Page 19 of Sevan

Why can’t she understand and see what she means to me?

“I told you once already, you are mine, Lorelei. My woman. My love. My mate. And my wife, if we believe that what happened in our dreams is real. I believe, Lorelei. I fully believe I took you in my arms, marked you while I offered you my seed, my essence, making you my mate.

“I’ll do it again right now if it will make everyone feel better, but you said it yourself, your markings began to fade six months ago. That is the exact time the dreams started. I am your mate, and you are mine. I’m the one who will handle what you need, not some muscle-bound guy with hair like a girl. I am the man who will plant the seed deep within…” As the words fell from his lips, Sevan’s body tightened, along with his stomach.

One look at Lorelei told him that she was as shocked by his declaration as he was. She shook her head. “Take it back, now!”

“It is too late, Devi. We have borne witness to the marks and the gods’ sign but have also heard his vows to you. It is official.”

“No, it is not. You can’t count that. He’s an outsider. A cocky one at that.” She tossed her hands in the air. “There is no way that can count. He didn’t know what he was doing.”

“What did I do?” Sevan asked, concern still gripping his stomach.

“You stated before witnesses that you claim her with a bond in place.” The man was so matter-of-fact about it that Sevan actually felt a little slow not getting it.

“Huh?”

Lorelei glared at him. “Tell them you didn’t understand what you were doing and we can get this taken care of. I want to keep you for a husband like I want a gabaetion rash.”

Sevan balked. “You would rather have a flesh-eating rash devouring you than be my wife?” The realization of what he’d just said hit him hard. Joy tore through him. “I’m your…? You’re my…? We’re…?”

“Married, yeah, now that you’re up to speed, can you take it back? I need to find Christian and—”

Sevan dropped his lips down on hers, rendering her silent as his tongue did what it wanted to do, memorize her mouth. He heard the sound of the exterior door closing and planted his palms on the wall along the sides of Lorelei’s head. She tasted so sweet that it was intoxicating. The more she wiggled against him, the stiffer his dick became.

“Sevan, please,” she whispered, sliding her tongue over his lower lip. The small action told him how much she wanted what he wanted. If that was true, they’d both be very happy, very soon. The idea of waiting another moment to touch her, to take her, was ludicrous.

Chuckling, Sevan continued his invasion of her mouth, not caring who watched him do it. He inched his fingers down her arms and over her smooth stomach. Aching to be in her, he went for the top of her pants, no longer able to wait or take it slow. The tops of his fingers grazed the tiny thatch of black hair he knew she possessed and need slammed through him. His pulse sped while his body tightened. “I need to be in you, Lorelei.”

Instantly, her body began to heat up, so much so that Sevan had to take a step back. As soon as he opened his mouth to question her, some sort of power shot forth from her, hitting the wolf on the ground and lifting it high into the air. Sevan watched in awe as it burst into a ball of red fire before vanishing.

He would have questioned her on it but he already knew she was beyond special. She was magnificent.

“There,” she said, lowering her blue gaze and smiling with wanton wonderment. “Now we’re alone.”

“Mmm, have anything special in mind?”

Lorelei’s tongue slid out and over her lower lip, teasing him to the point the beast within threatened to rise. Doing his best to hold it down, not liking the surge of power it seemed to carry with it now, Sevan took a step closer to her. He couldn’t fight the desire. He didn’t want to.

She smiled. “You should let me go, Sevan. Christian has understood that when the time was right, he’d be the one to fill me with his seed and that we would have a child together. It doesn’t matter what my feelings or his are. All that matters is that our kind be able to once again conceive children. We are a dying race, Sevan. Please.”

He clenched his fists, doing his best to squelch the beast within. It had never been this strong or this close to the surface in his waking hours. The woman actually thought he was going to run off and let some other man take his spot? Take what he wanted more than life itself? “Lorelei,” he said between clenched teeth.

Her look was placid, so off from what one would think it would be. “Really, just let it be. You don’t understand my family’s history with this very thing. I can’t do this with you. I can’t do this to Christian. I’m promised to him. He deserves more, and I won’t let the past repeat itself.”

“What the hell are you talking about, woman?” he demanded, losing his battle to hold tight to his temper.

“My grandmother, she conceived a child with her mate and he up and left her on her own. The man she married hated my father and what he was, but he raised him all the same. It’s not right to ask Christian to do the same thing and, Sevan, you need to fully understand how important a child is to our people. How much we need them to help continue the race. And you should know that our customs are different—special to us. I’m promised to him.”

“Lorelei, you need to understand that you are mine. And I don’t share my things with anyone.”

“I’m a thing?”

“You’re my wife.”

Shaking her head, she moved in even closer, running her hands over his bare chest. “Sevan, you can renounce it in front of witnesses and be free of me—of this place.”

The idea of taking his claim back was absurd. “No. You are mine forever, Lorelei.”

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