Page 25 of Hexmate (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1)

Chapter 25

Atlas

“ A re you ready?” Caden asked, his gaze already heavy with desire.

He’d just been mated by me less than fifteen minutes before and he was already rock hard and ready to go. I had to admire his tenacity. He might’ve been shy most times, but once I got him started, he was insatiable. I loved that about him, and I couldn’t wait to reap the benefits once we were both safe from his father and whatever was wreaking havoc on campus.

“Yeah,” I nodded, draining the rest of my water bottle. “Let’s do the ritual.”

Caden put his bottle down, grabbed my hand, and walked me to the center of the room. Lifting the athame in his hand, he held it high and began to chant an incantation under his breath.

The air around us thickened, heavy with the scent of ozone and something deeper, earthier—Caden’s natural magic coming alive. His freckles seemed to shimmer against his pale skin, constellations mapping power across his body. I watched, entranced, as tiny threads of green light sparked between his fingers, winding around the athame. Through our newfound mate bond, I felt his power surge.

“Blood freely given binds the oath,” he whispered, his voice carrying despite its softness.

He drew the blade across his palm with a wince, then held it out to me. I took the athame, my fingers brushing his. Even that small contact sent a jolt of lust through me. Fuck, that mate bond was a lot stronger than I anticipated.

I sliced my own palm, hissing at the sting, then pressed my bleeding hand to his. Our blood mingled, warm and slick between our palms. Caden’s eyes fluttered closed, those long lashes casting shadows across his cheekbones. A soft moan escaped him.

“By blood, by breath, by body joined,” he continued, his voice growing stronger. The green threads of light coiled around our joined hands now, pulsing with each word.

“We pledge ourselves as one,” I finished, the words coming to me instinctively through our bond.

The light intensified, wrapping around our arms and chests, binding us together. Caden’s eyes flew open, blazing with an otherworldly green fire. His lips parted on a gasp as the magic surged between us.

I felt it too - a wild, primal energy flooding my veins. Every nerve in my body lit up, hyper-aware of Caden’s proximity. The scent of his skin, the heat of his body, the rapid rise and fall of his chest - it was all I could focus on.

“Mine,” Caden growled, his usual shyness evaporating as he yanked me closer.

His mouth crashed into mine, hungry and demanding. I matched his intensity, my free hand tangling in his soft blonde hair. Our joined, bloodied palms pressed tighter together as the magic swirled around us.

Robes were hastily shed, falling to the floor in a messy heap. Caden grabbed a handful of my hair, forcing me down to my knees in front of him. He stared down at me, his eyes ablaze with green fiery magic. All he had to do was look at me and I knew what I had to do. This ritual to make me his familiar was all about submission. He’d submitted to me to form the mate bond and now it was time for me to return the favor.

My gaze lowered to the throbbing cock in front of me already dripping with pre-cum. I leaned forward, my tongue darting out to taste the glistening tip. Caden’s breath hitched, his fingers tightening in my hair. The magic pulsed around us, urging me on. I took him fully into my mouth, relishing the weight of him on my tongue, the salty-sweet taste of his arousal.

Caden’s hips jerked forward, pushing himself deeper. I relaxed my throat, taking him all the way in. Above me, he let out a strangled moan, his free hand bracing against the wall for support. Our joined hands, still slick with blood, pressed against my cheek as I worked him with lips and tongue.

“Fuck,” Caden gasped, his usual shyness completely gone. “So good, so fucking perfect.”

I hummed in response, the vibrations making him shudder. The magic swirled faster, green tendrils caressing our skin like ghostly fingers. I could feel Caden’s pleasure echoing through our bond, amplifying my own arousal.

Suddenly, Caden pulled back, his cock slipping from my mouth with an obscene pop. Before I could protest, he yanked me to my feet and spun me around, pressing my chest against the cool glowing wall.

“Need you,” he panted against my neck, his voice ragged with desire. “Need to claim you completely to complete the ritual.”

His teeth scraped along my shoulder, sending shivers down my spine. The green light continued to spiral around us, seeping into our skin, binding us tighter with each passing second. Through our joined palms, I could feel his heartbeat—or was it mine? The boundaries between us were blurring.

“Do it,” I urged, arching back against him. “Make me yours.”

Caden’s free hand slid down my back, tracing the curve of my spine before gripping my hip with surprising strength. His magic pulsed, and suddenly I felt slick and ready for him. One of the perks of mating a nature witch—he could just summon up his own lube. And that’s not all he could do. At the same time, I felt plants and vines winding around my legs, holding me tightly in place. They forced my knees to bend, bringing me down to the perfect level for him to fuck me.

“Mine,” he whispered again, positioning himself behind me. “My familiar. My mate. My everything.”

I felt the blunt head of his cock come to rest against my hole, my own cock throbbing in anticipation. Pre-cum dripped from me as the vines held me in place. One of them, to my surprise, wound up around my balls and wrapped around my cock. It pulsed in time to match my own, gripping me firmly. I’d never felt anything like it before, but it turned me on more than I thought possible. I wasn’t just submitting to Caden’s carnal desires, I was submitting to his magic and power too. Now that he had me positioned and restrained, there was nothing I could do but let him have his way with me. And I was ready to be used by him, to give everything I had for his pleasure.

With a slow push, Caden entered me, stretching me open with his thick length. The vines tightened around my limbs, making me gasp as they pulsed with the same rhythm as his heartbeat. His magic flowed through them and into me, connecting us in ways that transcended the physical.

“Gods,” he breathed against my ear, his voice breaking as he buried himself to the hilt. “You feel... incredible.”

Our joined hands, still slick with blood, pressed against the wall beside my head. The green light had intensified, spreading out from our palms in a network of luminous veins across the stone. Each pulse of light matched Caden’s thrusts as he began to move inside me.

“Harder,” I managed to gasp out, my body already trembling with need. The vine around my cock squeezed, milking more pre-cum from me. “I need more.”

Caden’s usual hesitancy was nowhere to be found. He growled—actually growled—and snapped his hips forward with bruising force. His free hand tangled in my hair, yanking my head back so he could drag his teeth along my exposed throat. Long gone was the shy man I’d met only a few weeks ago. In this moment, he was just as much beast as I was.

The ritual’s magic surged, green light pulsing through every point of contact between us. Caden’s thrusts grew more frantic, his teeth grazing my neck as he pounded into me relentlessly. The vines tightened, their grip bordering on pain as they held me open and exposed for him.

“Mine,” Caden growled again, his voice deepening with each thrust. “Say it. Tell me you’re mine.”

“Yours,” I gasped out, my words punctuated by his forceful movements. “I’m yours, Caden. Only yours.”

The admission seemed to ignite something primal in him. His hips snapped forward with thrilling force, driving deeper than before. The vine around my cock pulsed in time with his thrusts, squeezing and stroking in a maddening rhythm.

Through our joined palms, I could feel his magic building to a crescendo. The green light intensified, casting eerie shadows across the room. Caden’s teeth sank into the juncture of my neck and shoulder, breaking the skin. The sharp pain mingled with pleasure, pushing me closer to the edge.

“Cum for me,” he demanded.

The command in Caden’s voice, combined with the relentless stimulation from his cock and the pulsing vine, sent me hurtling over the edge. My orgasm crashed through me with shocking intensity, making me cry out as I spilled onto the wall and floor. The vines tightened further, milking every last drop from me as I shuddered in their grasp.

Caden’s thrusts grew erratic, his breath hot and ragged against my neck where he’d bitten me. I could feel his magic surging, building to a crescendo that matched the pulsing green light around us. With a guttural moan, he slammed into me one final time, burying himself to the hilt as he came.

The moment his release hit, the magic exploded. Blinding green light engulfed us both, searing through our joined hands and into our very cores. I felt Caden’s essence merge with mine, our souls intertwining in a bond far deeper than the physical or even the mate bond.

Images flashed through my mind - memories that weren’t my own. I saw Caden as a child, living a normal life without any idea of what he was or his heritage. I felt his loneliness, his confusion about his newfound power after he was torn from his normal world unexpectedly. He shared his fear with me, his father’s threats always echoing in the back of his mind. In a matter of seconds, I felt like I’d lived his entire life with him, watching from the sidelines. I knew him far more intimately than any couple could ever hope for.

I saw him exactly as he was.

The vines slowly unwound from my limbs, releasing me as the blinding green light faded to a soft glow. My legs trembled, barely able to support my weight as Caden carefully slid out of me. He turned me around, his hands gentle now as he cradled my face. His blue eyes were wide with wonder, the usual shyness returning as he searched my expression.

“Did you... did you see?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.

I nodded, still reeling from the intensity of what we’d just shared. “I saw everything. I felt everything.”

A single tear slid down his freckled cheek. I brushed it away with my thumb, noticing that our palms had healed completely, leaving only matching silver scars that shimmered with faint green light. It seemed my werewolf healing had already been shared through our new bond as mate and familiar.

“I’ve never...” Caden swallowed hard. “I’ve never had anyone see me like that before.”

“I know,” I said softly, pressing my forehead against his. “Thank you for trusting me.”

He let out a shaky breath, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin. I could feel his magic now, a constant hum beneath the surface of my skin. The familiar bond had taken hold, intertwining our essences in ways I was only beginning to understand.

“You’re not...scared?” Caden asked hesitantly, his vulnerability shining through once more. “After seeing everything about me, about my father...”

I shook my head, pulling him closer. “No. If anything, it makes me want to protect you even more. We’re in this together now, Caden. Whatever your father has planned, whatever’s happening on campus - we’ll face it as one.”

Relief flooded his features, and he leaned in to press a soft kiss to my lips. It was tender, a stark contrast to the frenzied passion of moments before. I savored it, marveling at how quickly this shy, powerful witch had become my entire world.

As we parted, Caden looked up at me, fear still filtering through our bond. “We still have to remove the curse,” he said, bending down to pick up the athame once more. He held it loosely in one hand. “Will… Will you stay with me?”

“Of course I will,” I replied, kissing him on the forehead. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He nodded slowly, taking a step back. With one hand he reached out, green energy swirling around his fingers as a series of purple vines grew up from the floor and wrapped around his fingers, his palm, and then his wrist. They were like roots, pulsing across his skin in time with his heartbeat.

“These vines… they thrive off of blood,” he said slowly, setting the blade of the knife against his skin. “They’ll drain me until there’s nothing left. Only then will the curse be gone.” He looked up at me, his blue eyes filled with tears. “If… If this goes wrong…”

“It won’t,” I stated firmly. “I won’t let it.”

“I love you, Atlas.”

“I love you too, Caden.”

There was a flash of silver and a streak of blood across the floor. But before a single drop could spill from the wound, the vines attached themselves to his arm. His knees buckled and I wrapped him up in my arms, watching the color slowly drain from his body. Over the bond, I felt him begin to weaken.

“Take my power, Caden,” I said softly in his ear. “I give it to your freely.”

With a small nod from him, I felt the connection between us deepen. All at once my power as a werewolf and an Alpha was being drained away from me. Tightening my grip on him, I lowered us both to the ground, knowing neither of us would be able to hold ourselves up for much longer.

The feeling of having my power drained wasn’t unpleasant, but foreign. Never in my life had I felt so tired, so exhausted. And the longer the vines fed, the more tired I became. Caden was still pale and cold in my grasp as I felt myself reaching the ends of my strength. Darkness curled in at the corners of my vision, but I remained focused on Caden, not letting him out of my sight for even a moment.

“I… I love you, Caden,” I whispered.

And then, without so much as a flutter, darkness crashed in around me.