Her Wild Magic by Karen Benjamin Read Free Book Online Page A

accented voice. “Is there a problem?”
    “Is the team in place?” Caleb queried smoothly. He knew what Stefan was asking. He just didn’t want to discuss it. Not now when he burned with unfamiliar emotions barely held in check. And not when he needed to be at his peak but instead found his mind and body consumed with thoughts of claiming his mate.
    “All is in place, but this distraction is most inopportune.”
    “Max is not a distraction. She’s my mate.” Caleb spoke softly, but Stefan’s words angered him. Stefan was one of his oldest friends, part of his extended family, but he could allow no one to disparage his mate.
    Stefan inclined his head slightly by way of apology. “We have found Michael’s stronghold, but it is protected by the Stone of Asreal. If we attempt to breach it, many will die. Yet we need to finish this. Too many lives have already been lost. Too many lives still hang in the balance.”
    Caleb fought back his rising anger at the censure in Stefan’s tone. He’d fought countless battles for the Alliance over the years, and not once had he shirked his duties. That wouldn’t change now that he had a mate, but her needs came first. “I know the risk, Stefan, but I’m going to give her what time I can.”
    Stefan stared at him, his onyx eyes unblinking. “The mating fire burns fiercely in you. I sense your need.”
    “Is that why you demanded this meeting? Did you come to make sure I was still more man than beast? Or did you think I would forget my duty because I burn for my mate?”
    “I requested this meeting to offer aid to one I consider more than a friend. We have helped each other many times in the past, and you have never questioned my intent. The fact that you do so now speaks clearly of your state of mind. Have you told her you must claim her on the next full moon or risk becoming more beast than man? Or is she one who demands the rite of courtship, no matter the cost? You are were, Caleb. Do not ape the humans to appease your mate. Mark her, willing or not. In time, all will be forgiven.”
    Caleb felt his canines lengthen, his body going into a partial shift as his beast rose, angered to hear his mate spoken of in such a manner. He ruthlessly forced it back, knowing Stefan spoke from concern and a deep friendship forged in their childhood. “She knows I need her, and at the moment, that’s enough for her to deal with.” Caleb turned away, looking out over the valley below. “Though I will admit, claiming a mate is not the simple matter I thought it would be.”
    Stefan joined him on the edge of the cliff, his harsh, aristocratic features softening as he surveyed the beauty of the valley below. “Women. Such fascinating creatures. They are mysterious, delightful—”
    “And complicated,” Caleb broke in, rubbing a hand over the nape of his neck. He wondered if Max had obeyed him and remained safely tucked away in the cabin. Or was she having second thoughts about mating with him and planning her escape?
    “Tell me of your mate. Perhaps in the telling, you may come to understand her better.”
    Caleb smiled softly. “Max is not what I expected. She’s quite small, almost childlike in size, but shaped like a woman with curves in all the right places. And like a woman who knows her worth, she challenges me at every turn. I love her take-no-shit attitude, and I won’t deny that I was filled with pride when the seers told me my mate was destined to be the next mage slayer. But now, since finding her, I can’t imagine anything worse than having my mate go into battle with me.”
    “You already care for this woman,” Stefan stated, his tone slightly surprised.
    When Caleb gave him a dark look, Stefan shook his head slightly.
    “Do not bother to deny it. We have known each other too long to prevaricate in such a manner. It is clear you are experiencing more than the fever of the mating bond. Nature may have chosen her as your mate, but your heart has chosen her as