Page 26 of Witch Unbound
I caught sight of Wren sitting on the table, the proud recipient of the biggest slice of chocolate cake known to man and the center of female adoration. Shifters ooed and aahed as he ate, and he rewarded them with flicks of his long lashes and glances from his huge brown eyes.
Yeah, that mogwai knew how to work a room.
Rune’s mother took my hands in hers. “You are always welcome here, daughter. You do not require an invitation. This is your home now.” She stroked my cheek.
“Esther, can we borrow you?” someone called out.
Rune’s mum glanced toward the group. “Coming.” She smiled up at me. “Eat, drink, enjoy.” She walked off, leaving me with Halle.
“You made us all very happy, Cora,” Halle said. “I don’t have the words to tell you how much this means to us.”
I swallowed the lump of emotion in my throat. “I did what I had to. I love him, Halle. I couldn’t lose him.”
“Thank you…for allowing yourself to love him.”
Arms wound around my waist from behind and I was pulled back against a solid chest.
Rune.
He kissed the top of my head. “Can I steal my mate away?”
Halle grinned up at him, her eyes bright with love. “Of course you can.” She made to walk away but turned back and kissed me on the cheek. “I love you, Cora.” Her eyes shimmered with tears. “Later.” She sashayed off to join a couple of male shifters.
Potential procreation partners, maybe? No time to focus on that, because Rune was nuzzling my neck, which was all sorts of distracting to my senses.
“Did you miss me?” he asked.
My pulse sped up. “Always.”
I caught sight of Tor and Leif across the lawn, surrounded by female shifters, but their attention was on us. Rune’s grip tightened possessively, and he kissed the spot under my ear, trailing his lips down the column of my neck.
A shiver ran through me because Tor and Leif were still watching us, eyes dark with desire. I wished we were back home, naked, the four of us in the huge bed, skin on skin. I wanted them, all three of them at the same time.
“You think it and it can be,” Rune whispered in my ear before releasing me.
My stomach flipped as he steered me toward the end of the buffet table.
“You should eat to build up energy for later.” The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, but his eyes were serious.
Oh boy.
He loaded up a plate and handed it to me.
“Rune, hey, welcome back.” A ruddy-looking shifter approached.
I turned my body away slightly, giving them privacy to chat, and scanned the lawn for my friends. Poppy and Jessie were under a tree chatting to some female shifters I didn’t recognize. Wren was still being cooed over further down the buffet table, but now his cake had been replaced with a plate of chicken. He was so gonna pass out in a food coma later. I spotted Bramble hanging with Halle, and Sloane chatted amiably to a couple of shifters who didn’t seem bothered by her vampiness…Maybe they couldn’t smell it, maybe her witch nature was stronger. Who knew?
“Don’t worry.” Rune put his arm around my waist. “Everyone knows about Sloane’s unique situation. No one will make an issue of it.”
Well, that explained it. I smiled up into his sunny face. He looked happy, vibrant, beautiful. He’d pulled his golden hair back in a low ponytail so his strong jaw and high cheekbones were on display.
I’d caught several of the females checking him out as we’d made our way to the buffet table. In fact, they were still watching us now, but Rune seemed oblivious to the attention.
Leif and Tor were still standing in the midst of hormone central. And was it my imagination or had the circle of interest tightened around them?
What was wrong with these females? Didn’t they know these shifters were mine? My stomach clenched and dark, dangerous anger spiraled up my throat.
“Cora?” Rune gently squeezed my waist. “Are you okay?”
