The Purrfect Stranger Read online

  “I guess I can excuse it this time, but I must warn you, my love, that if you ever run from me again, I might just have to spank you.” His tone was teasing and she grinned in response.

  Her eyes twinkled up at him mischievously. “Is that a promise?”

  Epilogue

  Valerie’s wedding was a fairytale confection of every little girl’s dreams. Her father had walked her proudly down the aisle as magic swirled around her in public for the first time in her life. It was strong magic, unlike any the rest of their magical community had ever seen. It was special. Unprecedented in their experience. Born of the love of a mage and a shifter.

  The groom waited for her at the altar. His side of the magical circle of stones was populated by other shifters of many species, though the dominant group were blond-headed cougars, led by his cousin, Grif, the Alpha of the Clan. Valerie had met them all over the past few weeks while the wedding was being organized. They’d welcomed her warily at first, but when they saw the deep and true bond between her and her mate, they accepted her as one of their family without any further question.

  Keith had retained his position as Area Alpha, answerable only to Grif, the Clan Alpha. He’d also been taken on as a student by Valerie’s father, as had she. Together, they were working to master their newfound magics with the eventual idea of taking on students of their own. Keith and Valerie had been offered teaching positions within Clan Faber because their magic was so unique.

  Valerie’s skill with familiars had multiplied exponentially and many neighborhood animals had come to her and Keith for help with their humans. Familiars weren’t always cats, but many were and they had learned—probably from Matilda—that there was a witch and shifter couple in town that could help them straighten their humans out.

  When the first wave of cats had shown up at Valerie’s door, Matilda had sorted them out on the basis of the urgency of their problem and strategic phone calls to their owners helped clear up the rest. It was an odd sort of magic that allowed her to help, but her father said it grew out of her close relationship with the big cat shifter she had married.

  He’d gone further to say it could be a valuable skill to add to the school and she’d been floored. For the first time in her life, Valerie felt the glow of her father’s approval over her magical abilities. Something she’d always wanted. But it paled beside the love and approval she felt from Keith. He loved her for herself, not for any abilities she might or might not have.

  Unconditional and enduring, their love, she knew, would last the ages.

  About the Author

  Bianca D'Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of Manhattan, studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

  For more information on other books by Bianca, visit the author’s official website: www.BiancaDArc.com

  Also by This Author

  Lords of the Were, Samhain Publishing

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by This Author