Page 446 of Primal Bonds

“I was dying.” Rosana moved closer to Adric. “He saved my life. We’re bonded now. You can’t undo it.”

“But we would like your blessing,” Adric added.

Tiago sneered. “What about your clan?”

“They’ll treat my mate with respect, or they’ll find a new clan.” Adric touched his quartz. “I swear on my mother’s grave.”

Beside him, Marjani and Jace nodded agreement.

Dion gave curt nod. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Rosana beamed. “It will work,” she assured her brothers. “You’ll see.”

As they started forward again, she lifted her face to a ray of sunshine. With a shock, Adric realized it was morning, the sun rising in a winter-blue sky.

His lungs expanded. Inside, his cat gave a luxurious stretch.

A dizzying exhilaration filled him. This was happiness, he realized. This light-as-air feeling.

The night fae had been defeated—for now, at least. His sister was free of the death sentence hanging over her, and he’d neutralized Lady Blaer. They’d even bought Merry some time before she’d have to deal with Prince Langdon.

And not only had he survived, he’d somehow won this smart, beautiful, caring woman as his mate.

Rosana turned to look at him. Curious at first, and then she broke into a wondering smile.

“You’re happy. I feel it. Here.” She pressed her fingers to her breastbone.

“Hell, yeah.” He touched his lips to hers, taking that smile inside him. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes,” she murmured against his mouth. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 47

The mate ball was held at the Court of the Rising Sun.

Queen Cleia had offered, and Rosana had been so thrilled that Adric had agreed, even though he’d assumed they’d hold the ceremony out of his den. Still, at the end of the night, she’d be going home with him, and that was all he cared about.

The ritual was scheduled for sunset on the spring equinox. Adric slid a finger under the collar of his bronze button-up shirt as he waited for Rosana in the crowded, flower-filled tent. A fae light drifted by, a soft pink dotted with lazily spiraling bits of gold. More fae lights cast a hazy rose hue on the assembled clans—his, hers, and a sizable number of sun fae.

At his side were Zuri and Jace, and nearby were Rosana’s attendants, Merry and Jenny. Dion and Marjani were joint officiants.

Dion was imposing in a deep blue shirt and dark slacks, his long hair flowing over his shoulders, his big feet bare. His pint-sized daughter was cuddled in one arm, her bright eyes taking in everything.

“Savonett.” The other alpha nodded, unsmiling. “All the best on your mate-day.”

He nodded back. “Thank you.”

He turned to Marjani, stunning in an African wax-print dress with cheerful red poppies splashed on a green background. It was still a shock to see his sister in something besides brown, gray or camo-green.

“Jani.” He embraced her. “You look—”

“Gorgeous?” She hugged him back. “Glowing?”

He grinned. “Yeah. All that.” He stepped back to scan the meadow for Rosana again, but she was closeted with Cleia and her former nurse Isa in the queen’s fanciful, four-tiered white mansion.

After they’d left Virginia, Dion had taken Rosana back to Rock Run to rest and prepare for the mating celebration. She’d visited Adric every few days, but at his request, it had been a week now since he’d last seen her. He’d spent the time making his den ready for her.

But damn, he ached for her. And not just his cock, which had been half-hard all day. No, it was his heart that ached. It hurt to be separated from his mate.

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