The Florist Read online

  Zephyr leads me to a café a few storefronts away from his shop. When we enter, he finds us a table and says, “Have a seat. I’ll go get us something to drink. What would you like?”

  “An herbal tea and one of those delicious looking pastries.”

  He grins and nods. “Coming right up.”

  I watch him as he walks up to the counter. Those jeans hug his ass perfectly. It’s such a bitable ass too. Wonder if he’d let me top sometime as I have all sorts of plans for him. I’m so lost in thought, I don’t even notice him returning until he places my tea and pastry in front of me and says, “Do I even want to know what caused that mischievous glint in your eye?”

  Laughing I say, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “No. It’s nothing bad. Promise.”

  “I’ll trust your word then. Tell me, what would you like to know?”

  “I guess I can start with little things. What is your favorite flower?”

  “It’s actually more of a plant but my favorite is bird of paradise. Yours?”

  “Panther lily. What about your animal half? I’m getting a hint of something reptilian, but I can’t place it.”

  His expression goes from happy to nervous as soon as I ask, and he begins wringing his hands together. Placing a hand over his, I say, “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I’m a Kelpie so I hope you have a swimming pool at your house.”

  “I have a pool and I want to tell you about my animal half, but I’m afraid you’ll run the other way like everyone else once you find out just how much my animal influences my personality.”

  “I’m your mate. I won’t be running away from you. Ever. As far as your personality goes, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

  Zephyr gives me a wry smile and says, “That’s because you haven’t seen my domineering side. Remember the employee you were talking to at my shop? Well, as of this morning, I’ve almost strangled him twice for making mistakes on the arrangements. Thanks to my upbringing and my animal side, I’m a perfectionist who tends to get violent when things don’t go right. If I were to hurt you, even by accident, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “You can’t hurt me physically, it’s part of being mates but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen emotionally, or that I won’t hurt you in the future. That’s what a relationship is. Everything won’t be all cupcakes and rainbows but if we work through it together, we can overcome anything.”

  A serene expression of relief crosses Zephyr’s face. “Why don’t we get out of here? We can go back to my house and claim each other. Then afterwards, we can tour my greenhouse, and I can show you my animal.”

  “What about your shop?”

  Zephyr grins and says, “I’ll send Mik a text message telling him to close up early. I try not to leave the shop in his care for longer than necessary otherwise I’d probably go out of business.”

  “If he makes so many mistakes, why don’t you just fire him?”

  Zephyr shakes his head and says, “I can’t do that. It’s not like he does it intentionally. It’s just how he is. He tries to learn, but not everyone gives him the chance. He was fired from at least four other establishments in town because of his mistakes. Besides, he’s still willing to work with me despite my attempting to strangle him daily.”

  “He must have a great deal of respect for you for giving him the chance to prove himself.”

  “Who knows. It’s possible. Anyways, enough about that. I’m pretty sure we were about to get out of here.”

  “That we were.” Standing, I loop my arm through Zephyr’s and let him lead me out of the café.

  We walk back to the flower shop, where Zephyr unlocks an SUV parked on the street. Once inside, he sends a text message before starting the car, and driving out of town.

  Shit, I’m nervous. Not about the claiming, but about what will happen after. It’s been years since I showed my animal to anyone. I’m pretty sure the last person to see it was my grandfather. My friends have invited me to their makeshift pack runs on occasion and while I have gone, I’ve never shifted in front of them despite some of them being just as rare as I am. Still, my animal is supposed to be extinct so, if I reveal myself, I’ll have to explain how it’s possible and pray I don’t become a freak show among my friends. While logic tells me that’ll never happen, my fear of rejection is a bit stronger.

  There’s also the little fact about my animal being more aggressive since my time at boarding school. Add in that I don’t get the chance to shift often, and it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe now that I have Finn, my animal side will calm down after the claiming and I can safely show him and my friends without fear of attacking them because I’ve kept my pterodactyl cooped up for too long. No use dwelling on it right now though. I’ll have to face my fears sometime and with Finn by my side, it should be easy. So, instead of worrying, I’m going to relax and focus on claiming my mate.

  The drive to my house doesn’t take very long. As soon as we’re inside, I press Finn against the nearest wall, and take his lips in our first kiss. It starts out sweet, and slow, while I savor his taste. But, it quickly becomes heated. Not ready to break the contact, I lift Finn into my arms and carry him upstairs to what will now be our bedroom.

  Laying him on the bed, I begin removing his clothes ever so slowly, giving myself time to explore and kiss every inch of exposed skin. His fingers tangle in my hair, as he tries to guide my head to where he wants it. Only, I won’t let him.

  Grinning at his frustrated huff, I continue my sensual assault using the foreplay as an opportunity to drive him mad, so I can focus on prepping him. Glad for my foresight in always keeping the lube handy. Having it close by makes this process a lot smoother. When a nip to his inner thigh gets me a growl in return, I can’t help laughing. “Problems blue?”

  He glares at me. “Yes honey. There are problems. I need you inside me and you’re still fully clothed. Stop torturing me and get on with it. We can do slow another time.”

  With a hint of teasing, I say, “But blue, I wanted to savor this moment.”

  “Savor this. If you don’t get inside me right now, I’m going to reverse our positions and give you the same treatment. Then, when you’re begging me to enter you, I’m going to refuse and torture you with my tongue until you’re screaming for mercy.”

  Groaning at the image that puts in my head, I lean forward and whisper, “Promise?”

  A sly grin crosses his face and he nips my earlobe. “You like that idea, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, yes, I promise.”

  Leaning down, I press a quick kiss to his lips before standing and removing my clothes. Once naked, I join Finn on the bed, positioning myself at his entrance. Using the remaining lube on myself, I give him one last chance to back out. When he loops his legs around my waist, I take it as a sign to continue. Pushing inside of him, I give him a moment to adjust before I begin to move.

  Like with our kiss earlier, I start out slow before picking up the pace, until the only thing I can hear, is the sound of our breathing and skin slapping skin.

  A hard thrust, has his back arching as he groans. I can feel my pterodactyl rising to the surface. Finn must see the signs as well because he gives a cheeky grin, tilts his head back, and says, “That’s it, honey, show me what you’ve got.”

  Refusing to deny the invitation, I let my pterodactyl take control and sink my teeth into Finn’s beautiful neck. I hear a gasp, followed by an ‘Oh god’ that is accompanied by the scent of come as Finn finds his release. I feel a flash of pain at my neck as Finn claims me with a bite of his own, sending me over the edge. After a few more sips of Finn’s blood, I seal the wound, and lay beside him so I can bask in the afterglow of a damn good orgasm. Though it would seem, my mate has other plans.

  Finn raises up on an elbow and grins down at me. “Now, it’s my turn.”

  Spreading my a
rms out, I wink at him and say, “I’m yours to command.”

  His grin turns feral when he says, “Oh honey, you shouldn’t have said that. You see, I won’t just command you, I’ll own you.”

  “You already do, blue.”

  “Not entirely. But trust me, I will once this night is over. By the time I’m done claiming you, you won’t be able to think of anything else but me and the things I can and will do to you on a daily basis given the opportunity. If it wasn’t obvious already, I have a bit of an insatiable dominant streak.”

  Flashing him a grin, I say, “I think I’m going to like this side of you.”

  “No honey, you’re going to love this side of me.”

  After thoroughly delivering on my promise, I left Zephyr asleep in our bed and went to take a shower. When I got out, Zephyr was still sleeping so, I put on his black silk bathrobe and made my way downstairs in search of a snack. Finding some strawberries in the fridge, I try to locate something to dip them in. Settling on a jar of Nutella, I sit at the breakfast bar and eat.

  Letting my thoughts wander, I can’t help grinning to myself as I recall the way Zephyr was screaming for me to take him. By the time I was finished making him mine, his voice had gone hoarse and he’d passed out from the pleasure. I think I have a right to be proud of myself. Once I’ve had enough to eat, I decide to explore the house a little. The entire back side is a wall of windows, so I have a clear line of sight into the backyard where I can see the glow of the swimming pool and the silhouette of what looks to be a massive greenhouse. With it being almost midnight, I can’t really judge the size since my eyesight isn’t as good as a wolfs at night, well on land that is. If I was in the water, it would be different.

  Opening the sliding door, I step out onto the patio and walk over to the pool. Dipping my toes in, I find it to be at a perfect temperature. Zephyr must have it heated. Thankful for Zephyr’s house being in the middle of the woods, I slip out of the robe and place it on a nearby chair, then I walk down the steps into the pool. Diving under the water, I call on my Kelpie form.

  After about half an hour, I get the feeling of being watched. Rising from under the water, I see Zephyr sitting on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water. Making my way over to him, I initiate my shift. His fingers tangle in my hair when he says, “Your kelpie is beautiful. I thought your hair color was a really good dye job, but it’s not is it?”

  “Nope. It’s au natural, how about yours? Really good dye job?”

  He shakes his head then pulls away. “Where are you going? Come join me for a swim.”

  He grins and says, “I’d love to blue, but I made you a promise I intend to keep. Just, promise me you won’t freak out and leave me when you see my animal side.”

  “I’d never leave you, not even to take the throne if it was ever required of me.”

  “Wait a minute….did you just say throne?”

  A blush stains my cheeks and I give him an innocent smile. “I forgot to mention that I’m the third prince of Arcadia an undersea kingdom, didn’t I?”

  “You did but that’s okay.”

  I can’t believe my mate is royalty. Shit, does that mean I’m a prince too? Do I have to go to parties and be introduced at court?

  I stifle a laugh at the thoughts he’s sending my way. Deciding to reveal our link to him, I send him a message of my own.

  You’re not a prince honey. As my mate, you will be addressed as my consort when we’re at court. Yes, there will be parties, but I promise there won’t be a lot of them.

  His eyes widen, and he grins. “We have a mind link.”

  “We do. The only party we’ll be attending any time soon is the one my parents are throwing for my birthday, after that we should be set until Christmas I think. But, enough about that. You promised to show me your animal half.”

  “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, now show me.”

  With a deep breath, Zephyr kicks off the shorts he’s wearing and initiates his shift. I watch in awe as his body grows and leathery wings sprout from his back. When his shift is complete, I’m stunned at what I see looking down at me.

  I can sense his fear and worry through our mind link, so I decide to lighten the mood a bit with a joke. “Oh honey, you’re looking mighty fine for a fossil.”

  He tilts his head back and lets out a squawking noise that sounds a lot like laughing. Sensing his happiness through our link, I reach out a hand and stroke one of his wings which he’s using to help him stand. “Go have a little fun honey, it’s pitch black out, so no one will see you. I can feel how happy you both are now, so go. I’ll wait right here until you get back.”

  He touches my cheek with his own before he takes off into the night.

  I can’t remember the last time I was this happy. Being accepted by my mate is a huge weight off my shoulders. It makes me wish my grandfather were still alive. He’d have loved Finn. My parents would love him too, but I’ve hardly spoken to them at all since grandfather died. They’re always so busy jet-setting around the world that getting them on the phone is nearly impossible because of time zones. I’ve given up on trying. Besides, what would I say? Thanks for sending me to a place that made my life hell and has left me with lasting effects? Yeah, I don’t think that would go over too well.

  Thinking about my parents brings back something Finn said earlier. Oh god…I have to meet the parents! At a party! And, they’re royalty!!! What am I supposed to say? Or do? What if I embarrass Finn and he ends up hating me? Fuck, I can’t do this. I’m not good enough for a prince.

  I can feel the panic attack taking hold. My vision begins to swim, and I start to fall.

  Honey? Calm down. Come back to me, I can feel your distress.

  Letting instinct take control, I let the wind carry me until I land safely by the pool. After I shift, I find myself wrapped in Finn’s arms. He’s put the robe back on and for a second, I mourn the loss of the view. Finn sits on one of the lounge chairs and pulls me down beside him. His fingers run through my hair and it’s so comforting.

  “Now, tell me, what has you so upset?”

  “I’m worried about meeting your parents. What if they think I’m not good enough for you?”

  “Oh honey, they could never think that. You’re my fated mate, of course that means you’re perfect for me.”

  “But, I’m damaged goods. I have a temper, I’m a perfectionist, and I have OCD. How is any of that perfect?”

  “Look at me.”

  Leaning away from him, I look him in the eye and wait for him to continue. “Everyone has flaws, including me. You might not be as perfect as a plastic doll, but you don’t have to be. Having flaws is all part of being human. Being perfect is overrated just like normalcy. Who needs to be normal when you can be fabulous.”

  His smile is brief but soon, his expression is back to being serious. “Don’t change for anyone. I love you as you are.”

  “Wait…you love me? Already?”

  Finn shrugs and says, “How could I not? You’re so kind and adorable and you worry too much but those are all the things I’ve come to love. It’s only been a few hours but I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. So, yes, I love you and I would never try to change you. If my parents don’t approve, so be it. My opinion is the only one that matters. Got it?”

  “Thanks blue.”

  “For what?”

  “For being mine.”

  “Oh honey, I’ll always be yours. How about that swim you promised me?”

  “Actually, I was hoping we could go back to bed.”

  I let my thoughts flow through our link, so he understands exactly what I mean.

  A grin crosses his face and he says, “Now that, we can do.”

  Waking up alone, I climb out of bed and put on the robe I wore last night. Once it’s tied, I make use of the bathroom before heading downstairs in search of Zephyr. I find a plate of food covered in plastic wrap on the counter next
to a note.

  Good morning, my darling blue,

  I’ll be in the greenhouse. Come out after you have breakfast. I don’t have any herbal tea, so I hope coffee will be okay. We can go shopping for things you like to eat and drink later. Enjoy your food!

  All my love,

  Zephyr

  Dear god, my mate is the sweetest fucking thing. All I want to do is wrap him in my arms and shower him with affection because it’s what he deserves. It’s obvious he hasn’t had a lot of it in his life but that’s about to change.

  Taking the plastic wrap off the delicious looking omelet he made me, I dig in without bothering to reheat it. Once finished, I rinse my plate, put it in the sink and grab a bottle of water from the fridge. Using a little bit of my magic, I change my clothes. Now wearing a tank-top, shorts, and flip flops, I exit the house via the back patio and walk down the path to the greenhouse which is three times as big as I thought.

  When I walk inside, I’m hit with a sudden warmth. Quickly, I close the door behind me and take a look around shocked to see so many different types of plants and flowers all growing in one place. It’s like stepping into the rainforest. There are orchids, corpse flowers, and heliconia. There’s even a pond on one side where giant amazon water lilies are growing with lotus flowers and in the corner is a section for the venus flytrap. Carefully, I walk down the path taking care not to damage anything as I admire the plants. Having not come into contact with Zephyr yet, I continue through the next door, and have to hug myself to keep warm because of the sudden change in temperature.

  Looking around this section, I see plants that are only native to the Arctic circle, like the arctic poppy and purple saxifrage. Continuing on, I go through a third door, where it’s warmer. It’s in this part that I find Zephyr replanting flowers. Beside him is a bag of what looks to be gardening soil, but I could be wrong. Walking over, I press a kiss to his cheek and say, “Good morning honey, thank you for breakfast.”