She wrapped herself around him and buried her face in his neck. He could feel her tears on his skin and it broke something inside of him.
“Shh, love, I am here, I am not leaving. Please, beloved, stop crying,” he cooed to her trying to get her to calm down.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t know how to be what you need. I don’t know how to be a mate but I don’t care that I don’t know how, I just need you with me. Please don’t leave, you can have me, I’m yours, please just don’t go,” her cries bubbled out of her. Her fear of losing him now greater than the fear of looking like a desperate twit had finally allowed her to submit to the bond, to accept that he was meant for her as she was meant for him.
Lucian ran a hand down her hair and back and then pulled back so he could look at her. “Will you complete the mate bond, Perizada? Will you be my mate, my love for all of eternity?”
“Yes, I’m yours, I’ve always been yours,” she said as her eyes met his. “I love you, Lucian, I love you.”
Lucian picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down and then lay down next to her propping himself up on an elbow. “Do you know the covenant words?”
She nodded.
“We’ll say the words that will bind us as mates and then we will complete the Blood Rites. I have a request.”
“What?” She asked curiously as her finger tips ran down his shoulder and arm.
“I want to do the Blood Rites at the same time,” he paused, unable to continue, afraid of offending her. He came from a time when such things were not discussed until after the bond and Blood Rites were complete.
Peri’s eyes widened. “You mean you want to bite me while…,”
“As I take you as my mate, blood and body, becoming one,” he finished for her.
She should have known that only her mate could have made her, a three century old high fae, blush.
“I have the privilege of having a high fae at my bonding ceremony,” he told her with a smile as he stood up and pulled her with him. He walked her over to a chair and gently took her shoulders pushing her down to sit.
Peri watched him walk into the bathroom and heard water running. When he reemerged he was carrying two dripping wash cloths with steam rising up off of them and a towel. He knelt before her and lifted the hem of her dress, placing it on her knees. As he took her left foot in his hands and squeezed the water from one of the cloths he looked up at her and Peri saw what it truly meant to be loved by a mate of his race.
Lucian held her gaze captive as he spoke the words that would make her his for all eternity in this life and the next. He used on older version of the vows, one that he had learned might not be as well accepted in this day in age, referring to himself as his mate’s servant. “On this day I kneel before you, as a servant to my mate, to ask if you will make me whole. Will you give yourself to me? Finally calming the beast inside, bringing order to chaos, shining light where there has been only darkness? Will you bind your life to mine, your fate to mine, and your soul to mine and, in doing so, complete the mate bond?”
Peri pushed herself out of the chair and onto her knees even as she answered words that she had heard at every Alpha’s bonding ceremony that she had taken part in. “On this day I kneel with you, my mate. I will make you whole as you will make me whole. I will give myself to you, calming the beast, bringing order to chaos, and shining light where there has been darkness. I will bind my life to yours, my fate to yours, and my soul to yours and complete our mate bond. I will take you for my own, my mate, and my Alpha.” Peri didn’t stop there but added words that her people spoke when two fae were united. “I bind my magic to you, my powers will be your powers, and the ancient knowledge I carry will now be yours as well. No other shall know me as you will, no other will hold me captive as you do. I, Perizada of the high fae, have so spoken these truths and covenants. So shall it be as I have said and as Lucian Lupei has said. Two hearts in one accord for eternity.”
Lucian took her face in his hands and tried to be gentle as he felt her power flow through him. His body shook with the intensity that it carried and he felt as if the light pouring into him from her would burst forth from him. Like the rays from the morning sun that surged up as it rose chasing away the shadows of night, Peri’s light chased the darkness that had been taking over inside of him. He stared into her eyes, afraid to look away and realize it was all a dream, a magnificent fantasy his mind had created because he so longed for her.
“It’s not,” she told him as she pushed the blonde locks that had fallen forward from his forehead. “This is real. I don’t know why it happened or how I could possibly be so blessed but we are here and you are mine.”
As out of control as Lucian felt he was sure that his kiss would be nearly violent. But his wolf reined him in, allowing him to capture her mouth with his own in a kiss that began slowly, almost hesitantly until they couldn’t get close enough.
Finally she was his, his bonded true mate. When he pulled back her skin was flushed and he could see the slight tremble in her hands as she ran her fingers through his hair. He knew she couldn’t be comfortable kneeling on the ground so he stood and scooped her up carrying her back to the bed where all of this had begun. He laid her down and followed her body with his own pressing her gently into the mattress. A low rumble rose from his chest as their bodies made contact and he fought the need to turn her head and sink his teeth into her beautiful flesh. He didn’t bother trying to remove their clothes because his mate’s magic would take care of that. Instead he focused on her, showing her with his touch, his kiss, the little nips with his teeth and the thoughts sent through their bond of just how much he loved her.
When his teeth finally found their mark he felt the bond solidify, as if two pieces of metal had been soldered together and now stronger because of it. He was in awe of her beauty, held mute by her reaction to him and changed forever by the adoration that shone in her face as he pulled away from her neck. He knew now why the males that were bonded never wanted to be without their mates. He understood how they could become addicted to their company, their taste, and their light. And as his mate fulfilled her part, taking his blood and binding her flesh to him, her life to him, he thanked the Great Luna that she had not forgotten him and she had not forsaken him. She had given him a true mate, his perfect match and showed him what unconditional love truly looked like.
Peri knew she should wonder over the fact that she was able to bite her mate and then she actually swallowed his blood, but there was no room for wondering. Her heart was overflowing with an amount of love she never knew was possible. Her soul was dancing in sheer delight at finally finding her other half. Nothing could have prepared her for how she would feel during the Blood Rites because there was nothing it could be compared to. There was a passion that ran so deep inside of Lucian that she was sure she would drown in it. Every touch, every whispered word against her skin, every breath in her ear testified to the esteem, respect and love he had for her. Never before had she ever been handled with such care and never again would she have to go without it.
“What about the personal vows that mates are supposed to write themselves?” Peri asked as Lucian held her in his arms, the warmth of their love still fresh on her flushed skin.
He propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down into her eyes and so she could not only hear the sincerity in his voice but see it on his face. “I would give you the world if you asked it of me. I would forsake all others if you said that’s what you needed. For every bit of pain you’ve suffered I would take it as my lot if it meant you would never have had to endure nor suffer it again. For every night spent alone and every day spent in the service of those who were put under your care I would hold you in my arms and take your burden as my own. I have lived too long without you, Perizada. We both have endured longer than any should have to without their other half and I vow to you that never again will you stand alone. I will be by your side always. I vow my allegiance first to our cr
eator, the Great Luna, because without her I would not exist and I would not have you, and second I vow my allegiance to you, my beloved, my mate.”
Lucian hoped that his words conveyed what his heart and soul was feeling, though he didn’t know if that was possible. There was so much inside of him, so many emotions battling for first place and though they were all important he knew the one that shined above all others was love. Because when he looked at her through the eyes of love her faults faded away, her weaknesses surrendered to his strength, her needs became his own and all he could see was the beautiful woman given to him so that he could serve her, provide for her and tie his fate to hers for all time.
Peri’s eyes glistened with tears and Lucian’s face blurred briefly before he wiped them away. She took a deep breath and wondered how she could follow that up. How could she compete with the incredible selflessness that he exhibited towards her?
“It’s not a competition, Peri,” he whispered to her, wiping away yet another tear.
After several more minutes of gazing into his eyes she finally began to speak. “I have roamed this earth, as well as other realms, for longer than my mind cares to remember. I have seen pain, death, life, joy, sorrow, sacrifice, hate, love, and so much more lived out in the hearts of man as well as other species. I had accepted my purpose in my life, resigned myself to a life without the enduring love of a mate, spouse, partner, or any other term given to such relationships. I have obeyed the Great Luna and lived out her design for the fae and our place in the universe and I have been thankful for what she has given me. But when I look at your face, when I feel your soul connect with mine, when I hear your heartbeat and see your love I know that had I been aware that this was possible, I could not have been satisfied without you. I too give thanks to the Great Luna for wisdom, her faithfulness and her unconditional love of her children. You are one of those children, and for so long you were lost to us, to me, but I know she protected you because the darkness did not consume you. I love you, Lucian, more than I ever thought I was capable of and if you will be patient with me, if you will let me make mistakes and love me anyways, give me grace as I find my way in this new life, I will endeavor to give you the same respect. You are mine as I am yours and nothing save the Great Luna herself shall ever separate us.”
“I still need to give you my offerings,” Lucian told her as he ran his fingers through her hair, reveling in his allowance to touch her when he wanted.
“It is enough for tonight, wolf, let it lie for now. We have much to do, so many trials ahead of us but let’s just be this tonight.”
Lucian kissed her forehead gently and wrapped her in his arms as he spoke quietly against her ear. “As my beloved desires, so shall it be.”
The night wrapped around them as they lost themselves in each other. A man with the soul of a wolf lost for so long now held in the arms of his mate. A woman of a race boundless in power given great responsibility now held in the arms of the one who wants her only for the female she is and not the position she holds. For this night they abandoned all else and accepted the gift of unconditional love. For this night they were simply a man and a woman becoming one, body and soul.
Chapter 13
“The most convincing lie is one sprinkled with truth, when the listener has trouble separating what could be with what is not. How else would good, innocent people be so easily led astray? Learning how to feed such falsehoods to a common human is difficult, but learning to convince one as powerful as a fae, a high fae at that, well that is an art form. But then I’ve always appreciated a good challenge, especially if the demise of one so pure is the end result.” ~Volcan
“Two is not enough!” Volcan bellowed at Lorelle.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to look unaffected by the incorporeal evil fae who held her fate in the palm of his, probably talon clad, hands. She had known he would throw a tantrum because really, the eviler they are the bigger the fit. She waited to see if there would be more, of course there was.
“How could the others have slipped from your grasp? I gave you the power to be pulled directly to them. Your sister on the other hand, would have had to use a tracking spell which would have taken time.”
“You obviously have forgotten how resourceful Perizada can be when she sets her mind to it,” Lorelle quipped.
“I DO NOT CARE!” He roared.
See, bigger fit, Lorelle thought.
“All I care about is what you do or do not do. You must draw her out, exploit a weakness that will have her crawling out of hiding.”
“I won’t have to, she will eventually come looking for the two healers I took,” Lorelle explained. “She has hero syndrome and feels it’s her place to protect everyone less powerful than herself. That makes her an easy target.”
“She must not be that easy if you failed to kill her on your first attempt,” Volcan taunted.
Lorelle gritted her teeth to keep from using American slang she had learned that would essentially tell him to go jump off a cliff. She didn’t figure he would like that too much.
“What do you suggest, Volcan, since you are obviously so smart and I am so very, very beneath you?”
“Flattery will get you nowhere with me child. Only results! Now…,” he nearly crooned the word. “where would your sister be hiding the little healers?”
Lorelle thought about it for a moment, though she knew the first location that had flitted across her mind would be the correct answer.
“There is a house in Farie that she uses often as a base of sorts. She used it to harbor the wolves at one time. That is where she will be holed up.” The air around her shifted and she knew that he was moving. In her mind she pictured a large serpent slithering around her, head undulating and tongue flicking out to taste her scent. She shivered at the thought and swallowed down the lump of dread that had made its way into her throat.
“I’m going to give you the power to dreamscape. I will need one of the healers, but pick the weaker of the two, I do not need much power for such a task. I want you to enter your sister’s mind while she is unguarded and plant seeds of doubt along with realistic possibilities.”
“What kind of doubts and possibilities?” Lorelle’s brow rose as she considered his request, well more like command. She knew her sister well, and knew that Peri was not easy to sway. She was as hardheaded as stone gargoyle when she wanted to be.
“You need to convince her that there is still one more healer out in the world to be saved. As much as I do not want to reveal myself just yet, if you must you may tell her of my power. She will believe that I could know such a thing, she will remember just how powerful I once was and she will not take the risk that you are lying to her. She will take it upon herself to ferret out the non-existent girl.”
“Okay,” Lorelle said drawing out the o as she thought about his plan. “What then?”
“The healers she has acquired will be unprotected and ready for the taking.” The satisfaction in his voice was beyond creepy.
“They won’t be unprotected. Peri would never be so foolish. She will leave wolves, and maybe even one of her fae lap dogs to watch after the humans.”
Volcan’s anger seemed to go up a notch as Lorelle felt the air around her drop in temperature.
“You doubt my power? Even now I am still more than capable of removing a few meddlesome wolves and fae children. All you need do is allow me to funnel my power along with one of the healers into you and you will be able to smite your enemy with barely a lift of your finger.”
Lorelle’s mouth watered at the thought of wielding such power. To be able to kill those who had wronged her, who had interfered with her first attempt. Her head tilted ever so slightly as she considered her quest. Kill, no, she thought, I can’t kill them, the consequences would be too dire.
“I think the best thing to do would be to put the wolves playing sentry and the fae out of commission,” she told him as she studied her nails.
“Killing t
hem would be more permanent,” Volcan so unhelpfully pointed out.
Lorelle squeezed her hands into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white as she struggled with her desire to smack the air where she thought he stood in hopes that she might actually make contact with his face.
Letting out a slow breath she answered. “I realized that death would be a more lasting result, it would, however, also enrage the most powerful Alpha the Canis lupis has ever seen. And he has managed to unite the packs once again, so it would not only be his wrath we would have to endure, but the wrath of many Alphas. They don’t take kindly when one of their own is murdered, believe me I know.” She could tell he hadn’t liked her implying that he wasn’t strong enough to take on the wolves so she quickly added, “I’ve no doubt that you could hold your own for a time, but it would be unwise to underestimate the wolves. They hold the favor of the Great Luna, she has joined their race with the fae, combining their magic making them even more powerful. I just feel it would be in your best interest to build more of your power before you strike; perhaps getting your physical form back, for instance.”
Volcan was quiet and she could tell that he was considering her words, no matter how much he didn’t like them. He was a strategist and she had no doubt that he would want to consider all angles before acting, or at least centuries ago he would have. Now he did seem more like a petulant child that just wanted his toys back. She kept waiting for him to blurt out you can’t come to my birthday party. She nearly laughed at the image of the great Volcan reduced to a four year old tantrum.
“I admit that your concern holds merit,” Volcan murmured as if it pained him to say such a thing. “Although the Great Luna has rarely involved herself in the matters of her wolves.”
“It appears that the more they seek her out, the more she answers.” Lorelle frowned as she considered her words and realized how true they were and frankly it was irritating to the last nerve that hadn’t been danced on by the great and mighty butthead before her.