Page 39 of Hexmate

“Okay.” I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to steel myself for my next question. “But we’re not…bondedyet, are we?”

Atlas’s eyes widened. I wasn’t sure if he was surprised by the question or my knowledge of such acts, but he nodded, nonetheless. “That’s right. We’re not bonded until we…”

“But we already did.”

He smiled at that, shaking his head. “We barely covered foreplay,” he explained, trying to keep it casual. “Creating a lasting bond between us would require me to… well…” He paused, suddenly looking a bit nervous. “It would mean I fuck you,” he said at last. “And, for lack of a better term,breedyou.”

“Oh.”

My mind reeled as I felt my face flush even hotter at Atlas’s blunt words. The idea of him “breeding” me sent a confusing mix of arousal and anxiety through my body.

“And that would bind us together permanently?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Atlas nodded, his golden eyes intense as they bore into mine. “Yes. Once we’re bonded, there’s no going back. We’d be connected for life.” He looked more nervous than I’d seem himin a while. “I’ve heard there are ways to undo it, but I’ve heard it’s extremely painful magic.”

I swallowed hard, trying to process the weight of what he was saying. Part of me thrilled at the idea of being tied to Atlas forever. But another part hesitated, remembering all the complications and dangers we faced.

“Is that... is that something you want?” I asked tentatively.

Atlas’s arms tightened around me. “More than anything,” he growled. “But only if you want it too. I won’t pressure you into anything you’re not ready for.”

His consideration touched me deeply. I reached up to trace the strong line of his jaw. “But wouldn’t you want to get to know me first?”

Atlas stopped, his smile fading as my words sunk in. “I… I’m sorry, Caden,” he said, blowing out a long sigh. “You’re right, I’m getting ahead of myself. The pull toward you is so strong that I’m having a hard time keeping a level head about all this.” He lifted his gaze to me. “Of course I want to get to know you. We should take this slow and treat it like a normal relationship, not rush into bonding ourselves together forever in the first week.”

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. “I think that’s smart. There’s so much going on right now with Rowan and everything else. We should focus on getting to know each other and staying safe.”

Atlas smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You’re right. And I want to do this properly. Court you like you deserve.”

His words made my heart flutter. “I’d like that,” I whispered.

We lay there in comfortable silence for a while, just holding each other. Despite my earlier exhaustion, I felt wide awake now, hyper-aware of every point where our bodies touched.

“Can I ask you something?” I ventured after a while.

Atlas hummed in assent, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back.

“What exactly does being mates mean? Beyond the bonding part, I mean.”

He was quiet for a moment, considering. “It’s different for every pair, but generally it means we’re perfectly matched. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. We complement each other in ways no one else can.”

I mulled this over. “Even though I’m a witch?”

“As far as I know,” he said. “Fated mates can be from any species. It used to be more rare that they crossed over. But the more the world expands, and we interact with others, the more things like this seem to happen. I’ve got a cousin that’s mated to a vampire. Talk about a tense union.”

I nodded. Vampires and werewolves were known to have a long history of disagreements. In the last century they’d become much more docile toward one another, but old wounds ran deep, especially considering most vampires were practically immortal.

“So… does that automatically make you my familiar?”

Atlas stared at me for a long moment. “I… I don’t know. Would you want me to be?”

I bit my lip, considering Atlas’s question. The idea of having him as my familiar was both thrilling and terrifying.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted softly. “I’ve never had a familiar before. And you’re already so powerful on your own. I wouldn’t want to... diminish you somehow.”

Atlas chuckled, the rumble of his laughter vibrating through his chest. “You could never diminish me, Caden. If anything, being your familiar would only make me stronger. Our powers would be linked, amplifying each other.”

My eyes widened at that. “Really? But I’m so weak compared to you.”

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