Page 10

”I’m not gettingon that. No,” Liam said, taking a step back and crossing his arms.

“Why not?”

“We’re taking my car.”

“Your car’s too flashy,” I pointed out.

Liam”s car wasn”t one a typical resident of Fox Haven had. But that wasn’t the real problem. I was worried that those who were after him knew his car and could be following him that way.

This was the first time we were going out again, and I wanted to be careful and not draw too much attention to us.

I saw the worry in his eyes; he must be thinking the same thing.

“Plus, this’ll be fun. It’s been a while since I took my baby out,” I added.

“‘Baby’? More like a death trap,” Liam said, looking at my bike up and down with a sneer.

I fake-gasped, gripping the handles tight, then caressed the headlights as if consoling my bike from the insult. When I saw him crack a smile, I handed him a spare helmet.

“Come on. I’ll be careful. I’ll drive slowly,” I said, taking a seat and swinging a leg over my bike.

Liam still looked hesitant but bit his lip, his eyes shining with excitement. I reached for his hand and pulled him closer, helping him put on his helmet before securing mine. I felt the bike shift as he sat behind me.

“I, uh, don’t know where to hold onto,” Liam muttered uncertainly.

Twisting my body, I guided his arms around my waist. He held on lightly as I started the bike, feeling it rumble beneath us. I felt him flinching in surprise.

“You’ll have to hold on tighter than that,” I told him.

I pulled his arms around me until he could clasp his hands together, his body pressed against mine. Even through our clothes, I could feel his heart beating excitedly.

Finally satisfied, I revved the engine and we headed off toward the town center.

When we arrived, the book fair was in full swing. It wasn”t like any other fair or festival Fox Haven had. It was much smaller and held more frequently, featuring small independent stores selling interesting secondhand or rare books.

Liam”s excitement was palpable; his eyes widened in awe, momentarily rendering him speechless.

“The bookshelves back at home looked a little empty, don”t you think? They could use a bit more,” I suggested, gesturing towards a stall in front of us.

Liam smiled, his eyes bright and his smile wide, just like when I showed him the porch.

“I’ll look around then,” he said eagerly, quickly darting off to the nearest stall. I chuckled and followed behind.

As we moved through the different tables filled with books, I enjoyed watching Liam”s excitement as he looked at the books happily. Eventually, I found myself browsing as well.

”Hey, Shane, check this out,” Liam said, holding out a book. ”I think you”ll like it. Give it a try.”

Click.

The soft sound barely registered amidst the bustling noise of the fair. Liam didn’t seem to hear it; he was too engrossed in the stack of books laid out in front of him. But I heard it clearly.

Glancing around, I spotted Tom Pierce, the paparazzi from the diner the other day. When I asked Liam about him, he mentioned that Tom worked for some gossip magazine.

I didn’t want our date to be ruined. Setting down the book I was holding, I knew I needed to confront this situation head-on.

“Wait here,” I told Liam.

“Uh, okay,” he replied, looking confused.

Rather than approaching Pierce directly, I circled around the building, ensuring my steps were quiet. As I reached him, I carefully placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Hey,” I greeted Pierce with a wide grin, causing him to jump up in surprise.

“Wh— how?” he stuttered, his eyes darting around before settling on the hand I had on his shoulder. He attempted to push me away, but I wouldn’t budge. I quickly wrapped my arm around his neck, now holding him in a chokehold.

As he tried to pry my arm off his neck, I pressed harder, causing him to wince. Anger unfurled inside me. My fox wanted me to get rid of this menace once and for all, but I reminded him we had to play nice.

“I wasn’t doing anything! Just taking some pictures!” he pleaded.

Glancing to the side, I saw Liam still standing where I had left him.

Turning back to Pierce, I felt my anger rising, my claws itching to come out.

Pierce gripped my arm tighter. He closed his eyes, wincing in pain. “I could report you! I have every right to be here!” Pierce said.

Remembering Owen’s words to keep a low profile, I hesitated to release him, my scowl deepening as I glared at him.

“Take the day off today. I don’t want to see you again.” I growled, giving him a warning.

I loosened my grip but didn’t release him, studying him intently and committing every detail to memory—his face, his gait, his lack of scent.

Wait. He didn’t smell like anything. Odd.

Raising a brow, I stepped closer to get a better look at him, but he slipped from my grasp like the snake that he was and started running down the alley. I was tempted to chase him down, but I had left Liam alone for too long.

I didn’t want Liam to get suspicious due to my sudden departure just now, so I decided to take a little detour at a stall I had noticed earlier before rejoining him.

When I finally caught up with him, he already had another bag full of books.

Liam looked worried, but as I greeted him with a smile, I noticed some of the anxiety melting away from his face almost immediately.

“I got you this,” I said, placing the bucket hat I had bought on his head.

Liam frowned, holding onto the tip of the hat, but he didn’t take it off. “What’s this for?”

“Just a disguise,” I replied.

He looked puzzled, then sudden realization dawned in his eyes. He looked around. “Did you see anyone?” Liam asked.

I hesitated, unsure whether to tell him. I didn’t want to ruin our date, but I also didn’t want to lie to him. “I saw that paparazzi guy, Pierce,” I answered.

Liam quickly looked around again, his expression a mixture of panic and fear.

“Don’t worry, I think I already scared him off,” I reassured him.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief, but I was still worried about who else could be lurking around.

Maybe this date wasn’t the best idea after all. But seeing the smile on Liam”s face made it all worth it.

As we walked around more, my worries eased, and we both started to relax and enjoy ourselves again. Still, I made sure to stick close to Liam, staying alert the whole time.

I wanted to hold his hand the entire time we walked along the fairgrounds. Because that was what one does on dates, right? But I hesitated, unsure if there were other mages or shifters around.

I didn’t want them to find out about us, so I kept my hands to myself.

Eventually, we found ourselves circling back to where I had parked my bike.

“So, dinner?” Liam asked, taking the helmet I offered.

I glanced around the secluded street, making sure there was no one else around.

Unable to resist any longer, I leaned in and grabbed his waist, pulling him close. I kissed him hard, enjoying the taste of him. The warmth of his mouth against mine sent a thrilling sensation down my spine.

I traced the line of his jaw with my lips, savoring his scent and the softness of his skin. Moving lower, I pressed gentle kisses along his neck, feeling him shiver beneath my touch. His breath grew heavier, mingling with mine in the cool evening air.

As our bodies pressed together, the heat between us intensified. I nibbled softly at his earlobe, eliciting a soft gasp from him. His hands found their way to my back, pulling me even closer.

“Should we have dinner at home instead?” I whispered in his ear, giving it a lick.

“Yeah,” Liam replied breathlessly. “Home sounds good right now.”

As we rode back home, my thoughts were consumed by Liam and the magnetic pull between us.

Each passing moment seemed to amplify the longing in my heart, a burning desire to be close to him, to feel his touch once more.

As we pulled up to the house, I reminded myself of the importance of dinner before doing anything else.

But it seemed Liam was as eager as I was, if not more so. Before we even crossed the threshold, he turned to me with a look of longing in his eyes.

With a tender touch, he reached for the collar of my shirt, his fingers grazing my skin with a feather-light caress.

And then, in a moment that felt suspended in time, his lips met mine. Unable to help myself, I clasped the back of his neck and thrust my tongue down his throat, delighted he sucked down on it.

After our lips parted, leaving us both breathless and dizzy with desire, I couldn”t tear my gaze away from Liam.

His pupils were dilated, his lips slightly swollen from our passionate exchange, and in that moment, he looked more gorgeous than ever. My mage, I thought with satisfaction.

”Dinner can wait,” I declared.

”Yeah, it can,” Liam agreed, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes locked with mine.

Without hesitation, I reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers. Then, with a gentle tug, I led him towards my bedroom.

I turned the lamp on, and it cast warm glow that danced across Liam”s features, highlighting every inch of his face and tempting body.

I reached out to caress his cheek and Liam sighed, leaning against my touch. And then, without a word, I plundered his mouth again, savouring his taste.

Our clothes came off next. In seconds, we were both undressed. I eyed Liam hungrily. He had no idea how long I’d waited for this moment, or how many times I pictured him naked and under my mercy.

“Get on the bed,” I ordered, a growl accompanying my words. Seeing Liam eagerly comply to my demands, only served to harden my cock.

Liam crawled onto my comforter, movements purposely slow, enticing. He lay on his back, an offering. All mine. A wave of possessiveness filled me as I joined him, straddling him.

I lowered my mouth to his, then kissed the rest of him. I took my time, because we had that in spades. Liam moaned, gripping the headboard above him as I moved my lips from his mouth, to his side of his neck, his collarbones, his chest.

Lower I went, down his ribs, to the his stomach and finally to his long and beautiful shaft. I licked and sucked, until Liam shuddered and thickened.

“Shane,” Liam whispered. “I want you inside me.”

Those were the exact words I wanted to hear. I slipped out of bed, opened a nearby drawer to retrieve a condom and lube.

After putting the condom on, I returned to Liam. Kneeling between his legs, I applied a generous amount of lube inside his ass.

Once that task was done, I hefted his legs over his shoulders. Then I entered him, slow and easy. Liam gasped, tightening his hold on the bars as I made my way in him.

Finally, I was hilt deep. Liam felt tight and wonderful around me. “Breathe,” I instructed and he did.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Better than okay,” he whispered and that made me laugh.

I began with slow and easy strokes and soon enough, Liam began meeting me for every push. Sweat soon covered our bodies. Each time I entered him, I could sense my inner fox rising, brushing against Liam’s soul.

Mate, my fox whispered and I completely agreed. The moment I saw Liam sitting in his car, I knew without a doubt that he was born to be mine.

The next time I slid inside Liam, he gasped, eyes widening. I knew I found his sweet spot, so I focused on it. My balls tightened against my body.

The pressure inside me steadily built and I knew I wouldn’t last long. By the look of it, Liam wouldn’t either.

At my last push, Liam screamed out my name and came, painting my stomach and abdomen with his jizz. I pumped in and out of him several more times, before I hit my climax.

The room fell away from my line of sight, and I floated in a haze of pleasure while I filled Liam with my seed.

Feeling emptied out, I drew away from him. I grabbed a washcloth from the drawer, wiped us both clean, before settling next to him.

Lying next to Liam, I reached out for his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch as our fingers intertwined.

As I gazed into Liam”s eyes, a sense of serenity washed over me. In his presence, my fox and I felt whole, as if every piece of me had finally found its place.

Closing my eyes, I let myself surrender to the sensation, savoring the feeling of Liam”s hand in mine. It was a feeling unlike any other.

So this was what it meant to find your mate. As I drifted into the realm of dreams, I knew that I had finally found my home, and my mate.