My magic hummed with pleasure at the bear’s proximity. I had no clue why his being nearby both riled me up while calming me down at the same time. At a guess, it had to be something to do with how soul-bonds worked.
I needed to research soul-bonds for non-shifters. There had to be books on the topic in the library.
Twenty minutes later, after using liberal quantities of Maverick’s pine-scented soap and then changing into a plaid shirt and stupidly big shorts so long I had to fold them ten times around my dinky waist, I headed back into the kitchen.
Maverick stood at the stove, cooking eggs and sausages. My mouth watered. Stars, his food smelled even better than the meals served in the dining hall. Maybe I needed to order a plus-size uniform. Just in case.
“Sit down, Raven,” my bear ordered. I almost choked. Was he my bear?Yes,preened my magic. I focused on his aura, fascinated by the ribbons of violet swirling within the deep green. That was new. I didn’t remember seeing violet in his aura when we met.
“Good girl,” my bear said when I dropped into a chair. My core fluttered, and my magic pulsed. Maverick inhaled sharply, then turned to stir the eggs with way more vigor than they needed.
Did I smell bad? Surely not, given I’d showered.
“I’m sorry. Was I not supposed to use your shower products?” I asked, wondering if maybe that’s why he seemed tense. Perhaps his shower gel was some super-expensive luxury brand from human stores. I knew some of them cost a small fortune.
“No, you smell… delicious,” he croaked, refusing to look at me.
Okay, a bit odd, but I’d heard that shifters had very sensitive noses. Maybe I hadn’t washed my feet properly or something. My eyes drifted down and admired his butt. Stars, that man had a fine ass. And shoulders. Oh, and sexy legs.
There was literally nothing I hated about the bear. What a pity he was now my PT coach. Sure, he reckoned it wasn’t a problem, but with my luck, he’d lose his job and I’d end up expelled.
I should leave.
Only I didn’t move a muscle. Instead, I let my mind drift off into a fantasy where my bear turned around and, in a sexy, husky voice, said how much he wanted me, just like in the sexy human fantasy series I’d watched with Willow one night.
What had the mage character in the last episode said to the pretty witch? Oh yes.“Who hurt you, princess? Give me a name and I’ll bring you their severed head!” Then they’d had mad sex in a crypt.
Hmm, maybe that one was a bad example. A slightlyextremeexample. Maverick might have no qualms about killing his enemies, but I definitely didn’t need a mate who thought it was acceptable to bring me severed heads.Eww. Gross. But the sex scenehadbeen hot…
I rubbed my thighs together as a slow, deep ache hit me right in the core. Maverick groaned and dropped his spoon.
“Damn, Raven,” he groaned. “You’re killing me!”
His words knocked me out of the fantasy where he clawed my clothes from my trembling body and back into cursed reality. “I am?”
Smoke rose from the skillet, and he muttered a few creative swear words. “Dammit!”
“It’s fine, I can get food at the dining hall,” I told him with a sigh, sad the sausages were now charcoal sticks. “I expect Glynda will sendout a search party if I don’t show up soon.” Which would be super awkward.
“No, just…stop thinking about… stuff.”
“Stuff?” This was all too confusing. I’d lived a sheltered life until I came here. Talking to males was new to me. It was clear I needed advice. Hopefully Glynda had more experience and could guide me on how to talk to sexy males without pissing them off.
Maverick scraped the burned eggs and sausages into the trash. Before I could blink, he crossed the room and sank to his knees at my feet, his chocolate-brown eyes focused on my face.
“This isn’t your fault, Raven,” he said in a gruff voice. “My bear is fighting me hard right now. He can smell your…interestin me, which is making him act feral.”
“Feral?” I squeaked. “Isn’t that bad?” Visions of dismembered limbs flooded my brain.
“Not feral as in dangerous. Feral as in, he’s ready to claim you and doesn’t understand it’s too soon and you might not be,ahem, ready.”
“Oh.” I had no clue what claiming entailed, but it sounded exciting, and I was here for it.
“Does he want to bite me?” I asked innocently. Maverick’s eyes darkened and his shoulders bulged as he gripped the sides of my chair. The wood creaked under the strain. Stars, he was strong. An image of him shirtless and chopping wood, like a sexy lumberjack I’d once seen on the cover of a human romance novel, popped into my head.
Maverick groaned and closed his eyes. He looked like he might burst out of his clothes and shift into his bear. I realized he didn’t want that, so I sucked in a deep breath and said, “I should go. It looks like I’m making things hard for you.”
“Hard as fucking steel,” he muttered before forcing a smile. “My bear won’t claim you until you are ready. Claiming is permanent. Once we seal the bond, you’re mine. Forever.”
