Page 60 of Hexmate

My heart skipped a beat at Atlas’s words. I searched his golden eyes, looking for any hint of doubt or hesitation, but found only unwavering certainty. The intensity of his gaze made me shiver.

“Atlas, I...” I swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words. “I love you too.” It felt incredible to say that at last even though I knew logically it was far too early. “But this is such a huge step. Are you sure?”

He nodded, his thumb gently caressing my cheek. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re my mate, Caden. My other half. I want to protect you, to be bound to you in every way possible. And once we are, I can keep you safe.”

I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch. The thought of mating with Atlas, of binding our souls together, sent a thrill of excitement and terror through me. It was everything I’d dreamed of, but the circumstances were all wrong.

“What about your pack?” I whispered. “Won’t your father reject you if you mate with a witch?”

Atlas’s jaw clenched, a flicker of pain crossing his features. “They might. But I don’t care. You’re more important to me than any pack.”

His words both warmed and terrified me. The weight of his sacrifice settled heavily on my shoulders. He was giving up everything to be my mate. And then he’d give up evenmoreto be my familiar. Being bound together on that level meant we’d spend every day together for the rest of our lives. He’d be mine. Forever.

“We should find somewhere private,” Atlas murmured, his breath hot against my ear. “The mating requires… intimacy. I have to…breedyou… in my Alpha form.”

His voice echoed in my chest, sending a shiver through my entire body. I nodded, knowing what that meant. “There are two ways to make you my familiar. Blood magic… or sex magic.”

“Well,” Atlas grinned, despite the gravity of the situation. “I know which one I’d rather do.”

My heart raced as Atlas took my hand, leading me away from the infirmary and towards the library. “We can use my private room,” he said softly. “Nobody will bother us there. And despite your father’s curse over you, the room can cut us off from him for a little while at least. I never turned on the wards because Ididn’t think we needed them. It’ll at least give us some privacy for a few hours.”

I followed Atlas through the darkened campus, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and fear. The snow crunched softly beneath our feet as we made our way to the library, our breath visible in the frigid night air.

Once inside, Atlas led me down the stairs to the basement, then through the winding halls to his secret room. He pushed the hidden door open, grabbed my hand, and pulled me inside. All the plants that had sprung up on the cushions last time had been cleared away. The entire place looked just as it had the first time I saw it.

“Here we are,” Atlas said softly, closing the door behind us. He reached out toward the dial on the wall, activating the center arcane symbol as if it were a simple push button. I felt the wards shimmer into place around us, the magic laced walls now glowing a dull gold instead of their usual blue.

“We’re safe now,” he said. “At least for a little while. These wards won’t keep someone like your father out forever, but it should at least stop him from spying on you for a few hours. That’ll be long enough to bond and try to break the curse he has over you.”

“We’ll still have to drain all my blood to get rid of his magic,” I said, my body trembling at the thought. “It’ll be… dangerous.”

Atlas shook his head, taking my hand softly. “Once you make me your mate, I can lend you my healing powers through our bond.” He leaned in close, kissing me on the forehead. “You’ll recover faster than you can bleed, I promise you that. And once you make me your familiar… well, I can only imagine that ability will get stronger. Your father won’t know what’s happened until it’s far too late.”

He was right. With the wards up, the sudden surge in my power would go unnoticed by my father. And if we broke thecurse tonight, he might not notice the connection missing. That could give Atlas and I the chance we needed.

“When we’re done with this,” I said, looking up at him. “Will you run away with me?”

He smiled. “I’d follow you to the ends of the earth, Caden. Whatever you wish, I’ll do anything I can to make it come true.” He paused, looking me over carefully. “Are you ready?”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “I… I think so.”

I stood in the center of the room with him, suddenly nervous. This was really happening. Atlas pulled me in slowly, his golden eyes glowing in the dim light. He cupped my face in his hands, kissing me deeply. I melted into him, clinging to his broad shoulders as desire flooded through me.

“All I want is for you to be safe,” Atlas whispered against my lips. “And to hold you in my arms for as long as you’ll let me. Even if we’re bonded, I want you to know that I’ll never hold you back. I won’t take your freedom away from you like your father has.”

“I know,” I replied, kissing him back. “Atlas?”

“Yeah?”

“What does your… uh…” I glanced down at the bulge in his jeans, too shy to say it out loud. “What does it look like in Alpha form?”

He smiled. “I think it would be best just to show you.”

Atlas stepped back, his golden eyes never leaving mine as he began to undress. My breath caught in my throat as his muscular body was revealed inch by tantalizing inch. When he was fully nude, he gave me a heated look that made my knees weak.

“Ready?” he asked softly.

I nodded, unable to find my voice.

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