Page 77 of Spellbound & Speechless
“Offerings for my goddess,” Aspen says.
If I’m going to be mated to a witch, I need to learn something about her magic. It worked out for me last time, in her future boutique. I may not wield magic, but through our mating bond, I could see and feel her sex magic.
She sucked my soul out, and it was the best orgasm of my life.
“What does this ritual do?” I shut the door behind us.
“It’s for us to declare ourselves mates,” she says. “And if my goddess approves, she’ll bless us.”
Shit. That’s heavy. “And if not…?”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t worry about that. If we’re truly fated mates, like you say, Aphrodite will approve. You’ve been good to me. I think she will be able to see that.”
I could be better. There’s so much more I want to do for Aspen, but keeping her safe comes first. I won’t forget about the corrupt witch, even if Aspen and her sisters are happy to. The moment we drop our guards, I’m sure the corrupt witch will wreak havoc.
She’ll take Aspen from me.
This bonding ritual will make sure nothing and no one can get between us. It’s exactly what I want. Aspen wanting it too is the surprising part. Having fated mates means wolves can move fast in love, but she’s not a werewolf. She doesn’t have to fall as hard as I do.
But she does. Aspen is falling with me, and I can feel it.
“What does the blessing do?” I ask.
“It protects us.” Her eyes meet mine. “Our love.”
Exactly what I’ve wanted to do all along. All I’ve ever needed was to keep her safe.
She’s used the wordloveto describe our bond, and while I don’t comment on it, I hear it. The stranger part is that I don’t flinch. My heart races, but it’s from excitement rather than worry. The feeling moves me closer to our bond instead of making me want to run away.
Can someone like Aspen really love me? I’m not brave enough to ask, but I have the strength to stand there with her.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” I say.
She fixes me with a soft smile. “Lay out the blankets, won’t you? I’ll prepare the rest.”
I do as she asks, and Aspen busies herself lighting candles and sweet incense. I’ve already seen her hard at work with her sketches and the light in her eye when sheimagines her boutique. The intensity and focus when she summons her goddess is a different kind of passion.
She sets out the statue of Aphrodite and anoints it with oil. My face burns at the sight, like the replica of the goddess alone can invoke her sensual energy. My pants tighten.
I kneel on the blankets and hold the red binds in a tight grip. Aspen mutters a prayer under her breath. I can’t make out the words, and I wouldn’t want to. It’s between her and her goddess. I’m lucky to be invited into their sacred space.
When she finally joins me on the floor, I know touching her is a blessing from the goddess herself. I brush my fingers against her cheek, angling my head down to press my forehead to hers. Closer. I always need to be closer to her.
I know the weight of what we’re doing. This is effectively a marriage ceremony, and I’m ready to give my soul to her. As far as I’m concerned, it already belongs to her.
“Where do we start?” I murmur, gazing into her ocean eyes.
“We bind our left hands. Like so…”
We wrap the ropes around our wrists, and Aspen uses a spell to tie them in place. I may not sense magic like a witch can, but I feel the pieces clicking together through our bond.
Our souls fit as one.
This is when we make the choice, going from fated mates to chosen mates.True mates. Neither of us puts it into words. The magic swirls around us—pink, red, and glistening.
“Aphrodite, please bless this union,” she mutters. “Protect our love. Hear our choice. We choose to be one and live as one.”
I hold the side of her face, grazing my fingers down the center of her neck, and repeat the words.
