Jacob's Ladder (String of Fate) by Bianca D'Arc Read Free Book Online Page A

I’m not used to. Every shifter fears my power. Even humans shy away from me. And yet, here you are.”
    He moved right into her personal space then, standing directly in front of her, his hips aligned with hers, his warm body only inches from her. She had to tilt her head to meet his gaze and it felt good. Right.
    “Here I am,” he agreed. “I’m here for you , Ria.” He repeated his earlier statement, emphasizing the words differently this time, making her breath catch. His eyes swirled with potent energy—a raw power that almost mesmerized her as his head dipped and his lips touched hers.
    She was lost the moment he kissed her. Her eyes closed and she gave in to the sensation of his kiss, allowing herself to enjoy the feel of his firm mouth claiming her lips, her mouth, her tongue. His taste was welcome…almost familiar. He tasted like home. Like all that was good and right in the world. And then he put his arms around her and pulled her body into alignment with his.
    She trembled as she felt his hard muscles shifting against her body, his warmth, his human heat. He smelled divine and felt even better to her starved senses. It had been so long since she had been this close to a man. Any man. And she had never been so close to a human—even a human with magic of his own.
    Jake’s magic was of a different flavor than what she was used to. It wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t scary in any way. It was comforting and accepting. Ancient and wise. Something about it called to her and made her feel at home with him.
    This close, she could feel the tingle of his magic against her body. She had felt it before, when they had danced at the wedding, but it hadn’t been nearly this potent. And with him kissing her, the magic shivered inside her as well. It felt good. Pure and hot and as male as she was female. Complimentary to her own rare form of magic and perfectly aligned. She felt her chest vibrate with sensation—with sound. Sweet Mother of All! She was purring in human form.
    Something clicked inside her and she broke the kiss, staring up into his eyes.
    Dear Goddess. She had just found her mate.
    “Now do you understand?” Jake’s gaze challenged her and she realized that somehow…he had known. Maybe he really was a seer.
    “You knew?”
    “Honey, did you doubt my abilities?” He read the truth in her eyes. “You did.” He seemed defeated with those two little words. He sighed as he rested his forehead against hers. He just held her for a few moments, saying nothing, until finally he let her go and moved away.
    He didn’t go far. Just a foot to the side, where he could reach the bottle of hundred-year-old Scotch that stood on the bar. He poured himself a few fingers and swigged it back, savoring for a moment, before turning to face her again.
    “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve had time to get used to the idea. You’ve only just discovered it. I didn’t mean to rush you or imply that I was disappointed. I know it’s got to take some getting used to for a shifter—especially a monarch—to find their destiny with a mere human.”
    “You’re not a mere anything,” she objected. “Your magic tingles against mine. You’re powerful in your own right and if that little demonstration was anything to go by, magically, we seem pretty evenly matched. You might even have a bit more than I do, which I find…intriguing.”
    He moved closer once again, reaching out to wrap his hands around her waist and pull her closer. She liked the little show of dominance. Her inner cat especially appreciated the male animal that dared touch her so familiarly. Nobody had ever dared such a bold thing without serious danger of getting their eyes scratched out, but the cat liked this man. Even if he was only human. There was something about his magic that stroked the cat’s fur in just the right way.
    And wasn’t that surprising?
    Her cat had never liked being touched by males. It had put up with a few in the past,