Chapter 15

Willow

I took a deep breath, the fire crackled in the silence, and I had. Peace There was a stillness in being so close to Kaizen.

"I wanted to start off with a thank you. I don't think I ever did tell you that for saving meI don't know how but I'll pay you back." I looked down, but his clawed finger under my chin made me look him in his amber-red eyes His eyes changed colors often but each one was bright, almost showing his true nature of being a good man despite actually being a werewolf

"You are my responsibility. I swore to give you the good life. If you want Anything. Ask." He said simply, but he was so smooth with it he was suddenly suave I had to pause to actually have a thought to respond.

"Then I have a question. Why has your touch lately made me feel like this?" I asked.

"Like What?" He asked concerned.

I put his hand on my chest why was it beating so fast with just a touch, a kind word him just being a gentleman

Was This the strength of the mate bond?

I knew it was.

". I found you On the Harvest Moon, Exactly when the moon was at its highest even our birthdays are the same I think it was fate that brought you to me." He said with a small smile.

"To be fair, I'm half thinking I'll wake up from a crazy dream. It's almost unreal how close to you I feel Like I've known you all my life how I don't I don't miss my old life." I said putting my hand on his.

I had to admit that to myself I wasn't grieving or mourning the loss of my friends or ever seeing my family. When was the last time I Really felt like that?

He slowly pulled his clawed hands away, but he did smile. "Sorry I just don't want to hurt you." He admitted. "Plus you make me feel like I need to mark you again."

"Mark?" I asked. I knew what he meant, but he clarified anyway.

"To Bite you." He said with a raspy, almost snarl "You never marked me, so that part of all this is incomplete" He said quietly. "Plus, I wasn't in my right mind when I did it. I want this to be special."

"Is this why you brought us here?" I asked.

"No I wanted you to be safe out here was just a spontaneous idea. And it feels right if that makes sense."

"It does." I mumbled.

Something was different the idea of the marking process didn't scare me I almost wanted itIt didn't even hurt. I hadn't even Thought of that scar on my neck and I subconsciously put my hand on it. It was fully healed It has been likely since the unicorn tears, and I hadn't noticed......

"Take your time." I could see his fangs. But along with the small ping of fear, was a lightning jolt of arousal

He didn't mean to do it, but all I could think of when I saw those were the vampire's sneer the command he gave me. The cooler. The now refrigerated people parts in the hotel fridge that we were not even considered human, nor people in their eyes But with him he saw me as as his everything.

He vowed his life to me. And Again instead of fear, like I Should have I bit my lip as I looked shyly at him. He was quiet, leaning into my face to see what I would say. It made my heart race.

"I think I found my connection." I said quietly out loud, not meaning to.

He stared at his clawed hands.

"What do you feel when I do this." He said taking my hand, and kissing it.

Shock. I almost yanked my hand away

The connection I wanted was Real.

"Like I was struck by lightning." I admitted.

It was more like a wave of tingles. A rush of love that I felt from even admitting just that.

He looked me in my eyes a long time. They changed from amber, to red, then black then the whites of his eyes changed too They became a coffee brown, while his irises glowed red. It made me uncomfortable it made me feel like the man holding my hand really was a monster. But there was something else too like a little bit of me wanted to see more of who he really was, not just the façade

". Mine." He rumbled. It sent a tingle down my spine to my core. Holy cow

I'd never heard him make a sound like That and it seemed my body wanted more of it.

It was a demonic one I'd never heard his already deep voice. Seem deeper. It got the attention of the animals, who grew quiet. The songbirds no longer sang, and the forest became a silent hush..I looked him in his ruby eyes They were filled with concern as if his actions would shy me away. The candlelight between his horns came to life and flickered, while his horns seemed to grow a bit longer.

"Kaizen." I whispered, but he only peered into my eyes it felt like my soul was being judged.

". All the heart and half the soul it is the unbreakable law of 'mate'. There is no want for any other and if you were to die, I will mourn you for the rest of my life." He said with his claws fully extended "That is the great secret To love someone so fully, it means there's no room for any other. My affection grows for you with every breath as does the desire to be a marked and mated man."

"Mated?' I asked again I Knew what he meant He explained it vaguely when we met But all I could think about was the crook of his neck, and how we could match each other but I really would be firmly part of the supernatural world.

He looked the spitting image of the scary photos painted in the Old sun texts from the 1700's, kept in the Cathedral's library but there was no fear. Not anymore.

I was already dead to my people I was already shown on TV Shots of my gravestone and my crying parents . I could never go back Back to that life but worst of all, back to the crippling loneliness that comes with being single.

"Let me mark you." I mumbled.

He placed me in his lap

Under the falling leaves in a clearing, he held both my hands.

"In the entire century I have lived, I never felt this way not for anyone and I assume you either." He said looking into my eyes. "The goddess makes these bonds before we're born But the choice is yours" he said looking down.

I wouldn't reject his feelings.

He was no angel He was an actual demon, a creature of the night, holding me like the smitten woman I was. I was Already partially marked already smitten plus on top of everything this was what I Wanted What I'd always wanted.

Why was I hesitant?

"No none of my dates ever blossomed into anything." I said shyly. But with him that connection it burned at every inch of skin that was touched by him, screaming to do this.

"Then let me bite you." He said thumbing my knuckles. "Let me mark you little mate. I want to do it Right this time"

He mentioned it before. But I didn't understand.

All I could think of were the butterflies in my stomach. His hold, his touch had my body alight, hotter than the campfire in front of us.

He took a breath. "I should clarify all this before you freak out Marking and mating make the bond permanent. We bite each other. It leaves a mark. That mark shows the supernatural world you are not Just a human that you're my partner.and your mark tells females I'm taken. You eventually need Both, but the bite, or marking will tell others that we are together. It will hurt like an ear piercing, but um" He looked away.

"What?" I asked.

"it also triggers the desire to have sex, the other half. This is Old magic" he admitted. "To be honest, it Is possible to resist if your will is strong enough."

"um" I said looking away too

"I can smell it. I know you're already horny." He smiled. His fanged grin was sinister like he was already planning what to do with me. "But I won't do anything you don't want. I'd rather not wait but if I have to I will." He said truthfully.

I was silent. He put all the decision making on me

He gently took my hands, placing them on his rapidly beating heart. and such a simple action made me feel as if nature itself wanted us to be together. Leaves wistfully fell. I could hear the light breeze touch the branches above, and the birds sang in our silence.

"If I have to wait a thousand years, I will endure it for your sake." He held my hands and I looked at them.

"Then I " I said looking him in his red eyes He was more than a werewolf Even to other monsters he was a monster

My monster

"I want to do the whole ritual." I said firmly.

He looked surprised, but his kiss was gentle. He held me softly and he felt so good the tingles this time held more