Fate Mate

Chapter 55

As soon as Caliste told me the steps to the fated spell that would bring an end to the hybrids' reign of terror, she returned to the afterlife, promising to watch over us from beyond. I rushed into the bedroom to wake Nolan, who originally thought that I was waking him for a round of sleepy lovemaking. The mood immediately shifted when I revealed the real reason.

Nolan hadn't wasted a second. He instantly mind linked with Raegan and Dylan, ordering them to gather the alphas and Zyphora in the packhouse. We'd dressed before heading to the packhouse ten minutes later. The sun still hadn't risen by the time my mate and I crossed the threshold into the packhouse and rushed toward the conference room. Fortunately, no one else in the pack seemed to be awake yet after a night spent celebrating and drinking.

Nolan came to a stop seconds before pushing open the heavy conference room doors. He turned to face me for what felt like the first time since I'd told him about my conversation with Caliste. Guilt swam in his piercing blue eyes. "Charlie? How are you feeling?"

I shrugged, my fingers gripping the sleeves of the oversized sweatshirt that I'd thrown over my head while getting dressed in the cottage. Nolan's fresh mating mark was just visible above the sweatshirt's collar. "Well, I wish that the First Gemini witch had better timing," I admitted, one corner of my lips curling in a smile.

Nolan huffed a small laugh. "This isn't how you wanted the night after our Mating Ceremony to go?"

His joke caused my smile to grow, and I moved closer to wrap my arms around his waist. He draped his arms over my shoulders, and we stared down at each other. I giggled. "I mean, she could have at least let us sleep in!"

My dark-haired mate pulled me closer, leaning down to press his lips against mine for one long second. When I broke the kiss to take a breath, his lips moved to my ear. "Last night was the best night of my life, Charlotte. When we've dealt with this mess, I plan on holding you hostage in our bed for many sunrises."

The low rumble in Nolan's voice made my toes curl, and I couldn't help from shivering at the prospect of returning to that cottage and...

"Careful," Nolan warned, a lupine smirk growing on his lips. "Or I'll need to take you into my office before we're able to enter that conference room."

I shivered again, half-exhilarated by the sinful promise lacing my mate's words. Nolan's pupils had expanded, and I knew that he wouldn't hesitate to follow through with his delicious threat. The thought made an all-too-familiar liquid heat begin to gather between my thighs again, and I stood on my toes to greedily steal another kiss.

This time, when our lips began to devour one another's, Nolan pushed into my mind via our mindlink. But, instead of his voice filling my mind, a startlingly vivid image filled my thoughts instead.

We were in his office, and I was perched on the edge of his desk. Papers and ink-filled fountain pens were strewn across the office floor, but we hardly noticed. My leggings were at my ankles, and Nolan's black jeans were bunched at his knees. We were connected, my legs drawn up around his torso as he thrust into me, relentless...

I gasped, my knees nearly going weak at the image that he'd conjured in my mind. I forced my eyes open, and the image dissipated as I blinked up at Nolan, who was smirking down at me now. He'd used the mindlink to show me exactly what he would do to me if we escaped into his office now.

Before I could order him to fulfill his dangerous promise, another male voice–Dylan's– entered my head. Nolan's eyes flashed, and I knew that he could hear it too. Are you two coming in, or should we all go back to bed for another half-hour?

Heat swarmed my cheeks as I instinctively took a step back from my mate. Nolan rolled his eyes, his features a careful mask of good humor and annoyance. In any other circumstance, he might've told Dylan to mind his own damn business. But the Black Lupis Delta was right. There were more important things to be doing, now.