Page 39 of Whisker me Away
"Is it?" She tilted her head to study his face. "Because I can feel your tiger's disappointment."
"My tiger wants what all shifters want, to mark his mate, to make the bond permanent and unbreakable." Kieran's honesty was gentle but complete. "But my human side knows that kind of permanence has to be your choice, made freely and without pressure."
"And if I never choose it?"
"Then I'll love you anyway." His promise was absolute, unshakeable. "Bond or no bond, claim or no claim, you're mine and I'm yours. Nothing changes that."
Freya was quiet for a long moment, and Kieran could feel her thoughts churning through their connection. Finally, she spoke.
"I'm not ready for that level of permanence yet," she admitted. "But I want to be someday. When we've figured out how to save the town, when I've had time to understand what being mates really means. When I'm not making such a monumental decision under the pressure of supernatural crisis."
"Then that's what we'll do." Kieran pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in her scent. "We'll take things one day at a time, let the bond deepen naturally, and see where it leads us."
Above them, the stars wheeled across the autumn sky while the lake reflected their combined magic like captured moonbeams. And Kieran felt genuine hope that they might actually find a way to save everything they loved.
Including each other.
21
FREYA
Freya woke in her own bed to golden morning light streaming through her bedroom windows and the scent of coffee drifting from the kitchen. For a moment, contentment wrapped around her like a warm blanket, until memory crashed back and she realized what yesterday's choices meant for her life in Hollow Oak.
She'd made love with Kieran beside Moonmirror Lake. She'd chosen him over Rowan and the way small towns work, she knew that more than half the supernatural community already knew about it. And now she had to face the consequences of both decisions while preparing for a ritual that might require her life.
"Morning," Kieran's voice carried from the kitchen, warm with affection and something deeper. The bond hummed between them even through the walls, a constant awareness that made her skin tingle with remembered pleasure.
She pulled on jeans and a sweater, finger-combing her copper hair into something resembling order. The mirror reflected a woman who looked thoroughly kissed, her lips still slightly swollen and her eyes bright with the kind of satisfaction that came from finally admitting what her heart wanted.
But beneath the glow was worry. Today she had to research the binding ritual's final requirements while pretending she didn't notice how everyone in town looked at her differently.
"Coffee?" Kieran asked when she appeared in the kitchen doorway. He stood at her stove with easy familiarity, his eyes tracking her movement with possessive warmth. He'd found a clean shirt somewhere, probably the spare he kept in his truck, but his hair was still mussed from sleep and her fingers.
"Please." She accepted the mug he offered, noting how carefully he avoided touching her fingers. Even now, even after everything they'd shared, he was giving her space to set the pace.
"Sleep okay?" His voice carried concern beneath the casual question.
"Better than I have in weeks." The admission brought heat to her cheeks. "You?"
"Best night's sleep of my life." His grin was soft with memory. "Having you in my arms, feeling the bond settle between us... it was perfect."
Freya felt an answering warmth spread through her chest. This was right, this connection between them. Whatever challenges lay ahead, at least she wasn't facing them alone anymore.
"We should get to the Hollow Mercantile," she said, reluctantly breaking the domestic bubble they'd created. "The Tansley brothers said they found more texts about binding rituals."
The walk through town felt like running a gauntlet. Mrs. Patterson smiled knowingly from her garden, Twyla waved from the café window with obvious delight, and even the teenagers waiting for the school bus watched them with interest. Word traveled fast in a small supernatural community, and their magical display at the lake hadn't exactly been subtle.
"Ignore them," Kieran murmured, his hand finding the small of her back with protective warmth. "Let them think what they want."
"It's not them I'm worried about." Freya nodded toward the familiar figure approaching from the town square. Rowan walked with his usual steady grace, but the shadows under his brown eyes spoke to a sleepless night. "How am I supposed to face him after what I did?"
"With honesty. Same way you faced him yesterday."
Rowan reached them before she could lose her nerve, his expression carefully neutral despite the pain radiating from every line of his body. "Freya. Kieran. Morning."
"Rowan." Her voice came out smaller than intended. "How are you?"
"I've been better." His smile was genuine despite everything. "But I wanted you to know there are no hard feelings. What happened between us, it was real and good while it lasted. The fact that it couldn't compete with whatever this is doesn't diminish that." Rowan's gaze flicked to Kieran. "Take care of her. She's worth fighting for."
