“All the same,” she said and smiled slyly. “Ahh, finally,” she added looking out over the lawn.
Vasile froze, not even able to take in a breath as he stared at the stunning creature coming towards him. She was his, he thought in wonder. How on earth he could ever be worthy of her, he did not know. But he did know that he would live every minute trying to be.
Alina paused a moment and relished the look on her mate’s face as he laid eyes on her for the first time that day. It had been quite a feat to get him to agree to wait until the bonding ceremony to see her. And now, based on his awe struck face, it was worth it.
She had spent the morning being washed, perfumed, decorated, and dressed by Sisily and Auriel who had become a good friend. A few tears had been shed over the absence of her parents, but she had laid them to rest, and though they lived on in her heart, she knew they would not want her to mourn them forever.
The dress she wore was simple but accentuated her curves in all the right places. It was a silk candlelight colored sheath, cinched in a bit at the waist, and a daring low front with scalloped lace peeking out of the top. The sleeves were long and came to a point on her hand. It was long enough that it covered her feet when she walked.
After savoring him for a moment longer―his broad shoulders and strong arms encased in a dark grey dress shirt with black breeches and black boots― she decided he looked dangerous and sexy.
“I heard that,” he whispered in her mind and a crooked smile appeared on his face.
She shook her head at him and continued forward, walking towards a future that not too long ago she was not sure would ever come to pass.
There were none present other than Alina, Vasile, and Perizada. Usually close friends or family would be allowed to attend a bonding ceremony, but Vasile had told her he wanted her all to himself. She understood. It had taken so long, and they had been through so much to get to this moment. She understood why it should be private.
When she reached him he took her hands in his and looked at her with utter adoration. “You look incredible.”
She smiled at him. “As do you.”
“I am sorry to interrupt your silent, no doubt nauseatingly sweet discussion, but I believe you two have waited long enough and are quite ready to finish this.” Peri looked at them pointedly and Alina tried not to laugh.
When neither of them responded she nodded approvingly and then began. “I, Perizada of the High Fae, ambassador to the wolves, teacher of the healers, do herby acknowledge this bond between true mates, created only for each other by the Great Luna. Nothing in life or death shall separate them.” She looked at Vasile then. “Vasile Lupei, Alpha of the Eastern Romania pack, son, brother, and now mate, you have found your true mate and she has accepted your claim. Show her what it means to be loved, cherished, and honored by an Alpha, a wolf, and a mate. Serve her in the most humbling of ways by washing her feet; in doing so you lower yourself in submission, you make yourself vulnerable for attack and give her the precious gift of trust, something that most Alphas will never give anyone.” Then her eyes landed on Alina and they softened a little. “Alina, you will respond with the response of the female’s binding words that stir the pack magic. Once this is done I will leave you to finish with words that should only be shared with one another.”
Vasile took Alina’s hand and led her over to the edge of the river. Two towels and wash cloths had been laid out and a chair sat beside them. He helped her sit and then knelt before her. She bit her lip to hold back the tears as she watched a man who had only a day ago destroyed mercilessly. She watched his hands gently raise her dress, hands that had ripped limbs from a man. He took the cloth and dipped it in the river and then took one foot in his hand. She shivered at the contact and the cool water that flowed over her skin.
He looked up at her, his blue eyes glowing with passion as he spoke. “On this day I kneel before you, as a servant to my mate, to ask if you will make me whole. Will you give yourself to me? Finally calming the beast inside, bringing order to chaos, and shining light where there has been only darkness? Will you bind your life to mine, your fate to mine, and your soul to mine and, in doing so, complete the mate bond?”
The tears could no longer be contained as she nodded and then added the words that would complete the magic that bonded true mates. "I will bind my life to yours, my fate to yours, and my soul to yours and complete our mate bond. I will take you for my own, my mate and my Alpha.”
His dazzling smile caused her chest to clench tightly around the heart he had claimed. She was his and there was nowhere else that she would rather be than by his side.
He finished washing and drying her feet. And as the both stood he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. “I love you.”
She never got tired of hearing him say those words. Alina did not notice the fae leave, her attention was only for her mate.
“I am yours, Mina, and you are mine, and I am so honored to be the one to claim you and be claimed by you. I promise to you that I will try to be a mate worthy of you. I will not get it right all of the time, but when I get it wrong I will do everything in my power to fix it. I never want to be parted from you again. I want to wake up with you by my side. I want to lie down with you in my arms. I want to share every experience, good or bad, with you and only ever you.”
Alina shook with emotion. How could she not when the man she loves declares such devotion to her? She let out a deep breath attempting to compose herself so she could say her vows. “I was terrified to be your mate. I was convinced that there was no way that I could ever be enough for you. But then life tore us apart and I realized that you would always be what I needed, which could only mean that I would always be what you needed. I realized how incomplete I am without you. When you are with me everything comes into focus, and even when things are a mess, I can bear it because we are together. I love you, my wolf adores you, and my soul longs for you and only you.”
That night in the quiet of the castle behind the doors of their room, Vasile wrapped his love around her. He poured every ounce of energy he had into making sure she felt beautiful, desirable, pleasurable, and complete. Every touch was to not only seduce her but to bind her even tighter to him. Every kiss, every taste, every whispered word of devotion and passion were to ensure that she would remember just how much he would always want her and need her.
“I thought this night would never come,” he admitted as his fingertips caressed her bare shoulder. He could not stop touching her. Whether it was his hand in her hair or running it up her leg or tracing the markings on her back, he needed to touch her.
“Was it worth the wait?” she asked and then bit her bottom lip, still slightly embarrassed even after making love.
“I would wait an eternity for one night like tonight with you,” he told her honestly. “It truly has been the best night of my life.”
Another coy look appeared on her beautiful face. “The night is not over yet, lover.”
That was all the encouragement he needed to push her onto her back and cover her soft body with his. Vasile loved that she was so shy because her skin flushed a beautiful red. He loved even more how she gradually opened to him, trusting him with her vulnerability. And then as she gained confidence from his attention, she grew bolder in her response to him. It was a night of beginnings, of firsts, of memories, and love. Entwined in one another, completely submersed in each other’s attention, they began their journey together, an Alpha pair who had endured so much and grown into two people capable of loving each other and their pack. Their selfless and unconditional love for one another would set an example to the wolves under their care. They would show them that in order to lead you must first learn to serve. To be great, to accomplish things that would change the world for the better, then you had to first learn to be faithful to the one person who deserved your greatness bestowed upon them—your mate.
Epilogue
“Do you think our lives will be any easier from here on
out?” Alina asked her mate as they lie in bed hours later, worn out and yet utterly satisfied. The soft light from the few candles still burning brought a warm glow to the otherwise dark chamber.
“I would be a fool to think such a thing, beloved.”
“Do you think we will have many adventures?” She grinned up at him with her chin propped up on his chest. Her face was still flushed and she look thoroughly well loved.
He chuckled and ran his fingers through her bed mused hair. “I hope that we do. I hope that we are a force for good in this world. I hope that we lead a pack that will always stand for what is right and never back away when others will not fight.”
“We will,” Alina said confidently.
“So sure?” He smiled.
“Something tells me that we will never be the only ones who feel that way. We will be surrounded by pack brothers and sisters and children who will be courageous in the face of evil.”
“If my Luna says, then so shall it be.”
Present day.
The room was quiet as Alina closed the book that told the story of the beginning of Vasile’s reign. She looked at the faces around the room. Beautiful young women whom she considered her own daughters. Just as if she had born every one of them, they belonged to her. She had wanted to share her story, wanted them to see that she and Vasile had not always been so in control and united. And she wanted them to know that regardless of how their journey with their mate began, and not matter how impossible things seemed to appear, they would survive, grow, and learn together.
“Why did you not share this with us sooner?” Jacque finally broke the silence. Alina imagined she was no doubt thinking about how similar their situations had been―she attacked by Lucas and herself attacked by Serghei, both marked by males that never should have touched them.
“The time simply was not right,” she told her gently, hoping she understood that Alina had not meant to hurt her by not sharing her own experience. “I wanted you each to be able to fully understand the dynamics of the relationship between a male Canis lupis and his true mate, and I did not think that possible until you each had your own mates.”
“I agree with you,” Jen spoke up. “I don’t think there is any way to understand something so deep without having experienced it.”
Alina nodded and smiled. “You have definitely dealt with your fair share of Alpha male attitude.”
They all laughed at her understatement.
Jen sat with her legs swinging off the edge of the couch and her back propped against the arm. She let out a wistful sigh. “Well, all I can say is that I hope when Decebel grows up he is like Vasile.”
This time the laughter had Sally and Jacque tearing up and Alina shaking her head at the young Alpha female.
“Alina,” Sally said after the laughter had died down. “What happened to all those pack members? I mean I know there are still some here that have been with you all since then, but Ion, and Nicu, what about them?”
Alina’s lips tightened briefly as she remembered the sorrow of some of those stories. “Ion found his true mate, and she was in another pack. He chose to go with her. Nicu the same. Alin perished in a dominance fight not too long after Vasile returned as Alpha. Sisily met her true mate in the Western Romania pack, but several years after they bonded he was attacked by a bear. He didn’t make it, so naturally neither did Sisily. Her parents requested to join a different pack because they felt such shame over Serghei. We tried to get them to stay but they refused. As far as I know, they are still alive, but they do not leave their pack territory. Many others share similar stories.”
“I’m sorry,” Sally told her. “I know that must have been very difficult, to lose those who had helped restore your pack.”
“Time heals much, gypsy, you know that,” Alina smiled.
“Well as usual, Alina,” Jacque said as she sat up to stretch after having been in one position so long. “You were right. You and Vasile have had many, many adventures.”
“And you’ve saved the world, like twice or something,” Jen tossed out. “You are totally due a vaca.”
“Well, daughters of mine, with a new pup in the pack and one on the way, I have a feeling that there will not be time for a vaca, as you call it. The Great Luna has plans for her wolves now that we have finally begun to work together. And anytime there is significant change in the packs, then we should be on or most vigilant guard. Something tells me that the pups born to this pack represent a very significant change.
“I really don’t like it when you say crap like that, because it usually means something bad, or ugly, or evil beyond all imagining is going to show up on our door step,” Jen huffed and threw her head back dramatically.
“So for clarification purposes,” Jacque said as she pursed her lips. “What I hear you saying is that there is no rest for the furry, correct?”
Alina nodded as she chuckled. “Very correct.”
“We should totally put that on a t-shirt.” Sally grinned.
“I concur, gypsy lady,” Jen said.
“I’ll only wear it if we get the males each their very own― in pink,” Jen added.
“You are simply diabolical Thelma,.” Jacque held out her fist to her.
“Okay so, we’ve heard the love story, and we still have a night of girl time before we have to go back to being responsible females.” Jen stood walking towards the kitchen with her empty hot chocolate mug.
“What do you have in mind?” Alina asked and, based on the groans around her, she knew it was one of those questions that should never be posed to Jen.
The wide grin that spread across Jen’s face and the brief glow of her eyes was enough to know that it was not going to bode well for them. “I am so glad you asked.”
The End
Thank you so very much for taking your time to read Luna of Mine! I hope that you enjoyed Vasile and Alina’s story and that it drew you closer to the Alpha pair. God bless!
Keep an eye out for Book 9 in the Grey Wolves Series, Book 3 in the Elfin Series and Book 2 in the Gypsy Healers Series. Check www.quinnloftisbooks.com to stay informed on book releases, cover reveals, book trailers, and more!
Now please enjoy the following excerpt from Amy Evans.
CLICKS
Amy Evans
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Excerpt – YA –SciFi Fantasy
CLICKS are the sounds the universe makes to tell you what happens next. They’re instincts, truths you hear in your heart. (Book 1)
ECHOES are louder and more dangerous than CLICKS. They can reverberate and cause damage if ignored. (Book 2 – available June 2014)
This is the story of Pinhold Island, the most perfect example of nature and time and the country’s #1 surf spot. It’s home to epic waves, black sand beaches and the friendliest pod of dolphins known to man. While sixteen year old Cami loves her Island home, she can’t wait to leave The annual Surf Carnival competition is her ticket, and she’s been training for years to win it and take the gold. But as the competition heats up, the best swimmers start going down, and it’s up to Cami to rescue them. Can she trust her instincts to find out what’s really wrong? Or will she lose everything important to her searching for proof?
Want the recipe for a great book?
Try this.
3 parts Mystery
2 parts Romance
1 part Paranormal
3 parts Action
A dash of Fun
This book is best when read ASAP. Read until done.
Enjoy!
What are clicks?
Waves that experienced surfers sense instinctively before they can be seen or heard. Winners trust their clicks and get in position, dropping in on the beginning swell and taking even the biggest monsters on a ride. Then there are the rest of us. We wait; jump on at the wrong time. Best case, we hang on. Worst, we’re sent crashing to the ocean floor trying desperately not to drown.
The ocean never clicked for me. Not like it did for my brot
her, or my grandmother, or the many ancestors who’d come before. Still, they expected me to commit for life, guarding the ocean and the land, just because I was first born. I wanted none of it. But I let them train me so that I could win the Surf Carnival and get the heck out of town.
So I begged the universe for clicks, and when they came, fast, furious, I couldn’t catch them fast enough. These waves weren’t tricks to be tamed. They were warnings from the universe that everything would change. But I didn’t listen with my heart or trust the messaging to stop the disasters before they came.
And even when I wasn’t in the water, it felt like I had drowned.
<<>>
One
When I walked out of my house, Blake whistled.
“Lookin’ good,” he said with a wink of his turquoise eye. The other, his right one, was half that same startling blue and half grayish silver, like my own.
Ours was a small island with a shallow gene pool. Endless summers gave everyone the same sun-kissed, tanned glow, even before you factored in the many sets of identical twins that comprised an unusually high portion of our population.
Blake was the poster child for life here on Pinhold. Literally. A blond, tan, sixteen-year-old swimming god featured in the ad campaign for this year’s Surf Carnival, the competitive swimming and surfing event drew international pros from both sports to our tiny town.
Blake’s twin, Kaleb, had left Pinhold when we were all thirteen. He’d been my best friend, just as Blake was my twin brother Mica’s.
Blake and Kaleb were mirror twins—identical polar opposites. Blake’s right eye matched Kaleb’s left, Kaleb’s nose hooked the tiniest bit right, while Blake’s had the same angle going the other way. They had corresponding crescent birthmarks in exactly the same place on their left and right knees.