† Sage †

Okay, babe. Let’s try this again.

I rubbed my hands together, focusing my “intent” on the cornmeal that I wanted to turn into wheat with a few teaspoons of baking powder to make the self-rising flour I was used to working with.

My arms were steady as I wiggled my fingers and willed everything I had into creating the silky fine product. I closed my eyes and repeated the mantra that I’d worked hard to whip up.

Magic, if you really exist, this is what I want.

Again, I felt my hands grow with a familiar warmth and I breathed deeply, calling on the magic that supposedly flowed through my veins instead of trying to shut it off.

This was it.

It was going to work this time.

I opened my eyes and the grains were still coarse and yellow.

Frustrated, I blew a sweaty piece of hair off my face. This magic thing was bogus.

If I could have made my famous potpies, I’d have blown their wolfy socks off.

Maybe I can make a corn muffin topping or a potato flake crust…

Screw it. I grabbed the mortar and pestle to grind the grains into powder. I’d do a seared meat and roasted vegetable plate with a corn crepe and blueberry reduction for dessert.

Corn flour it was.

And magic did not exist.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to spend the next few hours making my own kind of flour.

*

The work was methodic and allowed my mind to wander. A certain sexy wolf man decided to invade my thoughts. Butterflies danced in my stomach as I imagined what we might do tonight.

Did I really believe in fated mates? I wasn’t sure.

But the shifters seemed to take it seriously and there was no denying the overwhelming emotional pull I felt to a man I’d just met.

Obviously, magic wasn’t working for me, but whatever was drawing me to Maddock was a certain type of magic, wasn’t it?

Or maybe it was scientific. Pheromones of some kind. The man smelled delicious. It should be illegal to smell that good.

And the way he looked at me with pure desire had my toes curling at the thought. The curve of his lips when he actually smiled. The way his

muscles flexed when he moved… Oh man, I was in deep.

But was it only physical attraction?

If I was going to mate for life, I’d need to know if it was more than that. Then again, I loved the glimpses I’d gotten of his personality too. The playfulness behind his stoic façade. The gentleness in which he dealt with Kera and Coral.

I didn’t like how eager he was to always help me. But would it really be that bad to let someone else take control for a change?

And the man did make a really good whiskey. He was good at a lot of things. I touched my lips and smiled.

I’d never been this obsessed with another man in my life. Truthfully, I couldn’t even find it in me to hate Jeremey for cheating. He’d always said I was emotionally distant and he was right.

I wasn’t my true self in Ethica. I couldn’t let my guard down with him or any man I’d ever been with. He was bound to look for that connection with someone else and, if I was honest with myself, he wasn’t man enough to handle the entirety of who I was. Magic or witch or outside the norm of even-temperament assessment scores, it didn’t matter what you called it.

I’ve always known I was different. I cared too much and loved too deep. I felt things that others didn’t. No amount of control could change who I was as a person. I learned to hide to protect myself and Coral, but out

here in the toxic wastelands where I could finally breathe, I was starting to realize how much it hurt to deny who I really was.

Now I had to wonder if I could trust Maddock to accept me for who I was supposed to be.

I guess there’s only one way to find out.

*

Satisfied that everything was set for the launch tomorrow, I closed the doors to the tavern and headed to my car. The sun was dipping behind the

trees and my excitement was building.

I hadn’t even asked where we were going tonight.

Usually, I didn’t like surprises because they didn’t give me time to prepare, so I made all the plans. This time it didn’t scare me to give up

some control. The anxiousness added to the thrill.

The bell chimed across the street.

“Is everything alright?” Lennox called out.

I nodded, intending to slip inside the car and rush back to the cabin, but an idea struck that might save me a bit of time in the morning.

“I’m all set for a soft opening tomorrow at noon for lunch. I can plate for about twenty if you know a few people who’d be interested in checking the new restaurant out.”

“Are you asking me on a date?” Lennox chuckled as he leaned back against the door of the inn and rolled his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Absolutely not.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I’m dating Maddock, thank you very much.”

Technically, it was our first date tonight, but he didn’t have to know

that.

“Finally.” Lennox sighed and I got the feeling he was being serious.

“Now he can stop brooding. I’ll tell you what, if you can keep his wolf calm, then I’ll fill your twenty seats with customers.”

“No way.” My eyes widened. “I really appreciate that.”

Lennox smiled as he shook his head. “Hurry to your wolf, little witch, before someone else snatches you up.”

His words made me laugh as I climbed into the car and I caught myself still smiling as I made the quick drive back to the cabin.

We were really doing this, making a life in the toxic wastelands with a pack of shifters.

And I’d never been happier.

*

I snapped my jaw shut to keep the drool from leaking out as Maddock strolled across the yard.

Seriously. This wasn’t fair. The man cleaned up so well.

He wore a loose collared shirt rolled up at the sleeves to show off his forearms and tucked into his form fitting jeans that accentuated every inch of his muscular thighs. If I thought he looked good naked, well….

Did I mention I was drooling?

“I…Uh,” I stuttered as I closed the car door and he approached. “I didn’t realize we were dressing up.”

“I can dress down if you like.” He reached for the third button on his shirt with a mischievous grin.

Feet, move. Jaw, stay up.

“No. It’s fine,” I said. “Give me a minute to get ready.”

I flew across the yard as if I was riding a broom. At the door to the cabin I paused, looking over my shoulder. “Where exactly are we going?”

Amusement danced across his face as he folded his arms over his chest. “It’s a surprise.”

I was prepared for the surprise part, but I didn’t really think it through. The only place I could imagine having a fancy dinner date would be my restaurant if I could get it off the ground, but maybe there was a secret gem around here and I didn’t want to embarrass myself by showing up in the wrong attire.

Do shifters know the difference between formal and casual events?

“Is there a dress code where we’re going?”

“It’ll be you and me with no one else around.” He smirked. “Wear a jacket though because I don’t want you to be cold.”

And with that lack of information, I hurried into the cabin yelling, “Ten minutes please,” as I raced to the bedroom.

*

Every piece of clothing I owned was tossed onto the bed because the messed-up part about running from your life into an unknown situation

where your only thought is surviving and keeping your sister safe is that you pack practically.

I had nothing to wear.

“Coral,” I screamed, desperate at this point with the clock ticking down and the man who may, or may not, be my fated mate waiting outside for me.

“On it.” Coral burst through the door laughing with Kera in tow. Both girls had arms full of clothing choices as if ready and waiting for this moment.

“The hunter green silk blouse is your best color.” Coral tossed the shirt my way.

“Your curves are dying for this pair of black jeans to hug them.” Kera held up the material and winked.

I looked over their picks and nodded, trusting them as excitement filled me to the brim. “This is perfect. How did you know?”

“Oh please.” Coral flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and handed me a pair of black ankle boots. “I know everything.”

“Uncle Maddock told us,” Kera whispered conspiratorially as Coral left the room. “And don’t worry, he left us dinner. We’re going to stay here and veg out on the couch while you two go enjoy your night.”

*

I strolled out of the cabin with a confidence I didn’t know I could

possess and let the feelings wash over me, enjoying every minute of them. The excitement, the anticipation of what might happen, the sheer appreciation of seeing Maddock’s face light up in wonder as he held the door open for me.

My entire body was warm and alight with a steady pulse of happiness.

This was the freest that I’d ever felt and I made myself a promise that I wasn’t going to hold back. I was going to enjoy tonight.

“You look beautiful.” Maddock’s breath was a whisper against my skin as he leaned down to kiss my cheek. His hand was warm against the small of my back as he helped me into the truck.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” I winked, loving his double take and hearty laugh.

“I thought you didn’t know how to flirt.” He lingered by the open door while I strapped myself in.

I leaned back against the seat, crossing one ankle over the other, and shrugged with one shoulder. “This place is rubbing off on me.”

“Good to know.” A seductive smile played across his face as he closed the door and hurried to the driver’s side.

I drummed my fingers against my legs as he started the truck, feeling the vibrations of the large engine rumble through me. “Do I get to know

where we are going yet?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He glanced at the space between us on the seat almost wistfully and then drove down the road.

“What do you do when you’re not building homes for strangers or enforcing the rules for the pack?” I filled the silence with one of the million questions I planned to ask tonight. “I know you make whiskey, but do you have any other hobbies?”

“Hobbies?” He cocked his head to the side.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Things you do for fun.”

Maddock scratched his jaw, turning the wheel with one hand. “I like to hunt and fish.”

“Of course you do.” I chuckled. “Is that your wolf’s idea of fun or yours?”

“My wolf and I share similar tastes.” He smiled as he looked to me. “But he doesn’t know how to use a fly rod and thinks I’m stupid for standing in a stream catching lazy prey.”

“Does he use real words when he talks to you?” This was fascinating and I was itching to move closer to touch his skin so I could feel what the wolf was thinking now.

“You know what? I don’t actually know. It sounds like he’s using real words when he’s talking to me, but maybe it’s a language only I can understand since we’ve been speaking to each other our whole lives.”

“When did you first shift?” I frowned, thinking of Coral and how much time she’d been missing in communicating with her wolf.

“Right after I was born.” Maddock frowned too, but he blew out a breath and shook his head. “When I was about a year old, I spent eight months as my wolf and wouldn’t shift back.”

I laughed, imagining him as a little boy wolf. “I’ll bet Lisa loved

that.”

“She had her hands full that’s for sure.” He seemed to grow distant

with these thoughts.

I tried to change the conversation to make him more comfortable. “If shifters can shift as children, what’s stopping Coral?”

“It was different for me. I had my pack and my father around who also happened to be the Alpha.” Maddock slid his arm across the back of the seat, reaching under my hair I’d let lay loose in waves as he ran his thumb along the base of my neck. “Do you want to talk about Coral

tonight?”

Another time, I would have brisked at the question, but the way he asked it wasn’t judgmental at all. It was a choice. And he was right.

“No.” I shook my head, delighting in the way his large hand rubbed against my skin.

“Good.” His lips curled into a seductive smile. “Now tell me what you like to do for fun.”

*

Favorite color? We both liked green. And we shared the same favorite flavor of pie.

Apple for the win.

He liked early morning. I preferred late night. But we both thought breakfast was the best meal of the day. He was bound by his responsibilities and never thought he’d have a future of his own.

That resonated with me.

After the thirty-minute drive, I thought I had a good glimpse of the man. He was simple, a hard worker, who loved nature and his family even if he could barely tolerate them.

If this mate thing was serious, I had to admit the fates made a perfect match.

Which was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time.

Maddock pulled the truck to a stop and my eyes lit up in wonder as I took in the scene illuminated by the headlight beams.

“Did you do all this?” I asked.

The stars above in the clear night sky were glorious, shining like a million flickering diamonds, but in the open field before us was a simple yet beautiful spectacle to behold.

A gazebo was covered in the soft glow of strung fairy lights and a flannel blanket was laid on the ground beneath it. There was a firepit waiting to be lit. A small white table covered with glassware and China plates sat beside it.

“I had some help from the pups,” Maddock said as he watched my reaction. It was the first bit of nervousness I’d felt from him all night. “Is this alright?”

“It’s gorgeous.” I turned to him with tears filling my eyes. No one had ever gone to such lengths for me. Not once in my entire life. It was perfect. He was perfect. I didn’t know what else to say, except, “What are we going to eat?”

*

The warmth of the whiskey settled in my stomach and the fire burning in the pit chased off the slight chill of the night. Maddock seemed to give off his own heat too whenever our bodies accidentally touched.

His wolf was silent, content from what I’d gathered, and happy to be here with me.

That simple knowledge filled my heart with peace. I was wanted and needed in a way I’d never been before. It wasn’t like Coral who had no

choice but to love me.

This was raw and real, like I’d been chosen. Even if fate was steering the wheel.

Maddock unwrapped another basket after we’d finished our meal of chicken and potatoes on a stick that could’ve used more seasoning, but I wasn’t complaining when someone else had cooked for me.

I bit back a smile as he pulled out the dessert. “Your mother’s brownies. Was everyone involved in planning this night?”

“Is that okay?” He looked to me from the corner of his eye, rubbing the back of his head.

The confident growly Maddock was hot, but I was loving this vulnerable side to him.

“More than okay. I can’t think of a single time in my life when anyone went through this much trouble for me.”

A shadow fell over his face as he put a brownie on a plate. “Then I’ll double down on our next date to make up for lost time.”

“What makes you think there will be a next date?” I smiled and then moaned a little when I bit into the chocolate goodness.

There was no way these didn’t have wheat flour. I’d have to ask Lisa where she got it from.

His nostrils flared and he gripped the blanket beneath us in his fists as he leaned forward to put his lips next to my ear. “I don’t think you understand the depth of my desire. My plan is to date and seduce you as many times as it takes until you admit that you want me. And I’m a very persistent man.”

Well, okay then.

I swallowed the lump of chocolate in my throat, chasing it down with a sip of the warm and smokey whiskey. “Can you tell me how this mate thing works just in case I ever want to know?”

“If you don’t know how to mate, I’d be happy to give you a

demonstration.” Maddock bit his lip as he leaned back on his elbows.

The fire seemed to burn hotter in the pit as my cheeks warmed. “I assumed that part would happen anyway, but I don’t understand why fated mates are so special. Is there a ceremony of sorts needed to make it

official?”

“It was official the day we were born. The fates decided that. But in order to seal the bond, when you accept it and we mate, I’d claim you with my mark.” He reached out and caught a stray crumb of brownie from the corner of my lip.

I would have been mortified if he didn’t luxuriously lick it off his thumb while staring at me.

It was really getting hot.

I was glad I forgot to bring a jacket because at this point I was about to shrug off my shirt.

“Wait.” I put a hand to my heart to try and slow the rapid pulse. “What kind of mark are we talking about?”

“Right there.” His fingers trailed across my collarbone, leaving

tingles in their wake, and he lowered his face to my skin, nipping with his teeth. “My mark will bind you to me forever.”

“That sounds a little one sided.” I gasped. “Don’t I get to mark you or something?”

“Do you want to mark me?” He smiled as he turned his face up to stare into my eyes.

Did I?

A week ago, I probably would have thought this was barbaric, but here I was getting turned on by a man who wanted to claim and bite me.

“Would it be different if I was a shifter?”

Maddock reached forward to put his hand on my hip as if he was worried I’d run away. “I don’t know. We don’t have any human shifter

pairings here and I can’t exactly go to the other packs to ask. But typically, if you were a wolf, the stronger our mate bond grows, the more closely we’d be tied together. I’d sense your emotions as you’d sense mine. We’d create our own link. Over time, we’d be able to draw on our wolf strength and healing from one another. Once the bond was sealed and we marked

each other, we would share the same soul. Nothing could keep us apart. Not even death.”

That sounded intense.

I turned to look at the forest in the distance, trying to process this all. “Being paired with me must not be that great of a bargain for you since you don’t get the perks of mating with a wolf.”

The hungry growl that came from his chest sent vibrations down my spine. “There is no bargain. There is no doubt. Nothing could ever compare to you and you were made to be mine.”

Way to take a girl’s breath away. “I don’t know…” Maddock caught my lips with his lips.

That’s another way to do it.

His growl built in intensity as he forced the kiss, sweeping his tongue through my mouth with a possessive dominance.

I’m not sure if I crawled forward or if he moved me, but I was straddling his lap with my legs wrapped around his back.

And there were too many clothes between us.

I clawed at his shirt, trying to get the buttons free. Maddock smiled through our kiss, placing his large hand over mine to steady them against

his heart, and then dove back in, tugging at my bottom lip with his teeth as I wrestled the last of the stupid buttons.

The length of him hardened achingly so beneath me. I moaned into his mouth as I ran my hands over the powerful muscles of his bare shoulders.

“Sage.” He broke away breathless and pressed his forehead against mine. “If we keep going, I’m not going to be able to stop. I’ve ached to

have you like this since the moment I saw you.”

“If you don’t want to stop, then don’t.” I tilted his chin up and traced a trail of gentle kisses along his jaw, rubbing my core against his lap.

“No.” He growled, staring into my eyes as his wolf flashed to the surface. “I want to hear what you want, little witch. Tell me.”

Maybe I should have been afraid, but those words threatened to make me lose control. I could barely think around the desire swirling through my veins. Desire I had no intention of tapering down.

This was my new life.

I was going to live it on my terms.

“I want you Maddock.” I met his gaze with a challenging smirk as I pulled the blouse over my head and dropped it onto the blanket beside us. “Are you going to give me what I want?”

“Always.” He rose to his knees, taking me with him as our naked skin merged in the fire of the soul filled kiss.

My bra came off under his expert hand and the cold breeze teased my nipples until we crashed together again.

I was clinging to him, drawing from his warmth, as I drowned in the essence of his breath.

I wanted everything deeper. Now. My nails dug into his spine.

He pinned my hands above my head and lowered me back to the blanket, hovering above with a predator’s gleam in his eyes.

“Patience, witch.” Maddock chuckled as he gently nipped from my throat to my hips, leaving me exposed to the night sky and soft wind dancing across my skin.

The stars above watched as he eased down my pants and pulled them from my ankles in a gentle sweep.

“Beautiful,” he murmured before diving between my legs with a kiss just as intense as he’d given my mouth. My hands found his hair, pushing him closer while still aching to pull him away.

He laughed against my center, taking a sweet bite at my clit and sucking it back like an apology. “My mate wants everything.”

It was tantalizing torture and I was rushing to the edge. My learned response told me to shut down and quiet the pleasure consuming me before I hurt someone.

But I broke the rules instead. “I don’t want to come on your tongue.

I want to feel you inside of me.”

“I like it when you tell me what to do.” Maddock pulled away with a grin, licking the wetness from his lips.

His warmth surrounded me as he held me against his chest, sliding a finger inside of me as I cried out and racking it down to stretch the confines of my sex.

“More,” I demanded with a voice that wasn’t my own. “I want you and all of you inside of me now.”

“Your wish is my command,” Maddock whispered against my ear as he positioned himself by my entrance and slid in with one long stroke.

I gasped at the fullness, the sensation of too much, before he eased out and slammed in again.

All at once, I was flying and riding on pure animalistic pleasure. Each powerful thrust sent me higher, grasping at his arms to arch my body for

more friction.

This wasn’t sex. This was something else. I felt the call of it in my soul.

He rocked back to his knees, bringing our bodies closer together, and continued to thrust like a man possessed as his hands roamed my body, kneading my skin as if he couldn’t get deep enough.

I met every connection with a feverish intensity, losing myself to the

ride.

My orgasm built quickly. Too quickly.

I shut my eyes as I reached the inevitable pull of the climb.

“No.” Maddock broke our rhythm with a snarl, grabbing my chin so I was forced to meet his gaze. “Don’t hide who you are. Look at me when you come. I want to see the magic of release in your eyes.”

I was sweaty, panting, a wild woman who could only nod at his request as he thrust deeply again. But I kept my eyes open, watching his face as he growled and lost himself in the pleasure I was giving to him.

If souls could collide, this was it.

I crashed into him as he crashed into me.

The rhythm built again, drawing out the aching finale that my entire being desperately needed.

He watched me like a man starved.

The intensity made me bold and I arched back, hitting the spot that ached for more, as I rode his cock in a dance created just for us.

The soft lights of the night blurred as the call of release pulled me to the edge, but I didn’t dare break eye contact with the man who made such magic happen.

Stars exploded into a kaleidoscope of color and my scream echoed in my ears as I flew over the cliff.

This was what I wanted.

This.

“That’s my good little witch,” Maddock whispered against my ear as the heat of his release pooled deep inside my core.

He pulled me close, holding me through my aftershocks. But something had changed.

I pushed my hands against his chest and leaned back, blinking as I tried to understand.

Everything was brighter.

More vivid and in perfect detail.

Even in the dark, I could make out the crystalized pattern of blue

flecks in his light gray eyes. The lines of his face were in sharp contrast to the pure white glow that surrounded him now in this moment of ecstasy.

I leaned back further to look at the world through a lens that wasn’t there before.

The dancing flames in the fire pit were yellow and orange and blue, burning with an intensity that had a life force of its own. The trees around us were sighing, breathing an ancient whisper of stories waiting to be told.

I looked to my hands that grew warm with the same white light that surrounded the man who held me in his lap and turned to the sky in wonder.

I’d been awestruck at seeing the heavens above for the first time, but I’d never really seen them. Celestial swirls of organic matter danced around the stars like colored silk ribbons twisting in fast rushing water as the

universe expanded and contracted with its own breath.

Even though I should have been exhausted, when I inhaled sharply the fresh air filled me with a burst of energy that left me light and dizzy.

“What is it?” Maddock’s brow creased in confusion as he studied my

face.

It was always here.

It was so beautiful and free and more magnificent than my brain

could even process.

This was the world denied to me.

I looked back to the man who held me safe and protected in his arms.

The beautiful man who’d told me to open my eyes.

Tears of pain and loss and absolute joy blurred my vision as I laughed.

“It’s magic.”