Page 62 of The Bones of the Cursed

I wrap my arms around her waist. “I always did wonder why I felt drawn to have the Shadow Vale Coven symbol carved in my bed. I will admit it worried me for a while. I thought they hexed me or something.”

I feel her silent laughter. She turns and wraps her arms around my neck, tugging the hair at my nape. Gods, I love that.

Standing on her tiptoes, she presses a soft kiss to my mouth.

Kissing her is as easy as breathing. Every kiss brings me life. Her kiss consumes me to the point that I forget who I am. All I know is that I need her.

I pick her up, smiling as she wraps her legs around my waist.I lay her gently on her back and pause, unsure if this is what she wants. I never thought about having a mate before, but now I can’t imagine not having one.

“Is this what you want?”

She stares at me, her eyes glimmering with an emotion so strong I hesitate to name it. This woman has quickly become my friend and wiggled her way straight into my heart. She slowly sits up to remove my shirt, soaking in every detail of every tattoo.

“I’m not sure what the future holds,” she says, “but I can’t imagine not having you or Kailu there with me. But is this whatyouwant?”

I stare into her blue eyes and know that there is no other answer for me but yes. “I never imagined having a mate. Never really wanted one. I was fine doing my own thing and taking each day as it came. But spending this time with you, feeling this connection…it’s different.”

Her brow quirks up. “Good different or bad different?”

I smile. “Good. I don’t share things with people. Kailu was the only one I shared everything with. But with you, it feels as if I can be myself. I’m not the prince or the rebellious son of the king and queen. I’m just me.”

Her fingers run over my stubble and down my neck, scattering shivers through me. Swallowing down the nerves, I take a leap of faith. “I want you. I want to see where this life takes us. I want you and Kailu, the two people who I care about more than anything. So yes, I choose this. I choose you, Alanis.”

A single tear runs down her cheek, and her smile is breathtaking.

Not wasting another moment, I drag my lips up her stomach, relishing in the shivers that course through her body at my touch. I explore her hipbones and the spots on her inner knees that I discover are ticklish. I leave no skin untouched. She pulls back and I almost groan from the loss.

“I want this with you. But I don’t want to do this without Kailu. We should wait and see if he truly is my mate. When we bond, I want to know that we are all together. Forever.”

I lean up, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before pulling her into my arms. A sense of peace washing over me as I hold onto my mate.

Alanis turns to me a while later. “How does your magic work on locks like that? I saw your father do that, too, in the records room.”

I kiss her brow. “Every lock is tied to magic. My door is tied to my blood as well, as an added layer of protection. The spell can be altered to add more, though.”

She nods. “That’s kind of cool. How do you keep others out? Couldn’t they just hire a Witch to add them to the door?”

“The Shadow Vale Witches created these magic locks centuries ago. Most houses and important buildings have them. The locks are tied to magic, so if you don’t have magic, it’s impossible to open them without the emergency key. Each lock has a set pattern tied to it. One could add their blood to a lock, but they would need to have the correct pattern.” I pause. “I would be interested to see if you could open one.”

She smirks. “Maybe we can test it.”

“Deal.”

I lay there in the silence and listen to her breathing slow. I brush her hair softly from her face before dropping a final kiss to her forehead. “We will figure this out. All of it,” I whisper.

I have spent decades upon decades wasting time hopping from one bed to another, always trying to satisfy that ache deep in my chest. I’ve never been able to pinpoint it until this moment. My entire life, I have been searching for a place I belong. A place I was meant to be. Somewhere that felt like home. Laying here with Alanis, that feeling of want no longer plagues me.

When I fall asleep, it’s with a sense of calm. My soul at peace, knowing it has found its other half.

24

- ALANIS -

THE GOLDEN VALE

The sun set about an hour ago and I slipped into a fitful sleep. I’ve been staring at the ceiling since I woke up, soaking in the warmth of Malakai’s embrace, knowing that I will miss it soon.

He is sure to be angry with me. Kailu as well.

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