Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Faith discovered that Colt had ordered a feast for two from the same place Gavin had been getting their food from the past couple of days. She ate more than she was used to, but the empty pit of her stomach handled it just fine. In fact, it demanded more.

The energy expenditure, she realized about mid-way through her second helping of potatoes. Her mentor had warned her that this might happen. When a mage—or, in her case, a Demon Slayer—used large amounts of magical power, the body needed to replace it with both food and sleep. She’d already crashed, though she was still tired and knew she would sleep more as soon as she finished eating. But first, she had plans to ravish the man who had stood by her side through thick and thin.

She honestly didn’t think she could have done what she did today without him. He was the most important link in the chain he had forged with the others of his family—surprisingly, on both sides. Florence had done an amazing job of casting protective spells, using her magic for good, possibly for the first time in her life doing so openly, in defiance of her powerful family.

The Kinkaids and their magical allies had been amazing too. Faith had always thought she’d have to fight all her battles alone. That only she had the power to do what she did. While that was still true, she realized now, she could, and would, need help along the way.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Colt observed as they continued their sumptuous meal. “Are you still tired?”

“Yes, and I’d like to sleep for a week, but right now, food is more important.” She punctuated her sentence by popping half a baby potato in her mouth. When she’d chewed and swallowed, she resumed speaking. “I always thought being a Demon Slayer would be a very lonely job. I’m glad to learn I was wrong about that. I didn’t—couldn’t—fight that battle all on my own. I needed allies. Just like you thought.” She met his gaze solemnly. “I’m so glad you were there, Colt.” She reached across the table and took his hand. “You organized an army, and it took all of us to deal with what happened today. I’ve learned a valuable lesson.”

Colt squeezed her hand. “I’m glad. And I want you to know, I’ll always be there for you. I know this is probably just the start of your work. I want to be part of whatever comes your way from now on.”

Hoo boy . That sounded serious. Was he implying that he wanted to be her partner? Just for the demon slaying part? Or was he considering something a bit more personal?

“I have connections all over the country. Hell, all over the world after all the globetrotting I’ve done in the military. I can coordinate responses similar to what we did today wherever and whenever you need. I bet the Clan would help too, and you know Sam has contacts all over.”

“What are you saying?” She held her breath.

“I’m saying,” his gaze caught and held hers, “that I want to be your partner.”

“Just for demon slaying?” she heard herself ask in a breathy voice.

He tilted his head to the side as if considering, then one corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “For demon slaying, yes.” Her breath caught when the golden light of his inner lion leapt in his eyes. “And for everything else, if you want that too.”

“Everything else?” She sounded like a trained parrot, but she was powerless to stop herself.

“Life, Faith. I’m talking about spending our lives together. Slaying demons, eating dinner, working and traveling together. Making love.” His voice developed a sexy rumble that rekindled the flame in her that had never quite gone out since the first time they’d kissed. “You’re my mate, Faith. Do you know what that means?”

She hoped it meant that he loved her because she wanted that more than she wanted her next breath. To be loved by this man that she loved so desperately in return.

She shook her head in the negative. Colt looked at their plates and sighed, standing. He let go of her hand and walked around the table to her side. Then, he turned her chair so that she faced him. He just lifted the chair, with her in it, as if it was no big deal, and repositioned it. Faith’s breath caught at his casual display of strength. He didn’t even realize how remarkable he was.

Then, she stopped breathing altogether when he dropped to one knee in front of her, taking her hand in his once more. Her gaze met his as she felt her hopes rise higher than they ever had before.

“Faith,” he began seriously. “Shifters mate for life. Though it’s a little different for each species of shifter, we all recognize our mates pretty quickly once we meet the right person. Not that it’s as easy as it sounds. Many of my kind go their whole lives without ever crossing paths with that one special person made just for them. I count myself blessed to have found my mate…in you, Faith. You’re my mate, and I want nothing more than for us to be together for the rest of our lives, sharing everything and being everything to each other, as the Mother of All has ordained.” He paused a moment, searching her gaze. “But only if you want that too. I won’t pressure you. I’m not sure how it works for people who aren’t shifters, and I won’t make you agree to anything you don’t really want.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” She couldn’t believe he seemed uncertain about her feelings. She’d thought she’d been way too obvious, but maybe she’d been trying too hard to hide her unbridled reaction to him.

“I’m not kidding. I love you, Faith.”

Sweet Mother of All. There it was. The magic words she’d been so desperate to hear. The ones she was so afraid she never would hear from this man who owned her heart.

“You do?” she breathed.

He nodded, smiling just the tiniest bit as she felt her lips stretch in a grin she couldn’t control. Her heart filled and overflowed with love. But he still looked uncertain.

Oh. Right . She needed to tell him. He couldn’t read her mind.

“I love you too, Colt. I just didn’t dare hope you loved me in return,” she told him, knowing there was no room for anything but bare-naked honesty between them.

“How could I not love you?” he whispered, bringing her hand to his lips for a sweet kiss. “You are everything to me, Faith. As it should be between mates. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”

She slid down from the chair onto her knees to get closer to him. “You have nothing to prove,” she told him, moving into his waiting arms. “I believe you. My heart knows you, Colt, and it’s yours.”

He stood in one smooth motion, keeping her in his arms, pressing her body to his. “And mine is yours,” he assured her. “Forever.”

Their lips met, their mouths joining along with their hearts. The kiss was one of reunion and discovery. Passion and love. Now and forever.

*

The rest of their dinner forgotten, Colt lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. Some things were more important than food and right now, joining in their newly declared love was the most important thing in the universe.

He tried to take it slow, to give every part of her the attention she deserved, but it was impossible. For one thing, Faith was spurring him on with her sexy little movements against him and her enticing moans of ecstasy. He’d have to be Hercules himself to hold out against such temptations.

Colt made love to her fast, hard, and just the way she demanded. After, he did it all over again, but much slower. He wanted to savor her. Savor the love that flowed between their hearts, beating in time now, never to be parted.

They were both tired from the battle, and Colt realized he was feeling some aftereffects from having funneled magical power to Faith during it. He’d have to learn more about that and how to deal with the fatigue after. Especially since it looked like the demon wars had only just begun, and Faith was going to be on the front lines of it. Colt would be right there beside her, as it should be.

He realized she’d been right to urge him to train whatever magic he might have. He’d gotten lucky in this first effort, but he couldn’t count on luck in the future. Florence certainly wouldn’t always be there to give him excellent last-minute advice. He was going to have to acknowledge the magic he’d never really looked for, and if it was trainable, he’d have to do so. To ignore it, now that he knew it was there, would be stupid and even negligent.

Now that he’d found his One, he wanted every moment he could get with her. Getting them both killed because he’d been too afraid of recognizing that Rollins blood ran through his veins alongside the Kinkaid would be idiotic in the extreme. He was also going to have to get his brothers to take a good, hard look at their decisions in denying both sides of their heritage. Somehow, he would get them all to make peace with the past.

All three of them were mated now. It was time to move beyond their own limiting beliefs and embrace the future and all its myriad possibilities.

But first, he was going to embrace his mate. All night long.

*

They made love and dozed and woke only to make love again. Faith had never felt so lethargic, yet so alive, in all her life. She felt Colt’s love in every touch, every caress, and every word they shared in the quiet dark of the night.

As they lay together in the silent room, his arm around her tracing light paths of tingling sensation down her arm, she felt she’d never been happier or more at peace in her entire life. Colt was everything to her now. He was magic.

Speaking of which…

“I think we should stay in Texas for a little while,” she told him out of the blue. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt the rightness of them.

“Do you have some sort of premonition?” he asked, his fingers pausing on her arm as he became absolutely still for a moment.

“Sort of, but not really. Not anything bad, actually,” she tried to clarify. “I just think there’s a lot here for you to do before we move on. You need magical training, and Granny Tucker seems to be the most magical person I’ve ever met besides my mentor. I think she—or even one of her students—could teach you a lot about your gifts. And I think we need to get to know your Aunt Florence better.”

“I don’t trust her,” Colt said, and she heard the little growl in his voice that she took to mean that his inner lion agreed. “I mean… She spent so long under the influence of evil. She’s even got that indelible Venifucus mark. I have no doubt she swore oaths to them. She may want to change sides now, but I’m not even sure that’s possible. I want to believe that she’s genuine, but what if she’s playing the long game, and her motives aren’t as pure as we hope?”

“I know,” she said, trying to soothe him. “I agree we need to be cautious with her, but she did help us, and that’s earned her the benefit of the doubt in my book. But that’s part of why I think we should stick around for a bit. We need to get to know her better and learn if she really is on our side or some kind of deep double agent. I confess, I really don’t think she is, but there is the slight possibility, and it should be explored.”

“The Clan is watching her, I have no doubt. Sam’s no fool. He’s not going to let her prowl freely until her loyalties are absolutely clear,” Colt mused.

“And that’s another thing. The Clan. And Sam,” she pointed out. “You’ve only just met them, and I think you need more time among them to establish your relationship. However deep or shallow you want that to be.”

“What if I don’t want a relationship , as you put it, with anyone in the Clan?” His words were tough, but the smile he sent her was challenging, and it gave her hope. He was playing with her.

She rolled over and played her fingers over his chest. “Oh, I think you do, and I think you’re going to live up to your nickname many times over before this is all settled. You are the Peacemaker, Colt. It’s up to you to pave the way for your brothers. They don’t have your gift for seeing both sides and making them meet in the middle.”

“How do you know that’s really what I can do?” Oh, yeah. The challenge was there, but so was the playfulness. Her lion was a frisky beast.

“We may have only met a few days ago, but I know your heart, Colt,” she said, placing one palm over the steady beat in his chest. “It’s part of your magic. Part of your soul. Your mother probably knew, and that’s probably why she named you the way she did. Do you know if she had any foresight, by any chance?”

Colt got a faraway look in his eyes as he thought about her words, then he refocused on her. He seemed a little…sad. She almost regretted asking the question, but they needed to talk about the hard things, so they could work them out. It was all part of being a couple and loving the other person enough to help them through the rough parts of their lives.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” he finally answered. “I was so young when they died. I only remember them a little. Mostly, I remember her eyes and the kindness in them.” He was silent a moment before he went on. “Florence has those same eyes.”

Faith patted his chest, stroking him in comfort. “I think that’s a good sign. The eyes mirror the soul, after all,” she said quietly.

She kissed him then, and everything else was forgotten in the rekindled passion that sprang to life so easily between them. She rode him to oblivion this time, taking charge of their passion and making him lie back and enjoy it.

She enjoyed it too, of course. Having this strong, sensitive, compelling man at her mercy wasn’t something she’d ever really expected. But now that she had him where she wanted him, she was never going to let him go. Not ever. In this world or the next.