Betting On His Mate Read online

  Kiera slumped back against the sofa and closed her eyes to the interior of the small cottage that perched on the edge of the river bank at the end of a pretty small town. Nestled back against the woods on one side, Kiera had found it quite enchanting when she’d arrived a few days ago, and that was before the snow, once it was dipped in frosting it just had to be the picture perfect fairytale cottage from every Christmas movie she had seen.

  But it was just so cold…too damn cold. She was a city girl and more than used to not being more than a few feet away from toasty at any time. Just the walk back from the pub, even thought faster than she cared for, had felt like a trek across the arctic north. That wasn’t normal.

  “How have you not frozen to death out here yet?”Kiera bit down on the urge her body had to shake again. She was sure she’d already loosened a couple of teeth doing that already. The urgent need for Caren to light the real log fire was like a hunger within her bones.

  “Thermals and padding. You know if you’d taken Callum up on his offer then you wouldn’t have been worried about the cold tonight.”Caren chuckled to herself as she poked and prodded at the tinder she’d reached out to light with her mind. Her friend, the alphas mate. Who would have thought it? Even though Teri had read her cards before she got there, they hadn’t seen it coming. A tall, dark, handsome stranger coming into Kiera’s life, boy was that understating the facts…

  “You mean the oaf at the bar?”Kiera felt a slight ripple of something go through her as a mental image of him appeared in her mind. Those eyes, sinful, come to bed… turn around and let me take you against the wall, eyes… Kiera swallowed a groan. She’d met the guy for all of five minutes and here she was getting all hot under the collar for him. That just didn’t happen, at least not to her.

  “One and the same.”

  “Still not interested, and after whacking him in the balls with a stool I would bet he feels much the same way…”

  “I’d take that bet.” Caren bit out, giving the fire another prod before she pushed up onto her feet and turned back to see Kiera snuggled into a blanket in the corner seat of the sofa. Her eyes were closed to the world and she had a small smile etched onto her face. Caren was sure she knew what her friend was going to be dreaming about tonight, and who with.

  “Five will get you ten…”

  “Oh how about we say a round fifty either way.”Caren nudged Kiera’s feet along the sofa so she could sit down beside her. Kiera opened just one eye and stared at her.

  “Do you know something I don’t?”Kiera gave her the look that said fess up.

  “Yes.” Caren didn’t expand on her answer even though Kiera was waiting for it, so she nudged her hip with her foot.

  “Go on. Is he the local hound dog or something?”Kiera thought the man was a player. He seemed too self assured, not to mention surprised when she’d refused his advances. All of his many advances…

  Caren bit down on the giggle that desperately wanted to turn into a hearty chuckle. “Don’t let him hear you say that…” She cautioned, turning her eyes back to the fire as if she was hiding something.

  “You’re being too cagey. It’s not like you…”

  “I am not…”

  “Pops into your head and shoots out of your mouth without involving your brain in the thought process, the verbal craps, no filtering at all…”Kiera starred at her side profile, with each insult Caren’s chin dropped a little lower towards her chest. “Sound familiar?”

  “Well, you’re the one who doesn’t hold with all of the witchy stuff, remember. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details.” Caren was up on her high horse and it irked Kiera. The trouble with being in that lofty a position was the fall down was a bitch.

  “Oh God, he’s a wizard or some such, isn’t he?”Kiera tossed that thought over in her mind. He certainly charmed her, but she wasn’t about to let him charm the proverbial pants off her that was for sure.

  “I say this with love. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy…” Caren tossed her a glare. “Hamlet, William Shakespeare. The Bard of Avon…”

  “Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. Macbeth, my little witchy-poo…” Kiera teased back and Caren clamped her lips shut as she folded her arms across her chest and stuck her nose in the air to signal she was done with quotes. “Stop pouting, you’ll get those mouth wrinkly lines like your granny had.”Kiera chuckled to herself when Caren’s fingertips immediately went to her top lip searching for lines.

  “Well, Shakespeare was right and your eyes are going to be opened in a big way, you mark my words.”Caren tossed across the space between them.

  “Oh, I’ll do just that. I’ll mark your words and then I’ll get you to eat them.”Kiera chuckled again, but it was short lived when something hit the floor and the sudden thud of wood hitting tile made her jerk upright in her seat. “What was that?”

  Caren turned her head towards the front door and grinned to herself. “Broom fell over, company’s coming.” Kiera rolled her eyes in her head, but she only got as far as the ceiling when the loud thudding on the front door made her snap her eyes towards it and swallow hard.

  “Coincidence.”She hissed out as Caren turned towards her with a knowing smile.

  “Then I dare you to open the front door.” Caren offered smugly and Kiera frowned hard at wooden object. It was as if she didn’t actually recognize it for what it was. She sat there motionless for a long moment until the thudding started up again and she physically jumped at the sound.

  “Who is it?”She leaned towards Caren and whispered. Caren couldn’t help but giggle.

  “Now you believe in me.” Caren raised her brows and gave her a poignant stare.

  “I have always believed in you, it’s the magic thing I don’t hold much stock in.”She whispered again and Caren leaned in towards her and for a long moment the two of them just stared at each other.

  “Then why don’t you open the door?”Caren offered and Kiera took in a long, slow breath of annoyance. Caren was playing her, and it was more than annoying.

  Pulling herself up from the sofa, she shrugged her shoulders and strolled towards the door as if she didn’t care. Inside she was back to being a duck. Her heart was racing and her damn palms were even sweating as she reached out and yanked the door open. When her eyes met those of their company, she sucked in a long breath and held it.

  “Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, before I hurl damn chunks on your…”Teri felt the icy cold wind against her face cease, but the feeling that they were still moving at lightning speed stayed with her. She was almost certain her head was actually spinning on her neck, and she reached up with both hands to grab it and make it stop, but his hands were there first…

  “You’re supposed to close your eyes…”His melodic tone sounded amused to her ears, but what did they know, they were spinning along with her damn head…

  “Tell me that now, bit late, you…”She ground out between clenched teeth. Oh what she wouldn’t give for something wooden and pointy right then. Damn vampire.

  “Be nice or I won’t stop the fast spin in your head for you…”He teased and she felt the urge to kick him right in the balls. Penalty scored and all that, he did deserve it, and yet she so wanted her head to stop doing the three hundred and sixty degree, puke inducing spinning that it was still doing.

  “Hurry up and…”Teri growled out, but she never got a chance to finish as he soothed her mind and body into calming down. The first thing her eyes saw was him… “I think I’m going to hurl…”She informed him and saw the deep frown on his dark brow.

  “You should be feeling better…”

  “I was until I saw your face, you…”She gave him an accusing look, and then changed it to berating. Yes, she liked berating better. It seemed to make him stop with the toothy grin and become a little more sheepish, pensive and maybe just a little contrite.

  “I saved you from becoming a feast. Surely
I should get some brownie points for that?”He offered that toothy grin with maybe just a hint of fang and she snorted her contempt for him.

  “We both know he wasn’t going to eat me…”Teri offered up, almost certain of that statement. She watched the vampire with suspicion as he moved even closer to her. Pressing her back against the hard bark of the tree trunk didn’t get her any further away from him than she had already been, she realized as he seemed to cage her in, even without the effort of actually doing it. He was just too damn close…

  “Maybe, I will.” He was teasing her again. At least, she kind of thought he was, but what if he wasn’t? What if he’d been so damn helpful so he could taste Fae blood on his tongue? What if his ulterior motive had been to get to her all along…? Now she definitely felt the need for something wooden and pointy in the palm of her mitten…

  “Give it a go and see what happens.”She could feel her magic tingling within her. She could feel his closeness tingling along the outside of her body, like a warning touch of his presence, and she wasn’t sure which one brought her more pleasure…

  “When I feed from you, Teri, it will be with your willing consent.” He offered as his fingertips brushed gently over her cheek.

  “Don’t hold your breath…”Teri spat out and then deliberately rolled her eyes. “Not that it would matter…”She added as saw the spark of amusement within his dark eyes.

  “Feisty little Fae. Did I ever tell you, I like feisty…?” He seemed to be everywhere now, all around her. Touching her without lifting a finger. He was playing cat and mouse and she didn’t much care being the damn mouse.

  “Did I ever tell you, I don’t give a shi…?”He held up a hand in front of her face to silence her and it had just that effect.

  “We’re having a moment, let’s not spoil it.”His eyes were alive with mischief and she wanted to see them remorseful, even pained. Perhaps now would be the time to kick him right in the…

  “A moment my arse…”She ground out and saw that amusement flare in his eyes again.

  “Is that an invitation, because…?”

  “You really are a pric…”Teri lifted her mitten covered hands and palmed his chest. She gave pushing a try, but without his cooperation she knew he wasn’t going anywhere, and he certainly wasn’t bloody cooperating.

  “I have one, and I assure you, I know just what to do with it to make you…”

  “Seriously?”She snapped out. Her arms went limp as she gave up the pretence of trying to push him away, but her hands stayed against his rock hard Pecs under the thin black top that he wore and her woolly mittens. “You’re really going to proposition me? Now? Here? Would you like me up against this tree, or should I just drop down on the snow?” It was the incredulity of her tone and the way that she pinned him with a dark stare that caused him to back off, just slightly.

  “Too soon?”He was back to being Mr-Mischievous again, and for some damn reason, she seemed to trust him when he was like that.

  “An eternity would be too soon.”She assured him, even as her fingers curled into his top.

  Teri didn’t know what it was with this walking corpse, but there was a certain something about him. All vampires had the charm to pull you in, but this was different, this was as if he wasn’t even trying. Goddess, but she’d even started to think about the damn guy when he wasn’t around. Maybe because he was usually around, probably sniffing out Fae blood.

  “I can give you an eternity…”His eyes told her he was playing, the bulge at her stomach as he pressed her back against the tree with his hips, told her he had something else in mind.

  “Dream on, Cyrus.”Teri didn’t feel so self assured about that statement. She’d been a little low on the man front since she’d arrived in town, and that wasn’t by design. She just couldn’t seem to find anyone that interested her the way he did…Perhaps, I’m losing my mind? Sex with a vampire, fangs and blood and… She shivered at the very thought, and then made sure her shields were firmly in place as he smiled smugly down at her. “Would you back off now?”

  He leaned in further, brushing his lips against her cheek as his breath caressed just the lobe of her ear that poked out from under the hat she wore, and she shivered again. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s you who is pressed against me.” He breathed out and God damn it, but he was right.

  Teri slammed her backside back against the tree trunk. When had that happened? Why had that happened? There wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to explain that one away! But she’d try…

  “I’m drunk, and therefore stupid. Don’t read anything more into it than that, Cyrus.” Teri clamped her lips down before she said anything more. She didn’t want to be having this conversation with him, especially out in the middle of nowhere, alone. In the shop was fine. She felt their little verbal duels were a time well spent, and yes, she could admit to herself that she enjoyed them, but this…? This was taking it to a level she didn’t want to reach…Although…No!

  “Lead me on, dash my hopes…”He’d pulled back enough to give her the pouty, forlorn look that she was sure he practiced in front of a damn mirror, because he was just so good at it.

  “Stake you in the heart…”She took a moment to roll her eyes to the night sky as if contemplating that one. “I think I skipped ahead.”

  “You’ll miss me when I’m gone.”He assured her and she felt the rush of anxiety within her.

  “Where are you going?”It came out before she’d even filtered the question within her mind. A second later Cyrus was standing a good five feet away from her.

  “Right here, miss me?” He teased. The mischief within his eyes made her frown hard. She wanted to throw a thunder bolt right at his chest and smack him upside the head with a tree branch at the same time, but staking him never entered her mind. She was too busy dealing with the fact that he was right; she did miss his proximity to her. It was as if her body was being pulled towards his and she hugged the tree trunk behind her, just in case her body decided to have a mind of its own again.

  “What’s going on, Cyrus?” Teri knew that something was amiss. Nothing about this was right, and thinking back, maybe nothing had been right with her since he’d walked into her shop all of those months ago.

  “I think you can work that one out for yourself, Teri.” He seemed nervous all of a sudden, and a nervous vampire didn’t fill her with confidence. At least not the kind of confidence she needed right then.

  “Will you just tell me what you’re playing at?”Teri felt the little niggle in the dark recesses of her mind. There was something that was playing on her nerves as well, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It didn’t help that he was acting all weird, or… weirder…

  “It’s not a game. I’ve been waiting for you to put aside your Fae colored glasses and see for yourself what you’ve known all along…”He dropped his chin and stared at her from under his dark brows. But it wasn’t just any stare; it was the kind that told her to think really hard…

  Oh no, no, no, no, no, and no! It can’t be… but ooh… may be… damn, hell fire and brimstone… nope, not happening, but what if…? Bugger and sod it!

  “There you go. I knew you’d figure it out, eventually.”He’d watched just about every emotion he could think of play across her face in the shortest time possible, but the one he’d been waiting for was the realization of what he was to her. He’d known it almost the moment he’d walked into her shop. Taking in the scent of her had just confirmed it to him, and when she’d cut herself on a damn box lid, well, the scent of her blood had almost sent him wild with desire to have her. But his mate had a few hang ups that she’d needed to work through, so he’d given her time. The problem was she was clinging to them like a lifeline in a stormy sea.

  “You and I are…”She wanted to slap herself upside the head. Of all the supernatural beings in this world, why him? Why a vampire? It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair, it was… Bloody fate! “Not happening…”She was adamant on that. As a friend, sur
e, they got on well, but as mates? Stuck with him for the rest of my life would be… She shook her head. What would it be? Interesting, torture, sexy, bloody… yep, interesting, bloody torture of the sexy kind…

  “I beg to differ.”He was playing with her again. When he started to take a slow walk towards her, like the sexy damn predator she knew him to be, her heart decided to do the quick step within her chest. As for the mittens and outdoor wear, who needed that when someone decided to turn up the heat? And by heat…

  “It’s been months since we first met and you’re only realizing it now?”She spat out the words just to stop them from ratting around within her brain.

  “Actually, you are only realizing it now…”Cyrus was getting closer and she was back hugging the tree trunk even harder.

  This isn’t happening. It’s Kiera that has the mate, not me, not him, not now, not ever…

  “I gave you a little time to get used to the idea.”

  “Six months?” It wasn’t possible. If she was his mate he would have been all over her from the word go.

  “When you get to my age time doesn’t have the same meaning. I was with you every day, we just weren’t…” The look on his face said it all. Sex. Lust. Desire. Need. Teri could have climbed up the damn tree trunk backwards if she could have made her limbs move, just to get a little distance from him. Now that she knew, now that it was out there between them, her body was more than willing to hand her over to him, lock, stock and anything he wanted, she wanted…

  “Oh, tell me I’m dreaming and you’re in my head messing with me.”

  He was there, right in front of her, so close that she wanted to reach out her hand and touch him, as she had wanted on many occasions in the past. Damn it!

  “You’re dreaming.” He placed a hand above her head and leaned in towards her. Her body flared with the want and need that mixed within her, free now to accept him for who he was. Now that her mind had actually opened up those thoughts, those pathways, it all made perfect sense…