Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

“The latter, I’m afraid,” Faith confessed, watching Colt carefully. He hid it well, but he was definitely disappointed.

“Is that why you didn’t mention it in front of Sam?”

Shrewd. He was definitely shrewd. She liked that. She’d always found men of intellect sexy. Faith nodded.

“I figured you deserved to hear it first, and then, you could decide if anybody else needed to know. Our families have dark pasts. I think it’s up to us to make sure that the future course for ourselves and our families is filled with Light.”

He gazed at her, his eyes brimming with hope he tried to hide, but it touched her deeply. He’d been so hurt by the loss of his parents and the neglect of his Clan. He’d done amazingly well, which showed he was a man of superlative character, and that his brothers must be as well. But his origins had hurt him on a basic level, and the fact that the Clan hadn’t helped the brothers had created a resentment she understood but was sorry to see.

“I think you might have something there,” he said slowly, picking up his coffee again and taking a long sip.

“Several of our ancestors worked together as allies against the forces of Light in the last big war. At least, that’s how the story goes. My grandmother told me all about it as a warning.”

“To stay away from Rollinses?” he quipped, but she could tell from the seriousness in his eyes he was only half-joking.

“No,” she assured him quickly. “It was a warning not to jump into alliances too easily, lest the person you ally with turns out to have sinister motives.”

“Let me guess, the Rollins tricked your ancestor into an alliance that led them down a dark path.” He sounded sarcastic and almost hurt by the veiled accusation he had assumed rather too quickly.

“Actually, it was the opposite way around, so you may want to rethink being friends with me.” She smiled to soften her words, but she still felt bad that her long-ago ancestor had tricked some of his ancestors into doing bad things. That didn’t sit right.

He laughed aloud. One short bark of laughter that seemed to have taken him by surprise. He shook his head.

“Sorry. I guess I’m just so used to having everyone think that me and my mother’s family are the bad apples, I just assumed. It’s nice to know it wasn’t always our fault, though I mean no disrespect to you or your family by saying that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not quick to take offense. I know full well that some of my ancestors embraced evil. I don’t, and I’m certain of my commitment to the Light, so it really doesn’t bother me to acknowledge the past misdeeds of my ancestors. As long as future generations don’t repeat them, it’s all good. I like to think we’ve learned from our past.”

“A very healthy attitude,” he commended her as he placed his coffee cup back on the low table. “And one I should make an effort to better adopt myself.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think you’re doing pretty well, myself. And you know, it’s kind of interesting to me that we’re putting right, in some small way, what our ancestors put wrong. I mean, we both come from magical families with shady backgrounds. I think that gives us even stronger conviction about fighting more fiercely on the side of Light.” She frowned as a thought crossed her mind. “You have sworn yourself to the Light, right? I didn’t imagine that?”

“Never fear, Faith. I swore an oath to serve the Light right alongside my oath to protect and defend the innocent. And my brothers and I have been working directly for Admiral Morrow for almost our entire military careers. You know about him, right? He used to be more covert, but since his family came out in a big way a few years ago in a fight in Las Vegas, he’s doing a lot more out in the open. In shifter circles, at least.”

“Don Morrow, yes,” she agreed, nodding. “I’ve heard about him. A true champion on our side in this fight. Or so my mentor told me. Priestesses have our own information network, and we try to keep up with all the major players.”

“I had no idea,” Colt replied. “Not being part of a Clan, I haven’t dealt with Priestesses much. Sorry.”

“No need to be sorry. You seem to have found the right path all on your own,” she complimented him. “But now that you’ve met me, you can’t say you don’t know any Priestesses anymore, even though I’m still quite new to the calling.”

“I suppose that’s true. And based on what I’ve seen of you so far, I have to admit, I’m beginning to form a real fondness for Priestesses.”

Was he flirting with her? He took a sip of his coffee, but his eyes sparkled at her over the rim of the cup. Oh, boy. She was almost positive he really was flirting. With her. Yowza .

“All Priestesses?” she asked, trying her best for coquettish, though that wasn’t her normal mode by any stretch of the imagination. “Or maybe this one, in particular.”

“Oh, definitely you, in particular, Faith. I have to confess, you fascinate me.”

Her heart fluttered in excitement as his gaze held hers. She thought for a moment she might be seeing the fire of his inner lion sparking in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure. She definitely needed to take a closer look.

He put his coffee cup back on the low table, then scooched a bit closer to her on the big couch. She watched him come, her mouth going dry. Then, he very deliberately took the cup from her hands and placed it on the table next to his.

She took a deep breath as he turned back toward her. His gaze met hers, and this time, it was Faith who moved closer to him. She wasn’t sure exactly how it all happened, but the next thing she knew, she was leaning into him as his mouth covered hers.

Fireworks went off in her brain as his kiss short-circuited her thoughts, making her body just feel. The hot hardness of him against her, the lean muscle under her fingers as she stroked his shoulders. All of it turned her on like no man had ever managed to do before.

He pressed her downward. Not forcefully, but coaxingly, and she felt encompassed by his hard masculine heat in a way that stirred her blood. She welcomed his body over hers as his mouth possessed hers and made her head spin in the most delicious way.

His kiss was powerful. Masterful. Just what she’d needed, though she hadn’t realized until this moment that she’d been lacking. Now, after knowing his kiss, she wasn’t sure she could go without it again. Even after just this initial demonstration. He was that potent.

She pushed at his clothing, wanting to feel his skin against her palms. She wanted to learn the contours of his muscular body and discover what made him feel the same wild abandon that was quickly overtaking her own senses. He lifted away for a quick moment, tugging his T-shirt off over those broad shoulders that made her mouth water. Then, he paused, meeting her gaze.

“Am I going too fast?” he asked, and she was touched by the sincere concern in his tone and expression.

“Honestly?” She tried to catch her breath. “Too slow. If you have any doubts about my willingness, don’t.” She blushed as she announced her desire right out loud. She’d never been so brazen with a man before.

The fire that leapt in Colt’s eyes told her she’d said the right thing. Far from being put off by her boldness, he seemed invigorated by it. Still, he paused, and she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Faith reached up to run her fingers down his chest, learning the topography of washboard abs that drove her wild. When she reached his waistband, she wrestled with the button and had her fingers on the tab of the zipper when he stopped her.

“How much do you know about shifters, Faith?” he asked her unexpectedly.

“Not a lot, really. So far, my mentor has been focusing my training on what I’m going to fight, not the allies I might find along the way.”

Why was he asking her this now? She didn’t really want to talk. She wanted to… Well…she didn’t usually use the F-word, and it was a bit too soon to call what she was contemplating making love . She just wanted to discover what it was like to be with the most attractive—on pretty much every level—man she’d ever met and see where it went from there.

“I’m really attracted to you, Faith. More than I’ve ever been to any woman,” he said, his voice a bit rough.

That sounded good to her ears. What was the problem?

“Thing is, we shifters mate for life.”

She almost did a double take at his words. They what now? Why was he talking about mating? She’d heard that term before. It was like shifter marriage.

“I’m not saying you’re my mate, but you have to know, before we do this, that you could be. In which case, I could never let you go.”

She could feel her eyes widening at his words. What the heck was he talking about? One part of her mind wanted to flee from the crazy man, but if she was being honest with herself, a much larger part of her wanted to cheer him on and pray that he might really be her mate. Silly, hopeful, nerdy girl wanting to finally be picked for a team. A very special team of just the two of them. Forever.

Nah. She couldn’t be that blessed. The Goddess had set a path for Faith’s life and her work. She probably didn’t have time or energy left over to worry about Faith’s non-existent love life.

“Have I scared you off?” he asked when she didn’t say anything in reply to his statement.

“Did you want to?” Her voice was small. The shy girl inside her wondering if he was looking for a way out.

Colt’s face fell. He drew closer, kissing her forehead. “No, sweetheart. Never that. I just wanted you to have the full picture. If we are mates, my cat will want to be with you always. So will my human half, though the human side will try to understand if you don’t feel the same.”

“But what are the chances?” she asked, knowing they were slim to none but needing to hear him say it. She wasn’t sure why he’d brought it up at all.

He sighed softly. “The odds are low, but there’s still a chance, and you don’t know much about my kind.”

“Then, thank you for the information, and I’d like to learn more,” she said, some of her boldness returning as she put her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve been alone a long time, Colt. I want to be with you tonight. Let’s worry about tomorrow when it comes, because more than likely, we’ll be fighting demons all too soon. I might not even have a future if I get killed by the enemy, so let’s enjoy what we have in the moment, right now. Let’s put thoughts of the future on hold for now. Deal?”

He frowned when she mentioned the fight ahead but was able to give her a small smile. “Deal. I’m sorry I wrecked the mood a bit. I’ve been wrestling with the whole concept of mating since my brothers have both found their mates in such a startlingly short time. Just last week, we were all bachelors and looking forward to running ops together in the civilian world like we had in the military. Now, suddenly, everything’s changed. I’m on my own, and they’re with their mates, playing the support role while I’m left here all alone in the field.”

His dismay sounded through his voice. She could tell he was happy for his brothers, but a little lost at being the only one still in the field , as he put it. She lifted one hand to cup his jaw.

“You’re not alone. We’re partners on this mission, Colt. I may not have the same skills as you and your brothers, but I’ve been training to slay demons for a while now. I didn’t expect to have help on this quest, but I’m glad you’re here with me.”

His smile softened then, and she was enchanted by him all over. “I’m glad I’m here with you too. And I’m sorry if I got too serious and ruined the mood. This thing with my brothers is so new, and I guess it’s really getting to me more than I realized.”

She put her finger over his lips. “No more talking,” she whispered, reestablishing the mood he seemed determined to wreck. “Though I need you to know that I’m not usually this easy.”

She smiled to soften her words and felt him grin against her finger a moment before he took it into his mouth, sucking on her digit in a way that made her breath catch. Who knew such an act could actually feel sexy? He was showing her new things, and they hadn’t even really gotten started yet.

He let her finger go and leaned down. “I never thought you were, Faith.” Then, he matched his lips to hers again, and all thought fled as she succumbed to the mastery of his kiss once more.

In no time flat, they were back to where they had been, bodies yearning against each other. His shirt was gone, so she was free to feast on the sensual pleasure of touching his hard muscles and learning the shape of his upper body. He was, by far, the most physically fit specimen of manhood she’d ever had the good fortune to touch. But he was so much more than just his body—though that was a damn fine enticement in itself. He was a heart and mind that reached out to hers. He had allowed her to see some of his vulnerability, which most men in her experience hid behind facades of toughness that were flimsy at best.

She’d already seen how tough Colt was. He’d taken on that demon when he’d thought she was in trouble and hadn’t backed down. He had it where it counted. Courage. Honor. When he’d said he’d taken an oath to defend the innocent, he hadn’t been kidding. It was clear he took that oath very seriously indeed. She respected that.

A man of integrity was a turn on to her, like almost nothing else. And to have that all wrapped up in the most attractive package she’d ever seen? It was like she’d hit the jackpot. Which was why she was powerless to resist the pull she felt to learn what it would be like to be with Colt. If she had to face horrors tomorrow, she wanted this night for beautiful memories and pleasure. Surely, that wasn’t too much to ask?