Page 75 of Claws for Celebration
"I like the sound of that," she replied, then gasped as she felt the full impact of their completed bond. Their magical signatures had merged into something greater than either couldachieve alone, while their emotional connection had deepened beyond anything she'd thought possible.
The reception that followed was exactly what Hollow Oak needed after crisis and uncertainty. Music and laughter filled the clearing as the community celebrated love triumphing over darkness. Twyla had outdone herself with a feast that seemed to magically replenish itself, while Elena and Cordelia had created decorations that responded to the couple's emotions with gentle glows and sparkles.
As the hours passed and the celebration continued around them, Moira found herself marveling at how naturally she and Lucien had fallen into the patterns of their new dynamic. He was protective without being controlling, dominant without diminishing her strength. And she discovered that submitting to his care in certain moments didn't make her weak but actually freed her to be more fully herself.
When he pulled her into his arms for their first dance as a mated pair, she felt the rightness of it in her bones.
"Happy?" he asked, spinning her slowly beneath the stars.
"Completely," she replied, then smiled at the possessive way his hands settled on her waist. "Though I think your panther might be planning something."
"My panther is planning several things," he said with a grin that was equal parts promise and threat. "All of them involving getting you alone so we can properly celebrate our new status."
"Is that so?" she asked, heat pooling low in her belly at the hunger in his eyes.
"That's so," he confirmed, leaning down to speak directly into her ear. "Because while this ceremony made us officially mated, I have every intention of spending the rest of the night making our marriage official in every way possible."
As dawn began to lighten the eastern sky and the celebration gradually wound down around them, Moira felt anticipationbuilding. They'd given the community its celebration, honored the traditions that made their bond sacred, and sealed their promises beneath the moon's witness.
Now it was time for the honeymoon.
"Take me home, husband," she said, the word sending a thrill through both of them.
"With pleasure, wife," he replied, and the possessive satisfaction in his voice made her shiver with anticipation for everything the dawn would bring.
45
MOIRA
The apartment behind the bookstore had been transformed in their absence. Candles flickered on every surface, casting dancing shadows across the walls and filling the space with warm, golden light. Rose petals scattered across the floor created a path from the door to their bedroom, and the air carried the scent of jasmine and mountain laurel that spoke of Twyla's thoughtful preparations.
"Did you plan this?" Moira asked softly, her voice filled with wonder as she took in the romantic scene.
"Twyla," Lucien admitted, closing the door behind them and turning the lock with deliberate care. "She mentioned something about proper wedding night preparations while we were getting ready."
"Remind me to thank her," Moira said, then caught her breath as he moved toward her with the predatory grace that marked him as something more than human.
"My wife," he said, the words carrying wonder and possession in equal measure as his hands came up to frame her face. "My mate. Mine."
"Yours," she agreed, her voice breathless as she leaned into his touch. "Completely and forever yours."
The kiss that followed was different from all the others they'd shared. Deeper, more claiming, carrying the weight of promises made beneath the moon and sealed in magic that would last beyond their mortal lives.
"I need you," she whispered, her hands fisting in the leather of his ceremonial vest. "I need to feel you, all of you, the way we're meant to be together."
His panther seemed to approve of her words. "Then let me love you the way you deserve," he said, with barely contained hunger. "Let me show you what it means to be cherished."
His hands moved to the fastenings of her gown with reverent care, each button and tie an act of worship rather than simple undressing. The silk whispered against her skin as it fell away, revealing the woman beneath who had become his entire world.
"Beautiful," he breathed, his fingers tracing the silver mating mark that curved along her shoulder. "So incredibly beautiful."
She helped him out of his own ceremonial clothing with hands that trembled slightly, her touch sending fire through his veins as she explored the familiar territory of his chest and shoulders with new ownership.
When she pressed her lips to his neck, he groaned with the intensity of sensation that shot straight through their bond.
"I can feel what you're feeling," she marveled, her mouth moving against his throat in ways that made coherent thought difficult. "It's like experiencing pleasure twice."
"That's exactly what it is," he managed, lifting her into his arms and carrying her toward their bed with careful strength. "Everything I feel, you feel. Everything you experience flows through me."
