3. Maklihn
3
MAKLIHN
A fter Kris left yesterday, I thought more about how excited he got seeing the boxes of book related items.
If he, a non-book lover, could find joy in them — even as a gift — then I needed to get off my lazy butt and stock the shelves.
I dragged the boxes over to the main floor area and began opening all the lids.
Some of the orders I remembered.
Others I didn’t.
The blankets, mugs, and bookmarks were all smart decisions.
They’d be great for gifts or add-ons to a personal purchase.
It was the stickers that threw me for a loop.
Most of them were more provocative, with suggestive poses and lewd commentary.
A few had hilarious sayings on them.
I had to stop more than once due to laughing too hard.
Since it was still early, there was no one around to talk to.
I began humming a tune as I worked.
The mugs and blankets went on a table display, while the bookmarks went into the rack I’d ordered for them.
It spun, which gave buyers a chance to view them all in an easy fashion without clogging up the space.
I was contemplating what to do with the stickers when the bell above the door chimed.
“Be right there,” I called out.
“No rush.”
The voice that called back had my cock swelling in my pants.
Holy, fate.
What kind of reaction was that?
I’d never gotten turned on by a voice.
At least not one that wasn’t whispering dirty things and telling me how much they wanted my knot in my dreams.
This was a surprising first.
Dropping the stickers, I took off to the door.
I had to see who this was.
Needed to know why I was reacting this way.
When I made it down the short aisle, I turned to say something to the customer.
Except…
I couldn’t speak.
My entire body shut down, then surged back to life in a flash of mine, mine, mine .
“Oh, hello,” the man said when he turned.
I must have made some kind of noise.
That or he smelled my arousal.
I had no way of knowing, no way of asking.
We stared at each other for a moment.
I still couldn’t voice my thoughts, and he seemed just as transfixed.
When he took a deep breath as if to speak, he gasped, “Mate.”
The pieces in my mind clicked into place.
Joy filled me, breaking through the frozen state I was in and sending me straight toward him.
I pulled him into my arms.
“Mate,” I repeated.
He felt perfect in my arms.
Like he was made to fit there.
His scent, some floral blend that made me think of summers in the park, had me smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, thankful that he’d somehow managed to find me.
“What’s your name?” I whispered, careful not to break the moment.
He sighed.
“I’m Clynt. What’s yours?”
“Maklihn. Your name is beautiful, though I long to call you mate. Is that ok?”
His nod came quickly.
“I… I think I like it better. Anyone could call me by my given name. Only you can say I’m your fated mate.”
Pulling back, I rested my hands on the curve of his neck where it met his shoulders, The position was territorial at best.
It was where my mark would go just as soon as we discussed how he got here and when he could move into my house.
Fated pairings always moved rapidly.
I’d wondered how they simply knew things would work out, but having experienced the pull, I now understood.
There would be no power on this earth strong enough to keep him from me.
I’d captured his scent.
He was mine .
“Mate, I’d like to discuss a few things. Would you like to come sit?” I motioned to the stool I kept on the other side of the counter.
He followed my lead, climbing up on the seat, then folding his hands in his lap.
The way he watched me had my heart racing like never before.
It was as if he trusted me.
I wanted to ensure that trust remained no matter what came next.
“What did you want to know?”
I stuffed my hands in my pockets.
If they’d remained loose, I’d wind up pulling him into my arms again.
“Everything,” I answered honestly.
He smiled, then bit his lip.
The sight sent a shiver down my spine.
It was enough to remind me how ridiculous my reply had been.
“I mean — mostly, I’d like to know how you wound up here. Since I’ve lived here a long time, I know you’re new. Did you move here or are you visiting?”
“Visiting. My cousin Judy invited me to stay with her.” He frowned then, like the reminder didn’t please him.
“Judy? Wait, Judy, who’s married to Kris, Judy?”
He grinned.
“The one and only. You know them then?
I laughed at the irony of it all. “Yeah, I know them.
Kris was here yesterday buying —”
“My presents! That’s why the blanket smelled so perfect. It was you!”
“You tell me. Do I smell the same?” I stepped into his space.
His legs spread to give me room.
I held still as his nose ran up the column of my throat.
It was the most erotic thing I’d ever felt, and we were both fully dressed.
Getting him naked was now a priority.
His pupils were blown when he leaned back.
“Oh, yeah. That’s definitely the scent that had me coming harder than I ever have.”
Oh, shit.
Yeah, naked and knotted were a must.