Hunter loved the spot they chose. He let Celeste drive so he could sit in the back with Sally and wind her long hair around his hands. Sally wasn’t exactly idle, even belted in her hand skimmed over the seam of his slacks. Every time her questing hand went just a little too high, Celeste would growl lowly and they’d smirk at each other.
Sally liked to tease and Hunter enjoyed pandering to her slightest whim. The fact that Celeste couldn’t do much about it only amused him more. He could practically see her running a cost analysis to hire a chauffeur everywhere so she didn’t have to miss out.
“Where are you taking me?” Sally caved after the city gave way to farm land. There was bush land ahead and she angled her head to see it better.
“Not much further now,” Hunter laughed. “Just a little patch we own that backs onto the same bushland as the Clan house.”
“And I don’t have to worry
It had been a surreal week. Sally sighed, enjoying the bath Celeste had drawn her. New job, lusting after her bosses, finding out shifters existed and that she had a mate. She watched bubbles from the soap pop on her skin, love at first sight was a thing and a thing that happened to her.THAT was probably the hardest thing to come to terms with. Having a mate meant there was someone out their destined for everyone, or at least every shifter anyway. What happened if your mate was homophobic? Maybe their religion meant you couldn’t be together? Or was abusive?What if somewhere you were stuck with the person you meant to be with and all they did was ruin you, day in, day out?Sally hugged her knees, grateful Celeste and Hunter didn’t appear to be inclined to be that way, but they’d only known each other a week.“What’s got a frown on your face like that?” Celeste joined her, passing her the glass of water she&
“How about you tell me when you’re going to mark me?”Celeste stopped the spatula from crashing to the floor by sheer force of will rather then anything else. Her mate’s were going to be the death of her she decided ruthfully. Both of them were going to keep her on her toes forever, she decided. Hopefully they never decided to pool their forces, but Celeste was sure it was only a matter of time before that happened.She put the spatula down, deciding working on dinner at this point would be a hopeless endeavour and pinned her young mate with her gaze. Celeste crossed her arms over her chest, watching Sally closely.“And why would you want to know that little Mate?”The scent of her arousal flooded the room and Celeste had to bite back a grown at the smokey wave that passed over her. Sally liked her voice gruff and growly apparently and Celeste tucked that thought away for later use.Sally bit her bottom lip
When it finally happened, Luna was having dinner with the rest of the Clan who lived at the Clan house. Of all the changes that had happened in recent times, the acquisition of the bigger Clan Lands was the one with the least amount of push back.Luna could understand her sister's anger in regards to that. It certainly made the Old guard of the Elders seem like a materialistic lot. They were, Luna had conceded with her twin on that. They wanted what was best for the Clan, but got bogged in their own comfort as being what was best for everyone. But they had lived long, and they were the stories of the Clan.Luna gave them the respect their age and wisdom deserved, while Celeste fought with them over every change that was made.She was talking to her seat mate when Celeste's joyous voice cried out through the matriarch bond.:Welcome my new Mate Sally to the Clan:Whilst the yips and yowls filled her mind and the air surrounding her, Luna
For the week after her evening with Celeste, work was intriguing.Celeste had warned her that being mated to each other was not something she would be able to hide from the Clan. As Sally understood it she was going to mind link them, with Sally's permission. It didn't make any sense to not tell them; there was no way she would be able to hide the mark from them.That had become obvious when Hunter had arrived at the apartment with the Chinese they would have for dinner. He had known, but upon entering he had stalked across the space to Sally in the lounge room, taking her into his arms. He had kissed her within an inch of her life, leaving her breathless before burying his nose against the already healed scar tissue."You smell like Celeste," he'd murmured reverently. "I didn't think you could smell any more amazing."He had sat on an arm chair alone, watching them hungrily through out dinner. Sheepishly he told Sally he didn't think he'd be able to cont
A few days at work was good for them. Sally had a lot to learn, and Celeste found joy in watching her and Kyra become firm friends. Kyra was a good mate, her husband was a ranger to the national park bordering Clan land. Being human gave her more stories to tell, and antedotes to give Sally. Sally sucked them up like a sponge.“Do you have a minute for HR?” Tyler drew her attention from Sally as he sidled up beside her.A little perplexed, Celeste nodded, following the younger Clan man down to his level, keeping an easy pace with him. There were a few fires to put out in acquisitions, but they could wait. HR was a small open planned office on the third level. He shared the space with about four other staff, a mixture of Clan and humans who knew of the Clan, an side affect of being family. Most of HR’s problems were Clan problems.Instead of taking her to his desk, he lead her to the one enclosed room in the area. It had a smal
"Are you sure I look ok?"Hunter only just managed to keep his amusement in check. For the last week Celeste had taken Sally out almost everyday. Lunches, Dinners, one unfortunate run that was not Sally's thing but she'd gone and tried to keep up. Yet here they were, pausing in the car before having dinner at Sally's home and meeting her best friend. Celeste's hands were practically sweating.He reached over, twining their fingers together. "You look perfect."Her cheeks puffed out, both embarrassed and indignant in equal measures. "You can't be trusted, you say that all the time."This time he did laugh, letting the warm sound fill the car before stretching and kissing her mark gently. "It is true, I'm biased when it comes to you. But it's also true that you look beautiful."She rubbed her hands against her dark jeans, tight as sin around her legs. Celeste wore a pale gold flowing top that had a sweetheart neckline and brought ou
The whole evening Sally had been aware of something underneath the surface. It wasn’t animosity, anger or anything similar, but there was something going on. There was a thrum of tension coming from Celeste she didn’t understand and even Hunter seemed on edge.Yuki was not herself. She didn’t act the same as she had with any of Sally’s other boyfriends or girlfriends. She wasn’t interrogating them, or trying to test them. She hadn’t tried to embarrass Sally at any point. It had been weird and Sally didn’t known what to make of it all.“Wait, what?” Sally looked over to Yuki.Yuki was not looking at her. She was looking at her hands as they twisted in her lap.“Yuki?” Sally whispered. Hunter was right, she didn’t even need Yuki to confirm it at this point. The answer screamed out of the way her body reacted.Yuki let out a deep breath, her amber eyes lifting an
Celeste was more aware then she'd like to admit of the underlying tension through out the Clan. No one had voiced it yet, thankfully no one had been nearly that disrespectful, but it was there. Sally had not noticed and Celeste was grateful. She only really worked with Kyra and she was Sally's personal cheerleader, even if she had noticed the awkward behaviour Celeste knew she wouldn't say anything.Hunter could quite obviously see it happening. He was shorter then usual with everyone, sometimes Celeste thought she could see his hackles raised. If he was in his lion form his tail would be twitching irritably every time a Clan member spoke to him.Sitting in an office on the second floor Celeste ran a frustrated hand through her hair. She expected something, the silence was unsettling her. Actions she understood, this quiet brooding rankled her too.:Hello?:Celeste grinned at the timid touch to her mind, thoughts of the Clan whisking away.&nbs