Did that even make sense?
“Make the cut. Do it quickly. Mine’s already healing.”
Crap. I didn’t have any more time. If I wanted to live—and I really did—I had to do this. And if I was honest with myself, I wanted it, too.
I counted to three and slashed the knife across my palm. Before I could do anything else, he grasped my left hand in his.
“What’s mine is yours and yours is mine. From earth to air to fire to water. Moon and sun. I will be yours to the end of time.”
I gasped as his aura rolled over mine. All I could see was gold. I felt his aura. I’d been thinking that it was sunlight, but it really was like the sun. Warm. Kind. He had this deep well of patience and respect for others that I wasn’t sure I had. It was beautiful.
My mother had always told me to look for a good man. I never really knew what she meant, but I did now. Lucas was a good man. A really good, tenderhearted, strong man.
And then I felt it. The pack. Each bond running from him to the various members. Hundreds of them. Like little tendrils, reaching out across a great space. They were all moving. Running through the forest. They were following the bond with their Alpha. It overrode whatever magic was hiding this valley. I could almost feel the wind brushing against their fur as they headed straight for us.
But they wouldn’t get here in time.
“Knowing what I have to offer, will you accept me and this bond?”
He was quiet, not even breathing, as he waited for me to answer. I almost didn’t. Feeling what he felt—knowing how strong and good he was—I didn’t feel worthy. But I wanted to be.
“Yes.”
It was as if a tether wrapped around my heart. I could nearly feel it pulling my soul out of my body as his soul wrapped around me.
Then something snapped so loud I could almost hear it break.
The oath to Luciana. Her anger rolled at me, but fell short. I was free of her. After years, it was over. Just like that.
I wanted to cry and laugh. The relief I felt was so strong, for a moment, it was as if I were weightless.
Then the pressure of the mate bond increased. My breaths came in quick pants. It was too much. He was too much. All this power. I couldn’t—
“With these words the bond is complete. I share all my power with my mate.”
It rushed at me. Filling me up. The empty well was now overflowing.
I blinked a few times as his aura faded a little from view.