Chapter 115 Chapter 115
Shae watched him as he stood there talking to Nona, she couldn’t help that her eyes kept going back to him.
“I’m afraid you’re getting the biggest brooder of all of them,” Kelsey said with a grin.
“Oh?” She glanced back at him. “Did he…” She clutched the thermos against her chest and tried not to blush. “Did he tell you how we met?”
Rayne shook her head. “No, I think he started to, but Marilyn came storming in.”
Shae grinned, “Yes, she does that well. It’s a skill, according to her.”
“It is something.” Kelsey said quietly. “So, how did you meet?”
She had no idea why she had brought it up, but now that she had there was no way out. She huffed out a breath, “I may die of embarrassment explaining, but…” She looked back to him for a second. “I’m training to be the next medicine woman for the clan, and I went in to check his shoulder.” She pursed her lips, “actually there’s more before that. I was being married off to a guy I didn’t know…”
“Oh my god, does Calum know? Is the guy dead?” Kelsey asked leaning closer.
Shae shook her head, “No, he’s not. That’s a story for another time.” She grinned. “A strange one, then again, I guess to you two, my whole world is.”
Kelsey snorted, “Oh we may be tied with that one.”
Rayne nodded enthusiastically. “Nothing in our lives could be close to normal before we found out we were animals.”
They both looked back to her. She felt a kinship with these women and it made her feel weepy inside. Exhaling, before she changed her mind, “So, I asked Calum—and just so you know, this was Aunt Marilyn’s idea—to mark me,” she blushed, shoot, “so I had another male’s scent on me…”
Kelsey held up her hand, “Wait, you did this while he was chained up?”
Shaelan nodded and was sure her cheeks were flame red now.
Rayne covered her mouth, then dropped her hand away. “And he did.”
She noticed it wasn’t a question, but Shae nodded anyways. “Both of us thought he had been given the breeding herbs at the time.” She blew out a long breath. “I was just…” she looked over at him. “I don’t know if it was him, or what, but I just wanted to climb right inside him.”
Rayne placed her hand on her arm. “We both know what you mean, trust us, we’ve been lost in that mating animal magnetism ourselves without understanding it.”
Shae fanned her face. “What is that all about, right?”
Kelsey looked at her for a long moment. “So… his mark is on you, but you didn’t mark him?”
Her eyes tracked to him again. “No.” She looked back to her. “I don’t even understand it all. I mean is there a process or something?” She blushed. “Besides that part?” Shae still didn’t know why she was telling two strangers. Then again, who else could she talk to? Her mother? Absolutely not. Her aunts, no and Billie had just gone through a horrible ordeal, so she was out too.
“It makes so much sense now.” Rayne said softly.
“Yeah.” Kelsey agreed
Shae looked from one to the other. “What does?”
Kelsey shrugged, “The way he’s losing his mind right now because you’re twenty feet away from him. This morning I thought he was going to wear a path in the rock with all the pacing.”
Shae interrupted her, “I don’t understand.”
Blowing out a breath, Kelsey gave her a soft look. “Until you accept and mark him, his cat is going to be riding him hard and clawing at him from the inside…”
“That’s a thing?” Shaelan glanced back to Calum, again.
Rayne nodded. “that’s most definitely a thing.” She reached out and rested a hand on her arm. “After you’ve shifted the first time, you will understand all the animal parts to this bizarre and wonderful world.”
“I feel like this is a major exam and I didn’t even read any of the material on the subject.” Shae hugged the thermos again. “I just, I don’t like being away from him, but I don’t understand any of this.” Kelsey and Rayne both nodded at the same time.
“The way it was explained to me is this,” Rayne said quietly. “Fate doesn’t pair two mates that don’t belong together. None of the elders know of even one time a mismatch was made. It will all fall into place when you’re both truly mated.”
Shaelan nodded, and then turned to see Calum walking toward them. Butterflies took flight inside her stomach, like they did each time he looked at her. She blew out a breath. “I swear his eyes are the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Kelsey giggled, “oh, tell him that.”
“I’m going to see what Devin has found out from his father.” Rayne said. “We’ll talk to you later about the marking process.”
“Oh, mmm, yes.” Kelsey offered quickly. “I need to go talk to Gage about getting some chains…” She giggled.
Shae knew they were just leaving to give her a few moments alone with Calum, and she was glad they understood. Now if she could just figure out how to talk to him about this without blushing to the color of a bright red apple, she’d feel better.
Calum stopped in front of her and looked at the thermos she was clutched to her chest. “Keeping it warm for me?”
She laughed, “Sorry, I got caught up talking to Kelsey and Rayne. They’re very nice.”
He nodded slowly. “They kind of scare me.” He smirked, “but they aren’t mine to deal with.”
“I am?” She wanted to wrap her arms around him, so she continued to hug the thermos so she wouldn’t
“You are.” He agreed. Motioning to the cave, he held out his hand. “I’d like a few minutes to talk to you, without so many eyes staring at us.”
She took his hand and followed him inside. Her eyebrows shot up when they walked in. “The cave has furniture?”
He nodded and kept walking to the back of it. “and a distillery.”
“Aunt Marilyn strikes again, I’m sure.” She commented. He stopped when they were well away from the entrance and turned while still holding her hand.
“I know a lot has happened in the last few days…” he shook his head, “to both of us…”
She watched his mouth as he spoke, remembering what it had been like when he kissed her and then felt her whole-body flush, just thinking about it.
“Shaelan, if you want me to get through this, stop looking at my mouth that way.” He whispered.
Her eyes flew to his, “sorry.” She shrugged, “I can’t help it.” Biting her bottom lip, she continued to look at him, waiting for him to continue. He pulled the thermos from her hands and then grasped the back of her head and leaned down. When he brushed his mouth over hers, she was afraid that he was going to stop there, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him so he didn’t.
With a growl, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up to his height. His mouth was hard and demanding as he took over the kiss.
Needing to be closer, she wrapped her legs around his waist and grasped his hair so he couldn’t stop kissing her. Her insides heated when his tongue stroked hers.
Breaking the kiss, his mouth traveled down her throat. “If I can find a safe, private location…” he ran his teeth along her jaw, “will you spend the night with me?” He ran his tongue over her flesh, “get to know each other…”
Shaelan moaned as his mouth moved to nip her ear softly. “Yes.” He turned and leaned her against the wall, rocking his hips into her. She gasped as sensations moved through her.
He gripped the back of her head and titled her face up to his. “You’ll be coming back with my mark—where everyone can see it.” His breath brushed over her lips as he watched her. “So be sure.”
She could see the vulnerability in his eyes as he waited. “I am.” Never had she felt more certain than about being with him.
He growled low in his throat and took her mouth in a rough, scorching kiss.
“Knock knock…” Someone called into the cave. “Sorry, Cal, I drew the short straw… Dev’s back from talking to his dad, and requires your presence.”
Calum pressed his face into her throat, his breath as out of control as hers.
“Give us a minute and we’ll be out, Jake.” He lifted he head and grinned at her. “I honestly only intended to talk to you.” He gently lowered her until her feet were on the ground.
“I’m glad you didn’t just talk to me.” She felt her cheeks heat up and bit her bottom lip.
He groaned, “It’s going to be a long day.”