His eyes blazed—hunger and fear warring inside of him. Her heart melted, turning soft as taffy.

She curved her hand to the back of his head, threaded her fingers through his silky hair and closed the distance between them. She brushed her lips across his, and when he didn’t pull away, traced the seam of his mouth with her tongue. He opened for her and she took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss. When she found his tongue, he groaned, a deep, growly sound that made her nipples tighten.