Shifter Magnetism by Stormie Kent Page B

the pitcher in the refrigerator. He offered it to her.
    She shook her head. “Nic?” She knew this conversation wasn’t going to end well.
    He set the water pitcher back in the refrigerator. “The only thing that will stop heat before its time is impregnation.”
    Her mouth fell open before she shut it quickly. She closed her eyes for a moment, then stared at him. “What!”
    “You’re probably pregnant with my pup.”
    She tried to sit. He caught her before she fell to the floor. She’d thought earlier he’d meant they would have children in the vague, shadowy future, not nine months from now.
    “You don’t mean real wolf puppies, do you?” she whispered.
    “No, shifter pups are born in their human form.”
    She only felt a little better. “We’re not even married.”
    “We’re mated. It is a stronger bond than a few words and a piece of paper.” His features were set in hard lines as he frowned at her.
    For some reason tears gathered in her eyes.
    “Don’t cry, baby. If you want to be married, we’ll get married.”
    She couldn’t speak. It was really all too much. She’d been nearly killed by a sorcerer. She’d swapped a part of her soul with a wolf shifter, then mated him. She’d gone into heat, and now she was very likely pregnant. All within three days.
    Guilt ate at her, trying to corrode her acceptance of their bond. She’d done something terrible to him. Something she’d been trained never to do. He would have been within his rights to kill her. Instead, he wanted to start a family.
    What would their children be like, anyway? She’d never heard of a shifter mating a witch. Would her children be shifters or witches? For that matter, what was she now that she’d intermingled their souls and magic?
    She looked into his eyes. He was obviously worried. He still held her gently by the arms. She needed the support. She was afraid her legs wouldn’t work.
    “Are you ready to be a father?”
    She saw the pride before he could quickly mask it. For some reason, it settled her nerves a bit. He was a wolf shifter. She was his mate, and she probably carried his child. She would be his first priority. She relaxed her body, and he pulled her in closer. When he wrapped his arms around her, she did the same to him.
    Maybe there was some hope they could work out their issues.
    He kissed the spot right below her ear. “I am ready to be anything you need. Don’t worry. Maybe the heat went away quickly because you’re not a born shifter.”
    She squeezed him tighter. They had one thing to take care of before they faced his pack and her Council. Staying alive was her first priority, and she couldn’t be safe as long as her attacker still roamed the streets. “We have to find that sorcerer.”

Chapter Five
    They took showers, dressed, then sat at the kitchen table eating a late lunch.
    Leila placed her napkin beside her plate. She enjoyed the quiet moment doing something as simple as sharing a meal with Nic, but they had work to do. “We need to find all the wizards in the area and see if any have gone rogue. Maybe he’s from the county.”
    “Your Council is split in half, right?”
    “We are one Council. The men and women govern themselves and meet separately. We join each other for major meetings throughout the year and festivals. I need to speak with the men’s historian. He will have the Council count and notes on wizards turned sorcerers.” A sorcerer was a wizard who’d embraced the dark arts.
    Nic looked at her strangely. “You keep the men and women separate?”
    “No, only for meetings and some ceremonies.” She felt a little defensive. She didn’t get furry and howl at the moon. At least not yet. The thought wasn’t making her feel warm and fuzzy inside.
    “Can you call him and ask if we can drop by?”
    “I don’t have to. My uncle Kofi is the men’s historian. We can stop by now if you’re finished eating.”
    He stood and moved her chair back before crowding between her and