Page 121 of Fated to the Warrior Wolf

“Gael and I have decided to bond. Tonight,” I added, shooting him an incredulous smile. I couldn’t help it. Was it absolutely insane? Yes. Was I ridiculously happy anyway? A thousand and one percent, yes.

She gasped, then threw her arms around me in a hug. “Congratulations! I’m so pleased for you both, truly,” she said, wiping at her misty eyes. “Do the girls know yet?”

I shook my head, pausing to give Gael a quick kiss on the cheek before he walked off with Kane and Marciana. “Let’s go tell them.”

Brielle and Shay were overjoyed, as expected, and nearly squeezed me to death with their hugs. But once the word spread through the crowd of maidens? I was lifted off my feet and carried through the enclave, while they sang averyribald song about bonding nights and hot bites.

They carried me all the way to the maiden’s suite, whichwas a lovely stone room overlooking a lush rose garden, where I was deposited inside and told not to leave until nightfall.

Thankfully, Brielle, Shay, and Olivia all followed me inside. Less fortunately, Galyna did too. Her friend Elodie also stayed with us as the rest of the women bustled off to prepare the grounds. Elodie practically floated around the room in her excitement, while Galyna stood near the door, arms crossed over her chest with a sour expression and lips pressed tightly together. I suddenly saw the resemblance to Gael, his disapproval familiar from our early days.

I wasn’t sure how it was possible for her to dislike us so quickly, but it seemed that she had taken an immediate dislike to me, as well as my best friends. Elodie, however, had contagious enthusiasm.

“I can’t believe it! We haven’t hosted a bonding inages. This is going to be so fun. Do you have a gown?”

I shook my head, and she did an actual, honest-to-Goddess backflip.From a dead standstill.

“Shouldn’t you take that giant sword thing off before you do flips?” I asked, mouth agape at her agility.

She just laughed and looked over at Galyna. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

Galyna waved her off, clearly not interested in getting to know us, so Elodie explained.

“We’re trained to do all sorts of acrobatics with our weapons in hand or in the sling. It’s secure, and the side facing us is blunted. To fight with it instead of hand to hand, we just do this.” She flicked a strap I couldn’t locate, then whipped the weapon around by its two handgrips so quickly, it blurred in midair.

“Holy shit, that’s impressive.” Shay finally spoke, stepping forward to admire the deadly weapon. “How long do you have to train with this thing?”

“Well, I’ve been here since I was fourteen, like Galyna. Mostdays, we train about seven hours, but it’s not all with the butterfly sword. We’re also proficient in hand to hand, as well as various small daggers and also bo staffs. We used to be loaned out by the Maiden’s Enclave to rich families as protection for their daughters and young children as a way of earning our keep here. That tradition has pretty much died out, so mostly, we’re just here, training all the time. But the butterfly wing is our signature weapon. Did you know it was invented by Chinese monks?”

“That isinsanelycool. Can I try it?” Shay and Elodie moved to the far side of the room to do some practice swipes, while Brielle sidled up next to me.

“Are you okay? I heard you had a harrowing night. I’d be happy to lend you a hand, as soon as our visitors leave, if you need any healing.”

“I think I’m okay, honestly. Still pretty tired and in desperate need of a toothbrush, but otherwise good. I don’t want you to risk exposing yourself to more people than necessary,” I added quietly.

She nodded, then turned to scan the beautiful room. The stone appeared to be hand stacked, with gorgeous arched windows across one entire wall that showed the garden. Uniformed women were all over it, stringing up lights in the trees and pulling out benches from somewhere. They were made of stone and looked heavy, but the women appeared to be whistling as they arranged them between the paths.

A sudden knock on the door turned us all toward it, but Galyna was closest, so she cracked it open, then sighed as she stepped to the side.

“Where is my bond-mate-to-be?” A tall, striking woman with ebony skin and tightly braided hair stepped inside, wearing the same warrior’s robes and carrying a massive trunk like it weighed nothing.

“Uhm, here?” I waved, and she snorted.

“Are you sure? Or should I ask your friends?” she teased as she dropped the chest with a loudthunk. “I’m here to fit you for your bonding dress, but if you’d rather wear sweats…”

“No! She wouldn’t. Please, come in,” Olivia said, waving her toward me. “She’s just had a long night. She definitely doesn’t want to bond in sweats. Right, Leigh?”

“Right,” I agreed, stepping forward and offering my hand to shake.

“Excellent. Well, stand on that stool, and let’s get down to it, then. I’ve got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time. And Galyna?”

“Yes, Priestess Lisanne?”

“Wipe that dour look off your face. This is a celebration, after all. Now, Leigh, is it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ma’am. Did you hear that? You Americans are adorable. Strip, and let’s see those mate marks. I’m going to make sure he’s drooling by the time you get to the flower mound. How do you feel about the color red? I feel like it’s going to look drop-dead gorgeous on you.”

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