M&L03 - SS (13 page)

He paused reaching for his
belt and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“Why did you cover up your
mating marks? I mean, I understand why you wore the jacket to the banquet, but
why did you leave it on when you went to the club? From what I’ve seen since
the curse ended, newly mated shifters do not like to hide their mating marks -
especially not those of you who were born shifters.”

Toeing off his shoes he said,
“I thought you might not be ready to go public with our mating yet, and seeing
you in that long-sleeved sweater, I’d guess I was right.” He went for his belt
again, then his button and the zipper followed.

Licking my lips I said, “Um
Solomon, we’ve never seen each other naked before. I mean, I know you didn’t
have any clothes on in that dream, but I couldn’t see most of your body, and
I’ve always worn at least my bra and panties around you.”

Solomon grinned. “We’re
shapeshifters Renee. Either we get undressed before we shift or our clothes
disintegrate with the change.”

“Yes, but you were born a
shapeshifter, some of us are still getting used to the idea.”

He paused in his undressing
again with his hands at his waistband, his pants completely undone. “Do you
want me to stop Renee?”

My eyes roamed over his
luscious body and slowly my head shook from side to side. He chuckled and slid
his pants down his muscular legs then kicked them aside where they too
disappeared. If he’d been wearing any underwear they must have been discarded
along with his pants. He stood up then, tall and straight and oh so tempting.

Oh my...

My heart sped and there
didn’t seem to be enough air. Then with a shimmering light, Solomon disappeared
and his fox stood before me shaking out his fur. I had a moment of
disappointment but I understood why he changed so abruptly. Part of me had
wanted to jump on him and sate this ever-growing fire burning inside of me, but
another part had been on the verge of a panic attack. Solomon would have seen
my reaction and changed to protect me. It was those kinds of selfless acts that
had always made me love him all the more.

Shaking myself, I took a
closer look at the fox before me. I’d never seen Solomon in this form before
since he’d still been cursed when I left Myths and Legends. He was much bigger
than I would have thought, but then I shouldn’t have been surprised knowing
that shapeshifters in their animal forms are usually at least five times larger
than their counterparts in the wild.

Before I thought about what I
was doing, my hands were running through the fur along his back. It was so soft
and thick, and such a brilliant color - simply calling it reddish brown would
never do it justice. A thin strip of black fur ran down his spine to his wide
bushy tail. There was a splash of white on his neck and chest, around his mouth
and on the tip of his tail. Another bit of white covered his right front paw
while the other three looked like they’d been dipped in black paint.

Sitting back on my heels I
breathed, “You’re beautiful Solomon.”

I could have sworn he smiled
then he stepped forward and nudged my arm with his nose. I was still a little
uncomfortable with being able to turn into an animal but Solomon made it seem
so natural that I didn’t even hesitate to make the change. I did however, skip
the part where I undressed in front of him and let my clothes disappear along
with my human skin. When I stood on four feet, Solomon rubbed his side against
mine then came back around and nipped at my ear before taking off into the
forest. I gave chase of course and for the first time I let the fox have
complete control.

The fox made everything seem
so simple. Solomon was here and he was our mate; that was enough for her. The
two foxes ran through the forest chasing each other and playing with a wild
abandon that I’d never experienced in my human life, not even when I was a
child.

From the time I was born, my
parents pushed me to be the best - at everything. I never had a free moment
between endless lessons from private instructors. Dance, art, singing,
swimming, even my general studies were taught at home. If you could name it,
I’d probably tried to learn it. Don’t get me wrong, I thrived as I filled my
head with knowledge and trained my body to do ever more difficult tasks, all
without ever feeling like my parents were driving me too hard. My life was
hectic at times, but I knew my parents loved me and they were always there to
support me.

Then one day it all came to
an end.

I was seventeen when I lost
my parents in an accident caused by a drunk driver. With nowhere else to go, I
accepted an invitation to live with my aunt in California. Too bad, she only
made the offer so she could get her hands on the money from my parents’ life
insurance policies. By the time I turned eighteen most of the money was gone
and I was ready to move out even if it meant I had to live on the streets. That
was when I met Arthur, who took me in and eventually introduced me to Solomon.

Now I was running through the
forest on four legs with Solomon trying to catch a rabbit. If my human brain
had been working at all, I would have been horrified, but the fox thought
hunting live prey was exhilarating. Just when I was about to pounce, the rabbit
changed directions and my jaws snapped closed about an inch away from its
fluffy little tail. Unfortunately, for the rabbit, his change in direction put
him within striking distance of Solomon’s more experienced teeth. The rabbit’s
life ended and Solomon let me eat while he went to catch something for himself.

When our bellies were full
and our bodies were spent, we curled up together in a patch of long grass and I
fell fast asleep with my nose buried in
the soft fur of Solomon’s
neck.

~ Renee ~

I awoke alone under a moonlit
sky in a sea of gently swaying grass. Lifting my nose in the air, I took a
whiff and caught Solomon’s scent on the cool breeze. Following the tantalizing
aroma, I soon found myself at the edge of a shimmering pool of water.
Flourishing greenery and a steep rock face bordered the small lake. A wide
stream of water cascaded over the cliff, churning the water below into frothy foam
that floated out over much of the otherwise crystal clear water.

Seeing no sign of Solomon, I
climbed to the top of a large rock cluster and cast my gaze out over the water.
Still not seeing him, I was about to give up and try something else when he broke
through the surface of the water and sucked in a deep breath. Forgetting for a
moment that I was still a fox, I tried to call out to him but what came out of
my mouth was a cross between a bark and a scream. I’d never heard anything like
it and wasn’t sure I ever wanted to again.

Solomon’s head snapped up and
he smiled when he spotted me. “Come on down and join me, the water feels
great.”

Cocking my head to the side,
I tried to determine if the water was deep enough for diving. Knowing my
thoughts as he often did, Solomon called, “Don’t worry, the water goes down at
least thirty feet. I jumped off that rock myself.”

Having never attempted
swimming in my fox form, I decided it was time to be human again. I moved back
far enough that Solomon couldn’t see me to make the change. Once I was on two
feet again, I took a running leap, dove off the edge and executed two complete
rotations before entering the water head first with barely a splash. The water
was colder than I expected and I came up sputtering, “
The water feels great
?
Are you insane?”

Solomon swam over but stopped
short of touching me. “Do you want me to warm you up?”

My teeth were chattering and
the offer was tempting but with the mating frenzy bearing down on us and that
sexy grin he was giving me I thought it best to decline. “No thanks, I’m sure
I’ll warm up if I just keep moving.”

“Suite yourself.” His grin
widened and the exchange reminded me of the many times he’d flirted with me
over the years. Maybe I hadn’t been fair to Solomon the other night. It was
true he hadn’t pursued me the way he had other women but he
had
flirted
and he’d given me plenty of opportunities to explore a relationship with him.
It wasn’t his fault I’d always turned him down flat.

His voice pulled me from my
thoughts. “You know, I’ve always loved watching you dive.”

“Yeah, too bad diving isn’t
one of the events at the tournament. I might actually have a chance at winning
that.”

“For someone who’s been sword
fighting for less than thirty years, you do very well.”

I scoffed. “I came in
nineteenth last year, and that was the best I’ve ever done.”

“Nineteenth out of several
hundred,” Solomon reminded me, “and most of the other participants have been
wielding swords for hundreds of years. With your natural talent for sword fighting,
first place will be yours before you know it. I’d even be willing to bet you
make it into the top ten this year.”

“To take first place I’d have
to beat you and Katerina and I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”

“Have a little faith in
yourself Renee. Not only do I believe you have the skill to beat us both, I
think anyone can have a lucky day. Maybe this year the stars will shine down
upon you and light up your path to victory.”

I rolled my eyes. “And maybe
Han Solo will magically appear and take me for a spin in the Millennium
Falcon.”

He inclined his head in
agreement. “Stranger things have happened, but then I’d have to kill him for
attempting to steal my mate and that would just suck.”

He was trying so hard to be
serious but his lips twitched and we both lost it. When we settled down, I told
him, “I’m sure Claire would see that coming and stop you before it came to
that.”

“I’m sure she would.” There
was laughter in his eyes, but it was slowly fading to be replaced with
something darker, warmer, something that threatened to consume me with its
heat. “I’ve missed this Renee. There’s no one else who can make me laugh the
way you do. Hell, there’s no one else who can make me feel any of the things
you make me feel.”

We were still treading water
but I suddenly felt the need to have my feet on solid ground. “Maybe we should
get going now. I don’t know what time it is but we shouldn’t be late for the
start of the tournament.”

I started swimming for shore
and when I was close enough that I could stand with my head barely above the
water he called my name. Looking over my shoulder, I met his caramel colored
eyes, so warm, so captivating. My knees weakened and it was a good thing the
water was there to support me.

He moved towards me slowly,
holding my gaze, making it impossible for me to look away. “I’m not going to
rush you Renee, I know I lost control the other night, but it won’t happen
again. However long it takes I’m willing to wait until you’re ready to take the
next step.”

I licked my lips. “What if
I’m not strong enough to fight the mating frenzy?”

He reached for me and I
turned into his arms wrapping my legs around his waist, my arms around his
neck. His lips were so close they almost bushed mine when he whispered, “I’ll
be strong enough for both of us. I give you my word.”

Closing the gap between our
lips, I kissed him. His lips were soft and warm moving against mine with a
gentleness that belied the primal need rising between us. With every second
that passed the kiss grew, intensified as our tongues rubbed together with
long, languid strokes that had my toes curling and my thighs clenching around
his waist. It was the kind of kiss you got lost in, the kind that made you
forget everything else until the need for oxygen was so imperative that you might
pass out if you didn’t stop for air. Even then, I couldn’t seem to tear my lips
away from his.

When his velvety lips finally
left mine, I rested my forehead against his shoulder and tried to remember how
to breathe.

“I’ve waited thirty years to
kiss you like that,” Solomon whispered in my ear, tracing its shell with his
tongue.

I shivered in his arms, the
foamy water lapping at my breasts. “Maybe you should do it again,” I murmured,
breathless as I leaned back to meet his heated gaze. “After all, we have a lot
of lost time to make up for.”

His lips curled and that sexy
grin of his had my heart tripping in a wild rhythm. “Your wish is my command,
My Lady.”

Keeping one arm around my
back, he held me in place with my legs wrapped around him. His other hand slid
up my back and neck, his fingers tangling in my hair as his lips found mine
once again. Moments later, I realized kissing Solomon was quickly becoming my
favorite thing to do. It was the way he lingered, taking his time as if he had
nowhere else to be and it wouldn’t matter even if he did. I’d never had a man
kiss me so thoroughly before, like he couldn’t quite get enough of me no matter
how many times his tongue twined with mine.

I pulled him closer and his
sculpted chest was a fiery heat against my breasts after the chilly water and
cool morning breeze. I moaned into the kiss, the exquisite heat spiraling
through my body straight to my core. My hips rolled forward and I ground myself
against his washboard abs eliciting another moan and then another after that.

Solomon growled and tore his
lips from mine. “I could spend all day kissing you, but if we keep this up I
won’t be able to keep my promise.”

I took in a deep, shuddering
breath then blew it out trying to convince my body that he was right. I wanted
to take things slow and he was only trying to help me do that, even though the
erection I felt nudging me clearly said he was burning inside just as much as I
was. The fact that he was actually stopping us before things went any further
really meant a lot to me and I told him so.

“Thank you Solomon, it means
a lot to me that you’re not trying to use the mating frenzy to your advantage.”

“We have our whole lives
ahead of us. He leaned forward to kiss me one more time, just a brief caress of
his lips then he moved back again and grinned. “For now, I’m willing to go one
base at a time.”

“Base?”

He raised his eyebrows and it
hit me.

“Oh... What do you think we
are a couple of teenagers?” I laughed.

He shrugged his shoulder
making the muscles there ripple in a most enticing way. “There’s something to
be said for denying ourselves instant gratification, after all, a slow build-up
usually provides for a big finish.”

The look that went with that
comment was pure anticipation and it tightened things low in my body. Maybe he
had a point.

I smiled. “Okay, so how will
we know when it’s time to move on to the next base?”

“I’ll let you set the pace.
When you say it’s okay to move on to the next base we will, but we can only go
one base at a time. I’ll make sure there’s at least twenty-four hours between
bases. That way you won’t be overwhelmed by the mating frenzy and do something
that you’re not ready for.”

“That sounds like a good
plan, although I think we both may regret coming up with it before long.”

“It might be hard to fight
the mating frenzy, but I will never regret taking things slow if that’s what
you need from me.”

I kissed his lips gently,
thanking him for his understanding. “I need to get home now, but it’s broad
daylight in the human world, not to mention I’m naked.”

Just like that, I was no
longer comfortable with my state of undress. It hadn’t bothered me before
because the foamy water hid most of my assets, small as they were, but now that
I’d brought attention to my nakedness it seemed to be all I could think about.

Solomon must have sensed my
distress because he said, “Hey, don’t worry. If you want me to, I’ll open a
portal on the shore then turn around so you can go through it.”

I thought about it for a
minute but decided it was time to put on my big girl panties. “No, it’s like
you said last night; I’m a shapeshifter now so I may as well start getting used
to casual nudity.”

Releasing my hold on him, I
turned and swam the short distance until it was easier to walk than swim. Then
I took a deep steadying breath and stood with my back to Solomon. I felt his
eyes on me but resisted the urge to cover myself as I moved away from him and
onto the thin strip of sand at the water’s edge.

Without warning, he was right
behind me with his fingers tracing the tattoo on my back. Everywhere he touched
there was a tingling sensation, not painful exactly but almost like I’d been
zapped with electricity.

“Why does it feel like you’re
shocking me?”

“I’m testing the spell to see
if I can break it,” he murmured, obviously concentrating on his task.

“Um... Solomon?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if I got
dressed before you did that?”

He didn’t stop what he was
doing but I heard him whispering and then we were standing in my bedroom.
Thankfully, I’d closed the shutters before I left last night so we weren’t hit
by any life threatening ultraviolet rays, but with our excellent night vision
not even darkness this thick could hide the fact that I was still naked. I
reached over and grabbed the sheet off the bed then wrapped it around myself
toga style without covering the part of my back with the tattoo.

The minutes ticked by until
he abruptly stopped his exploration of my back and flicked on a lamp. “Tell me
what happened when the spell was cast. I want to know every detail no matter
how insignificant you might think it is,” Solomon commanded, the growl in his
voice letting me know he was furious. Whether he was angry with me or with the
sorcerer, or just because there was a spell on my back instead of his mark, I
had no way of knowing.

My shoulders tensed, my
natural reaction to tell him where to shove his demands, but I knew he was
likely fighting his fox for control and didn’t mean anything by his overbearing
attitude. It had to be hard for him to see the evidence of what I was slowing
coming to see as the worst kind of betrayal. I was supposed to be his mate, the
one person in all the worlds who should be there for him no matter what. Yet
instead of claiming him as mine, I turned my back on him and used magic to make
sure he never learned the truth of our mating.

I sat down on the edge of the
bed and began my explanation, “When I met with the sorcerer I told him that I
knew who my mate was, but I also knew he wasn’t aware of the mating yet and I
wanted to keep it that way. He asked who my mate was and when I told him it was
you, he said the spell would have to be stronger than usual or you would see
right through it. He said to make it strong enough it would require blood, mine
and his.”

Solomon had been pacing in
front of the window but stopped now with alarm written all over his face. “He
used his blood in the spell?”

I nodded hesitantly, not sure
why that detail was so significant.