The Paranormal Council

Chapter 4

4

She wasn’t sure what had made her say his name, but as soon as it was through her lips, Lia knew that she had to leave. Things could have gotten dangerous if she’d stayed. She’d spotted him coming across the room, and something about the way he walked had called to her. He wore an expensive looking suit, which was somewhat at odds with his short dark hair and beginnings of scruff on his chin. Even from across the room, she could feel his attention on her, and she knew that she had to disappear before he reached them. But seeing him talk to her sister, even though she could hear exactly how badly he was doing that, had caused anger to well up inside her, and that was when she knew that she had to get out of the room.

Very few people had ever seen Lia angry, she’d become good at hiding it over the years, especially since Aella’s temper was so prominent. And so, no one knew her secret. It had made itself clear about eight months ago, when Aella had been in a particularly foul mood which had turned into cruelty. Instead of standing up to her, all of those around her had begun to pander to her every whim and it had been too much for Lia. She’d fled to her room, the anger controlling what she was doing, and that was when it had happened. She’d researched it since, away from the eyes of her father and sister, and had only been able to come up with one explanation; but it didn’t seem possible. True, there hadn’t been any other men in her life since her night with Kem, but they’d met in a normal club; it didn’t seem likely that he was paranormal, and even less likely that he was her mate. There was no denying the facts though, for the first twenty-seven years of her life she’d never once exhibited any signs of shifter powers, nor should she as there weren’t any shifters in her family tree. Yet, somehow, she was now able to shift into a panther. Well, able was a strong word. It seemed that she could only shift when she was feeling a particularly strong emotion, like tonight. Somewhere deep within, she’d known who he was to her from the moment she’d spotted him, perhaps even from the moment they’d met in the club, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. It wasn’t like she could just march up to him and ask if he was her mate. That just wasn’t the way things were done. Or at least, it wasn’t if you were like Lia.

Luckily for her, the reception was only being held a few doors down from her home, and she all but ran down the dark street behind the buildings, with the hope that she’d be able to creep in through the backdoor and avoid anyone seeing her. If she wasn’t careful, then sneaking away from the reception could cause a minor scandal by insulting the host, and from what she understood, there was already a fair bit of uncertainty in paranormal politics at the moment.

From the corner of her eye, a shifting shadow caught her attention and she reacted on instinct, a low growl escaping her throat as she did. Her anger hadn’t lessened since leaving the reception and, even as new to this as she was, she knew that it was dangerous for it to be so close to the surface.

“It is you,” a deep voice sent shivers down her spine in an entirely pleasant way.

“Kem.” Her voice was hoarse and she licked her lips automatically. If she remembered rightly, and she did, this was the same way that he’d made her feel before.

“Lia.” He stepped away from the wall of the house backing onto the backstreet and moonlight fell on him. He’d taken off his tie, and the unbuttoned shirt suited him much better, giving him a simultaneously smooth and rugged look. Without thinking, Lia took a step towards him, her hands smoothing over his chest and up towards his collar. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” his voice was low and she could hear the tension in his words.

“Why not?” She looked up at him and found that the dark eyes meeting hers were filled with the same intense attraction she was sure was in her own. A low rumble came from Kem’s throat and she almost purred in return, the sound making her feel more contented than it should.

Lia wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but she found her body pressed against his, and his lips claiming hers in a soul stealing kiss. She’d fixated on their night together often enough to know that their previous kisses had been passionate, but the memory faded in comparison to this. Kem nipped at her lip, causing arousal to flow through her and she pressed her body further in to his. She cursed inwardly at the amount of clothing between them, but all thoughts were quickly whisked away as he kissed and nipped his way along her jaw, before nibbling on her ear. A low groan slipped from her and a low chuckle vibrated from Kem.

“Come with me,” she whispered hoarsely, and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the remainder of the backstreet and into the garden. Knowing her father and Aella weren’t likely to return from the reception any time soon, and that there was no one else around, she broke character and pulled Kem back towards her as soon as they were inside the fence and away from somewhere they could be stumbled upon.

“I’ve been looking for you for so long,” he murmured between kisses, the words sending vibrations through Lia’s skin and making her heart flutter.

“How did you know it was me?” she asked breathlessly, pushing his suit jacket down his arms. It fell to the ground with a soft thump, but neither of them paid it any attention. Her hands moved on to the buttons of his shirt, and he did nothing to stop her. Instead, his hands went to the tie behind her neck, and the gentle whisper of his fingers only turned her on more. He drew her back into a deep kiss before answering.

“I just knew.” She hummed in response, knowing exactly what he meant, but being unable to respond as he’d managed to undo the ties of her dress. The fabric fell down to her waist, exposing her breasts to the evening air. She hadn’t seen the need to wear a bra that evening, with her backless dress and small size, it was easier not to, and she was grateful for that now. As was Kem if his sharp intake of breath was anything to go by. He pulled back slightly, which gave her the access she needed to send his shirt to join the jacket on the floor. Her eyes widened as she took in the smooth expanse of his chest, all man and muscle. A smirk played on Kem’s lips and she expected him to kiss her again, even wanted him to kiss her again, but he had other ideas. After a quick peck on the lips, he trailed kisses down her neck, until he was crouched in front of her, taking one of her n*****s into his mouth. Her knees weakened, and no longer even aware of their clothing, she sunk to the ground, taking him with her.