He bucked wildly, unable to keep himself in check anymore. She knew then that his bear instincts were taking over. He was lost in his need to fill her with his seed and she relished in the fact that she could bring him such pleasure. She soon reached her climax again and the contracting of her inner walls brought him over the edge of passion with her. As he filled her with his warmth, she prayed that she would be allowed to keep him forever. Gently, he pulled her against him and threw the covers over their naked bodies.
She was not entirely sure when she had drifted off to sleep, but she awoke in the darkness to find his eyes locked on her. “That was wonderful,” she whispered, cuddling close to him.
“Yes, it was. It always is,” he said with a gently smile.
“You're going to defeat him. I know it,” she said, resting her head on his chest. She heard his heartbeat quicken and wondered what on earth had caused it when he spoke again.
”Do you want me to?” he asked, so low she almost could not make out what he said.
“What are you saying?” she asked as she sat straight up, sure that she had heard him wrong. He sat up too and took her hands in his.
“I'm saying that if you wanted him, if you wanted to be free of me I would let you go,” he said and his words turned the blood in her veins to ice. She had thought their lovemaking was a new start for them, but for him, it had been a goodbye. He had just wanted to use her body one more time before letting her go to Bertram and she had been too lost in her love for him to see that.
“I don't want that, but if you want to be free of me, I will go without a fuss. Your father made a good point earlier. You should not risk your life for someone you don't love,” she said, her eyes unable to meet his. She would not let him know how much her heart was breaking.
She would go to Bertram as the custom demanded, but sneak off before sunset of their first night together. She would rather live alone in the woods than to live with a man she did not love. She could not do it after knowing the sweetness of love, even if her mate had not returned the feeling to her.
“Are you crazy?” he asked, gripping her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at him. His expression was livid and she couldn't for the life of her imagine what he had to be so angry about. He was the one about to cast her off. It made her temper rise and she could feel herself about to snap.
“I don't think so. My sister asked me before what I thought you would do if our mating were challenged. I told her I thought you would let me go. It would be the practical thing to do and you are a practical man. I understand that. I would not think ill of you for it,” she said coldly. It was the truth and he should know it.
“No, it would not be practical,” he whispered, a sad smile on his face.
“Why not?” she demanded, too angry now to try and behave as a proper mate should. If he was going to send her off, she was going to get her answers first.
“Because I would not have any life worth living without you in it,” he said as his eyes met hers.
She could not believe the words that were coming from his mouth. She sat stone still, afraid any sudden movement might wake her from this dream. “What are you saying?” she whispered, afraid to assume what it could mean.
“Don't you know?” he asked, looking a bit shocked.
“Know what?” she asked, holding her breath.
“I love you, Kalia,” he said, plainly but with such conviction that she felt it to her bones.
“You do?” she stammered, unsure of what else to say.
“Yes. Is that so shocking? I'm capable of such things, you know,” he said, looking a little irritated with her.
“I know you are,” she assured him. “I just hadn't thought you felt like that about me,” she explained.
He gave her a look of confusion as he took her hands in his again.
“How could I not? You're perfect,” he said, gazing at her very much like a man in love.
“That cannot be true,” she said, shaking her head.
“It is. You have given my life meaning. You've completed me,” he said gently, pulling her close to him.
“You're talking about how I feel about you, not how you feel about me,” she said, still unwilling to believe him.
“You are smart and sweet and the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said, his voice full of admiration.
She met his gaze again and searched his face for the truth. It was then that she realized that he meant it, because the expression on his face reminded her very much of the way that her father had looked at her mother. It took her breath away and she threw her arms around him and pulled herself close to him.
“I don't quite know what to say,” she said, in awe of what had just happened between them.
“You should know the whole truth,” he continued, looking grim.
“What are you saying?” she asked, unsure what more he could have to tell her.
“I have always admired you,” he said tentatively.
“Me?” she asked in shock.
He had never given her any indication he noticed her before their mating; that he even knew she was alive. It seemed impossible to think back on that time and imagine he had admired her.
“Yes. Even when we were young children, I found you so lovely. You always had such a strong spirit. You were fearless and ferocious and still sweet and kind. You have always touched my heart,” he said, still holding her close.
“But you never even spoke to me,” she persisted.
“It wouldn't have been proper. Besides, I'm not entirely sure I could've walked away if I had. If I had gotten close to you, I don't think I could've let you be some other bear's mate. I would probably have thrown you over my shoulder and run away with you. That's why it took me so long to enter the mating ritual. I couldn't do it, worrying that my mate would not be you. Finally, I realized if I did not take a chance, you would be mated to someone else and I would be forced to spend a lifetime regretting I didn't try,” he said as he finished his tale. He pulled away from her then and stared down at her.
“My god,” she exclaimed in disbelief.
“Have I scared you?” he asked gently, brushing the hair from her face so that he could read her expression better.
“No, I just can't quite believe it's true,” she said in amazement.
“It is. I've never said truer words,” he vowed to her and she knew that every word of it was true. He was a man of honor and honorable men did not lie about such things. Still, there were so many things that did not make sense when one considered his claim that he had loved her through it all.
“But you were so distant. You didn't even spend the first night of our mating with me,” she pointed out.
“My feelings were so strong. I was afraid you would realize what was in my heart and it would terrify you. I didn't want you to know what I had done,” he sighed, looking guilty about something.
“What did you do?” she asked, unsure what could have caused him to look so guilty.
“I begged my father to see that you were my mate,” he admitted, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.
“But that is not allowed!” she gasped. She could not imagine proper Luke, son of the chief, breaking the rules in such a way.
“I didn't care. I needed to voice my desires to him. I had to try. I needed to do all that I could to make you mine,” he said, his voice strong and his guilt fading. He looked very much a warrior in that moment and she wanted nothing more than to love him for the rest of her days.
“Oh my goodness,” she said, still in shock.
“Are you horrified by me now?” he asked gently, clearly afraid that he had repulsed her with his confession.
“No, not at all,” she gasped in shock. How could such a smart man believe such a silly thing?
“If you wanted to be free of me, I would let you go. You've seen Bertram. He's not a bad looking man and he's a good fighter. That might appeal to a female,” he said, though he looked like he would rather kill Bertram than allow that to happen. The fact that he would even say such a thing told her that his love for her was so deep that he valued her happiness over his own.
“No, I don't want that,” she whispered to him, taking his hand once again in hers and savoring the knowledge that his hand would be hers to hold forever.
“Are you sure?” he asked seriously.
“Yes, I only want you,” she admitted, her voice strong and clear so that he could not mistake her words or her meaning.
“You do?” he asked in shock. Though he had known he loved her, it was very clear to her that he had not even considered the possibility that she had come to love him.
“Yes, I love you,” she said, smiling at him with all the love in her heart.
“You do,” he said again, but this time it was not a question. This time, it was his heart recognizing the love on his own.
“Yes. I love you. I am so happy with you. I never thought I would get so lucky. I never expected to love my mate so quickly. I thought it would grow slowly but it burns inside me. I need you,” she said, unable to stop the flood of words. Then, he kissed her deeply and she clutched him tight. When their kiss ended, she said, “How did I get so lucky?”
“I think fate has been with us,” he said with a smile.
“It'll be with us tomorrow, too,” she said, holding him tight and wishing that they could make the night last forever.
“If it isn't, I will bend fate to my will. You have just told me you love me. I have no intention of letting you go now. Fair or foul, we are one and will be for the rest of our lives. You are mine and I am yours,” he said, looking as ferocious as she had ever seen him.
“Be safe tomorrow. I want our lives together to be very long,” she warned, knowing that his temper was the one thing that could get in the way of his defeating Bertram.
“As do I. I want every minute I can have with you,” he said as his lips found their way to her neck once more.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
“And I love you just a bit more,” he vowed.
“Go to sleep now, please?” she implored, pulling away from his wondering mouth.
“Whatever for? Don't you think we should celebrate,” he said as he leaned in and pressed his lips to her skin again.
“You need to be well rested for tomorrow,” she said, though her resolve was weakening.
“Oh, I think a shot of adrenaline is all I need to keep me going,” he murmured against her skin.
“That's not fair. You know I want you again, now and always. Still, you need your rest,” she said, doing her best to stand firm.
“If it'll make you happy,” he sighed, laying back and gathering her to him.
“Then, after you defeat him we will spend the next week without leaving this tent,” she commanded, earning her a broad grin and a sound kiss.
“I very much like the sound of that,” he said as they both lay down and hoped for sleep.
*
In the morning, they treated it like any other. She made him a hearty breakfast and they did all they could to keep from focusing on what was to come. She wanted to savor every second they had together. She was confident he would win, but it made her sick to think of him risking his life. When the time came to depart, they made the journey to the elder’s lodge hand in hand. The place where they would do battle was located just beyond it. They did not speak. Instead, they enjoyed the silence and listened closely to the beat of each other’s hearts.
Slowly, they approached the ceremonial ring of battle. Crowds had already gathered when they approached. Luke was silent, gripping her hand tightly and keeping her as close to him as he could. The fact that Bertram was somewhere nearby had him even more on edge than the battle he was about to engage in, despite the fact that the rules of battle forbade Bertram from interacting with either of them before entering the ring of battle.
The rules of the fight were simple. They could not use any weapons. It had to be a battle won with their bare hands. The mate whose mating had been challenged was the one to choose the form in which they were to fight. Luke had chosen their human forms because he felt he had more flexibility in that form and knew he would need it to maneuver Bertram as he planned. To win, the other fighter had to draw their last breath in the battle ring. She did not want to watch anyone die, but she could not lose Luke. She loved him too much.
Luke pulled her through the crowd, which parted for them. He went to the viewing platform that was designated for the chief and the elders to watch from. There stood his father, his eyes locked on his son. When they stood before them, neither of them said a word. The father and son locked eyes and seemed to be sharing all they needed to. Then, Luke's eyes turned back to her.
“Are you alright?” he whispered to her.
“You're about to fight for your life and you're asking me if I am alright?” she said, wondering how she ever got lucky enough to have the love of such a man.
“You're all that really matters,” he said, smiling down at her.
“I'm fine. Just promise you're coming back to me,” she commanded.
“I promise you there's nothing, even death, that will keep me from you,” he swore without any trace of humor in his voice.