Page 41 of The Bookseller and the Alpha (Witch Twins #1)

What? How could she think that? Beast roared in my head.

You’re fucking this up . I could feel his desperation.

Since he had woken up inside the prison I’d built around him, the moment he’d scented Caly, I’d been unable to prevent Beast from projecting his feelings to me.

Knowing what he was, I’d expected the aggression.

Beast was a being of violent impulses. He would kill.

He was the other side of being an Alpha.

Possessive. Viciously protective. But it was his longing that had pierced my defences.

The loneliness. Until I’d met Caly, I’d never been sorry for how I’d treated him.

I’d never given any thought to him having feelings .

And when we were with Caly, Beast purred with contentment.

He might be dangerous, but I’d been wrong for so many years about everything else.

He wasn’t mindless. He was just a part of me.

The other half of my Shifter soul. The part that I’d denied for most of my life.

Caly was his mate as much as she was mine.

And he wanted his mate. His entire purpose was to protect a mate and offspring.

This was something I could give him. The peace that would come from having his mate.

I owed it to him. And to myself. I wasn’t going to let Caly misunderstand us.

Chill dude , I reassured him through our link. I’ll make it right.

Calm, I had to be calm. Patient. But she was too far away.

Before she could stop me, I lifted my hands from her wrists and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her onto my lap.

Taking advantage of her shock, I caged her in my arms. She squirmed against me, trying to free herself.

The sensation against my already rock-hard cock was enough to send a bolt of lust straight down my spine.

Fuck, that was good. Why was I waiting? I could rip off her panties and bury myself inside her.

Mark her. Bite her. Show her that she was my mate.

I shuddered as I fought to regain control over my instincts.

She didn’t believe me. There was an ache in my chest that she doubted me.

I was a bad mate. “Hear me out, please.” Holding her against my chest, I dropped my head to her hair.

Inhaling the scent of my mate. Letting it soothe me.

“Just give me a moment to explain.” One breath.

Two breaths. She stopped wriggling. Stopped fighting me.

My eyes drooped shut and my ragged breathing began to steady.

The sharp ache in my chest eased at having her in my arms. Where she belonged.

“No joke,” I rasped, when I’d recovered enough for conversation.

I’d been wrong. She had heard the words, but she hadn’t understood them.

Not really. How could I explain? “No Shifter would ever pretend to make a Declaration of Intent. Finding a mate is rare enough that we can only hope to get an opportunity in our lives to say those words.” I wrapped my arms around her luscious curves and dipped my head lower into the curve of her neck where her scent was stronger.

Beast pushed under my skin, wanting out.

It would be so easy to lick her there. To give her our bite.

My gums ached as I repressed my fangs from punching through.

Not yet. Not yet. But soon. Before I go insane from denying the pull.

It would ease once we were mated. Once she had my bite, we would be linked.

We’d be able to know how she was feeling.

Know where she was. If she was hurt. Some of Beast’s aggression was coming from fear.

Caly had been attacked and was lucky to not have been seriously hurt.

She was never going to be far from my side from now on; and if I couldn’t be with her, I’d make sure she was well protected.

But I also wanted, needed, the security of a link. And so did Beast.

Caly shifted in my arms, until she could see my eyes, her own green ones narrowed with wariness. “Really? You mean it? I’m no-one. With no magic. And you’re… you know… you. The President’s brother. A high-ranking Shifter.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Foolish mate . Beast’s tone was affectionate rather than angry. We will be a good mate to her. We will show her how precious she is, how special. But be quick with this ‘courting’. She is ours already.

“You’re amazing. Intelligent. Beautiful. Powerful. How could I not want you as my mate?”

She blinked, parting her lips as though she wanted to argue. I wanted another taste of her lush mouth. “Ssh,” I nipped her lower lip. “I want you and I mean to have you.” I ground my cock against her bottom to make my point.

She sucked in a breath, but her expression was determined. “Won’t your parents disapprove?”

What? I lifted one hand to stroke her cheek.

“No, sweetheart, they will be thrilled.” My mother would be over the moon that one of her sons had found his mate.

Despite being fucked-up. A non-shifting Shifter.

Caly leaned into the contact of my hand, almost unconsciously taking comfort from me.

Beast purred in my chest. Beautiful mate. Perfect mate , he crooned.

“Are you sure?”

“They will celebrate that I’ve found my mate.”

Her mouth had opened into a delightful ‘o’.

My cock jumped as my mind conjured an image of how those lips would look when I shoved my cock between them and pumped my cum into her until she couldn’t swallow it all.

Her breath released in a soft sigh. Her surrender whispered through our nascent link.

It was sweet. So sweet and I was lost. I had to kiss her.

Just a taste. I drew her back towards my body, lowering my head to hers.