Page 63 of Stolen By The Beast
It was a tranquil existence, far removed from the world that had once threatened to tear us apart. We’d traveled north to find the perfect place to make home.
Our shelter, nestled against twin towering pines, had become a sanctuary of comfort and warmth. Over the winter and into the spring, we had lovingly improved it.
It was summer once more, and it had finally become the reflection of the love that enveloped us both inside and out.
Handwoven blankets covered the floor, providing a soft haven for our bodies to rest upon. The shelves we had carved into the wood were now adorned with small trinkets from our travels.
A simple hearth, fueled by the wood we had gathered together, cast a gentle, flickering glow that illuminated our home.
And our bond, forged through the trials and tribulations Juniper had spoken of, had become the cornerstone of our existence.
At night, we shared stories by the firelight, our voices weaving a tapestry of our pasts as well as our futures together.
Through the laughter, the tears, and the quiet moments of shared solitude, I had come to realize that Juniper had brought a profound change into my existence.
Her love, pure and unwavering, had illuminated the dark corners of my soul, revealing the goodness that had long been buried beneath layers of my inner abyss.
As the seasons cycled through their eternal dance, a conversation between Juniper and me weighed on my mind.
The agelessness that bound me to the darkness of the forest stood in stark contrast to the finite nature of Juniper’s existence.
I watched her as time passed, spellbound by how much she loved life. Her laughter, her dreams, her joys—they were all a testament to the fragile yet profound nature of humanity.
The thought of a world where her laughter no longer echoed through the forest, where her warmth no longer filled our shelter, made me sad.
But her love was a lifeline that tethered me to the light, which I cherished with every fiber of my being.
In the stillness of our nights, as we lay together in our shared cocoon of blankets, I couldn’t help but contemplate our future and the day when my mate’s presence would be but a memory.
It was a day I dreaded with all my heart.
And yet, I knew that when it came, I would follow her into the abyss. The darkness within me, the very thing that had driven me to solitude for countless years, would finally have its wish.
I would willingly embrace the void, surrendering to the emptiness that had always lurked within and follow my Chosen into the afterlife.
For now, though, I chose to live in the moment, and savor every precious second I had with the tiny, infuriating female who’d burrowed her way into my life.
In her arms, I’d found my home, and in her love, I had found my salvation. Whispering this into her ear while she dozed, Juniper stirred in my arms.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered in a sleep-rasped voice.
“About us—our time together.”
“Oh?”
“I just realized something.”
“What’s that?”
Her eyebrows were raised as she waited for me to respond, and I took a moment to just stare at my mate, feeling my answer in every corner of my being.
“We haveforevertogether.”
“Do we, now?”
“Absolutely.”
“Are we never dying?”
