“Yours?” I asked breathlessly, my cheeks flushed as I tried to overcome the bond enough to think and speak.
“My wife,” he growls again, his nose skimming my neck, “You are mine.”
Wife, not mate. Once again, my hope that he might feel the bond died. He can’t feel the bond. It’s just not possible until I’m 20.
“He still called us his. He still wants us,”Val says with relieved elevation. Even if it was as his wife and not his mate, Killian seems to want us, which is all that matters to her.
She never got to meet his Lycan before this moment, and I can feel her tears of satisfaction from just beingwantedin some way. It hurt her immensely, feeling like our bond was being rejected and abused every single day in our first life. I got to see Lachlan’s treatment towards me, but she never got to experience Killian or see how he felt about her.
She had longed for this since the moment we very first laid eyes on Lachlan in our first life. She is finally seeing how Killian feels towards us, and even without the bond, he is accepting us. Accepting her.
“Can I come forward? Can I talk to him?”Val asks.
I think apprehensively, not sure if that would be a good idea. “You can’t blurt out that he is our mate, Val. If you do, this could all end. It is different this time. Lachlan is different this time, I’ll admit that, but what this pack has gone through with its wars has not changed. They will still be wary of other races and hybrids like us.”
“But he wants us. He might not care,”she pouts, impatient for her mate.
“Do you want to take that chance?”
She thinks for a few seconds, then sighs, “No. I won’t say mates. I just want to feel the bond myself, Ela.”
This may be a different Lachlan from our first life, but I still don’t trust that he will not betray us, especially if he learns what we are.
“Killian,” I murmured, trying to get his attention again. His nose is buried in my hair and his arms are wrapped tightly around me, holding me firmly against him.
“Hmm?” he hums, his voice much deeper and raspier than Lachlan’s. “What is it, my wife?”
His touch with the way he calls me his wife makes a chill travel up my spine and butterflies flutter in my chest. I don’t know how I’m going to get any sleep if he plans on holding me all night.
“Do you want to meet Val? She is asking to come forward too.”
He jerks his head back to stare down at me, a carnal smile spreading on his face. “She wants to meet me?” His expressions may look more wild, but the way he asked the question, full of surprise and excitement, reminds me of a child confirming he is about to receive a present.
“Yes,” I chuckled, “ if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t!” he quickly responds, “I want to meet Valerina too.”
Killian is cute in his earnestness. I already find him much more tolerable than his human counterpart.
“Okay, Val. Just stay in control of the bond. Please,”I begged her before giving her control of my body.
I slowly recede into the back of my mind, letting Val come forward, but keeping a minor hold over our control in case I need to take over quickly. I know how powerful the bond is. I just experienced it myself, and even with my guard up I was overcome by the power of it while under his touch.
Val still longs for our mate, unlike me. She might not be able to control herself.
“Killian,” she whimpers in her velvety voice as she pushes past me, wrapping my arms around Lachlan’s body.
She is melting against him, purring wildly as she rubs her face against his cheek. To my surprise, Killian copies her, like they are both trying to mix their scents, marking with territories like a cat would.
“Valerina,” Killian husked, turning our bodies so mine is practically on top of his, then gripping my face, now Val’s face, between his hands, “I’m so happy to finally meet you.”
Val whimpers, nodding between his large, war-roughed hands, “I’m happy to finally meet you too.”
Killian stares up at her lips; my lips, and I can almost see the thought process going on in his head. It’s the same as Val’s as she studies our mate’s annoyingly handsome face.
Her head dips, encouraged by his hands, as he tilts his face up to meet hers.
“Oh, no you don’t,”I growled, pulling back control, forcing myself forward and Val back to the back of my mind.