Page 32 of Claws for Celebration
The grimoire's response sent shivers down her spine.
Mate bonds are gifts from the oldest magic, connecting souls across lifetimes and species. When a shifter recognizes their destined partner, the universe conspires to bring them together. The witch who accepts such a bond gains not only love but magical amplification beyond mortal comprehension.
"Mate bonds," Moira whispered, the pieces of a cosmic puzzle clicking into place. The way Lucien looked at her sometimes, with an intensity that went beyond romantic interest. The protective instincts that seemed to overtake him whenever she was confused or frightened. His panther's recognition of her, as if the animal side of his nature had been waiting for her specifically.
But beware, daughter of shadows. Power shared is power doubled, but also responsibility multiplied. The awakened witch who bonds with her shifter mate becomes guardian of more than just herself. She becomes protector of all who shelter beneath her magic's embrace.
"Protector," she repeated, thinking about the unconscious ward-work she'd been weaving around Hollow Oak, the way her magic seemed to extend protective energy to encompass the entire downtown area. "You're saying this is just the beginning."
The beginning of everything your bloodline was meant to become.
Before Moira could ask more questions, the brass bell dinged, announcing Lucien's return. She quickly closed the grimoire, though the words it had shown her continued echoing in her mind as he approached carrying a paper bag that smelled like heaven and a coffee carrier with two steaming cups.
"Twyla's breakfast special," he announced, settling into the chair across from her with easy familiarity. "Eggs Benedict with her famous hollandaise sauce, fresh fruit, and coffee that could wake the dead."
"Bless her," Moira said, accepting the coffee gratefully. The first sip was pure magic, rich and complex with undertones she couldn't identify but that made her entire body feel more alert and grounded.
"She also sent along a message," Lucien continued, unpacking their breakfast with careful efficiency. "Somethingabout hoping you slept well and that the mountain air agreed with you."
Heat flooded Moira's cheeks. "She knows, doesn't she? About what happened between us?"
"Twyla has excellent instincts about people and their emotional states. Plus, you're glowing with residual magic in a way that suggests significant life changes." His smile was fond rather than embarrassed. "But she's discreet. Whatever she suspects, she won't share it with anyone."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the intimacy of sharing breakfast after their passionate night creating a domestic atmosphere that felt both new and familiar. But as the food settled and her magical senses fully awakened, Moira found herself returning to the grimoire's revelations.
"Lucien," she said carefully, "what do you know about mate bonds?"
He went very still, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. "Why do you ask?"
"The grimoire showed me some interesting information this morning. About shifters and witches, and the kinds of connections that can form between them." She studied his face, noting the subtle tension that had appeared around his eyes. "It mentioned something about destiny and souls recognizing each other across impossible circumstances."
"And what did you think about that information?"
"I think it explains a lot about what I've been feeling since I arrived in Hollow Oak." Moira set down her coffee cup with deliberate care. "This connection between us, it's not just attraction or even ordinary love, is it?"
"No," he said quietly. "It's not ordinary."
"Are you going to tell me what it actually is, or are you going to keep protecting me from information you think I can't handle?"
The directness of her question seemed to surprise him. "I'm trying to find the balance between honesty and overwhelming you with concepts that take most people years to fully understand."
"Try me."
Lucien studied her face with the intensity she'd grown accustomed to. "In shifter culture, there's a belief that every person has one perfect complement in the world. Someone whose soul fits with theirs so completely that being apart feels like missing a vital organ."
"A mate."
"Yes. And when shifters find their mates, especially if that mate has magical abilities of their own, the bond that forms between them can amplify both of their supernatural gifts exponentially."
Moira felt the last pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. "That's what you recognized in me. Not just magical ability, but compatibility. The potential for this kind of bond."
"The potential," he agreed carefully. "But Moira, mate bonds aren't something that can be forced or hurried. They develop naturally when both people are ready to accept what they mean."
"And what do they mean?"
"Partnership in every sense of the word. Emotional, physical, magical, spiritual. A connection that goes deeper than marriage or any human concept of commitment." His voice grew soft with an emotion she was beginning to recognize as carefully restrained longing. "It means never being truly alone again, but also never being truly independent in the way you've known your entire life."
The weight of that explanation settled over her like a blanket, heavy with implications. "And you think we could have that? This kind of bond?"
