Page 13 of A Witch for Solstice
Because you’re my fated mate. I’m dying to say it aloud, but I know she doesn’t believe in such things, and after all she’s been through, she deserves more than a primal claiming.
Now that I’ve learned her perspective on romance, I want to get to know her without rushing things. I’ve spent these past few hours coming up with a plan to court her officially after tomorrow night’s ceremonies. Nervous butterflies swarm in my stomach every time I think about it.
“You certainly are my favorite,” I say, not wanting to give too much away just yet. I hear footsteps crunching in the snow and spot Lady Lumanna and Lady Opalinda climbing the hill, their arms linked. Placing a hand on the small of Brigid’s back, I guide her toward the coniferous forest. “Why don’t we go somewhere more private?”
We wind through the pine trees, coming up on the stone cabin I stay in whenever I’m craving isolation. It’s a one-story home set behind a pond, with a chimney protruding from the tin roof hanging over the porch. The chipped yellow door is a welcome sight whenever I’m weary of the castle’s grandiosity.
I haven’t spent a lot of time away from my desk in recent years, but I’m going to be better about that. I’ll schedule hours and full days away from court to ensure my mate never feels abandoned.
No more drowning out my loneliness by taking on extra responsibilities. I look forward to making this cabin a cozy getaway for her and me.
“It’s getting chilly,” Brigid says, setting her mug down on the porch’s railing. She hugs her cloak around her and tucks her face into the fur.
“I’ll take care of that.” I toss some kindling into the fire pit out front and breathe a burst of flames to light it. “Come get warm with me.”
She stalls on the porch steps, swaying like she’s hypnotized. “I can’t control—”
“Yes, you can,” I coach her, keeping my voice even. “Stay calm and breathe while you harness your element.”
“What about the trees? I don’t want to start a forest fire!”
“Don’t think about the trees.” She needs to find another outlet for all that pent-up energy. “Visualize the pond.”
Her eyes shutter closed, concentrating without speaking. A hush falls over the woods, the silence broken by the sound of ice cracking. Water trickles over the snowy banks, chunks of ice sinking into the depths of the pond as bubbles rush up to the surface.
Good gods.My little hellcat is boiling the damn thing.
She already impressed me earlier with her fiery show in the training dome, but this is pure raw power. It’s no wonder that her Headmistress was so determined to tame it.
She snaps her eyes open and throws her shoulders back with a gasp, horrified by the rivulets of hot water stripping the snow down to the dirt below. I clap my hands together and jog up to the porch.
“That was magnificent.”
Tilting her head as if she can’t believe what I’ve just said, she jumps off the porch and wraps her legs around my waist, hugging me with her entire body. All I can do is squeeze her rightback. She nuzzles her face near my neck, her hands roaming to the collar of my suit’s jacket. My body responds instantly to the shift in her scent, the heady musk of her arousal deepening with need.
I walk her back to the porch, and our clothes start coming off once I set her on her feet. Unlacing her dress, I kiss the pattern of goosebumps on her skin while I get her out of the heavy garment and pick her up in my arms again. I carry her over to the pond, our mouths crashing into each other as we dissolve into the whorls of warm mist.
CHAPTER 7
BRIGID
We plunge into the pond together, the water hot enough to scald any other sort of witch, but I’m vibing in my element. Maybe Matty was right when she said my heart led me here because I can’t believe my luck in this moment. My magic is pumping through my veins, and the shimmering prospect of living amongst other fire witches lies ahead of me—a chance to build a real community.
And on top of all that, the Dragon Queen treats me like my gifts are something to be desired, not feared.
I’ve always known happiness to be a fleeting thing, so I grab onto this little slice of it before it can disappear. Digging into Matty’s back with my blunt witch nails, I press myself closer to her until we’re sealed together. We sink into the water up to our shoulders, a tangle of teeth and limbs.
This could be enough for me—the kissing, the heat, and the firm press of our bodies—but there’s an aching pressure building between my thighs, and she’s just the right person to release it.
For once, I let myself wantmore.
Who knows if anyone will ever make me feel this good again?
I pull back an inch, dragging my hands to the crease of Matty’s hips, exploring the lighter cornsilk scales covering herabdomen. I take my time, feeling the ridges of her muscles before touching the slight swells of her small breasts. Her topaz nipples are already as hard as gems when I swirl my thumbs over them.
Working my way up higher, I stroke my fingertips over one of her horns.
“Brigid,” she groans and tips her head back, her eyelids dropping into a gaze that turns my core molten.
