Claiming His Witch (22 page)

Ximena must have understood why I was hesitant.

“Weavers are never singular entities, Adam. We are linked—tied together through the thread of life. Just as you and Azurine are tied together.”
 

Ximena stepped closer, bringing her hand up as if to touch the young Amber, but pulling away at the last moment. “You have a thread around you, one leading to Azurine. But Azurine has three such threads. The one to you, and two to her sisters. All linked together. To have one, you must take them all. They need each other. Are bound to each other. They are one.”

Terrified of her answer, I confessed my truth. “But only Zuri’s my mate; she’s the only woman I want or will ever love. Her sisters…”

“I’m not talking about mates and love.” Ximena laughed, obviously entertained by my assumption. “I’m talking about friendship. Partnership. Family. My girls all need you in their life, young one: Zuri as her lover and soul mate, Scarlett as her friend, and Amber as the person to keep her balanced and connected to the world. Without you, each will fall. Starting with Amber.”

She crouched down before Amber, their eyes meeting, bright smiles lighting up both of their faces. “Already, a thread grows between you and Amber. One of family. One to tie you and her closer. To balance the magick between you.”

She stood, a deep longing on her face even as she continued to smile at the young Amber. “Without you, each girl will die.”

“No.” My dead heart leapt, beating a violent rhythm in my chest. “I don’t want Zuri to die. I don’t want any of them to die.”

Ximena stood, a smile on her lips. “Then make your pledge, young one. Tie yourself to all three. A lover to Azurine; a friend to Scarlett; and a brother to Amber.”

I swallowed, nerves making my stomach clench. Too afraid to hope. “And then I can go back?”
 

Ximena nodded. “If that is your wish.”

I looked her in the eye and made my pledge loud and clear.

“Yes. I want to go back. I want to be with Zuri.”

Ximena’s eyes grew bright with excitement as the world around me began to fade. “Do you swear to keep my girls together? To be the final element that will bring them balance?”

The girls disappeared, the light fading in the sky. “Yes. Yes, I swear it. I’ll be their balance. I’ll find a way.”

The landscape disappeared, throwing me back into the vast emptiness I’d floated in before coming to meet Zuri’s mother. But this time there was feeling, the sensation of air rolling over my skin. Of water rushing past my body. Of heat and warmth.

“Wait in the Summerlands for me.”

“Zuri!” I struggled against the darkness but to no avail. As I rolled and fought against the nothing around me, Ximena’s voice cut through the sound of the wind whipping past.
 

“Thank you, Adam Tackett of the Feral Breed. Thank you for your promise. You may go back to the realm you came from. The Summerlands will wait for you.” A pause, a moment of quiet, and then a final whisper.

“Take care of my babies.”

The winds increased, the feeling of flying through air growing stronger. My heart raced at a speed that surely would have broken me as a human. I closed my eyes, preparing for something, anxiously waiting for—

“I love you, Adam. I always will.”

I woke with a gasp, desperate and terrified. My body moved without thought, reaching out in the direction of the tug on my heart, searching for proof that she was there. And when my fingers hit flesh, I dared for a single moment to hope. To dream of the only thing I wanted. To pray for soft golden skin to meet mine.

And it did.
 

Growling, I sat up and pulled Zuri into my lap. Clinging to her, shaking in relief as I breathed in her unique scent. She wrapped me in her arms, crying and squeezing me to the point of pain. But I didn’t care. I was back; I was back and she was safely in my arms.
 

“Pup.” She tilted her head back as she gasped my name, and the sight of her tear-stained face wrecked me. I pulled her closer, wrapping myself around her. Needing her body against mine.

“Jesus, Zuri. I thought I’d never make it back to you.”

She sobbed harder as she clung to my shoulders.

“You died. I thought I’d lost you forever.”

I pulled her tighter, needing to feel her as much as she needed to feel me. “Not even death can keep me away from you.”

“By the gods…” Rebel’s voice captured my attention. I glanced up to find him and Beast looking shocked and more than a little scared. Charlotte hung off Rebel’s side, her eyes red and her cheeks streaked with the tracks of her tears. And, oddly enough, they were all soaking wet.

“You guys go swimming or something?”

A strained chuckle sounded before Rebel coughed. “No, your mate made it storm.”
 

I glanced at the ground, noting how I felt dry, as did Zuri. “You sure about that?”

“It’s a grief thing.” Scarlett sat back, her face pale, her body language speaking of exhaustion. “Damn, Zuri, I didn’t realize you could pull such a strong storm.”

“Neither did I,” Zuri mumbled against my chest. I pulled her closer, wrapping as much of my body around her as I could.
 

She trembled in my arms. “You’re back.”

I kissed the top of her head as the truth of her words washed over me.
 

“I am.”

“How did you come back?”

Shrugging, I answered as honestly as I could. “I made a promise.”

She pulled away, leaning back to meet my gaze. “What kind of promise?”

I leaned in to press my lips to hers, softly, reverently. “One to take care of you, to protect you, and to drag your sisters along with us, whether they like it or not.”

Her smile was confused, beautiful, and way too kissable to resist. I took her bottom lip between my teeth and tugged, drawing out a moan from my girl.

“I heard you, you know.” I slid my tongue into her mouth, tasting her, desperation growing inside of me. “I heard you say you loved me.”

She pulled away and met my eyes, peering at me in a most serious way. “I meant it, you know.”

I nodded. “I do know. And I mean them, too. I love you, Azurine Weaver. I always will.”

I kissed her, long and deep, aggressively seeking a reconnection to my mate. She responded, matching me stroke for stroke. The laughter that went up around us and the yips of my teammates did nothing to stop me. I was back, and my mate was safe. Nothing else mattered.

“Well, this has been a real hoot,” Scarlett stood from her place on the forest floor, brushing the dirt from her pants. “I’m heading back to the lighthouse for the night. I need a bottle of tequila and a quiet room to process what the hell just happened here.”
 

“Me too.” Amber stood on shaky legs, avoiding eye contact with everyone. “I’m exhausted.”

“I’ll walk you over,” Beast said. “I know Spook’s dead, but I don’t feel comfortable with you two traipsing through the woods alone.”

“I’d be down for that plan but for one problem.” Scarlett stretched and smirked at the shifter.

“What’s that, Zippo?” Beast crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows in question.

“You have no clothes, old man.”

Scarlett pointed at Beast’s naked hip area and grinned. Beast just shrugged, not at all uncomfortable with his nudity.

“Either you get this studly, naked body to walk with, or I can shift to wolf. You decide.”

“Wolf, please,” Scarlett laughed, as Amber shook her head. “I’ve seen enough of your junk for one day.”

“Zuri?”

Amber took a step in my direction. She stopped long before she could reach me, her face filled with regret. “I’m really sorry. To you too, Pup. I never meant for that to happen.”

She crossed her arms and curled in on herself, looking as if she wanted to cry. Before I could do more than frown at the confusion I felt in regards to her, Pup looked her way.

“You made a mistake, but it’s not one that’s unforgivable.” He turned back to me, a small smile spreading across his handsome face. “We’re all tied together. We have to be able to make mistakes, apologize for them, and be forgiven. That’s what family does.”

I smiled back, not ready to forgive her but understanding his words. We
were
tied together. By bonds of mating or sisterhood, threads or blood, the four of us were a unit. One I wasn’t willing to break from.

I broke my gaze with Pup to turn toward my sister. “We’ll come to see Sarah in the morning. I’d like to make tonight about Pup, if that’s okay.”

There was no sound for a moment, but then Amber nodded, her voice sincere as she said, “Okay. And maybe you could help me contact the coven tomorrow...let them know it’s safe to come back.”

“Sure. I’d be happy to help.”

Pup grinned at me, making my own lips tug up into what felt like a huge smile.

“C’mon, kids,” Beast said as he put an arm around each of my sisters. “Let’s leave these two alone. That adrenaline is going to wear off soon, and they’re going to get a little freaky. A wolf reconnecting with his mate is not something you want to witness. Unless you’re into that kind of thing.”

“I thought you were going to go all fuzzy?” Scarlett laughed as Amber yanked out of his hold.

“Eh, I like the brisk, November wind on my balls. Makes me feel alive. And hey, boss?” Beast gave Rebel a serious look. “I’ll take care of the burning tonight. Just leave old Spook where he lies for now.”
 

Beast ran off into the woods, singing loudly in a language I didn’t recognize. Amber and Scarlett followed him down the trail, whispering to each other as they went.

“We’re going to stick with you two.” Rebel walked over, poor Charlotte still tucked under his arm. “We’ll hang at the campsite for the night, just in case. I can’t”—he looked away, breathing harder for a few moments—“I can’t risk any more right now. I need to know you’re both okay.”

His statement, while seemingly innocent, carried a weight to the words that made my stomach drop. Pup had died; I’d mourned him to the point of unconsciously pulling a storm over the region; and we’d pronounced our love for one another.
 

I didn’t know if okay was a word I’d use to describe anything about us.

“I’ve got my mate.” Pup shrugged and smiled at me, calming my anxiety in an instant. “The threat’s gone, I beat death, and she loves me. How much more okay could I be?”

“All right. We’ll be at the cottage all night. But call Charlotte if you need us. I dropped my phone in the sink and haven’t made it to the store for a new one yet.”

Pup’s smile fell, looking irritated all of a sudden. “Now you tell me.”

Rebel cocked his head in question, but Pup ignored him. Pulling me to my feet instead. “C’mon, mate. Let’s go home.”

Walking up the steps to our little cabin was surreal. It seemed as if weeks had passed since I’d been on the wooden porch, yet it had been less than two hours. Two hours in which we came face-to-face with a deranged man obsessed with my sister, Pup died, and three witches and a shifter brought him back to life.

Okay, so surreal didn’t even begin to cover it.

I walked inside first, looking around at the small space. It was homey here, warm and welcoming. As soon as Pup shut the door, I slid my leggings down my legs. I wanted to be comfortable, to curl up with Pup and just…be. Sans pants.

Kicking the fabric to my bag, I took a step toward the bathroom but was caught up in Pup’s arms. Spinning and directing me to the corner, he pushed me against the wall, caging me in with his arms. Shaking as he pressed his body along the length of mine.

Even without words, I knew what this was. Fear. As much as I’d almost lost Pup, he’d almost lost me as well. And that level of pain and fear was not something easily brushed away.

I leaned into Pup’s hold, gripping his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“No.” He pulled me tighter, breathing into my hair. “I panicked when I couldn’t reach you. I thought…I thought…hell, I don’t want to think of what I thought.”

I ran my hands up and down his back. “I know. When you died—”

I choked on the word, still unable to think about that moment without being swamped by grief.

“Baby.” Pup lifted my chin and captured my gaze with his. “Calm down. You’re going to make it rain inside.”

“Sorry.” I closed my eyes for a moment, reveling in his touch and soaking up his heat.

“I’m here, baby,” he whispered. “We’re here.”

We stood that way for several minutes, clinging to one another as our fear and separation anxiety settled. The longer I held him, the more brazen I became. The more aroused. Having him so big and warm and right there against me was something I couldn’t resist. My hands wandered of their own accord…down his arms, around his waist, over his hips to cup his ass.

He groaned my name and pushed himself against me. His big hands wrapped around my waist, kneading, fingers slipping and pulling at the hem of the shirt I wore.

“You’re in my sweatshirt.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Simple and clean.

“I missed you. I wanted your scent on me.”

He brought his lips to my neck, kissing and licking his way to my shoulder. “I gave you a claiming mark; my scent is all over you. It’s inside of you. Every inch of you smells like me.”

He stopped and pulled away, that same nervous and guilty look from earlier in the day on his face. “It’s why they kicked you out, Zuri. Your coven could smell me on you, the wolf in me. It’s my fault they banished you.”

“Oh.” It was all I could say, all I had within me. Pup had bitten me that first morning, which had kicked off the banishment. But after fighting with Amber and hearing the hurt I’d caused her, I knew he was wrong. Nothing about what my coven had done was his fault; it was mine.

“I’m so sorry, Zuri.”

“Don’t. Don’t you apologize. You did nothing wrong.”

“I should have told you about the bite, what it means. I’m bound to you forever. I can sense you, find you. You’re in my blood now.”

I pulled his face to mine. Licked his lip. Kissed his jaw. “And how do I return the favor?”