She recognized it instantly because it was how she felt for him. Still, she couldn’t explain why she felt it radiate into her as if it wasn’t her own.
“Liv.” His voice came out hoarse.
Trembling from emotion streaming through her, making it hard to breathe, her gaze met his, then a tear floated down her cheek. “Kiss me,” she begged. “Just once, please.” After she said it, she couldn’t believe the words had escaped her lips.
A moment later, he stood. Towering over her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her, placing her butt on the countertop. Standing between her legs, eye to eye, he pressed the palm of one hand against her back, pushing her body against his. She fit, melding perfectly against him. He then cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her as he stared deep into her eyes. Finally, he leaned in and placed his lips firmly over hers.
She opened her mouth and his tongue met hers. Their tongues entwined, making her temperature spike and her core grow moist.
The kiss was passionate, sensual and unnerving, making her toes curl with desire. He tasted sweeter than she’d ever imagined.
She had no idea what she was doing or if she was doing it right, but she couldn’t find the strength to pull away because it was Cain, the man she loved, and he kissed her like he wanted her to be his.
Her first kiss was worth the wait. It hadn’t been a random immortal, it was Cain. The man who’d saved her, protected her and befriended her, that she’d remember forever as her first.
There were no regrets.
Chapter 12
Two Months Ago
The day had drifted by slowly. It didn’t happen often, only the days she didn’t see Cain. Going on four days now, she’d begun to worry.
Over the course of the last three months, since she’d met him, she hadn’t gone more than a day. They’d become friends who saw each other, not just often, but daily. They talked, laughed, sometimes even shared meals and trained together.
So it was only natural that she be worried, natural that she was a mess. She couldn’t help it. Day in and day out horrible scenarios filled her mind—all ended with him hurt or worse. She knew it unlikely, considering bad news traveled fast, and she was sure Jocelyn would have told her.
With certainty she was sure of two probable scenarios: he was busy on an assignment and couldn’t spare time or he didn’t want to see her. Both scared her a bit: the first because he always found time for her before, and the second because she wanted to see him. She couldn’t blame him though, she knew her feelings for him were growing and felt, perhaps, he felt her feelings for him grow. Perhaps, he didn’t want to encourage them and hoped distance would cure that.
In an effort to distract herself, she headed to her garden to water the flowers. As hard as she tried, she didn’t succeed. Her attempts to keep thoughts of Cain at bay were fruitless. The image of Cain injured, as he had been the night he’d saved her, kept sneaking up on her.
Walking through the rows of flowers, watering each she chanted:
He’s fine.
After half an hour, she was exhausted, from the sun’s heat and from her frazzled mind. Taking a seat on a bench, she sighed and closed her eyes. Seconds later, his familiar scent permeated her senses.
Great, I’m losing it
, she thought.
“Liv.” His voice startled her.
Parting her lids and meeting his too blue eyes, she sprang off the bench. “Oh God,” she whispered, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. He wasn’t injured; he was safe, standing inches from her, comforting her wrecked, worried mind. She released a breath.
Looking startled himself, he held up his hands. “God, Liv, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
As he stared at her with unhindered concern clear in his eyes, she realized:
I’ve fallen in love with a demon.
How else to explain why her mind was constantly filled with thoughts of him? How else to explain why she’d been out of her mind with worry?
Shit.
How could this have happened to her? She was inexperienced, had never been kissed or been held or made love, yet here she was in love with a demon.
“Liv, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
She meant to answer quickly, but the realization she’d fallen for a demon, made her ache and mute, so she nodded.
The sun’s rays darkened, she wobbled on her feet. Cain materialized beside her and wrapped a strong arm around her, steadying her.
“Jesus! Are you okay?” He sounded panicked.
She shook her head hoping the tightening in her chest would dissipate magically, hoping it was a just a school girl crush and it would fade.
She couldn’t possibly be in love with the first man she’d felt attracted to—one she could never have. And she was sure she could never have him. He had a mate somewhere waiting for him. It wasn’t her, and she knew with certainty because immortal men instantly recognized their mates. In that moment, they were overcome with the instinct, the need to mark and claim them as theirs. She’d known Cain for three months. During those months, he’d never treated her as anything more than a friend, and that meant no matter how much she wished it, she would never be his.
Her vision swirled. Panicked, she glanced around, realizing belatedly she wasn’t standing. Once again, she sat on the bench with Cain beside her. “Did you—”
“Yes, I did,” he admitted then paused, his eyes scanning her face. “Damn, you’re pale.” He pressed the palm of his hand against her forehead then cursed, “Shit, you’re hot.”
She nodded. “I’m overheated.”
He wrapped one arm around her waist then gripped the back of her neck with the other, pulling her face against his chest. “Close your eyes, Liv.”
She did, and as she did she inhaled, his scent spread through her like wildfire, soothing every inch of her.
“Open your eyes.”
Glancing around, she realized she was at the demon compound on Cain’s floor. She had been there once before, the night he’d saved her.
He disappeared then reappeared moments later with a wet towel. Pressing it against her forehead, he released a breath and said, “You’re scaring me.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
“You’re in shock. I feel it,” he said.
Shock? Well, that explained it. She couldn’t blame herself either, having just realized she was in love for the first time in her life. “That’s very sweet of you, Cain. I’m fine.”
As he continued to dab the cold wet towel on her forehead, she watched him. His face riddled with concern, his brows drawn together, worry lines marring his forehead. He anxiously and repeatedly scanned her from top to bottom.
It was only natural that it dawned on her at that moment why it had been so easy to fall for Cain. He was sweet, kind, thoughtful and caring. It didn’t hurt that he was handsome, gentlemanly, joked often and never angered. Since the moment she met him, he’d taken her under his wing, patiently taught her about the immortal world she knew so little of but craved to know everything about. On the very first night they’d met, he risked his life to save hers. A week later, when Cameron, werewolf council member, lost his temper, and shifted, Cain had been at her side, blocking her from harm with his towering frame. When Jocelyn trained for battle, he stood beside her like a shield in case anything should go awry. He was her very own bodyguard, ensuring no harm came her way, ever. All of it had drawn her to him like a moth to a flame.
She should have seen it coming. Every time he taught her, protected her, shielded her and encouraged her, she’d felt her feelings for him grow. Every night before she went to bed, she prayed for his safe return knowing as she drifted to sleep he fought Malums. Every morning, she dreaded finding out he’d been injured or worse.
She should have known.
Stupidly, she hadn’t.
She was too naïve, immature and inexperienced to recognize it until it was too late.
“Liv.”
“I’m okay, Cain. I promise.”
Just helplessly in love with you
, she thought, but left it unsaid.
He disappeared again and reappeared with a glass of water in hand. “Here, drink,” he instructed, taking a seat beside her.
She took a sip of water, felt herself relaxing.
“Sorry I haven’t been by to hang out,” he said. “I was in Treconomia, the demon plane. We’re trying to get new recruits.”
“For the Guardians?”
He nodded. “How are Joce and Landon? Are they getting along better?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know how they are. They fight like cats and dogs and the next minute, they’re going at it like rabbits.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve seen this mate thing transpire a couple of times already.”
She had often wondered if the fighting was part of the mating or if it was exclusive to Jocelyn and Landon. If it was part of the mating, she wasn’t sure she wanted anything to do with it, but perhaps that was just the inexperienced part of her talking. She couldn’t help the question spilling from her lips.
“Do Jenna and Lucas fight as much?”
“I’m sure they have arguments just not in front of anyone…Jenna’s headstrong like Jocelyn but more laid back, too. She was more accepting of the mating thing. I guess she figured there was no use in fighting something you can’t control.”
“And Jocelyn wasn’t accepting,” she concluded.
“Yeah, for about a week.” He chuckled. “You feeling better?”
“Yes, sorry about that damsel in distress thing.”
“You’re apologizing for that? I love being your hero,” he said, then that amazing smile spread across his lips.
Her pulse quickened. She felt her cheeks flush. Being so inexperienced sucked, especially at times like this because she couldn’t tell if he’d just flirted with her.
“You mean you like being the hero. I mean, of course, you do, you’re a Guardian,” she said quickly.
His smile faded. Briefly, she wondered why, then just as easily disregarded it completely.
Chapter 13
It had been Cain’s intention to tell her she was his the moment he unleashed his feelings for her, giving her a glimpse of how he felt, but she’d asked for a kiss and it was a kiss he’d craved for months.
There had been no stopping him.
His mate, Olivia, was finally in his arms, firmly pressed against him. Her temperature spiking, he was overwhelmed with the longing he’d battled for months. All he’d dreamt of was a single kiss, and finally the time had come. It had been worth the wait. His mate had beautiful full lips. Pressed against his, nothing existed but her.
As he kissed her softly and slowly, his demon demanded he mark her, chanting in his head he’d waited too long. Simultaneously, he battled another desire—the need to intensify their kiss and make up for lost time.
He couldn’t give in to either.
This was his first kiss with his virgin mate. He had to take his time.
But she was making it harder and harder. Every soft moan, every flick of her tongue drove him mad with craving. As she wrapped her arms around his torso to deepen the kiss and raked her fingers down his back, he growled deep in his throat. She shuddered, her body grazing against his, making him groan.
He ran his hands down her neck, and she arched her back in invitation. He couldn’t help himself then. His hand trailed farther until it grasped her breast over the shirt she wore, squeezing lightly. His mouth trailing down her cheek toward her neck, he kissed and licked her softly, searing the taste of her into him, knowing he’d never tasted anyone so sweet.
When the scent of her need wafted into his senses a moment later, he groaned. The instinct to take her nearly took him to his knees.
I can’t take her,
he chanted as a reminder, because at any moment he swore he’d lose control.
No matter his restraint, how hard he battled his demon’s desires to claim her, his body moved of its own accord. Tugging her closer, he reclaimed her lips again, then hungry for the taste of her skin, he dragged his mouth down her neck. Gums aching, a moment later, his fangs sprang to life for the first time, proving again she was his.
Mark her. Mark her now,
his demon purred.
His lips parted; his fangs throbbed. Seconds from giving in to his deepest desire, he materialized feet away from her.
His eyes locked on his mate’s. Her lips were swollen from kissing his, her face flushed.
God, she’s beautiful
, he thought.
Her shoulders slumped as an expression of disappointment flashed across her face.
She wanted him. He needed her, but pleading and torn, he wavered. Still consumed with his desire, words escaped him.
Her gaze fell away from his then she whispered, “It wasn’t good.”
His eyes widened. Instantly, he closed the distance he’d forced and clasped her hands, locking them in his. “Why would you say that?”
“You pulled away.”
“Because I need to tell you something.”
Moments passed. Olivia stared at him expectantly.
The time to tell her had come, but he found his courage fleeting. He feared she’d run—again.
Without releasing her hands, he took a deep breath and shifted his weight then finally, he admitted, “You’re mine.”
She didn’t react. She didn’t say a word. Honest, he wasn’t sure if she heard him, so he repeated, “You’re mine…Or well, I guess I should phrase it differently. You are my fated mate…or female if you prefer.”
Then she did react. A soft gasp escaped her kissed lips.
He held still, waiting for her to say something…anything. During those endless moments, he felt emotion streaming off of her—disbelief.
When several more moments passed and she didn’t speak, he did. “I’ve known for a while. I didn’t tell you because I knew you…I thought you needed time to adjust to life among other immortals and your new responsibilities among the pack and…”
Pulling her hands away from his, she croaked, “W-what?”
Because he still felt her disbelief, he repeated, “You’re my mate, Liv. I know I should have told you before—”
“I’m
what
? I’m
not
. I
can’t
be,” she said rapidly then pushed him away, making room for her to hop off the counter, turn and walk away from him.
He moved as she did, grabbed her hand, spun her until she faced him again, then he placed his hands on the sides of her face, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Yes,” he contradicted. “You
are
my mate.”