Free Highlander's Kiss by Joanne Wadsworth
Authors: Joanne Wadsworth
Tavish and Tor some time to become familiar with this keep.”
“I’ll show them around.” Julia slipped away from his side and opened the door.
“I’ll join the tour later, brother.” Tor patted his back.
“Thank you.” Tor understood him as no other could. Right now he needed time alone with Julia and their coming discussion really couldn’t wait. He followed her as she led the way out of the chief’s solar and around the perimeter of the great hall toward the stairwell at the far side. As they climbed the winding stairs, he set a hand at the small of her back. Touch was vitally important to shifters, and even more so between mates. His need for her roared even stronger since they’d yet to complete the bond. “Where are we headed to first on this tour?”
“My chamber. I can see you have a need to talk, and so do I.” She strolled along a darkened corridor that remained bare of any other, each of the doors leading from it firmly shut. Before the fourth door on the left, she gripped the knob and glanced over her shoulder at him. “This feels like a monumental moment.”
“It is, and it’ll be one we’ll forever remember.” He covered her hand with his, turned the knob and steered her inside then closed the door after him.
She crossed the room and opened the shutters over her window. Sunlight beamed in and played over her four-poster bed with its sweeping golden bed curtains and plush white pillows stacked against the carved headboard. A three pronged candelabra stood on the bedside table next to a red-leather bound book. He wandered toward the side table where an oval mirror was propped behind a dish overflowing with silk hair ribbons in an array of vibrant colors.
Julia swished in behind him and his bear rose and prowled under his skin. “Your bear is growling. I can hear him.”
“He wants to meet you, to ensure you know that you’re ours.” His claws sliced out and back in as he faced her.
“Even your eyes are aglow with shifter gold.” She touched his chest and leaned in. “He calms right down when I touch you.”
“We both like it when you touch me.” Fur rippled across his arm then retracted, there one moment and gone the next. “We need to speak of our bond. Until we complete it and create the merged link of the mind, one that’s inherent in my shifter blood, then both my other half and I will never truly be at peace. I need to join with you, Julia, in all ways, for us to be able to speak to each other at will along a merged pathway known only to us. I want you to accept me and all that I am. My word is the truth. We are mated.” Hair rippled across his other arm. His bear needed to be set free, couldn’t be contained anymore. He gripped his shirt hem, hauled it over his head and tossed it onto the end of her bed. “I need to shift, and since I detest shredding my clothing, it has to go.”
“Then allow me to give you some privacy while you make the Change.” She walked to the door.
“No.” He nabbed her hand and tugged her back to his side. “Don’t leave me. It’ll make my bear antsier if you’re not here. We both want you, him and I.”
“You wish for me to stay?”
“I’ll use the dressing screen to shift behind if you wish, but I have no problem changing before you. You are my mate and I will hide nothing from you.” He motioned toward the hand-painted silk screen propped in the corner. “Although I’ll give you the choice.”
“Aye, use the screen, please.” Her cheeks flushed.
“Of course. Thank you for staying.” He toed off his boots, unstrapped his sword belt and set it on the side table then strode in behind the screen. Faded blue jeans unzipped, he shoved them down his legs then tossed them onto the table with his weapons. It was time to shift, to show her his other half. No more could he delay. “Are you ready?”
* * * *
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Julia clasped a hand to her chest as she waited for Tavish to shift. Suddenly, a
“I’ll show them around.” Julia slipped away from his side and opened the door.
“I’ll join the tour later, brother.” Tor patted his back.
“Thank you.” Tor understood him as no other could. Right now he needed time alone with Julia and their coming discussion really couldn’t wait. He followed her as she led the way out of the chief’s solar and around the perimeter of the great hall toward the stairwell at the far side. As they climbed the winding stairs, he set a hand at the small of her back. Touch was vitally important to shifters, and even more so between mates. His need for her roared even stronger since they’d yet to complete the bond. “Where are we headed to first on this tour?”
“My chamber. I can see you have a need to talk, and so do I.” She strolled along a darkened corridor that remained bare of any other, each of the doors leading from it firmly shut. Before the fourth door on the left, she gripped the knob and glanced over her shoulder at him. “This feels like a monumental moment.”
“It is, and it’ll be one we’ll forever remember.” He covered her hand with his, turned the knob and steered her inside then closed the door after him.
She crossed the room and opened the shutters over her window. Sunlight beamed in and played over her four-poster bed with its sweeping golden bed curtains and plush white pillows stacked against the carved headboard. A three pronged candelabra stood on the bedside table next to a red-leather bound book. He wandered toward the side table where an oval mirror was propped behind a dish overflowing with silk hair ribbons in an array of vibrant colors.
Julia swished in behind him and his bear rose and prowled under his skin. “Your bear is growling. I can hear him.”
“He wants to meet you, to ensure you know that you’re ours.” His claws sliced out and back in as he faced her.
“Even your eyes are aglow with shifter gold.” She touched his chest and leaned in. “He calms right down when I touch you.”
“We both like it when you touch me.” Fur rippled across his arm then retracted, there one moment and gone the next. “We need to speak of our bond. Until we complete it and create the merged link of the mind, one that’s inherent in my shifter blood, then both my other half and I will never truly be at peace. I need to join with you, Julia, in all ways, for us to be able to speak to each other at will along a merged pathway known only to us. I want you to accept me and all that I am. My word is the truth. We are mated.” Hair rippled across his other arm. His bear needed to be set free, couldn’t be contained anymore. He gripped his shirt hem, hauled it over his head and tossed it onto the end of her bed. “I need to shift, and since I detest shredding my clothing, it has to go.”
“Then allow me to give you some privacy while you make the Change.” She walked to the door.
“No.” He nabbed her hand and tugged her back to his side. “Don’t leave me. It’ll make my bear antsier if you’re not here. We both want you, him and I.”
“You wish for me to stay?”
“I’ll use the dressing screen to shift behind if you wish, but I have no problem changing before you. You are my mate and I will hide nothing from you.” He motioned toward the hand-painted silk screen propped in the corner. “Although I’ll give you the choice.”
“Aye, use the screen, please.” Her cheeks flushed.
“Of course. Thank you for staying.” He toed off his boots, unstrapped his sword belt and set it on the side table then strode in behind the screen. Faded blue jeans unzipped, he shoved them down his legs then tossed them onto the table with his weapons. It was time to shift, to show her his other half. No more could he delay. “Are you ready?”
* * * *
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Julia clasped a hand to her chest as she waited for Tavish to shift. Suddenly, a