The Paranormal Council: Complete Series

Chapter 9

KEM

Seeing Lia shift into panther form had been something else; he’d suspected from what Arabella had said, that she’d now have some of his abilities, but he’d imagined that to mean she’d have better senses or be able to heal quickly, not be able to change shapes. Now that he took a moment, she even smelled of shifter beneath the cherry blossom scent that she’d had when they first met. He stretched, finding that sometime while the two of them had been asleep, they’d shifted back into human form. Lia’s long limbs were curled around him, and her head rested on his shoulder. Gently, he traced patterns on her back and her eyes fluttered open slowly. He felt slightly guilty for waking her, but the look in her green eyes soon made him forget that.

“What time is it?” she asked, nuzzling into his neck. He chuckled, unsure why she thought he’d know when he was as n***d as she was. He reached over to his discarded suit jacket, which had somehow managed to survive several trips to the floor, and pulled out his phone, lighting up the screen.

“It’s just gone three.”

“In the afternoon?” He nodded. “We fell asleep in the afternoon?” She seemed confused.

“Well, we didn’t get much sleep last night.” He kissed her head, his voice low.

“And then you left.” She pouted, an expression that he found oddly adorable.

“I had to, I had to get things straightened out so I could claim you properly,” he tried to explain, but he knew he’d made a mess of it the moment that he left.

“So, you say.”

“Lia, please. You’re my mate, my one and only, I need you to believe me,” he pleaded, unashamed to be begging her.

“I do believe you. It’s just a lot to take in.” She closed her eyes, her head still resting on his chest. He couldn’t deny the contentment he felt from having her next to him.

“All that needs to be done is for me to talk to your father. The Council accepts that you’re my mate, but they don’t want to be the ones to tell Aaron I won’t be marry Aella.”

“I’m not your mate yet though am I?” There was a bitterness to her voice that he hadn’t been expected, but he didn’t know why. She’d bitten him, and she was able to shift into panther form, both things would show the world that they were mated. Plus, there was the fact that he couldn’t even look at another woman in that way. He hadn’t for the past year.

“What makes you say that?” he asked cautiously, the last thing he wanted was to upset her again.

“You haven’t bitten me. I’m not naïve, I know how it works.”

“Not like that.” She looked up at him sharply. “I didn’t know either,” he added at her confused look.

“How does it work then?”

“I don’t know, but Arabella…”

“Arabella Reed? The fox shifter who took the human legal system by storm?” He wasn’t too sure what she was on about, but then the idea of Arabella being a lawyer wasn’t surprising in the slightest. She’d come across as shrewd and intelligent, as well as having the wily streak that lawyers needed.

“I think so?” She gave him a bemused smile, clearly seeing through his ruse. “Anyway, she said that sometimes, all mates need to do is meet each other, and the bond starts to form naturally. Which must have been what happened with us.” She didn’t look convinced.

“And you’re sure she’s right?”

“Seems likely, especially as you can already shift. I know I never bit you that night, even if it took everything in me not to.” Just as it had taken everything in him not to bite her last night, even when she’d done the same.

“So do you need to?” She gulped, whether through nervousness or something else he couldn’t tell. “Bite me that is.”

“Why? Do you want me to?” He smirked and flipped her over so that her back was to the floor and he was hovering above her, their bodies touching and mouths just inches apart. She bucked against him, widening her legs so he fell naturally between them. The heat between them grew, and they lay there, breathing heavily and saying nothing, as they looked into each other’s eyes.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly. Instead of answering, Kem dipped his head and took her lips with his. The kiss was rough, the passion between them mounting with each movement inflaming him more. Her hands grabbed at his back, trying to pull him closer to her, but he wasn’t having any of it. Breaking the kiss, he took a path along her jaw and down her neck, thankful that neither of them had put any clothes back on.

He licked and nipped his way downwards, pausing only to pay particular attention to her breasts, drawing each of her n*****s into his mouth in turn. She had small breasts, just enough to fit within his palm, but he couldn’t have imagined any more perfect if he tried. Beneath him, Lia was moaning and writhing with each lick, nip and suck.

A low purr began in the back of Kem’s throat as he finally sank into position between her legs. He looked up, to see Lia’s eyes locked on him and her hands twitching, as if she wanted to touch him. He grinned wickedly at her, before lowering his head and slowly drawing his tongue along her. Almost instantly, Lia lost it, moaning loudly, one of her hands gripping onto his arm, the other tugging on his hair, encouraging him to keep going. He made the purring noise again, knowing that the vibrations from his throat would drive her wild. He slid two of his fingers into her, curling them upwards as he sucked and nipped, and was quickly rewarded with a shudder and long groan from Lia. Satisfied, he rose back up towards her, so that his body hovered over hers, and watched as she came back down to earth, a small grin on her face.

Lia bucked her hips again, urging him to slide inside her and take what was his, and from the look in her eyes, and her earlier question, he imagined that she was also hoping that he’d bite her this time and make her his in all possible ways. Except that there were footsteps sounding from somewhere nearby. He stiffened automatically, listening to the movement and trying to gauge if they were a threat. From Lia’s sudden stillness beneath him, he guessed that she was doing a similar thing. Unfortunately, it sounded like the footsteps were getting closer and she batted him on the chest, urging him to move off her. Reluctantly, and with a great deal of regret, he pushed upwards, grabbing his discarded clothes as he went. He offered Lia a hand up, which she took with a smile.

Lia grabbed the robe from her bed and slipped into it, throwing Kem a quick glance as he climbed, completely n***d, into her wardrobe. He winked at her, amused by the look of mock horror she gave him in return. Curious about what was hiding in her wardrobe with him, he quickly scanned the racks, finding a lot of silky dresses, all of them more modest than most women seemed to wear these days. The alpha in him was pleased, even though he knew that such possessiveness wasn’t acceptable, there was a part of him that liked the idea that most men would never see some parts of his mate.

A door creaked, and from how loud the sound was, he suspected that it was Lia’s door that opened. While he knew that he shouldn’t listen, he also knew that it was most likely Aella that had come to see her, and he was curious as to what she’d say, even if he wasn’t going to marry her.

“Where did you run off to last night?” The recognisable sound of Aella’s voice came through the wardrobe door, confirming what his thoughts.

“I wasn’t feeling well,” Lia mumbled, probably guilty about the lie she was telling. Kem peeked through the gap in the doors and took in the sight of the two sisters next to each other. Last night, he’d thought that Aella looked just like Lia, but now they were stood next to each other, he could see tiny differences. Aella’s nose was slightly broader and her lips slightly fuller; she was still an attractive woman, but she paled next to Lia’s beauty. Any woman would as far as he was concerned.

“Right,” the flat tone of Aella’s voice suggested that she didn’t believe Lia anyway.

“Sorry, I know it was a big night for you.”

“Yes, I met the man Daddy is forcing me to marry.” Aella huffed and dropped down onto the bed in a surprisingly unladylike gesture, especially for someone with the inbuilt grace of a nymph.

“I don’t think Dad will force you.” Lia sat down next to her, but didn’t move to comfort her. It was difficult for Kem to work out what the sisters’ relationship was like. They were obviously close enough to share some confidences, but they also didn’t seem as close as some other sisters that he’d seen, including his cousins.

“He says it’s a done deal. The Nymph Council need it.” Kem frowned. If both the Nymph and Shifter Councils thought that they needed the marriage, then was it really going to make much difference in the long run.

“Why?” Lia had obviously come to the same conclusion that he had from the look of confusion on her face. Aella shrugged.

“Something to do with not having a forceful enough voice anymore. We’re too peaceful a people and we’re getting weaker every year. I told Daddy I could change that if I was on the Council, without a husband. But you know what he’s like, he won’t accept that I’m capable of all that.” She looked saddened by her words, and Kem briefly wondered if there was more to the woman than they made out there was.

“Aella…” Kem could see the indecision in Lia’s eyes, thanks to his enhanced senses. Her eyes flickered to the wardrobe and, even though she couldn’t see him, Kem nodded. “You won’t have to marry Kem.” Aella looked up sharply.

“You know him?” Lia’s fingers made a fiddling gesture near her neck, which made it seem like she regularly wore a necklace. Except that she hadn’t been wearing one last night. He’d have to remember that.

“Yes, Kem’s my mate.” There was silence as Lia’s statement sunk in. He wasn’t sure how Aella would take the news and that worried him. During one of their brief lulls last night, Lia had told him about Aella’s infamous temper, and he didn’t like the idea of Lia being on the receiving end of it.

“How do you know?” Aella asked quietly, and seemingly calmly.

“We met a year ago, I’ve been able to shift for the past eight months.” Kem’s shock mirrored Aella’s. He hadn’t realised she’d been able to shift that long, and he was kicking himself for leaving her alone to deal with the shocking change that must have been.

“You’ve what?”

“I can shift. Into a panther. Just when I was angry or upset at first, but now it seems I can do it anytime if I want to.” She shrugged, as if it was no big deal, when actually, even in the shifter community, it was. Most mates didn’t manifest shifting powers, and only some of them even manifested any of their mate’s powers at all. It made him wonder if he’d gained anything through their bond.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The hurt in her voice changed something in Lia, and she quickly wrapped an arm around Aella.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t even want to admit it until I saw him yesterday.” It was then that the pieces seemed to slot together in Aella’s head, and a knowing grin spread over her face.

“Not feeling well?” Lia’s cheeks flushed bright red, and Kem had to fight the urge to leave the wardrobe and protect her from the embarrassment, even if he knew she could deal with it on her own.

“Something like that.”

“Have you told Daddy?”

“Not yet,” Lia admitted. “Kem went to see the Shifter Council to stop the marriage talk. They’ve agreed, but told him that he has to be the one to tell Dad.” Her gaze flicked back to the wardrobe as Aella laughed.

“The poor, poor man!”

“Aella! He’s my mate, what else is he supposed to do?” Lia looked horrified.

“Maybe Daddy will go easier on him if we’re there too,” Aella suggested, patting Lia’s hand in a way that Kem guessed was supposed to be comforting.

“Yeah, sure.” Lia tried for a smile, but it came across weak, filling Kem with dread about the meeting he had to have with her father.