I shouldn’t be thinking these things. He’s a one-night fling that I plan to stay away from after this night. This is scratching an itch. Meeting a need. Getting him out of my system.
His muscles tighten as his orgasm takes over, and I follow right behind him, closing my eyes and screaming out his name. The orgasm seems to go on forever, and I ride it the entire time. But then something happens …
My body begins to tingle and tremble. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It could be from the sex, but looking into Chase’s eyes, I know he feels it, too.
“Kara,” he whispers, his eyes changing to his wolf’s.
For the first time since I woke up from the spell, my wolf comes charging to the surface, desperately trying to get closer to him. To her …
Mate.
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” I say, pushing against his chest. “This can’t be happening.”
Chase’s eyes glow brighter, his cock springing back to life inside of me. Staring down at me, he cups my cheeks. “You’re my mate.”
Immediately, I push against him again and his face falls as he slides out of me. I jump away, taking the bed sheet with me so that I can cover myself. He may have just seen me naked, but he didn’t need to see anymore.
“You’re crazy,” I tell him. “That can’t be.”
Chase holds up his hands. “You’re my mate, Kara. I know you feel it, too.”
I won’t let myself meet his eyes, so I focus on the clock. There’s nothing I can say to refute his claims. He’s right. I feel it and there’s no denying what just transpired. He’s my mate and there’s nothing that will change it. The Great Luna has made her decision.
Before he says anything else, the clock ticks over to ten, and Chase falls back on the bed. Evangeline’s spell worked. I drop to my knees and try to bring in some air, only nothing helps.
There’s a battle raging inside of me. My wolf wants me to stay with him, to keep the connection alive. “No,” I hiss, forcing myself to my feet. I have to fight her back and get the hell out of here before he wakes up.
I hurry out of the room and down the stairs where my clothes are. After piling them in my arms, I rush back to my own room to dress as quickly as I can. Then I grab my bags and get out the front door without looking back.
Now is not the time for looking back.
20
KARA
Chase is my mate. The words sound foreign in my mind as I say them. How could this happen?
My muscles ache and burn to the point I feel as if I could throw up. It doesn’t matter how hard I push myself; my wolf isn’t going to burst free. With Chase, I felt as if she would, but the farther I get from him, the further I feel her retreating inside of me. I’m about to lose her again. She wants her mate, but I can’t give him to her.
The main road is about a quarter mile away. My lungs hurt from sucking in the brisk air, but I keep on pushing. Up ahead, I can see a red sedan, and leaning against it is Evangeline. She waves me over with a big smile on her face.
“Come on, mon amie. You sure are slow.”
Sweat drips down my forehead, and I glower at her. “Just get me out of here.”
We get in the car, and she slams on the gas, the car lurching onto the road. Evangeline looks over at me and grins. “It wasn’t so bad. There are only three wolves close by, so I know I can keep them under the entire night. They’ll wake up as if nothing ever happened.” She beams as if she’s proud of herself. “At least they’ll have good dreams.”
Evangeline has light magic. There are many who turn to the dark side; the magic is seductive and alluring. Most think it’s more powerful, but it’s not. Rolling down the window, I stick my head out to get some fresh air. My heart won’t stop racing, and it makes me feel dizzy and unsettled.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Evangeline staring at me. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be excited to leave.”
“It’s nothing,” I say, rubbing my chest. “I just need to rest.”
A few minutes pass by, and we arrive at a quaint bed and breakfast on the coast. It’s a two-story, white house with black shutters and a gazebo out front. When we get out of the car, I hear the ocean waves below, crashing against the rocks.
Evangeline walks around the back of the house to a small cottage nestled by a garden. We stop at the door, and she pulls out the key. The second I step inside, my emotions explode all over the place. Not even the earthy atmosphere of the cottage calms me down. I pace the floor, but Evangeline steps in front of me, taking my hands in hers.
“You’re scaring me, Kara. What happened?”
My lips tremble as I lift my wrist with the bracelet. “I know you can’t get it off of me, but please tell me you know another way.”
Frowning, Evangeline slowly slides her hand toward the magical relic. It repels her just like it does everyone else. I’m the only one who can physically touch it.
“This goes way beyond witch magic, both light and dark. The fae are stronger than us.” Her golden eyes bore into mine. “I’ve never personally met a faerie, but I’m sure I can find someone who knows a spell to find one. Maybe we can get answers there.”
That seems like a giant long shot, and one I’m not sure will work. No random faerie is going to help me when they don’t know anything about me. They’ll want something in return, and I’m almost afraid to find out what that might be.
Letting her hands go, I turn away, and my breath hitches. My stomach feels as if it’s turning in on itself, revolting against me. I want to break down and cry, but it’s no use. Crying isn’t going to get me out of this clusterfuck of a mess I’m in.
“What happened tonight, Kara? Tell me,” Evangeline urges, her voice laced with worry.
Closing my eyes, I can still feel Chase’s hands all over my body and how amazing it was to have him claim me. I fist my hands in my hair. “Shit, what have I done?”
When I turn to face Evangeline, she looks into my eyes and gasps. “Oh my God,” she exclaims, slapping a hand over her mouth. “You slept with the alpha, didn’t you?”
Swallowing hard, I avert my gaze and nod.
Evangeline inserts herself in my path and grabs my face, squeezing to make me focus on her. “You wouldn’t be acting like this if it was simply a booty call. I know you, Kara. So what am I missing?” Tears form in my eyes, and her mouth drops open. “He’s your mate, isn’t he?”
“I’ve wanted to find my mate for so long,” I whisper. “After living over two hundred years, why did it have to happen now? Why does it have to be Chase?”
Evangeline smiles sadly. “The Great Luna obviously wants you two together.”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. My only goal is getting this goddamned thing off my wrist. I can’t focus on anything other than that right now.”
Huffing, Evangeline drops her hands from my face. “Seriously? You need to go back to your mate. If anyone can help you, it’s him. I’m all for taking you away from here, but this is stupid. I know how it works with wolves and their mates. You being here with Chase was meant to happen.”