Page 47 of Bewitched by the Werewolf (The Bewitching Hour #5)

Two months after the blood moon, Tess still remains in town.

She moved her trailer to the field next to the small log cabin I’ve now claimed for us.

Hunter and Lottie live in the big house now, and I’m fine with that.

I have no doubt they’ll start having pups as soon as possible, filling it with their family, my family. I’m happy for him.

Surprisingly I’m looking forward to being Uncle Ryder. Maybe even one day having my own kids with Tess. I still haven’t told her about being my mate. I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to bond us together. I want to be able to sense her wherever she is and have her live as long as I do.

With Vincent now out of the picture permanently, thanks to Lottie’s discovered siren abilities, the town of Snowberry has more than not returned to normal.

When he confronted my brother right after the eclipse, we all gathered at the house to put an end to the elf’s incessant and infuriating inability to take no for an answer.

We thought we were going to have to beat it into him or kill him to get our point across.

Although we did fight, it was brought to a quick and sharp end when Lottie unleashed her siren ability.

Sirens can control others with their voices.

All she had to do was speak the words and for him to hear them, and that was all it took.

He left and will never return. He’ll never even remember Snowberry now.

Not long after that Tess demanded to be fairy dusted and given the ability to see non-human’s true forms at all times.

I couldn’t argue with her about it anymore.

Not when I knew she was my mate. It was inevitable I would dust her and give her the sight.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t argue with her over it just to get a rise out of her.

She walked around town with her mouth gaping for nearly three days straight, shocked by the amount of non-humans living in Snowberry.

Ginger has taken it upon herself to form a girl band between her, Lottie and Tess.

It’s been a lot of socializing for Tess, and she’s taken to hiding out at home to avoid her.

At least for a few days. I don’t blame her.

I’ve seen more of my sister in the last few weeks than the last year.

We will have to see everyone on Sunday when we go to dinner at my parents but until then, I’ve got her all to myself.

Seems like as good a time as any to have the mate talk.

It’s not quite like asking a human female to marry you.

It’s not really a question. Just a recognition and acceptance.

It’ll be different since Tess is human. If she were a shifter the only discussion we would be having is when to solidify the bond.

We highly suspect Tess is a human descendent of a shifter, like how Lottie is a human descendent of a siren.

Her senses and abilities reminiscent of my own.

Her sight enhanced, hearing advanced, not to mention her sense of smell catches on to things a normal human wouldn’t.

Like my scent, a woodsy citrus cinnamon.

Only another shifter would be able to identify my scent so precisely.

And only a mate would find it as alluring and arousing as Tess does.

I find my future mate lounging on the couch, flipping through the Snowberry sheriff’s handbook.

When I realized she was series about becoming a deputy I immediately brought her all the information she would need to know.

As well as bent her over the hood of my truck and fucked her like I’d promised to do weeks ago.

It was parked in front of our cabin, and no one was around, so she allowed it.

Slipping in behind her, I reposition her between my thighs and lay her back against my chest. Now that I have free range to touch and hold her, I do so all the time.

I’ve even become accustomed to PDA. Tess relaxes back against me and continues reading a section about how to properly and efficiently deal with a domestic dispute, both human and non.

I wrap my arms around her, not only because I love touching her, but because I want to keep her rooted in place for our talk.

“There is something I want to discuss with you, Red,” I begin casually, kissing the top of her red hair. Hair that’s haphazardly twisted into some sort of braid. I love the disheveled Tess look.

“Okay, shoot.”

The comment makes me think of when she actually did shoot me with her crossbow, a crossbow that hangs easily accessible on the wall near the front door. Almost like how I hang my holster on the hook by the door.

“You know how Hunter discovered a human can mate bond with a non-human if they are a descendent of a non-human?”

“Uh-huh.” She nods her head but continues to scan the handbook.

“Well, I believe you might be a descendent of a shifter and are my mate.” There, I said it. Plain and simple, direct and to the point. No beating around the bush. I’ve already waited long enough to confirm it.

Finally, she stops reading and drops the book to her stomach. Her head twisting to look up and back at me.

“What?”

“You heard me, Red. I know you’re hearing is just as good as mine.”

She gives me a no duh dipshit look.

“Yes, I heard you but am I understanding you?” she clarifies.

“I think you are.”

She shifts in my hold, turning sideways to get a better look at me, dropping the handbook to the floor next to the couch. She’s only wearing soft lounge pants and a loose t-shirt, and it pulls tight around her body as she maneuvers into a more comfortable position.

I know in human customs the couple would dress up and go somewhere fancy, set a whole scene for a proposal. Shifters do it differently. We don’t need all the pomp and circumstance and formality. Our world operates on instinct and my instinct tells me she’s my mate, so that’s all I need.

“You think we’re like Hunter and Lottie?”

“Similar, yes.”

Tess nibbles on her bottom lip and I want to kiss it and suck on it, soothing her anxiety.

She’s still my tough, sassy huntress, but I’m starting to learn—like myself—there’s a softer more sensitive center under the hard exterior.

I can’t wait to discover every part of Tess and have her uncover every suppressed and undiscovered part of me.

“What are you saying? Specifically,” she clarifies with a look of don’t sass her right now. I have no intention of sassing her or being unclear in my wants.

“I’m saying, when you’re ready, I want to bond with you.

I want you to be my mate, to connect with me on a biological level.

To live as long as I do. To run through the forest with me every lunar eclipse and maybe eventually even have kids with me.

I want to love you for the rest of our long lives and argue with you over who gets to choose the movie on movie night. That is, if you’ll have me.”

A glossy shine reflects in Tess’s beautiful emerald eyes. I’ve never seen her cry before. I had hoped to never see her cry. I hope like hell these are happy tears. When she doesn’t respond, I tighten my hold on her.

“Say something, Red. You’ve got me worried over here.”

“Yes.” The word is barely a whisper on her lips, but I would hear it no matter how quietly she spoke it. My heart leaps in my chest and I peer down at her in wonder and amazement.

“Yes?”

“You heard me, Officer. I know you’re hearing is as good as mine,” she parodies my words from moments before, right back at me.

“Yes, I did hear you. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.”

“You’re not hallucinating,” she confirms.

In one swift motion Tess spins and straddles my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing a hard desperate kiss to my lips.

“This means you’re staying? Permanently?” I ask.

“I already was. Now it’ll just be for longer. You can’t get rid of me now,” she snarks into my lips as she kisses me again.

“I had no intention of getting rid of you, ever.”

Our kisses turn heated and frantic. In a matter of moments, we’re both naked and panting on the couch.

Tess straddling my hips and taking my already hard length into her tight body.

We make love the couch for the first of many times to come in our future.

A future that looks a hell of a lot brighter than it did a month ago.

Because now I have my Tess, my Red, my mate.

My other half and perfect match, and whatever god is out there handing out mates couldn’t have gotten it any more right.