Luna of Mine (35 page)

“
Would
you please
go check on Cosmina? I did not
give her any grain this evening. And while you are up could you
make sure the lanterns in the gathering hall have plenty of
kerosene so that they will not burn out during tomorrow’s feast? Oh
and one more thing, I love you, and I cannot wait to be completely
yours.”

He was growling and
clawing the sheets until that last part. How could he stay
irritated with her when she said something so sweet and something
she knew he needed to hear? He let out a deep sigh and finally
resigned himself to one last night of bachelorhood.

W
hile waiting for his mate to arrive, Vasile told
Perizada,
“
T
hank you for coming.” They stood by
the river that had been Alina’s favorite spot. It was finally
happening. Today he would be bound to her and she to him and
nothing would ever separate them.

“
It is
an honor, Vasile,” she told him respectively, but true to her
pompous nature she added, “though the main reason I am here is to
make sure your mate knows not to put up with the overbearing, often
times obnoxious, and almost always ridiculous behavior of the males
of your species. In particular―you.”

“
I am
not sure that your advice will be needed. My female is quite
outspoken without another’s encouragement,” he grumbled as he
remembered his night with a bed very empty of his
mate.

“
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.

A
lina 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.”

T
hat 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

“
D
o 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.”