~

 

“So,” the alpha announced as he walked into the room and startled his mate into turning around. Her hands were up in front of her in the blink of an eye, and she was ready to zap him. “It’s about time we finished our discussion.”

“Next time you feel like sneaking up on someone — do it to someone who doesn’t have magic — you almost got your furry little backside singed.” Ashley offered him the evil eye as she grumbled in annoyance and tried to get her heart to stop racing.

“Speaking of which — nice segment back into our discussion from earlier,” Kiel offered.

“That old chestnut again?” Ashley sighed as she turned back to her cup, palmed the sugar pot, and started to spoon copious amounts of the sweet stuff into it.

“Aren’t you supposed to be sweet enough without all that sugar?” The alpha asked as he walked over to where she was standing, rested his hip against the counter, and folded his large arms across his broad chest.

“I’d say you tell me, but I’m not fishing for compliments — and if you give me the wrong answer I will zap you.” Ashley tossed him a glare.

“And right back into our discussion about your magic,” the alpha said.

“It saved your backside, didn’t it?”

“I think my backside would have survived without it,” Kiel chuckled.

“I wasn’t prepared to test that theory.”

“Because you care about me?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Ashley said as she tossed him a look that said she was questioning his sanity.

The alpha chuckled – it was low, riding deep within his chest, and it sounded as sexy as hell. She couldn’t say that she didn’t feel something tingly deep within her feminine bits.

“How far would you go?”

It might just have been her imagination, but Ashley was sure that even his voice had become deeper, sexier, more targeted on her feminine bits than she was comfortable with.

“To the nearest cliff so that I could push you off,” Ashley tossed back.

It has been Nancy that had wanted to kill her mate, not Ashley, but he didn’t need to know that.

“And I thought you were the one that wanted to leave,” he said as a throwaway remark, but he saw her body snapped to attention, her chin rose in defiance, and she turned a slow look upon him.

“Perhaps I did…”

“And now?”

“Perhaps now I’m not so sure.” She made it something of an effort to lift the coffee pot and fill her cup. Anything was better than turning her gaze back on her mate.

“I suppose that’s better than nothing.”

“Do you want coffee?” Ashley rushed out as she quickly stirred the contents of the cup and pushed it along the counter toward him.

“I don’t think a cup of coffee flavored sugar is what I’m looking for.” He chuckled.

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” She offered him something of a teasing grin, and Kiel held onto the growl that threatened to rumble through his chest.

“I could say the same about mating…”

“You can’t just try mating. A mate is for life, not just for Christmas.” She chuckled again as she reached for the cup, brought it to her lips, and sipped the burning hot brew.

Ashley grimaced at the sickly sweet mess that she’d made as she returned the cup back to the counter and pushed it away from her.

“You wouldn’t want to make another mistake, would you?” Kiel asked, but when she shot a look at him; there was nothing but teasing humor in his eyes.

“Exactly.”

“Then listen to your elders…”

“You’re not that much older than me.” She snorted a chuckle.

“Not me – fate,” he shrugged.

Damn, he got me there. She thought.

Fate – the least said about that the better. I don’t want to get myself hexed for the rest of my damn life.

 Ashley stayed silent, biting her tongue, and playing it safe.

“No snappy comeback line?” he chuckled.

“I’m not dissing fate, but you go right ahead,” she offered.

“Pass.”

“Chicken,” she muttered, but the low deep growl that rumbled through him told her what she already knew – he’d heard her challenge.

“Don’t bait me…” he warned.

“Or what?”

“Or I might just take up that challenge, and that’s cutting off your own nose – again.” He sounded like he disapproved, and she didn’t need to wonder why.

“How so?”

“Because we’re mates – my bad luck is your bad luck…”

“Not if I’m not around you…” she offered with a song in her voice.

“What are the odds?” he teased her.

Dropping rapidly from where I’m bloody standing.

“Faerie!” She shrieked and pointed behind him.

Kiel dropped his arms and turned to look. His beast growled, suddenly pushing forward in the protection of their mate.

Ashley turned fast and tried to make a clean getaway so that she wouldn’t have to answer any more of his questions. That ended abruptly when she felt his hand close around her wrist.

He spun her around and yanked her toward him.

Ashley’s palms hit the hard muscles of his chest, and she had the irrational need to curl her fingers and test the steel of those ridges. She automatically tipped her head back on her neck and offered him a questioning look.

“Devious,” he growled.

“A girl has got to do what a girl has got to…”

She got no further. The alpha’s beast was just beneath his skin, and he could practically feel the fur as the beast bayed to be set free.

Mine…

Kiel almost lost control of his beast. That wasn’t going to happen.

The only other thing that would garner him some control might just miff off his mate. He had to take that chance.

He brought his lips down on hers.