Page 67 of The Right to Bear Claws
"I love you," he said simply.
"I love you too," she replied, settling into his arms as the fire crackled and the stars wheeled overhead. "My mate. My anchor. My home."
Outside, Hollow Oak slept peacefully under her unconscious protection, its dreams safe and sweet. But inside the cabin, two souls celebrated their perfect union, bound together by love, choice, and ancient magic that would last beyond the ending of the world.
34
ELIAS
Elias woke to the most perfect sensation he'd ever experienced, the steady, reassuring pulse of Kaia's heartbeat echoing through their newly forged bond like a second rhythm in his chest.
She was still asleep beside him, platinum hair spread across the pillow like spilled moonlight, her face peaceful in a way he'd never seen before. The claiming marks on her hip were healing beautifully, three parallel scratches that would fade into silver scars marking her as his for all the world to see.
His bear rumbled with deep satisfaction at the sight, but it was more than possessive pride. Those marks represented choice, trust, the most intimate gift one person could give another. She'd offered herself completely, and he'd claimed her with reverence rather than dominance.
Through the bond, he could feel her dreams—not the chaotic nightmares that had plagued her before, but soft, warm visions of their future together. A house full of laughter, children with his eyes and her gentle spirit, decades of quiet mornings just like this one.
"You're watching me sleep," she murmured without opening her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "I can feel you thinking very loudly."
"Sorry." He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "Still getting used to this connection. I can sense everything about you. Your mood, your location, even your heartbeat when you're in another room."
"It's overwhelming sometimes," she admitted, violet eyes fluttering open. "Like learning to live with someone else's emotions constantly humming in the background. But also..." She rolled toward him, her hand finding his chest. "It's wonderful. Knowing you're there, always, no matter what."
"Any regrets?" he asked, though he could already feel through their bond that there weren't.
"None." Her fingers traced the line of his collarbone. "You?"
"Only that it took us so long to get here."
They lay in comfortable silence for several minutes, basking in the new depth of their connection. But eventually, the scent of coffee and bacon wafting from downstairs made Kaia's stomach growl audibly.
"Family breakfast awaits," Elias said with a grin. "You ready to face the Vane clan as an official member?"
"Are they going to make a big deal about it?"
"Kaia, you're the first mate any of us has brought home in over a decade. They're going to make a huge deal about it."
She laughed, stretching like a contented cat. "Then I guess I better get dressed and prepare for the full treatment."
Twenty minutes later, they made their way down to the cabin's main room where the entire Vane clan had apparently assembled for what was clearly a celebration breakfast. Magnus stood at the stove, manning multiple pans with the efficiency of someone who'd fed a large family for decades. Thorin and Finn had pushed the dining table against the wall to make roomfor additional seating, and someone had clearly raided the local bakery for enough pastries to feed a small army.
"There they are!" Magnus boomed when he spotted them, his weathered face splitting into a grin that made him look twenty years younger. "Our new daughter-in-law."
"Dad," Elias warned, but he was smiling too.
"What? I've been waiting thirty-four years for you to bring home a mate. I'm allowed to be excited." Magnus abandoned his cooking long enough to sweep Kaia into a gentle hug. "Welcome to the family, sweetheart. Officially this time."
"Thank you," Kaia said, her voice thick with emotion. "For everything. All of you."
"Don't get sentimental yet," Finn called from across the room. "Wait until you see what Thorin made for you."
Elias's older brother emerged from the kitchen carrying what looked like a small wooden jewelry box, his expression uncharacteristically shy. "It's a claiming gift," he explained, offering the box to Kaia. "Traditional in our family."
Inside, nestled in soft velvet, lay a pendant that took Elias's breath away. Carved from mountain oak and inlaid with silver in intricate patterns, it bore the Vane family crest along with symbols he recognized as protective runes.
"It's beautiful," Kaia whispered, lifting the pendant with reverent hands. "But I can't accept something this elaborate?—"
"You can and you will," Magnus said firmly. "Every Vane mate receives one. It's not just jewelry, it's a ward stone keyed specifically to our family's magical signature. Protection and belonging wrapped up in one package."
