“Focus, Deb.”
She puffed her bottom lip out more.
“Yes. That’s why.”
“Fine, but I expect a dream call soon. Anyway, the coven is called Lunar Coven. I told my parents about you.” The air shifted, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood. “They want to meet you. Lunar Coven has heard of you apparently.”
“What did they say? The point of them contacting you. Will they be coming here?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. They will be here on the next full moon and stay for a month.” She smiled. “So, I’m really meeting my parents then?”
I nodded. “Do you know how many witches are in the coven?”
“Including my mom, she said five.”
“Five. Okay, I can handle five.” Hollows Coven had twenty witches including my mom, grandma, and I. Five was a small coven and shouldn’t pose too much of a threat to me or the life I’d created here.
“Harlow, they aren’t bad.” Her expression grew concerned.
“I didn’t think my old coven was bad either until it was too late.” A lone tear trailed down my cheek without notice. “Just keep your guard up, okay?”
She nodded, promising she would before we left, and I gave her a spell she could use to call me if she were in trouble.
Xavier and I walked in silence to the edge of the forest, and he didn’t say anything as I teleported us back to the cottage or when we got there. He gave me space, but I could sense his worry.
Despite not knowing each other long, he understood me far better than anyone I’d met before. But wasn’t that the whole point?
TEN
Xavier
The tear that trickled down Harlow’s cheek yesterday fucking crushed me. I didn’t want to push her, but not knowing what happened to her in her past was eating me up inside.
She’d stayed to herself when we got back home from talking to the overly-chatty witch clerk and slept beside me that night, scooting over to where she touched me. I knew she craved comfort, and the matebond provided that, so I pulled her into me and held her the whole night. She slept like a damn baby, and so did I.
I was entirely, fucking grateful to have my soulmate. She was the epitome of perfection, and I wanted to drown in her soul. I’d also like to drown between her legs, but from the pace we were going, I’d dehydrate first. Not that I was complaining like a bitch, because respecting that woman was my top fucking priority.
“Xav, can you grab me the potatoes?” The way my name tumbled from her lips was fucking magic in its purest form.
“Xav?” Blood rushed to my dick and it stood up on command. “That’s fucking hot.”
She turned cherry red as she diced the carrots. “Xavier is a mouthful.”
“I’ll show you a mouthful.” The image of her perfect, plump lips wrapped around my dick as I pumped into her popped into my mind, and I suppressed a moan.
She dropped the knife and it clattered to the ground. “Oh my gosh.” She gripped the counter as a low whine came from the back of her throat. “Please, your arousal is making it hard to focus.”
She was so turned on I could smell it in the air, and it pulsed through the matebond. Shit, I’d forgotten about her being an empath. I’m sure my need for her was slamming her hard, but not as hard as I’d wanted to.
“Please,” she whimpered, and I stilled. She was crossing her legs, squeezing them together.
I was hard as steel, fucking titanium. Damn it all, I needed her like I needed oxygen. Without another thought, I stalked over to her and gripped her wrist, pulling her away from the counter and into me. Her breasts brushed against my chest, and she moaned.
The air between us was so sexually charged I couldn’t believe it. I’d had sex before, but I’d never fucking felt anything remotely as sensual. Harlow was otherworldly.
“Xav, I haven’t even had my first kiss.” She was breathless, and she peered up at me with her big, unique-as-fuck eyes.
“We can’t have that, can we?” I tilted her chin up, bent down, and brushed my lips against her.
“Don’t tease me.” She tip-toed, pressing her soft lips against mine.
Sparks fucking flew. The matebond pulsed with pure need as her fingers trailed up my torso, leaving a trail of heat behind them. Our lips moved against each other in a fiery passion. My hand drifted to her hip, settling there before pulling her flush against me and slipping my tongue into her mouth. She tasted like fucking honey and sunshine.
Mine.
My mate.
Mine.
I was addicted to her. Those kisses were my salvation and my fucking persecution. I lived for them and would die with the memory of them on my lips. She was the half that made me whole. When I was with her, the world didn’t matter.
Her back straightened as my dick poked into her stomach, craving friction.
A smile grew on my face as she pulled back and rested her forehead against mine. I had to hand it to her, she bounced back quick.
Her cheeks were a delicious shade of pink, and her lips were swollen. “Best first kiss ever.”
My heart swelled with her praise. “You’re my mate. Everything is amplified with us. Every kiss, every touch, every—”
Her blush deepened as she clamped her hand over my mouth. “I get it, trust me.”
My tongue darted out and swept her salty palm. She yelped, pulling her hand back and wiping it on her short black dress that made her tiny legs look like they went on for miles.
“Oh gosh, our dinner!” She twisted around toward her cauldron that was about to bubble over and ran to it, turning the fire down.
I gave a strained chuckle. I craved her so bad it fucking hurt. I was definitely getting blue balls after that. I reached down and tucked
