My mate is a strikingly beautiful Great Raven shifter. He is strong and tall, with a rugged charm born of the harsh mountain region he calls home. His irises are opalescent like moonlight on pearl, and his hair is long, dark, and wild with windswept waves. My gaze travels down his form and I appreciate the defined ripple of his muscles that lead to the swollen cock standing at half-mast between his thighs.

A rush of heat sizzles through me upon witnessing his desire. I might be an elder among my kind, an eternally youthful looking queen of undisputed royal lineage, and the most powerful Chaos witch to have graced Avalar, but I am still a woman. Seeing Corben’s physical reaction to my presence has my cheeks burning and my cunt aching with an unfamiliar need.

“You are a Virgin Queen,” Corben whispers suddenly, closing the space between us and raising my chin. “How have you waited so long?”

I look up through my lashes at him, admiring the way the candlelight dances over his high cheekbones and square jaw. “I have not had time for love,” I admit. “And even now, I seek it only out of duty.”

Corben’s brow furrows and though the intensity of his gaze does not diminish, he gently releases my chin, his hands straying possessively to my waist. “What has duty to do with finding your Fated Mate?” he asks.

Taking a deep breath, I sigh. “It is not what you long to hear, I have no doubt, but I called for you because I need you. The realm needs you. The Five are going to declare war against the Chaos witches. There will be centuries of Unbalance ahead. And while it is not my place to stop it, I have a sacred quest which must be fulfilled if the future of Avalar is to be secured beyond such a time.”

Anger flashes in my mate’s eyes. “War?” he says. “Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit would defy the natural order of the Goddess? They reject the right of Chaos to rule?”

I nod, as saddened by the truth as Corben is angry. “I have foreseen it. The bloodshed will be unlike anything our realm has known since the dragons first came to these shores. But it is what must be. And I have been charged with casting a great spell upon myself in the hope that the Goddess’s Champion will be born when the time is right.”

“And how do I assist you in this task?” Corben asks, his brow furrowing.

“The most potent magic, the most powerful channel through which it can be born, is sex,” I answer. “It is raw, honest, and fueled by all the traits that make us who we are. Passion, desire, love—” I swallow again. “I need you to claim me so I may cast this spell. Without you, it cannot be done. It can be no man but my Fated Mate, and only he could have heard my call. Together, we are the instruments of Avalar’s salvation.”

Corben pulls me close, until his now erect cock presses against the thin fabric dividing us. “I will do anything you ask of me, my queen. I would protect you, die for you, and it would certainly be my deepest pleasure to fuck you.”

His sultry words caress my skin, and I shiver in his grasp. I have never felt so disarmed in all my life. I have always been the most powerful being apart from the ancient dragons and the Goddess herself. Yet, standing before this charming and roguish shifter, I cannot help but feel vulnerable. It is a strange sensation, and I am not sure I like it, but if this is what it feels like to be with a man, then I will endure it with grace—for Avalar.

“And when might we begin?” he prompts when I fail to answer him.

My cheeks flush and I drop my gaze to the cock pressed firmly against me, its tip already glistening. “There is no specific time,” I whisper, my nipples tingling with cold fire. “It must just be done before it’s too late.”

“Then perhaps there is no time like the present?” Corben croons, before swooping down to catch my lips with his.

I gasp as his tongue sweeps my mouth, simultaneously melting against him. Every part of me screams with life and need. Though I may yet be unmated, I have learned the secrets of what takes place between lovers, and what men enjoy. Both through word of mouth, as well as countless books over the past centuries. So, I am as well versed for this moment as I can possibly be, yet still, the thought of his cock spearing my flesh sends thrills of fear through me. But it is not fear enough to stop me.

Corben breaks our kiss, his incredible eyes glazed with lust and his breathing heavy. “Do you want this, my queen? Do you truly want me? Do you find me desirable?”

Catching my breath, I reach up to trail my fingers along his exquisite jawline. “I do,” I answer, my lower lip trembling. “I might be a virgin, but I feel my need for you growing with each passing moment. You are beautiful and I have never felt this immediate sense of connection with any other. We are Fated, Corben, and I want you to claim me.”

My beautiful Great Raven shifter does not require further encouragement. With my consent, he gathers me up in his arms and carries me down to the pillows on the floor where I spend hours reading. He lays my body down gently, then crawls over me, supporting himself on one elbow as his lips crash into mine once more, his free hand roaming to cup and fondle my breast.

I vaguely marvel at how my female form responds with some universal and ancient carnal knowledge as I lose myself to Corben’s kiss. It is one thing to read about it, but an entirely different feeling to experience it for myself. The way my body arches to be near him, and my thighs spread instinctively, all fear seemingly forgotten in our shared passion. It is truly a wonder.

“I could drown forever in your scent,” Corben whispers into my ear, before he lowers his head and peppers my hot, sensitive skin with a trail of luxurious and tender kisses.

My breath catches in my throat and my chest rises and falls as he tears open my flimsy nightdress, exposing me from head to toe. In the next moment his mouth ensnares one of my hard nipples, an unexpected moan of pleasure slipping from my lips.