Page 354 of Primal Bonds

Because Rosana’s touch hadn’t hurt. It had felt good, like she’d reached inside and caressed his heart.

His breath tangled in his chest.

No fucking way. We are not mated.

Both members of a pair had to agree to a mating. Words had to be spoken, a commitment made before the gods and the clan. But that sea-green thread was the same color as her dolphin’s eyes.

She touched his arm. “You are hurt. I should’ve know better. Merry told me…”

He jolted, jumped out of bed.

“Ric?” She sat up, the quilt gripped to her breasts. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “Sorry—I’m just….on edge. But don’t touch it again, all right?”

“I won’t. I promise. But I didn’t know your quartz could change color. Merry’s doesn’t.”

He wrapped his fingers protectively around the pendant. “It’s…unusual.”

In fact, he’d never heard of anything like it. Fada mates shared a special, mystical bond. Earth fada pairs connected through their quartzes—that warmth he’d noticed when Rosana was near—but he’d never heard of it appearing as a twist of color.

But then, he didn’t know any water/earth fada pairs.

If only his parents were still alive. He needed to ask someone about this, someone he trusted. So few of the clan’s elders had survived the Darktime.

Rosana was staring at him. Releasing the quartz, he got back into bed and pulled her back into his arms.

She rested her head on his shoulder, her hand carefully on his waist, far from his quartz. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine. Really.” He kissed her temple. “Go back to sleep.”

She twisted her head so she could examine his face and then relaxed back against him again. Her breath sighed out, and a short time later she was asleep.

The fae lights dimmed to a muted peach. They floated above the bed like the last, glowing embers of a dying fire, painting Rosana’s creamy skin a warm gold. Her inky hair tumbled over them both. He stroked it away from her face. Her mouth was slightly ajar, the full lips lax with sleep. Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.

She looked so damn young, sweet…in a way he’d never been.

Mate.

His chest tightened, as the man recognized what his cougar already knew. The mate bond had already formed. A few fine-spun, hopeful strands, connecting his heart to Rosana’s.

His stomach sank.

He couldn’t let it happen, couldn’t leave her behind to suffer as his mom had. He had to cut the link. He just prayed it wasn’t already too late.

He slid out from under Rosana and rolled her onto her side facing away from him. She gave a discontented murmur, and he froze until she settled again, head pillowed on her hand.

He waited another few minutes. Then he set his jaw and rejected the bond. It resisted, more than he expected for such a tenuous connection. But the few strands were already intertwined, his a shimmering blue, hers aqua-green.

Behind him, Rosana mumbled unhappily. “Não, meu querido, não …”

Sweat broke out on his brow. He pulled harder at his blue strands, but they just elongated as if they could stretch infinitely long. Without realizing it, his hand closed on his quartz, seeking strength, energy.

Rosana’s strands wavered, tried to move around the barrier of his fist. And with that, he knew what to do.

He called on the power of his quartz. His cat clawed at him from inside.

Mate, it hissed. Ours.

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