Page 84 of Bullied Mate

Interest curved my brow as I turned back to Raven. “Fascinating.”

“I’ll keep an eye on it for a while.”

“And Spencer?”

Raven laughed. “He’s more occupied with a book than anything else.”

“Probably for the best. Mating is messy business.”

“So are memory spells.”

We shared a giggle that cemented my bond with my alpha. Under her watchful eye, I felt safe here in Silverdawn. I felt accepted and cherished. Estaria had been kind to me, but Silverdawn had done for me what my elders couldn’t—Ambersky included.

This place was my home. These people were my family.

And nothing in this world or the next could change that.

***

Evening rewarded us with a soothing blanket as I cuddled Xavier on the couch. Strange how our lives had entwined this way, and yet stranger was how our lives had not melted together sooner. If we had always been mates, then why had there ever been a period of separation?

I tangled my fingers with his while I pondered this query, chuckling when I felt his thoughts bristle with the same curiosity. “My, how our thoughts love to play together.”

“You’re the one inside my head.”

“But you were in mine first.”

Amusement carried through his grunt. “I did tease you first, didn’t I?”

“I fought back.”

“I love it when you fight back.”

I gushed with admiration. “My, how I love you.”

“And how I love you.”

Ah, the rush of red into his aura always gave away his lust for me. To witness such beauty in him was to experience life in its fullest glory. Satisfaction came swift even without the initiation of touch. Even stranger was how my soul felt full without him penetrating my field. Impossible things were easy to feel, harder to describe. Though I was content to let this one flow without any need to label it.

I supposed that soulmates would always feel full in the presence of each other. Such bustling completion was welcome in our home—which would soon become a bigger home for our growing needs.

And possibly growing family.

I cupped his cheek as he nuzzled my nose with the tip of his nose. Our lips traded soft sighs while his hand journeyed my body, exploring crevices he had already dominated, and yet seemed to want more of with each passing day. Care and caution marked his trek. Every time he kissed me, my desire for him tripled, pinprick sensations dancing over my torso.

Love like this existed because we made it so. It was a soothing balm that made the long nights of terrors manageable. It was the first breath after a coma, a loving embrace after a dangerous journey. Love like his comforted me because it was genuine and true. It was self-accountable. It was evident in everything he did, and in each decision he made.

Especially now that his hands were roaming my breasts and his mouth was claiming my flesh, I could sense his love in what he did. Affection burst from me as I kissed him repeatedly, hugging him tightly to my body like I had in my old kitchen, keeping him hooked to me with my legs wrapped around his waist.

The ring around my finger vacillated between light and heavy. Light in its physical weight, heavy in its meaning. We would wear them until we wore them out. And after that, we would replace them. Our union would be represented in some way tangibly here, serving as a perpetual reminder, especially during the stormier parts of our relationship, that we were meant to be together.

Expert fingers peeled away my clothes. Soon, our bodies were as they would be in the spiritual dimensions, exposed flesh unabashed by its vulnerability. Silvery sparks trickled between my thighs, inspiring me to part them for Xavier, knowing that he would care for me just the same as he had this whole time.

Soulmates were bound by unspoken truths. Reality had set in for us when we’d finally accepted the inevitable. And though I hardly needed an earthly ritual to state my eternal love for him, I appreciated the community it brought to our door. For community was so important to creatures like us.

His fingers wove through my folds, igniting substantial heat, flames licking me inside and out as he slowly slid into my slit. Orbs spotted my vision as I let my head fall back to rest upon the couch pillow. My senses swirled to new heights, adoration spilling from me like an overflowing cup as he rubbed me.

Awareness drifted in and out. For the first time in ages—perhaps for the first time ever in my entire life—my guard was null and void. Enemies didn’t linger nearby. Nor did the skies haunt our home with the threat of natural disaster. Though my ears picked up on the sound of the world around our home, my perception didn’t cling to anything in particular.

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