“So, Neela wasn’t your mate,” Fergie said matter-of-factly, “but she is?”
Kingston turned to see her standing in the doorway. His breath caught in his chest as he took her in. Familiar long, dark hair floated around her like a cape, and he realized she was standing underneath a vent. She licked her lips, gazing at him with haunted, moss -colored eyes.
“Yes,” he answered Fergie’s question, but his gaze never wavered from his mate.
She wore an old-fashioned, roughhewn dress that had him frowning at its obvious coarseness against her delicate skin. He wanted to tear the offensive material away from her body and shower her with silks and lace.
Images of her tawny skin naked and bare for his eyes only had his beast hissing and his cock hardening inside his sweatpants. Fuck. He needed to practice better control. Stopping his growling was difficult, even as awareness and recognition passed between them in that long, deliberate stare.
Mine, growled his Dragon.
Kingston waited for her to speak. He swore he saw a hint of a smile playing on the corner of her wide mouth, causing a dimple to pop out puckishly. She turned her gaze to the others in the small sitting room and nodded her head in greeting.
“Well then, it is nice to finally see you all in the flesh,” her husky voice broke the silence and it was like lightning struck his every nerve.
Her voice was crisper and deeper than he’d expected, but oh so perfect. His Dragon rumbled in pleasure at hearing the dulcet tones. She walked further into the room on wobbly legs, smiling as she steadied her gait. She looked at everyone, with that open expression and held out her hand.
“I am Holley Mount,” she introduced herself, “and I have watched over you with the help of the great manetuwak, the spirits of the keep for many, many years.”
“Uh, I’m Byram,” the Vampire moved first and greeted her politely.
He was quick to shake her hand and let go, which was smart since Kingston had gripped the armrests of his chair tight enough to tear the leather and crush the wood. She turned her head and caught his eye with a perfect black eyebrow arched.
He could not tell if it was annoyance or what, but she continued on. As she had every right to do, he reasoned with his dragon. Hell. He didn’t know why she was mad, he was a Shifter. They were possessive assholes at the best of times when it came to their mates.
He cleared his throat, and she turned once to look at him. Then she tilted her head at the damaged chair, and he felt his face heat in embarrassment.
Fuck. He’d have to work on that.
“My name is Egros,” the male Witch spoke, and his mate, Holley, nodded.
“Yes, you and I must chat about your portal. I think I know a way to make travelling through space and time much more efficient and less draining on your stores of magic,” she returned.
“Yes,” he nodded enthusiastically, “I would love to hear your thoughts on that.”
Like any great diplomat, Holley went to each of the Guardians present. She spoke to them of things she couldn’t possibly know, but somehow did. She laughed at something Fergie said and remarked on her vast shoe collection. That earned her a fan for life, he mused.
Then it was Elena’s turn. The pink-eyed woman tried to remain stern, but once Holley complimented her on the hours of training the feline Shifter put in to her daily routine, she had her on her side as well. No one took training as seriously as Elena.
“I could show sometime,” the woman said and Holley nodded.
“You’re Storm,” she stopped in front of the Wolf and congratulated him on securing his mate.
Then finally, she was right there. Within touching distance. Kingston held himself very still. One move and he would have her crushed against him.
Fucking hell. He didn’t want to scare the woman.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello,” he answered.
“So, you said you and the spirits of the Keep watch us?” Fergie asked.
“Yes,” Holley said, but remained motionless in front of him.
“Then you do the cooking and cleaning?”
“Not me exactly, but I guide and impress upon the manetuwak things that you would prefer.”
“Like chicken salad?” growled Storm and Holley laughed.
“Well, it was that, or the manse wanted to suffocate you in your sleep. I thought the food a better punishment, don’t you agree?”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” he said, and his mate tweaked his nose.
“Okay, you guys have a lot to discuss, so we’re gonna go,” Fergie announced and began shoving the rest of the lot out of the room.
Thank fuck.
Kingston was barely hanging on to his Dragon. His body vibrated and scales popped out all over his skin. He was hard-pressed not to claim her then and there.
The typically standoffish creature inside of him was snarling like never before. Scratching against his skin with ferocious strength, demanding he fully claim his mate. Now.
Mine.
“I suppose we have things to discuss. Is there anything you want to say to me before we start?”
“Yes,” Kingston growled and pulled the woman forward so that she was hovering over him.
He brushed his mouth across hers and it was like the light of a thousand suns burned inside of him. He moaned into her soft mouth as she submitted to his invasion. Tangling his tongue with hers, savoring the flowery blueberry flavor. He kissed her thoroughly before pausing so they could catch their breaths.
His forehead pressed to hers, he said the only word he was capable of, “Mine.”
Six
Holley woke from her unexpected slumber slowly. Had it all been a dream? Was she still chained within the belly of the Keep?
No, she realized as she slowly came back to herself. She was warm for the first time in eons. Everything looked blurry, and she blinked her eyes again until it all became clearer.
This room, she thought, I know this room.
Heavy wood furniture without accent or adornment, large windows facing the piney forest, beige walls, plain coverlet on the enormous bed. Yes, she knew this place well. It was his room.
Voices from nearby reached her ears, and Holley remained still so she could listen. It was Kingston’s voice that sounded loudest to her. That deep timber soothing and alluring. Her chest tightened in sympathy as his words became clear. Poor man, he spoke of his brother and the unusual and tragic circumstances that led to his mating the she-Dragon, Neela.
This group of Guardians had been living within these walls for only a few decades, which to her was relatively short. Decades were nothing to a group of supernaturals with extended lifespans, and certainly not more than a blink to a Witch who’d been captive within the Keep’s hollows for centuries.
Still, she’d had an advantage over the Diamond Dragon. Where his hope of finding his own fated mate had been squashed that day with his brother on the beach, she’d recognized what he was to her from the start.
At first, it had broken her heart. She wondered how it was possible that he already had a mate of his own. In fact, Holley had almost gone mad until she saw what really existed between them. Now, she knew the entire story.
Neela and Kingston were bound by a vow neither could break. He’d given his brother his word, gave her his bite to protect her, and in the end neither had been happy. It was all so terribly sad.