Mated To Magic (Stark Creek Shifters Book 1) by Barb Shuler (free ereaders .TXT) 📕

He was determined to take care of this because it was something he could control. I got that. I felt so out of control, I wasn’t sure what to do. I pushed the glass deeper into my hand as the asshole cat jerked me to the back of his truck. I can’t say having that shard ripped from my palm was pain free, but I can say I deserved that extra bite of pain. So much has happened lately, I was losing it. Tonight, I needed to talk to Mia about everything. If I didn’t, I risked losing her for good, and that was not something I would survive.

Three hours later, or maybe it was four, we were done with the doors. Liam and I fixed the one inside; Kody and Max fixed the one outside while being supervised by Ty. It was all up and working properly, with the alarms and everything hooked up again. Liam had run scans and we tested them each out to make damn sure it was in full working order.

I drove home and sat there in the driveway. I was nervous to go inside. I’d overstepped lines she had drawn, and I promised I’d never do that, but the fleabag made me stupid.

Finally, I headed in. I could see it on her face. She was mad. Probably wishing she could set me on fire. I didn’t blame her. She wanted to talk, which was fine with me, but I needed a few minutes. I asked for that and went to shower. My mind was full of so many thoughts and needs. It all meant nothing if she was going to skin me. I had to suck it up.

I made it back out to the living room, watching her as she told me to sit down, shut up, and let her talk. So I did. The beast inside of me roared back to life with her story. The look on Jayden’s face, the golden rim around her eyes, the fear… I shook my head and stood up, pacing the area between the sofa and the TV. My hand was burning where I dug my fingers in the cut that was trying to heal.

“I’m sorry. I can’t say that enough. The fleabag…no, I’m not even blaming it on him. I need you to be safe. It’s my job as your friend, your lover, your mate to do that. Mia,” I said her name, pleading for her to understand what I was about to say. “You are my mate. You know what that means.” I fell to my knees before where she sat on the couch. My hands rested on her thighs. “The bond is a powerful thing. It’s a being all its own.” I took her hand and rested it on the space above my heart. “I need to know, the wolf needs to know, that you are ours. It will help me keep him in control.

“Dalton…”

“I love you with every piece of my being. I want you to be my forever. Will you allow me to claim you?”

I looked up, met her gaze. There were tears in her eyes. I’m sure they matched the ones in mine. I could feel the burning desire inside of me, pulling me to her.

“Yes…” she breathed. I pulled her to me, kissing her hard, claiming her mouth. My growl made her shift against me. The evidence of my arousal was obvious.

“Mine,” I growled as I stood, her legs wrapping around me. I walked us to the bedroom, slamming the door. As soon as I sank my teeth into her, we would be as one.

15

Dalton

My wolf was finally content. He’d gotten to have his mate, fully. He was able to taste her, ravish her, and bring her to the point of shattering more than once last night. The burn that had been coursing inside of me was settled and I could breathe again. I hadn’t felt this free or light in years. I shouldn't have waited this long to tell her she was mine.

I pulled her closer to me, her body encased by mine. I kissed along her neck, breathing in her scent. My tongue darted along the mark I gave her on her neck. The almost invisible outline of my teeth in the juncture was a beacon to any Supernatural that she was mine. It was one of many ways I planned to mark her and make her mine. Her warmth filled the space around us as she slept. I smiled as I brushed stray hairs from her face. Her eyes fluttered, but she didn’t wake.

Three years of carrying her to bed, watching her sleep. Now, I didn’t have to sit across the room and wish to be in bed with her. It was a reality. I’d had all night to think and had a plan brewing in my head. One that would work for me and the guys and keep Mia’s rules in play. My boys wouldn’t be in the club, other than Liam. I wouldn’t push her with this. No need to argue, I had it all sorted, I just had to put it in play.

Placing a kiss to Mia’s cheek, I smiled and slowly slid from the bed. I tucked the covers around her and moved to the doorway, looking back again at her before I picked up my discarded sweats and slid them on. In bare feet I padded down to the kitchen, pulled my spare phone from the drawer, and put the SIM card from the one I broke into it. It needed a few minutes to boot up so I used that time to fix the coffee pot. My little witch was addicted to the crap, so I would make sure it was ready for her.

I pulled my cell closer to turn it on, grabbed my earbuds, and connected the Bluetooth. Ty was my first call.

“You calling to tell me you're alive or dead?”

I chuckled. “Alive for now.