War of Hearts(123)
“Do I think what?” His grip on her tightened, his movements deliberately teasing.
“Will it stop?” She clutched his shoulders, her fingers biting into his skin. “Will this need ever stop?”
“Fuck, I hope not,” Conall admitted before crushing her mouth beneath his in a voracious kiss.
When Thea climaxed around him, her moan swallowed in his mouth, she heartily agreed.
If this mad passion lasted their entire lifetime together, she’d die a very satisfied werewolf.
Steam covered the mirror above the bathroom sink and Thea reached to wipe it clear. Compelled to look, she glanced over her shoulder at her naked back, taking in the complete lack of scars.
The thing was, the memories of how she got the scars were still there. Perhaps the memories would fade as time wore on, now that the scars were no longer there as a daily reminder. There was a small part of Thea that missed the scars. She never thought she’d ever miss them, but at some point, they had become part of her. They’d helped to carve her, quite literally, into who she was.
And maybe who she was, was someone pretty impressive after all.
Thea began to towel dry her body, getting used to the slight difference in her limbs. They didn’t feel as light anymore, as if she were carrying more weight in them. She hadn’t put on weight … it was just that ethereal strength of the fae was gone. All of her fae gifts were gone.
When Conall had taken her shopping in Inverness for a new wardrobe, she’d experimented by trying to manipulate a shop assistant and nada. Nothing. Her dastardly ability to manipulate human minds was no more.
Truthfully, Thea was glad to be rid of the gifts. They had made her feel like the bad guy, so much so that even after all she’d done for Conall and Callie, she still thought she was in hell. She hadn’t told Conall about believing the fever dreams of the transformation had been her afterlife. One, he didn’t need to know how much pain she’d been in; and two, he would be mad at her for thinking she deserved to end up in hell.
It was only now Thea realized how foolish that was.
Yes, she had killed people in self-defense.
She’d stolen from people.
But she’d also tried to do good where she could.
Her gifts never made her the bad guy. It was the choices she made with those gifts that determined that. Now that she was finally at peace, Thea could see she’d done her best in a terrible situation. She was learning to forgive herself for the moments she’d failed.
And if she could win the love and trust of Pack MacLennan, Thea guessed she couldn’t be all bad.
After the Challenge with Richard Canid, the pack seemed to revere her. Not only for her strength as a wolf but as the woman who made their alpha very happy. The only person she shared any awkwardness with was Grace. The older wolf had apologized profusely since Thea’s transformation and Challenge. Thea had accepted that apology. It didn’t mean she fully trusted Grace, but Callie, aware of the distance between them, was doing her best to forge a bridge there.
As for Callie MacLennan, Thea had formed an instant bond with her. She didn’t know if it resulted from the true mating—that the qualities she loved in Conall she saw in Callie too—or if the act of saving Callie’s life had created a special friendship between them.
They had different natures. Callie was loud and had no filter, whereas turning wolf hadn’t changed Thea’s personality. She was still somewhat reserved, dry-witted, and stubborn.
Moving through the bedroom she shared with Conall, Thea stood by the window as she dressed, staring out across the loch to the mountains beyond. It was a beautiful day and the clear skies had turned Loch Torridon a vibrant blue. Green from the hills danced into the water, turning it aquamarine. The placid loch wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Mediterranean.
Thea was still getting used to the many changing faces of the Highlands. Depending on the season, on the weather, Torridon could be chilly and atmospheric one day and then a peaceful paradise the next.
A boat cut through the water in the distance. It would be one of Mhairi and Brodie Fergusons’. They ran a fishing company from Loch Torridon that brought in quite a bit of revenue for the pack.
Once dressed, Thea shot a look at her reflection, smiling softly at the red tank top she’d matched with jeans. She hadn’t worn a tank in years because of her scars, and red had been a forbidden color because it made her easy to spot in a crowd.
Life had changed in huge ways.
And in little ways too.
Thea walked quietly downstairs. Usually she’d pop her head around Conall’s office door to ask him if he wanted a coffee. Although her mate kept her up through the night with his insatiable lovemaking (okay, to be fair, sometimes she initiated it), Conall was up at the crack of dawn to work. Thea would tumble out of bed hours later and he’d already be four hours into his to do list for the day.
This morning, however, he’d left the house early to greet three representatives from the Blackwood Coven. They were staying the night at the Coach House. It had been agreed that they would visit on the first night of the full moon to witness Thea shifting. Not only did witches draw power from the full moon, but members of Pack MacLennan were coming out in force tonight for their first run with their new alpha couple.
It meant the witches had power on their side while the pack had numbers on theirs. An even playing field seemed the fairest way to ensure everyone’s cooperation and safety.