Whitney by Celia Kyle Read Free Book Online Page A

love.”
    She held back the thrill at being called “love.” Several times the word had tumbled from his lips and she prayed it wasn’t something he tossed around as easily as he breathed.
    “You…” Emmett trembled. “We held you in our arms and then you wouldn’t stop screaming. Your body… It just…”
    Without hesitation, she reached for him, cupped his cheek and leaned forward to brush a soft kiss across his lips. “I’m fine.” She looked at the radiant hand pressed to his skin. “Well, fine-ish.” She shrugged and took a deep breath then released it slowly. “I don’t understand this. I can’t even pretend I do.” Whitney shifted and rested against the bed’s headboard. “But I can accept that a wolf knows its mate. I can accept that the feelings I have for you go so far beyond what I’ve ever felt for any of my exes combined.” Twin growls rumbled and vibrated the air around her and she rolled her eyes. “They’re exes for a reason, guys. Anyway, I can stretch my reality to accept all of this. But it doesn’t change the fact that the man who practically raised you believes I should be ‘resolved’ permanently.”
    Emmett stroked the back of her hand, his blunt fingertip tracing the new swirls that covered her skin. “He did practically raise us, and the penalty for a Warden mating is severe. The Elders would force our shift and then lock us in animal form for the rest of our lives.” Anger coated his features. “We’d go feral simply because we found happiness. I can’t believe this is wrong. The spell wouldn’t have called you to the Gathering—we wouldn’t have found you—if it wasn’t meant to be.”
    Whitney flipped her hand over and gripped his, immediately doing the same and reaching for Levy. “What? They would—”
    Levy shook his head. “It’s not gonna happen. We’re the most powerful Wardens the world has seen.” He gently squeezed her. “There’s nothing to worry about. When we’re ready, we’ll complete our mating and—”
    She sat up straighter. “When? Like, now? ‘When’ is now.” She nodded so they knew she was serious.
    He grimaced and Emmett’s face held a similar expression. “Whitney, you don’t understand. If a nick did this…”
    She shook her head. “No. I think I’m simply stuck somewhere in the middle of not-mated and mated. Normal matings involve more bodily fluids and sticky stuff. We didn’t get past second base. Wrapping things up should make it all better. I think. Maybe?” She grinned at them, imagining the pleasure that was surely to come while also praying she was right. “I vote we get to squishy.”
    They both shook their heads and Levy dropped the news. “No. We’ll go back to the Ruling Alpha’s compound and dig into the archives. I want to know exactly what’s going to happen to you before we risk you further. Someone has to be hiding something… somewhere.” He traced circles on her palm. “I care too much to endanger or lose you, Whitney Wickham. If you…” His eyes glistened and he blinked away what had to have been tears. “If something happened to you, if you got hurt because of us, we would go insane.” His gaze bore into her. “Feral is the last thing they’d need to worry about. We’ve never pushed our magic, never explored how far we could truly go, but if you were injured, no one in the world would be safe. No one.”
    Okay then.
    “So, it’d be best, if we held off on boinking until we know you won’t level the world.” She jerked her head in a quick nod. “Got it.”
    She didn’t agree with them, but she could at least understand their reservations.
    “Good.” Levy darted forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead then Emmett did the same. “Let’s get some sleep.”
    She snorted and Emmett chuckled.
    Levy faux growled. “Shut it, you two. At least lay down. We’ve got an early flight tomorrow. We’ll head to the Ruling Alpha’s compound and get the research going while you and