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  “I am. I made it up earlier today.”

  “Made it?”

  “I can sew, you know. I just let my sister make stuff for me because she wants to. It makes her happy, and it keeps me from being naked, so win-win.”

  He sighed deeply. “What if you being naked is my fondest wish?”

  “You get halfway there, and we will discuss it.”

  With a final squeeze, he left her and went inside.

  She walked to the railing and stood with the wind blowing in her hair and the tang of salt around her.

  Five minutes later, she heard the door, and seconds after that, arms slid around her and held her against a hard and very male body.

  Andy brushed her hair away from her neck, and she felt his lips against her skin. “The robe fits perfectly. Thank you.”

  She leaned back against him and reached up to cup his neck for support on her free side. She sighed as he sucked her earlobe and trailed his tongue down her neck with short flicks.

  “I suppose we are going to have to discuss a few things.” She exhaled sharply when he slid his hand into the opening of her robe.

  The shock of flesh on flesh was a bit much for her, and energy crackled around them.

  Andy’s smile could be felt against her skin. “Why is it that I have never seen you lose magic before? Even when you are overcharged and out of your mind, you keep the power inside.”

  She shivered when he cupped her breast and gave a light squeeze. “Right now, my magic is calling to yours. You will get used to it. From what I have heard, it will be close to mating inside a Faraday cage, without the cage.”

  “I can’t wait.” His voice was a low growl.

  She turned in his embrace, and her robe was pulled off her shoulder, exposing one breast to the sea air. “Do you want to get it over with?”

  “No, but I do want to seal the deal so that there won’t be any possibility of anyone interfering with our union.” His eyes were hot looking down at her beaded nipple and chill-roughened breast.

  He dropped to his knees and took the peak of her breast between his lips, lapping and sucking softly until she swayed.

  When she was looking down at him with what must have been a dazed expression, he exposed the other breast and gave it the same treatment.

  She shivered, swayed, moaned, and groaned with power crackling in bands around them. When her knees gave out, he caught her and finished undoing the tie of her robe.

  “Let me know if I am going too fast.”

  Mel grabbed the front of his robe and kissed him hard. “Slow can wait. I have waited long enough.”

  He pressed her back to the smooth wood of the deck and opened his robe. She caught glimpses of what she knew was a delightfully muscled physique, but it was obscured by his head as he leaned down and kissed her belly.

  Oh, damn, I have read about this. She waited, and he stroked his tongue along her skin, leaving trails of fire in his wake. He pried her tense thighs apart and crouched over her, his only point of contact the tongue that he used to pry her lower lips open.

  Her sex gushed in response to the light flickers on her clit, and Mel twisted from side to side, and she let him coax her closer to orgasm.

  She was clawing the wood next to her in desperation when he stopped. Her eyes opened wide, and she stared at him as he moved over her, fitting his cock into her slick opening.

  Heat and pressure went hand in hand with the burn of magic on her skin. There was a definite feeling of discomfort as he eased into her in short thrusts, but instinct made her want him in deeper.

  Andy was watching her face, and she stared at him as he worked into her. When the initial discomfort faded, her hips started to rise on reflex with every inward movement.

  Mel reached up and clutched at his ribs, sliding her arms around him and lifting her knees higher to bring him deeper.

  She stared into his eyes and watched the magic burn in them both, balancing and sealing itself into their skins and souls as pleasure fused them into one magical being.

  The approach of her climax made her move against him harder, and she muttered, “If you stop now, I will turn you into a fucking frog.”

  He grinned with sweat dripping down his temples. “I wouldn’t dare.”

  His hips moved faster, and he drove deeper with every incursion. She cried out, groaned and grunted in breathless tones until finally her voice froze in her throat and she clutched at him while her body spasmed and shook.

  Andy groaned and thrust deep, holding himself inside her while his hips pulsed reflexively.

  He slowly lowered himself to her, and the magic faded, crackled, and settled into their skins. He braced himself on his elbows and forearms, kissing her softly. “So, do you want to learn how to swim?”

  “I think I will leave it for another day. My healing is fast, but I feel kind of abraded.”

  Andy sighed. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. If it was going to happen, I was glad it was you. I have been ogling you every time you have been here since the Isthmus opened, and a little bit before.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “I guessed as much. You did ask me if I needed to take my shirt off a little more than is considered appropriate.” His grin was smug.

  “Wouldn’t want you overheating.”

  He nuzzled her cheek and shifted his hips, sliding out of her.

  The sudden cool emptiness was a bit of a shock. “Huh, I was just getting used to you.”

  “Don’t worry. It feels better every time.” He winked and sat up, pulling her to a sitting position.

  “If you are peckish, I got a picnic from the café.”

  He chuckled. “I know. Everyone there told me. Apparently, no one spotted our compatibility.”

  “I know I was shocked. Well, shocked for the first few minutes. After I met you, I was less shocked.” She grinned.

  The sticky rush between her thighs made her wrinkle her nose, but it was something she had heard of. All the ladies discussed this particular moment of unprotected sex.

  “Wait, did we just have sex without protection?”

  He frowned. “Yes. Why?”

  “What if I wasn’t planning on trying for kids right away?”

  He looked shocked, and he sat back. “I guess we should have had that discussion first.”

  She snorted. “It would have been nice, but now that I have a beast of my own, we will know when she goes into heat. It is pretty safe at other times.”

  “Is it a beaver?”

  She shrugged. “I won’t know until we hit the water. It is likely, but nothing is certain until I learn to shift.”

  She wrapped her robe around her and leaned to one side of her chair. The basket was hauled out without ceremony, and Andy helped her unpack it. They had a lot to discuss, and they had just worked up an appetite.

  Time for a break.

  Chapter Eight

  Mel was lying against Andy, and the changing sunlight warned her that it was nearly time for her to go to work.

  “I think I need to grab a shower and get dressed. I have two balance ceremonies tonight.”

  Andy stroked her shoulder. “Can I accompany you?”

  “Sure. So, you should get dressed, too.”

  He snickered. “I imagined so.”

  “Well, we could probably go naked, but it gets cool in the evenings.” She chuckled. “You get away with all kinds of shenanigans when you can perform a simple spell.”

  He groaned and hauled her to her feet, ushering her into the house. “Come on. You can explain it while you shower.”

  She smiled, feeling a weird lightness in her chest that she wanted to get used to. It was the same feeling that she had had when she woke up on a wandering night.

  She was happy.

  During the first binding of a fox and a merman, she felt normal and just needed a few bites of her corndog to keep her stable.

  When the first couple retired
to the tower, the second set of lovebirds lined up.

  The shifter in question was a manta ray wedding a wolf. In theory, it should have been easier, but finding a balance in the beasts was not as easy as it sounded.

  She got their agreement, confirmed that they were giving half of themselves to their partner and took their hands. Fire ran along her skin, and she burned during the entire spell.

  The happy couple embraced and turned toward the sea, walking into the waves and transforming into a set of glowing rays that flew through the water in an effortless glide.

  Mel staggered back, and Andy caught her, hissing sharply. “What the hell is that?”

  Mel looked at her hand, and crackles of broken purple energy were sparking and fading.

  “I didn’t know that the second pair were matched shifters. They are harder because you can’t split one soul to grow in the second partner; I have to split two beasts. So, it hurts.”

  Andy held her, and she relaxed against him. To her surprise, he lifted her in his arms and walked toward Lucy’s stall.

  Lucy blinked and got Mel’s normal order ready.

  Andy jerked his head. “Enough for two, please.”

  Lucy nodded and prepped another batch.

  The food boxes were incredibly hot, but Andy walked quickly, and soon, they were in her home with a blanket on her living room floor and the hot picnic was underway.

  She had to ask, “You know, I didn’t think you would like my dietary requirements.”

  He bit a slab of fish and handed her the other one. He sucked cooling air in around the bite. “It is growing on me.”

  She laughed. “It does that.”

  They ate ravenously for a few minutes, and then, she groaned and dropped to one side. “That one really took it out of me.”

  “Didn’t they tell you what to expect?”

  “Nope. If I was doing the standard spell, it wouldn’t matter as much, but I am using my own magic, and that is a different thing.”

  “What is the difference?”

  “Listening to a piece of classical music or composing your own. Or, listening to someone else play your composition very technically.” She wrinkled her nose. “I wrote the initial spell when I was a child.”

  “Yeah, you said it was for flowers.”

  She tightened her lips. “I used it on people I love, and I never told them what I had done. My sister knew I had done something, but I lacked the ability to describe the process.”

  He nodded. “So, your parents.”

  Looking down at the blanket seemed to be the best option. “They were going through a rough patch and were a marriage of convenience. Each thought that the other was inferior or not committed to the relationship, so the first balancing spell was cast.”

  “Wow. How old were you?”

  She looked at him and met his curious gaze. “Two.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah. I got stronger after that but didn’t find anything I wanted to mix until my mom mused that she loved two flowers and wouldn’t it be wonderful if they blended. So, I did.”

  His eyes widened. “Wow. How many spells have you written?”

  “Just that one. It is a pretty good one.” She felt fairly proud of it.

  “Your travels started after that?”

  “A short bit at first. Weekend trips, and when I was a teen, it was like an exchange program for months at a time.”

  He reached out and stroked his thumb across her lower lip. “You got around.”

  “In that respect, I did. I got an appreciation of the world, traditions, and strange magics.”

  “And shifters don’t freak you out?”

  She laughed. “No. I spent some time with shifters before I came here and some fey as well. The fey did try and make a play for my virtue, but I have never been into guys that will outlive me by centuries. I also didn’t want to let my control go with any of them, so I figured it would be a wasted exercise.”

  He exhaled and sat back on his heels. “I can say I am relieved. They can be very persistent.”

  She grinned. “Do you remember what happened when you picked me up and surprised me?”

  He rubbed his hands together. “Vaguely.”

  “I nearly took out their king with one of his grabby courtiers. I was sent home after that.”

  He blinked. “Only one?”

  “Only one in the audience chamber. The rest I sent flying in the gardens.”

  “I see.”

  She chuckled. “It was fine. They took the hint.”

  She yawned and flexed her fingers. “I think I am going to head to bed. I will just tidy up, and then, crashing is in order.”

  “I will take care of it. We haven’t discussed where we will live, but I agree that you need this space, so I will move in if you don’t mind.”

  She yawned again. “I don’t mind. If we need more storage, I am sure you can build something.”

  He chuckled. “I still have the list.”

  Mel pushed herself upright and toddled upward at an unsteady pace. Stripping was difficult, and fatigue made her clumsy. She had aches appearing in areas that hadn’t seen any action before, and it was going to take some getting used to.

  Andy came in and helped her with her bra. He had helped her put it on, so it was only right that he gave her an assist now.

  “So, first on the list is a hot tub. After that, swimming lessons. Are you sure you want to go in that order?”

  She turned and shucked the bra off her shoulders before peeling it away. “Pretty sure. I thought the hot tub would help with the aches and pains from sex.”

  He grinned. “Hot tub it is. I don’t know how we will work the heating portion.”

  “Leave that to me. Set it up to be filled and drained, and I can do the rest.”

  “That sounds peculiar.”

  “Hey, I will teach you to do it as well.” She suddenly realized that domestic magic was well within his power levels.

  “Wait, you mean I can learn magic?”

  “Of course. When I learn to shift, I will teach you some basic spell work. I can send for a few grimoires if you like.”

  Andy’s eyes were bright. “I can really learn magic?”

  She flicked her fingers, and their clothing disappeared from their bodies to reappear, folded at the end of the bed.

  “You can learn magic.”

  He stared at the clothing and down at their bodies. “You could do that the whole time?”

  “Yup.”

  “Why don’t you?”

  “I don’t need to. Stripping and folding clothing is fine, but doing bigger stuff takes more power. You use the same calories to do the magic as you would to actually strip yourself and fold the clothing. Conservation of energy is a bitch.” She grinned.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I have a lot to learn.”

  “Good thing for you, I am an excellent teacher.”

  It took three days and four cousins to make the all-wood hot tub large enough for seven people. The benches were contoured, and the piping system had been designed to recirculate the water.

  The guys were all standing around the filled tub and watching when she walked out in her robe. She pulled up her sleeve and dipped her arm into the water, raising the temperature with a muttered domestic spell that would hold it for hours.

  The jet spell was more complicated, but she had tried it out in the tub, and it worked there. With a little bit of effort, she got the water moving with another surge of magic, and the churning water filled with bubbles that made it less than transparent.

  She gave Andy a wink, stepped to the edge and opened her robe, slipping down and letting the robe peel off to settle on the wood behind her.

  The shower flared on, and when she turned, five naked men were removing the sweat of the day in the sun, and a moment later, she was sitting in a tub full of poaching beavers.

  Her body sighed happily at t
he churning warm water.

  Maxwell turned to her and asked, “So, are there any other mages like you looking for some shifter action?”

  She grinned. “I have a sister, but she is spoken for.”

  “Any cousins?”

  “Nope. When I was born, they broke the mold, then they burned it and shot the mold-maker.”

  The gathering laughed, and Andy drifted closer to her. “She’s one of a kind, but I am sure that there is someone out there for you, Max. You just need to keep looking.”

  Mel leaned against her mate. “You just need to keep an open mind, and when a lady keeps asking you to take your shirt off, take the hint.”

  The cousins hooted at that, and soon, they were all stretched out, well spaced around the tub.

  It was a great way to spend an afternoon at the Crossroads. Tomorrow, she was off to meet Andy’s parents.

  Daryl and Leanne were friendly, warm, and interested in when Mel was planning to start a family.

  “Well, as I have a beast of some sort, I am not sure what the cycle is like. I am not planning a family, but I am not not planning one if that makes sense.”

  Leanne appeared relieved. “Good. I was worried when he said he had found a mage as a mate and that she wouldn’t want to have a family with a shifter.”

  Mel was stunned. Daryl and Andy were off in a corner of the property, deep in the woods of the Crossroads. They appeared to be working on dam strategies or planning on how to light the barbeque.

  “Um, no, that isn’t the case. I wouldn’t mind a large family. I only have one sister and have always thought that more of us would have been more fun.”

  Leanne sighed and continued shelling peas. “Good to know. How did your family take it?”

  “I am waiting for a response to my letter. That is how I communicate with them, though they did know that I was authorized to mate with a shifter here, so they shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “They don’t know?”

  “They probably do, but I can’t be sure. My parents travel a lot, and my sister has her own links to the councils to deal with. She is an excellent healer, but since she works on a lot of sensitive cases, she doesn’t get to talk much.”

  “Oh. So, all of your family are mages.”