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The Dryad’s Pawprint
Paranormal Council #1
Standalone Paranormal Romance
©
2017 Laura Greenwood
All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; lauragreenwood@authorlauragreenwood.co.uk.
Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at: www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk www.facebook.com/authorlauragreenwood/ Cover Design by Ammonia Book Covers
TheDryad’sPawprintis a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Other Books by Laura Greenwood
Alventia Series (Fantasy)
Betrayed (Mailing List Exclusive)
Awakening
Cloaked
Paranormal Council (Standalone Paranormal Romance)
The Dryad’s Pawprint
The Vixen’s Bark
Anthologies
Touched by Shadow, Caressed by Light
The Newcomer: Twelve Sci-Fi Short Stories
Christmas in Love
Standalone
What Lies Beneath the Mask (Romance)
By Any Other Name: A Retelling of Romeo and Juliet (Urban Fantasy)
Other Books by Laura Greenwood
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Thank you for reading About the Author What to Read Next
Chapter 1
Kem’s memories focused on a beautiful blonde with hair down the small of her back. He’d met her about a year ago, when he’d been dragged out to a new club by his co-workers. Kem had watched from the side-lines, amused as they’d done any thing they could think of to disprove the stereotype that accountants were boring. But, from the moment he’d seen her in the middle of the dance floor, he’d felt different, and he’d known that no matter what happened; he had to have her. And he had. The mere memory of their one night of passion had his blood heating and his attention lagging from the work he should be focusing on. No matter what he did, his mind always seemed to focus on the need to find her again, but all he knew was her first name and what she looked like, both pretty much useless in a large city like he lived in. They hadn’t done much talking that night though, so he wasn’t even sure that she lived here too.
Giving up on any pretence of working, he unfolded the letter that had been burning a hole in his pocket ever since it had arrived three days ago. It was a summons before the Shifter Council and he still wasn’t sure how he felt about it. On the one hand, it was an honour that the Council even knew who he was, on the other, he didn’t really want to be the focus of their attention. While his brother was an Alpha, Kem had managed nearly thirty years without being involved in paranormal politics, and that was the way he liked it; from what he knew, backstabbing and feuding was a way of life among the paranormal elite, and they didn’t give any thought for the lives of ordinary shifters like him.
Kem stretched, cracking his neck out as he did and considering that it might be time for a shift. While living in the city allowed him to have a somewhat normal life, it didn’t allow for late night runs in his panther form, or at least, it didn’t if he didn’t want to create crazy rumours like his cousin had on Dartmouth Moor. They still teased him about that whenever the family got together.
Sighing, he pushed to his feet and shrugged on his suit jacket. He figured he was presentable enough for the Council. The rules about appearing before them were strict, almost as if they were still stuck in the past. He realised that it probably wasn’t down to the current Council members, but it was another good reason to stay out of paranormal politics.
“Night, Kem!” Tony called from his desk, looking a little worse for wear. He was about Kem’s age, though just human as far as Kem knew, but still partied like he was in his early twenties. It showed in his bloodshot eyes and frequent hangovers, but if someone could see past that then they’d find a classically handsome face and a protective nature surrounding a kind heart. His own nature, plus the fact that he was a self-confessed romantic, meant that Kem was always trying to see the best in people, even those that tried to hide it.
“Night, Tony,” he replied with a wave, walking from the office and onto the street outside. The moment the cold night air hit him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had nothing against being inside, but there was something about the open air that called to the panther within him. Despite living in a large city, the constant calls from the government to keep pollution down helped to keep the air fresh and clean, for which he was constantly grateful. Kem glanced at his
watch, relieved to find that he still had an hour before his summons from the Council, enough time for him to walk across the city and enjoy the crisp night air rather than having to catch a cab. It wasn’t a shifted run, but it was as close as he was going to get, though he could tell that he’d need to press some weights in his home gym later just to use up some of his pent-up energy.
As he walked, Kem relaxed, taking in his surroundings without being conscious of it. A movement in corner of his eye caught his attention as a slight woman with pale blonde hair walked by. His pulse sky rocketed and the pounding of his heart could surely be heard from a mile away, at least it would be by if there was a vampire or another shifter about.
“Lia!” He couldn’t stop himself from calling out to her, even if he’d wanted to. It was almost as if something deeper within him was pushing him to do it. He just needed to talk to her. Even if it meant discovering that he was the only one fixating on their night together. To his disappointment, the woman didn’t turn around and the only thing stopping him from running after her was the logical part of his brain that told him it probably wasn’t actually her, and he’d be accosting some other woman. That, or she didn’t recognise his voice and didn’t want to acknowledge a stranger; he didn’t blame her. It was sensible not to put herself in a vulnerable position.
Kem continued walking, a slight sense of dejection flowing through him and the night air no longer refreshed him like it should. His thoughts were now solely focused on Lia, not that that was really any different from normal. He’d thought a lot about what that meant too, but didn’t want to get his hopes up, especially if he was building her up in his head to be something that she wasn’t.
Before he knew it, Kem stood outside the Council’s building. It had an old stone facade, one of those that had stood the test of time and still managed to claim attention, even amongst the taller, more modern, buildings that surrounded it. Most members of the public thought that it was just another government building, and he supposed that in a way, it was. And yet, no one from the human government would be able to tell them what went on inside; that was just for the Paranormal Councils to know. The entrance hall was just as grand, and he supposed that it had been originally built with the intention of making any visitors feel intimidated. Quite a feat considering the typical personalities of a lot of paranormals. Seeing nobody about, Kem began to pace up and down the wide corridor, trying to burn off some of the nervous energy that had built up within him.
“Kemnebi Davis,” a bored voice called from a room to the left. Kem stopped his pacing and entered through the grand double doors. He hated the ceremony that they seemed to insist on standing on; there wasn’t really any need for it. The room was dim, with the only windows almost as high up as the roof itself. The vaulted ceiling was covered in scalloped stone work, which gave the room a grand feel, fitting in with the rest of the building that Kem had seen. The five members of the Council were seated in a semicircle on a dais that placed them well above him, dressed smartly but not in a uniform way. The dais left Kem unable to do anything but stand at ground level and look up at them. He gave each of the Council members a deferential nod; these were shifters after all, and if they wanted a true show of his respect then they would have to earn it. The two female Council members nodded back politely, their
natures meaning that they were more aware of social niceties, whereas the male members of the Council did nothing; their alpha sides refusing to show Kem the respect he hadn’t yet earned. That didn’t mean the women were weaker, in fact, both of them would probably be able to best Kem in some way, they wouldn’t have gained a seat on the Council otherwise.
“Good evening,” the light lilting voice of the woman sat to the far left broke through the silence. She was small in stature, with dark auburn hair and a sly look in her eyes. If Kem had to guess, he’d say that she was most likely a fox shifter and he made a mental note not to get on her bad side, if there was one thing to remember about fox shifters, it was that they fought dirty. That, and they were generally exceedingly intelligent, especially when it came to tactical thinking.
“Good evening,” Kem responded evenly. He didn’t want to reveal just how nervous he was, but knew that at least one of them could probably smell it on him. It was impossible to know for him to know for sure though, it all depended on what kind of shifters they were.
“Do you know why we’ve summoned you?” The woman continued, almost as if he hadn’t spoken. The question confused Kem slightly, he wasn’t sure why they’d think he knew, their summons had been a single sheet of paper with the time and date on it.
“I’m afraid not.”
“We wish to form an alliance with the Nymph Council,” the man’s deep gravelly voice conveyed a sense of danger to Kem, and the way he looked did nothing to dispel the notion. Even seated, the
man looked tall, with the wide shoulders and muscle-bound physique that came naturally to a lot of shifters, even if it was just because they exercised a lot of burn off all the pent-up energy they seemed to have. Kem wasn’t sure what kind of shifter he was, but the mere size of him suggested he was some kind of bear. Except that bears tended to be the solitary kind of shifter, much like their animal counterparts, and it seemed unlikely to Kem that one would sit on the Council.
“What does that have to do with me?” Kem nerves kicked up a notch, there were only a few ways in which Councils aligned themselves with one another; a takeover, a treaty or a marriage. And as archaic as it seemed, marriage was the most common. Which was what worried Kem, it wasn’t likely that he’d be needed for the first two.
“We wish to propose a marriage between yourself, and the Dryad leader’s daughter, Aella.”
“I’ve heard she’s extremely beautiful,” the other female Council member broke in.
“No.”
“This isn’t a request,” the larger man’s words sent a shiver down Kem’s spine, keeping him on the edge.
“Why me? Surely there’s a better choice?” He blurted before he could think about what he was saying.
“Is there?” The man gave a sly smile that filled Kem with dread. “You’re the panther alpha’s brother, though from what I’ve heard there’s no doubt you could be alpha in your own right. And, you’re the only shifter of the right age that isn’t already married.” Kem
gritted his teeth, hating that the man was right. Technically, his brother was also the right age and unmarried, though Kem would be reluctant to subject any woman to him. The death of their parents had hit Vic hard, and he’d yet to recover.
“I won’t marry anyone that isn’t my true mate,” he rose to his full height, not taking his eyes off the large man who was trying to control his fate. He suspected that some of the effect was lost considering how much higher the man was sat, but he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t try.
“We need this Kemnebi, without the alliance we risk being pushed out of the High Council’s decisions,” that shocked him. He knew that shifters were rare compared to the other races, mainly because finding their mates had seemed to become ever harder as the years passed, but he hadn’t realised that it was quite that bad.
“I will think about it,” the large man scowled, but the white-haired woman next to him held up her hand to stop him.
“That’s all we ask Kemnebi. She is not aware of the marriage pact yet, but she will be in attendance at the reception tomorrow evening. I suggest you introduce yourself to her,” the woman’s voice was smooth and calming, making Kem wonder if she had mixed heritage. He’d heard that there were some paranormal races who could influence emotions with just their voice.
He wanted to growl. To refute what they were saying and pretend that it wasn’t true, but he realised that there was very little he could actually do. Without his true mate, they could argue that this was his duty, and he knew that eventually he’d do it. But the image of a
certain blonde was emblazoned at the forefront of his mind, and that was enough to keep him resisting.
Chapter 2
“I have a good feeling about tonight,” her sister said from her position lounging on Lia’s bed.
“You have a good feeling about every night!” She laughed. While everyone knew that Aella had a temper, she was also surprisingly optimistic, and her announcing that she ‘had a good feeling’ before an evening event was completely normal for Lia, so much so that she tended to ignore it. She also tended to have much more realistic expectations than her sister. Though there was one night, a year ago, that Aella had been right about. Lia forced herself to concentrate, knowing that she couldn’t get lost in her memories of that night while her sister was in the room. And memories seemed to be all she could have, she hadn’t seen the man since, no matter how hard she looked for him whenever they went back to the club.
“This one more than normal. Have you picked a dress yet?” Lia sighed at Aella’s question. She loved wearing formal gowns as much as the next woman, but she hated heels and had never quite got used to them. Her dryad nature had never allowed her to get past the preference for bare feet, even at formal events like this one.
“I’m thinking the blue one,” she pushed through the various dresses in her wardrobe, each of them a pale pastel colour. She knew that it made her fade into the background a bit, especially when compared to her sister’s bolder choices, but if she was honest, she liked it that way. Aella rolled her eyes.
“Why don’t you borrow one of mine?” She asked that almost every time. While there was a couple of years between them, they
were the same size, and almost identical apart from Lia’s blonde hair and Aella’s dark brown. Even their eyes were the same moss green, a result of their dryad heritage.
“Would this one not do?” She ignored Aella’s question and pulled out a pale blue backless dress. The neckline was high, and the skirt of the dress fell down to her feet like a waterfall. When she’d tried it on in the shop, it had almost looked like the ripples on the top of a stream when she’d moved, and despite its conservative nature, she’d felt beautiful.
“Least its backless,” Aella wrinkled her nose and leapt to her feet gracefully. She didn’t look back at her sister until she got to Lia’s open bedroom door, “one day I’ll convince you to go bolder.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder, a move that Lia had never been able to replicate, and left, probably to spend her time primping. Lia sighed again, holding the blue dress up to her body so she could see it in the mirror. Hanging the dress over the top of her wardrobe, happy with her decision, she collapsed on her bed and picked up the book she’d been reading. She had a few hours before the reception started and there was no way that she was going to spend all of them getting ready. She’d only read a few pages when the story dragged her in and she soon forgot that anything else was going on around her.
It wasn’t until the light faded, and it became too dark for her to make out the words, that she realised quite how much time had passed, leaving her with just half an hour to get ready. She knew she could do it, but that didn’t stop her cursing her stupidity; rushing getting ready was never fun.
Luckily, this wasn’t the first time that Lia had left herself short on time before a big function, and she quickly donned her dress. The silky material felt good against her skin, and she was pleased to see that the dress looked as good on her as it had when she’d bought it. She braided her hair into a fishtail plait that fell over her shoulder and almost to her waist. She kept her makeup simple with just a small amount of liner around her eyes; she’d done it like that since she’d discovered how much she hated the caked on feeling a lot of makeup brought on. All she needed now were some shoes. Grimacing, Lia made her way to the rack in her wardrobe which contained dozens of pairs of shoes in various colours and styles. While it would have been most women’s dream to have such a large collection, looking at them filled Lia with dread, and it took several minutes of forced contemplation for her to settle on a pair of pale gold sandals. It wasn’t quite going barefoot, but at least they didn’t have heels. She gave herself an appraisal in the mirror, happy with how the outfit looked, but there was one final touch she needed. She walked towards the corner of her room, where a small cherry blossom tree was growing from the floor. Most people would probably think she was somewhat eccentric for having a tree growing from the floor of her room, but as a dryad, she needed her tree near her in order to ground her. Lia wasn’t all that sure how the magic worked, but having their tether near them was important to all kinds of nymphs, not just those linked to trees. She also wasn’t sure what would happen if she was too far away from it for too long. She was sure that a nymph somewhere must have tried it, but whenever she’d asked her father about anything to do with their powers, he’d just clam up and not tell her.
“Xylia!” Her father’s voice boomed through the halls, making her jump; she hadn’t been expecting to hear anyone calling her full name. She’d started going by Lia when she was just twelve, thinking Xylia sounded pretentious and that wasn’t how she wanted people to see her. Now, the only person who ever called her Xylia was her father, and even then, he didn’t call her it often.
“Coming!” She shouted back, reaching up to pick one of the tree’s flowers. The one she chose was so pale that it almost looked white, and she tucked it into the tie of her plait, the delicate scent comforting in a way that she couldn’t explain. The cherry blossom was a tradition that she’d started when she was a little girl, feeling like she was close to her tether made her feel more at ease in social situations, and while she’d grown out of some of that, there was a still a part of her that dreaded them.
Chapter 3
Kem straightened his tie, feeling uncomfortable in his full tuxedo. He often wore a shirt and tie for work, especially when there were client meetings happening. For some reason people seemed to have more faith in their accountant if they were wearing a suit. The more likely reason for his discomfort was the reception itself. He was a shifter, and had been born to run free, to be outside and not forced to sip champagne and make small talk. Of course, the other reason was his impending meeting with the woman he was expected to marry.
Glancing around he spotted Aaron Dentro, the man he was fairly certain was the leader of the dryad nymphs, and therefore Aella’s father. Though Aaron was taller than Kem was, he was slender and had an inborn grace that Kem was sure came from his nymph heritage. Next to him, were two young women, and while he couldn’t make out their features from this distance, his eyes kept drifting to the blonde, her hair tied up in a style he wasn’t able to name, and draped over one of her shoulders. Where most of the women in the room were showing a lot of skin, her dress was more demure in comparison, and yet there was something about that that appealed to him. She was slight, and even standing still she exuded natural grace, making Kem think that she was a nymph like Aaron and the other woman next to him. There was little doubt in Kem’s mind that the other woman was Aella; she had the same dark hair as Aaron did, and the way they were positioned told him that they were familiar with one another, and when he’d researched Aaron
earlier, he’d noticed that the man had been single since the death of his wife. He didn’t even seem to take dates to events such as this one.
He gulped nervously and made his way over, his eyes still skipping back towards the blonde woman despite his best efforts to keep his attention on Aella. He was still too far away to make out her features, but something told him that he knew her, and a small voice within him was whispering that he’d finally found Lia again. He shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the false hope that was welling up within him. Glancing back, he was disappointed to see that the blonde woman had disappeared in the few seconds it had taken to clear his head, but he’d also been noticed, and wouldn’t be able to go looking for her. Aaron motioned him over and he forced a smile.
“Aella, I want to introduce Kemnebi Davis, he’s the panther alpha’s brother,” Aaron introduced as Kem got to the two of them. He nodded once in the man’s direction, wondering briefly how Aaron knew who he was. Kem couldn’t recall meeting him before, but then paranormal social circles tended to be fairly small, and it wasn’t impossible for the man to have found a description, or photo, from someone. Kem turned to take in the woman next to him. Her dark hair was curled into perfect ringlets that reached just below her shoulders, brushing the top of her strapless burgundy gown. But it was her face that had Kem doing a double take. It was heart shaped, with a pair of moss green eyes looking at him through kohl rimmed lashes; a face that was both startlingly familiar and strangely discomforting.
“Lia,” he whispered before he could stop himself. The green eyes looking at him darkened, and Aella’s lips pursed in anger. “It’s nice to meet you, Aella.” He corrected quickly.
“Charmed,” her voice dripped with disdain, and he didn’t blame her. Especially if she’d heard him call her another woman’s name. Next to them, Aaron frowned, though it seemed to be directed more at his daughter than it was at him, which made Kem suspect that he hadn’t heard his slip.
“Aella is my eldest daughter, and the only storm nymph born in three hundred years,” Aaron’s pride in his daughter was evident, but all Kem could focus on was the revelation that Aella had a sister. That, plus the striking resemblance she shared with the woman that haunted his thoughts, had Kem convinced that his gut instinct had been right, and that the blonde woman was really Lia. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.” He retreated back to mingle with the other guests, leaving him alone with the clearly angry Aella. Receptions like these were often held with the intention of improving the alliances between the various Paranormal Councils, and he probably had important people he needed to talk to.
“So, a storm nymph?” He asked after a moment of awkward silence. He wasn’t sure whether the fact that she hadn’t walked away yet was a good thing or a bad one, but either way it worried him; he wasn’t any good at guessing what women were thinking, and Aella seemed more temperamental than most. Even if he had just met her.
“Yes.” She snapped, her lips remaining pursed.
“Are they rare?” He didn’t really want to engage her in conversation, what he wanted was to search for the blonde that he was certain was Lia, but he had to at least be seen to be making an effort, especially as he’d spotted a couple of the Shifter Council members around earlier. Plus, there was a small part of him that was curious. He knew that nymphs were tethered to nature, and that it was rare that they were anything less than peaceful, but he’d never heard of a storm nymph before, and from the fire burning in Aella’s eyes, he figured that there was a good reason for that.
“Very. Yet you seem completely uninterested,” her pursed lips turned into a pout and it dawned on him that the reason for her anger was rooted in jealousy. Even if he didn’t know her, he was sure that men often threw themselves at her feet, and yet here he was acting as if she was boring him.
“I’m sorry,” his mother had brought him up better than this and he knew that he needed to fix the bad impression he was making. “I thought I saw a woman I’ve been looking for.” He knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment it came out of his mouth, so he wasn’t surprised when Aella huffed and pushed past him, probably to find someone more interesting to talk to. Dazed, Kem began to search the room, looking for the blonde woman again.
“Kem,” he could swear that the whisper came from the alcove behind him and he pivoted on the spot, using every part of his inbuilt balance to stop himself from falling. He took two steps towards where he was sure that the voice had come from, but there was no one there. He drew back the velvet curtain that hid the alcove from the rest of the room, but didn’t find even a trace of
anyone, except for the slight scent of cherry blossom, only discernible because of his increased sense of smell.
Chapter 4
She wasn’t sure what had made her say his name, but as soon as it was through her lips, Lia knew that she had to leave. Things could have gotten dangerous if she’d stayed. She’d spotted him coming across the room, and something about the way he walked had called to her. He wore an expensive looking suit, which was somewhat at odds with his short dark hair and beginnings of scruff on his chin. Even from across the room, she could feel his attention on her, and she knew that she had to disappear before he reached them. But seeing him talk to her sister, even though she could hear exactly how badly he was doing that, had caused anger to well up inside her, and that was when she knew that she had to get out of the room.
Very few people had ever seen Lia angry, she’d become good at hiding it over the years, especially since Aella’s temper was so prominent. And so, no one knew her secret. It had made itself clear about eight months ago, when Aella had been in a particularly foul mood which had turned into cruelty. Instead of standing up to her, all of those around her had begun to pander to her every whim and it had been too much for Lia. She’d fled to her room, the anger controlling what she was doing, and that was when ithad happened. She’d researched it since, away from the eyes of her father and sister, and had only been able to come up with one explanation; but it didn’t seem possible. True, there hadn’t been any other men in her life since her night with Kem, but they’d met in a normal club; it didn’t seem likely that he was paranormal, and even less likely that
he was her mate. There was no denying the facts though, for the first twenty-seven years of her life she’d never once exhibited any signs of shifter powers, nor should she as there weren’t any shifters in her family tree. Yet, somehow, she was now able to shift into a panther. Well, able was a strong word. It seemed that she could only shift when she was feeling a particularly strong emotion, like tonight. Somewhere deep within, she’d known who he was to her from the moment she’d spotted him, perhaps even from the moment they’d met in the club, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. It wasn’t like she could just march up to him and ask if he was her mate. That just wasn’t the way things were done. Or at least, it wasn’t if you were like Lia.
Luckily for her, the reception was only being held a few doors down from her home, and she all but ran down the dark street behind the buildings, with the hope that she’d be able to creep in through the backdoor and avoid anyone seeing her. If she wasn’t careful, then sneaking away from the reception could cause a minor scandal by insulting the host, and from what she understood, there was already a fair bit of uncertainty in paranormal politics at the moment.
From the corner of her eye, a shifting shadow caught her attention and she reacted on instinct, a low growl escaping her throat as she did. Her anger hadn’t lessened since leaving the reception and, even as new to this as she was, she knew that it was dangerous for it to be so close to the surface.
“It is you,” a deep voice sent shivers down her spine in an entirely pleasant way.
“Kem,” her voice was hoarse and she licked her lips automatically. If she remembered rightly, and she did, this was the same way that he’d made her feel before.
“Lia,” he stepped away from the wall of the house backing onto the backstreet and moonlight fell on him. He’d taken off his tie, and the unbuttoned shirt suited him much better, giving him a simultaneously smooth and rugged look. Without thinking, Lia took a step towards him, her hands smoothing over his chest and up towards his collar. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” his voice was low and she could hear the tension in his words.
“Why not?” She looked up at him and found that the dark eyes meeting hers were filled with the same intense attraction she was sure was in her own. A low rumble came from Kem’s throat and she almost purred in return, the sound making her feel more contented than it should.
Lia wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but she found her body pressed against his, and his lips claiming hers in a soul stealing kiss. She’d fixated on their night together often enough to know that their previous kisses had been passionate, but the memory faded in comparison to this. Kem nipped at her lip, causing arousal to flow through her and she pressed her body further in to his. She cursed inwardly at the amount of clothing between them, but all thoughts were quickly whisked away as he kissed and nipped his way along her jaw, before nibbling on her ear. A low groan slipped from her and a low chuckle vibrated from Kem.
“Come with me,” she whispered hoarsely, and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the remainder of the backstreet and into the
garden. Knowing her father and Aella weren’t likely to return from the reception any time soon, and that there was no one else around, she broke character and pulled Kem back towards her as soon as they were inside the fence and away from somewhere they could be stumbled upon.
“I’ve been looking for you for so long,” he murmured between kisses, the words sending vibrations through Lia’s skin and making her heart flutter.
“How did you know it was me?” She asked breathlessly, pushing his suit jacket down his arms. It fell to the ground with a soft thump, but neither of them paid it any attention. Her hands moved on to the buttons of his shirt, and he did nothing to stop her. Instead, his hands went to the tie behind her neck, and the gentle whisper of his fingers only turned her on more. He drew her back into a deep kiss before answering.
“I just knew,” she hummed in response, knowing exactly what he meant, but being unable to respond as he’d managed to undo the ties of her dress. The fabric fell down to her waist, exposing her breasts to the evening air. She hadn’t seen the need to wear a bra that evening, with her backless dress and small size, it was easier not to, and she was grateful for that now. As was Kem if his sharp intake of breath was anything to go by. He pulled back slightly, which gave her the access she needed to send his shirt to join the jacket on the floor. Her eyes widened as she took in the smooth expanse of his chest, all man and muscle. A smirk played on Kem’s lips and she expected him to kiss her again, even wanted him to kiss her again, but he had other ideas. After a quick peck on the lips, he trailed kisses down her neck, until he was crouched in front of her,
taking one of her nipples into his mouth. Her knees weakened, and no longer even aware of their clothing, she sunk to the ground, taking him with her.
Chapter 5
Kem couldn’t believe his luck; not only had the blonde woman really been Lia, but she seemed to want him as much as he wanted her. Or at least, she did if the look in her eyes was anything to go by. Her moss green eyes had darkened, turning almost black with desire and he smiled to himself, pleased with the effect he seemed to be having on her.
“Please,” she whimpered, trailing a hand through his short hair, but not doing anything to force him to continue his attention to her nipples. She hadn’t held back this much a year ago, but then they’d both been drinking, and while paranormals tended to have the ability to clear their blood of alcohol, they could choose not to. Unfortunately, choosing not to stopped it from working until they were sober again.
A wicked grin spread over Kem’s face and he lowered himself down her body until he could reach the bottom of her dress. He took the hem in one hand, careful not to ruin the silky material, even if there wasn’t much chance of it getting out of this situation unscathed. He ran his hand up Lia’s leg as he pulled the dress up, revealing her long limbs to him and causing her to buck upwards, desperate for his touch. His hand reached her hip and he brushed his fingers gently inwards, until they settled between her legs, all the while watching her face to make sure she was comfortable with what they were doing.
Lia bucked again, urging him on, and unable to stop himself, he slid his fingers into her, the sounds she was making urging him on
and making him pump into her harder. He curled his fingers upwards and was rewarded with a gasp, followed moments later by a shudder and the whisper of his name from her lips. He couldn’t help the smug look that crossed his face, though if her lazy smile was anything to go by, he had no reason to. After a few moments to collect herself, Kem felt Lia’s hands at his waist, and she wasted no time unzipping his fly and taking him in her hands. A wicked smile replaced the lazy one as she stroked him, causing him to lose all coherent thought, only able to focus on the need to be in her.
“Lia…” He groaned, touching his forehead to hers. She closed the distant between them with a kiss, all while guiding him towards her, “are you sure?” he murmured against her lips.
“Yes,” she answered instantly, reminding Kem of how willing she’d been the first time they’d been together too. With one swift thrust, he was inside her and no longer able to control himself. His shifter side fed from sex like it would from a good fight, and he briefly worried that he was being too rough for her. But Lia’s hips were moving to meet his, creating a delicious friction that increased with each thrust. He gave her a hungry kiss, but the intensity of their bodies moving against each other, and the fabric of their clothing scraping against bare skin, broke his concentration. Lia trailed kisses down his neck and around to his throat, the pleasure of the kisses travelling straight to his groin and bringing him closer to the brink. His thrusts became more erratic as he tried to put off the inevitable, but she felt too good, and the connection between them was too overpowering. When Lia began to shudder around him, he let go and waves of pleasure overtook them both. Dimly, Kem was aware of a sharp pain in the side of his neck, followed by the lapping of a
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je ne saisirais pas le premier prétexte venu pour me dégager de ma parole.
A ces mots, je partis d’un éclat de rire homérique, et m’étant installé dans un fauteuil, aussi loin d’elle que possible : — C’est trop fort, ma chère, lui dis-je. Vous verrez que le criminel, c’est moi ; que vous avez à vous plaindre de mes trahisons et de mes perfidies ; que l’autre soir, après vous avoir tendrement embrassée, je suis allé tout courant offrir à une autre femme mon cœur et mes lèvres. Ne pourriez-vous être sincère une fois dans votre vie et m’accorder que, si vous êtes plus sensible que tendre, vous êtes encore plus ambitieuse que sensible ? Le secret de votre conduite est dans le mot de la bohémienne. Convenez que les femmes de votre caractère ont la manie de courir deux gibiers à la fois, et que vous vous êtes amusée à coucher en joue tour à tour un lapin, qui est votre serviteur, et un lièvre qui s’est appelé tantôt le baron Grüneck, tantôt M. de Mauserre. Le lièvre a gagné pays ; je vous défie bien de rattraper le lapin.
Elle jeta un cri d’horreur, me somma de me taire, de ne pas insulter à son amour ; pourtant elle finit par avouer qu’il y avait une part de vérité dans mon explication. — Eh bien ! oui, je la confesse, s’écria-t-elle d’une voix déchirante, hier encore j’avais deux âmes qui se combattaient comme en champ clos. Dieu soit loué, l’une a succombé, le malheur l’a foudroyée ; il n’y a plus de vivant en moi que l’âme qui vous aime, qui est à vous tout entière.
Trois secondes après, avant que je m’en fusse avisé, elle s’était agenouillée à mes pieds, et j’eus beau me débattre, elle s’empara de vive force de mes deux mains. Que ne puis-je vous rendre les emportements de son éloquence ! Elle me fit les déclarations les plus tendres, les plus passionnées, que ma modestie se refuse à répéter, à savoir qu’elle m’adorait, qu’elle avait eu envers moi des torts inqualifiables ; — que, si je lui faisais grâce, elle emploierait sa vie à les racheter ; que je serais aimé comme jamais homme ne l’avait été ; que je ne me doutais pas des trésors d’enthousiasme et de dévouement que renfermait son cœur ; qu’elle ne vivrait, ne
respirerait que pour moi ; que je serais son tout, son univers, son idéal et son dieu.
Au risque d’être taxé par vous de fatuité, j’oserai avancer qu’en ce moment elle était sincère ; j’ajoute que, sincère ou non, elle était étrangement belle, d’une beauté qui tenait tout à la fois du diable et de l’ange. La douleur et la passion semblaient modeler son visage comme le doigt du sculpteur la terre molle qu’il façonne ; il y avait sur son cou, sur ses joues, sur son front, un jeu d’ombres et de lumières dont je désespère de retrouver le secret. Dans la vivacité de son action, ses cheveux s’étaient défaits et se répandaient en désordre sur ses épaules ; sa guimpe aussi avait essuyé quelque avarie et laissait à mon regard une périlleuse liberté. Elle avait les lèvres ardentes ; ses yeux noyés ne quittaient pas les miens. Ils me disaient clairement : — Ne vois-tu pas que je suis à toi ? Fais de moi ce qu’il te plaira ! — Ils disaient aussi par manière d’a parte : — Si tu succombes à la tentation, tu me garderas, et je t’épouserai.
Ce fut, madame, un moment critique. J’étais fort ému, je respirais avec effort, ma tête s’allumait comme une rampe d’opéra, et je ne sais en vérité comment cette scène aurait fini, quand il arriva tout à coup… Madame, il arriva tout simplement qu’un des coqs du château se mit à chanter à gorge déployée dans son pailler, et sa voix claire, perçante, métallique et guerrière me fit bondir dans mon fauteuil. Je revis mon père à son lit de mort : il me regardait. Le coq chanta de nouveau ; j’entendis le tonnelier de Beaune qui me criait : Tony, la vie est un combat ; défie-toi de tes entraînements ! — Et, le coq ayant pour la troisième fois sonné sa fanfare, je contemplai fixement Meta ; il me parut que ses grands yeux limpides ressemblaient à ces beaux lacs africains aux eaux d’azur, dans lesquels il y a des crocodiles.
Elle m’observait avec anxiété, se demandant à qui j’en avais. Je la repoussai doucement, je me remis sur mes pieds, je la contraignis d’en faire autant ; je la pris par le bras, je traversai la chambre avec elle, j’ouvris la porte, je lui montrai du doigt le corridor, l’escalier et la lampe qui les éclairait. Elle eut une défaillance, elle en triompha surle-champ. Froissant ses cheveux dans ses mains, elle me cria d’un
ton prophétique et comme saisie subitement des fureurs d’une sibylle : — Maudite soit la femme que tu aimeras ! — Cela dit, elle disparut comme un fantôme.
Trois heures plus tard, elle avait quitté les Charmilles, où son départ laissait quelques cœurs soulagés et une petite fille tout à fait inconsolable. En voyant s’ébranler la voiture qui emmenait sa gouvernante, la pauvre enfant perça l’air de ses cris.
Est-il nécessaire d’ajouter que M. et Mme de Mauserre sont mariés ? Lulu n’aura plus d’autre institutrice que sa mère, qui depuis son aventure est devenue un peu moins confiante et un peu plus matineuse. M. de Mauserre est rentré dans la vie publique par la députation ; il siége à la chambre dans la partie la plus raisonnable du centre droit, mais en ayant soin de voter quelquefois contre le gouvernement. On assurait l’autre jour qu’il était à la veille d’obtenir un poste considérable.
Une nuit de l’hiver dernier, je faisais route de Lyon à Valence, où j’allais voir un ami. Je partis de la gare de Perrache seul dans mon wagon, dont la lampe éclairait faiblement. Je rabattis mon bonnet fourré sur mes yeux, je m’allongeai sur un coussin, et je commençais à m’endormir, lorsque à Vienne trois femmes montèrent dans mon compartiment. A leur costume, je les reconnus pour des diaconesses protestantes, et par quelques propos, que je saisis à la volée, je crus comprendre qu’elles se rendaient en Italie pour y diriger une école évangélique. Elles étaient jeunes et fort jaseuses ; parlant allemand, elles ne firent pas difficulté de continuer leur conversation devant moi. Le visage enfoui dans le collet de ma pelisse, je ne donnais aucun signe de vie ; Dieu sait pourtant que je les écoutais.
L’une des trois paraissait exercer sur les deux autres le prestige d’une abbesse, et, quoique sa voix fût douce, elle avait un ton d’autorité où il entrait une nuance de hauteur. A propos de la dernière guerre, elle en vint à dire que les Français sont un peuple aimable, mais très-immoral et très-corrompu ; comme pièce à l’appui, elle rapporta et déposa qu’elle était entrée comme institutrice dans une maison française où se trouvait un peintre de grand
renom ; que dès le premier jour il s’était permis de lui faire un aveu à la hussarde ; que le père de son élève, s’étant déclaré à son tour, avait tout mis en œuvre pour la séduire ; que ces deux coqs amoureux et fous de jalousie avaient failli se couper la gorge, et que, pour se soustraire à leurs obsession, elle s’était vue réduite à s’enfuir une nuit à travers mille périls, dont la grâce du ciel l’avait sauvée.
Quand le train atteignit Valence, la conversation avait cessé. Les deux plus jeunes de ces filles de Sion dormaient du sommeil de l’innocence ; la troisième, celle qui parlait si bien, les yeux à demi clos, rêvait à son passé ou à son avenir. Avant de descendre de wagon, je me penchai vers elle, et à sa vive surprise je lui récitai les deux premiers vers du Roi de Thulé, que je pris la liberté, — Goethe me le pardonne ! — de retoucher un peu : « Il y avait à Thulé, lui disje à l’oreille, une petite souris qui mentit jusqu’à son lit de mort. »
Es war ein Maüschen in Thule Das log bis an das Grab.
Vous me demanderez, madame, si j’y pense encore à cette souris, et si dans le fond du cœur… Ceci est mon secret ; devinez. Vous me demanderez aussi ce qu’il faut conclure de mon histoire, car vous n’aimez pas les histoires qui ne concluent point. La mienne prouve qu’il est utile de savoir ce que signifie le chant du coq ; si mon père ne m’avait enseigné cette belle science, je ferais peut-être aujourd’hui le voyage de la vie avec une compagne bien distinguée, mais bien dangereuse. Ensuite mon histoire vous explique pourquoi, en m’offrant la main d’une charmante fille qui a des yeux célestes, vous m’avez mis en défiance. J’en conviens, les yeux célestes me font peur ; il y faut regarder de près et jusqu’au fond. Dieu vous bénisse, madame, vous qui n’avez pas deux âmes, et qu’il nous préserve à tout jamais des terrains glissants, des chemins à fondrières, des volontés flottantes, des caractères équivoques, des cœurs troubles et des consciences subtiles !
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