Total pages in book: 9
Estimated words: 8323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 42(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 28(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 8323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 42(@200wpm)___ 33(@250wpm)___ 28(@300wpm)
“I do,” I say, shocked. I turn my wrist toward the woman. My birthmark is shaped like that. It’s always been angry and red, but it's faded to my skin color in the last few months.
“Good. Good,” she says, smiling at me warmly. She takes my hand and squeezes it.
“Welcome to the Stregone familia. Sit, sit. We eat now,” Halbert says. I take the empty seat closest to Calliope.
“I’ve always wanted a sister,” she says, pulling me into a hug.
“Me too,” I say honestly. “I just have a brother.”
“Is he single?”
“Yes,” I say, laughing.
By the time lunch is over, I’m stuffed. I’ve never had a four-course meal, let alone a four-course lunch.
“Did those hurt?” Calliope asks, pointing at my neck. I reach up and touch my mate marks. A shiver runs through me as I remember last night and all the ways Halcyon made my body his, and I smile. “No one will tell me anything.”
“No,” I say conspiratorially. “They are like the best, most expensive necklace I’ll ever own.” In fact, no other jewelry will adorn my neck, ever.
“That’s awesome,” she says dreamily. “I can’t wait to fall in love.”
“It’ll happen before you know it,” I say, patting her hand. I don’t know how I know that, but I do.
“How’s next week, Jadis?” Evanora asks, interrupting our conversation. I look over to where Evanora, Halbert, and Halcyon are sitting.
“For?” I ask, confused.
“Your mating ceremony.” Uhhh… what?
“Excuse me? Do we have do we did last night in front of people?” Like, hang a bloody sheet outside for proof of deflowering?
“No, no, dear. I know you’ve had the private one. I, of course, mean the public one. For friends, family, business associates and the like. That is also where the requirements for your marriage in the commonwealth of Massachusetts are satisfied.”
“Mom, you’re scaring her,” Halcyon says, coming to my side.
“No, she’s not. I just didn’t think all of that would be so soon.”
“Why wait? You’ve already claimed each other. It’s plain as day. You’d have to be blind not to see those mate marks. Did you really have to put them there?” Yes, I think. I look over at Halcyon, who is already staring at me.
Yes, we did, mate. I jump because I didn’t see his lips move.
What? I whisper-scream inside my head.
Calm down, baby.
How? How am I hearing you in my head?
We are connected, body and soul now. I felt it last night, but I wasn’t sure until just now.
How come I’ve never heard of this before.
It’s the best-kept secret in the magical realm. But it makes sense. Would you want your enemies to know you can speak to your mate like this?
No, I guess not.
Exactly.
This is…
Epic. I know.
What if it’s just us?
That would make sense, too.
Jadis?
Yes, Halcyon?
There will be no secrets from each other, ever. Are you okay with that?
Yes. We are one now.
Yes, we are.
“Now, now, Evanora. To each their own.” His words draw Halcyon and me out of our own little world, but I can’t wait to explore that more.
“But Halbert, it’s looks like they tried to kill each other.”
“Maybe they did. You know you like to get up.”
“Jesus, no, for the love of the Goddess, do not finish that sentence, Dad,” Jorren says, groaning.
“You’ll be alright, boy,” Halbert says, and I can’t help laughing.
We spend the rest of the afternoon with his family, and then we get back in his car and head toward my family’s house in Salem.
If he can handle them, he can handle anything.
Chapter
Four
HALCYON
We are a few minutes early for dinner, so Jadis takes me to her favorite spot on the land she grew up on. I park in the driveway, and we walk hand in hand about fifteen minutes from the house on a cobbled path. There’s a stone bench under a weeping willow tree. In the distance are a few ancient headstones but nothing else as far as the eye can see.
“I spent a lot of time here as a child. Alone. Always alone. I would think about things like what the world would be like without war. If there was no famine or disease?” It breaks my heart knowing that she was always alone. I wish I had known her back then. I’m only a few years older than she is. I could have loved her all this time.
“You didn’t wonder what your mate would be like?” I ask, and she smiles.
“No. I wanted to be surprised.”
“Are you?”
“Pleasantly. It makes total sense to me that we will change the world, Halcyon. Together.” She’s right. Of course, she’s right.
I sit down on the bench and hold my hand out to her. She comes to me immediately. She’s still wearing last night's dress, but it looks beautiful. I run my hands up the outside of her thighs and realize she’s not wearing her panties. “You are so fucking perfect, Jadis,” I tell her as my fingers find her wet pussy. “By the Goddess,” I curse. “So fucking wet for me, mate.”