Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Kaeli had been part of some chaotic things in her life, but nothing was quite like having her magic go all cattywampus on the bluffs and then being tamed by the sexiest guy she’d ever laid eyes on.
Even his name was sexy.
Solan Keane.
He was bodybuilder big with that wolfish protective streak she’d heard about. And he was tall enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze, which made her petite curves feel downright dainty next to him.
Plus, he made the magical storm inside her quiet, and she definitely liked that.
With them in the truck on the way to the witches’ neighborhood to get her things was Solan’s fellow wolf security team member, Linus, who had greeted her and then promptly put in earbuds and told them to carry on with whatever they wanted to talk about, like he wasn’t there.
She appreciated him giving them some semblance of privacy, but she hadn’t known how to fill the silence.
She’d told Solan she was broken and that he might not want to get tangled up with her, but she’d said that out of reflex.
She always warned people about herself so they didn’t sign on for her particular brand of craziness. But Solan hadn’t blinked.
You don’t look broken.
Be still her freaking heart.
Her magic was humming under her skin, but it didn’t feel chaotic; it felt drawn to him, like her body was coming into sync with him.
They were holding hands, and his thumb would occasionally brush her skin, and that little touch was positively erotic.
How could such a small gesture make her feel so turned on?
Because he’s my truemate, the one guy in the world just for me.
She wondered…
Lifting her right hand, she called a simple glathensa spell.
She felt the low surge of power within her, but it was different now.
The south magic, all fire and heat, was mixed perfectly with the north magic’s calming earth vibes.
Instead of a burst of flame as had happened in the past when she’d tried to cast what newbie witches called the glowy-spell, her hand simply illuminated with a soft, burgundy light.
Her skin hummed, her magics working together.
She could have cried, it felt so good.
“That’s pretty freaking cool, Nightling,” Solan said.
“You did that,” she said.
“I’m not casting any spells, that’s all you.”
“No, I mean you being with me settled my magics, drew them together. You’re the bridge that allowed me to do something I could never do before.”
“What happened when you tried that spell in the past?”
“Fireball.” She curled her fingers down into her palm, and the spell extinguished.
“Uh, excuse me, did you say you just tried to do something that would have normally erupted into a fireball?” Linus asked from the back seat.
She looked over her shoulder at him. Even in the dark, she could see his eyes were wide with surprise. “I thought you couldn’t hear us with your earbuds in?”
“I could hear fireball.”
Solan snorted and brought Kaeli’s hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Her knees went all weak and tingly, and if she hadn’t been sitting down, she would have swooned like a damsel in an old black and white movie.
“I was pretty sure it would be fine,” she said.
She glanced at Solan, and he grinned at her.
“Holy crap,” Linus said.
“I just wanted to check,” she said. “I won’t do spells in the truck anymore.”
“Thanks,” Linus said with a grunt.
They reached the little house she’d slept in the night before, although sleep hadn’t really come easily to her.
She’d been too torn up by the events of the day to rest, her mind replaying the years of being pushed aside and treated poorly by her former coven, and how different the Cleveland coven was.
She climbed from the truck and said, “I’m going to change and grab my things, I won’t be long.”
“Take all the time you need,” Solan said. “Do you need a hand?”
“I only have one suitcase, so I’m good, thanks.”
She closed the door and hurried to the house. She hadn’t unpacked much because she hadn’t felt like she should, although the Corners had told her to make herself at home, and Lulu the unnatural witch from the shop had been so kind to her, offering to bring her a meal or hang out anytime.
Maybe she hadn’t really felt settled because her magics had known her truemate was somewhere nearby and she’d meet him. Or maybe she’d just been waiting for the Cleveland coven to realize she was too much trouble and kick her out.
She changed out of the clothes she’d put on for the ceremony and put on jeans and a lightweight sweater, and grabbed the few things she’d taken out of her bag from the bathroom and bedroom. After making sure she had everything, she pulled the suitcase with her and closed the door as she walked out.
Solan was waiting on the passenger side of the truck, put her suitcase in the back seat with Linus, and opened the door for her.
When he had closed her in, he got behind the wheel and said, “It’s about forty minutes to Thorn Hollow.
I texted my alpha to let him know that I’m bringing you into the pack.
I can take you to meet him and his mate tomorrow. ”
“They don’t mind me being there without meeting me?”
“His mate is pregnant and already asleep. If it wasn’t so late, I’d stop by there on the way to my place so you could meet them, but it’s not an issue. You’re my mate whether we’ve mated or not, and wolves take that pretty seriously.”
The word mated made her stomach twist.
She bit her bottom lip and looked out the window, ignoring the impulse to do more than hold his hand because they weren’t alone in the truck, but also she’d just met him and she was no hussy.
Although she definitely wanted to snuggle up with him and get to know him.
Clothes optional.
During the drive, they’d talked about everything and nothing, and she’d spent most of the time asking about the pack and the town.
She’d only met wolves in passing and had never really spent time with any, so she didn’t really know the first thing about them.
After dropping off Linus, they continued on for a few minutes, and then Solan pulled into the gravel driveway of a small house.
The truck idled in the driveway, and neither of them moved.
She could hear crickets and the gentle rustling of trees in the breeze. The moon was visible over the tops of the trees behind the house. Her pulse was thrumming, and her mouth was dry. Her hands were literally aching to touch him.
Finally, she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned in the seat to face him.
He mimicked her, and she found herself staring at her mate.
Her freaking mate.
“I wanted to thank you,” she said. “For whatever it was you did that saved me from causing all kinds of problems on the bluffs, maybe hurting someone.”
“It didn’t feel like saving, actually. It felt like finding. Like we were both meant to be there tonight and find each other. Even if your magics hadn’t acted up like they did, I would have felt you and sought you out.”
His words stole the breath from her lungs.
She leaned over, her lips barely brushing his.
It was electric and warm.
He let out a low growl and returned the kiss with heat and hunger that made her magics twine together and roll under her skin. He laid his hand on the back of her neck, and electricity shot down her spine. If she could growl, she would.
Instead, she melted into him; into the softness of his lips, the heat of his skin, and the demanding kiss that made her heart pound and her skin tingle.
She pulled from the kiss as old fears crept into her mind.
Was this too much, too fast?
It surely felt right.
He released his soft grip on the back of her neck and stroked her jaw with his thumb. She shivered. “You belong with me, Kaeli. But I’m not trying to push you into something you don’t want. Whatever happens, whenever things happen, it’ll be right for us. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re very sure of things,” she said.
“I’m very sure that you’re mine.”
It was such a simple statement, yet it released the tension in her body. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and kissed him once more. Just a quick kiss, a bit of a promise that she also wasn’t going anywhere, and then she got out of the truck.
He grabbed her bag and took her hand, leading her up the walk to the front door.
“Welcome home, Nightling,” he said in a low voice. “All that I have is yours.”