Primal Bonds

“Sweet lady,” he rumbled. “I’m thinking I can’t wait for that moon blessing.”

Andrea’s answering kiss heated his blood. The fighting frenzy coupled with mating frenzy made him almost forget he was in the middle of Shiftertown surrounded by family, friends, and enemies.

“Sean,” Liam’s voice cut through his joy. “You’re needed.”

Sean eased Andrea from his arms with reluctance, but he knew Liam was right.

Callum was one of three Shifters who’d been killed in the fighting. Liam, Ronan, Eric, and Ellison helped lay all three of them out under the trees, surrounding them with fresh branches, murmuring prayers as they did so. They brought Jared from the back of Dylan’s truck, his body still wrapped in the tarp, and laid him next to the fallen.

Andrea’s hand slid into Sean’s as they both looked down at Jared. Sean hadn’t forgiven Jared for what he’d done to Andrea, but now the man was a mere pathetic heap of bones, as much a victim to Callum’s schemes as Callum had been himself. Sean looked at him and felt sad.

Andrea handed Sean the sword. She stayed next to him, warm at his side, as Sean prayed to the Goddess for the safe passage of the four Shifters at his feet. Then he lifted the silver sword and sent each of them to dust.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The moon was two nights past full that night, but Liam decreed that they were within the time range for the moon blessing. Besides that, he added with a grin, Sean and Andrea would combust if they didn’t get it over with.

Andrea once again stood in the clearing with a garland of flowers on her head, Sean at her side. This blessing was the more sacred of the two, and all Shiftertown was there, circling and celebrating. They had two things to celebrate: Sean and Andrea’s mating and the fact that Shiftertown was once again peaceful—well, as peaceful as a bunch of Shifters living together could ever be.

Callum’s men had pretty much surrendered to Liam the day before, now that their Fae backers had been defeated. Ben O’Callaghan was put in charge of seeing that the Felines followed Liam’s strictures, Ben’s penance for having joined the Felines-only movement in the first place. One day, Ben, Liam had told him, the world will belong to us again. One day. But not today.

They’d spent the rest of the day and evening recovering from the fight, Sean and Dylan and Liam having to face the delayed reaction to the Collars. It had been bad. Eric, who’d been testing out how much he could resist his Collar, hadn’t fared much better.

Liam had sent out Spike and the other trackers to clean up the parking lot of the bar where Felines had battled Sean and Jared and to recover Sean’s bike. Sean moaned when he saw the shot-up engine and gave the motorcycle a caressing hug while Andrea watched in sympathy. “I’ll take care of you now,” he’d said to it. “Me and Andrea. She has a wicked grip on a wrench.”

Glory’s car had been found as well. Dylan had discovered that Wade’s tracker had driven Glory’s car out to a road past the caves to the west of town and abandoned it, on Wade’s orders. Glory hadn’t been best pleased about that and made sure everyone knew it.

The human police had come to the bar outside Shiftertown to ask Liam about the reported noise in Shiftertown that day, and Liam had glibly told them, “Shifter games.” He’d smiled his warm smile and let his Irish lilt roll from his tongue. Kim had backed him up, as had Silas the reporter. “Running and jumping and other frolicking,” Liam had said. “Like your human Olympics but not as organized.”

The police, who really hadn’t wanted to deal with Shifter problems, bought his explanation and went away.

That night, as the moon rose, the Shifters were rested and joyous and now slightly drunk.

“Under the light of the moon, the Mother Goddess,” Liam said, his smile so broad that Andrea was surprised he could speak. “I recognize this mating.”

Simple words, but they meant everything.

Liam didn’t get a chance to make a speech this time. As soon as he pronounced the blessing, Shifters around them went crazy, whooping and shouting, howling and bellowing, and Sean swept up Andrea for a deep, possessive kiss.

“I love you, Sean,” she whispered, her heart in the words.

She couldn’t kiss Sean long, however, because the family was all over them. Andrea got squeezed into a round of hugs—Connor’s enthusiastic, Liam and Kim’s loving, Eric’s strong, Glory and Dylan’s warm. Glory had dressed in her favorite leopard-print pants and spike heels, and she smiled with newfound happiness. Neither she nor Dylan had mentioned a mate blessing, but Andrea felt in her bones that it wouldn’t be long coming.

The celebration lasted all night, Fionn there celebrating right along with the Shifters. Fionn had softened a bit, observing his daughter’s happiness with Sean.

Dina had loved this man, Andrea thought as Fionn held her after the mate blessing, no matter how strange their relationship might have been. They’d shared the mate bond. Andrea now felt love from Fionn for her as he hugged her close.

Ronan came to thank Fionn for saving his life and started a discussion with him about beer. Apparently Fae liked ale as much as Shifters, and Andrea left Fionn to Ronan, Ellison, and Eric, who began introducing Fionn to a succession of beers from across America.

In the small hours of the morning, Sean took Andrea by the hand, winked at her, and crept away with her from the mad festivities to Glory’s empty house.

Glory watched them go as she slid her fingers through Dylan’s. “I’m thinking we should stay somewhere else tonight, or we’ll never get any sleep.”