Page 59 of Destined to the Lycan
“Sheesh!” Amara whispered.
To my delight, her overly dramatic crestfallen expression hinted that she actually wasn’t opposed to the idea.
“So no furry tail for me or wolf ears?” she added teasingly.
“None for you,” I replied before kissing the tip of her nose. “Werewolves are the ones who will change you when they pass on the curse.”
She tilted her head to the side while her fingers absentmindedly fiddled with the hair mixing with my wolf fur on my nape.
“Is that what you become on the full moon? A werewolf?”
I forced myself to keep a neutral expression. No words could express how much I hated this part of me. I only prayed that my mate would never get to witness it.
“Yes. I do. But it only lasts a few hours, from the moment the moon reaches its full phase until sunrise,” I added quickly. “There are plenty of warnings over the days leading up to the full moon, so it’s not like it just sneaks up on me. And you have nothing to fear. I will never hurt you, and I am not a threat. Or rather, I take every possible precaution to make sure I am not a danger to anyone in those twenty-four hours.”
All tension bled from me when my mate gently smiled in a reassuring fashion. “I know, Remus. I do not fear you. Even though we’ve only just met, I’m falling hard for you. I can’t remember being so in harmony with anyone. Just being with you makes me happy. And no, it’s not this whole Twin Flame business talking right now. This is just me, Amara, falling head over heels for the man you are, Remus. So I’ll be expecting that bonding bite soon.”
Once more, the silliest grin settled on my face while my chest overflowed with affection and a feeling I didn’t dare give a name to just yet.
“I share the same sentiments about you, Amara. My physiological reactions to you are only the confirmation of what I feel. With you, everything just feels so natural. I’ve never been happier than since I’ve met you,” I said, embarrassed by the slight trembling of my voice as I felt nearly choked by emotion.
Amara opened her mouth to ask a question, hesitated, and seemed to change her mind.
“What is it? What were you going to ask?” I inquired, curious.
Her face took on the most adorable air of shyness. “It’s just… I don’t need to sound pushy.”
“Speak, my mate. There’s nothing you can’t openly discuss with me, ever. You are my safe haven, and I am yours,” I said gently.
She licked her lips nervously, squared her shoulders, and went for it.
“Since we both want the same thing, I was wondering why wait to bond with each other?”
My heart melted when she immediately lowered her eyes, as if worried to read a potential rejection on my face. This silly female didn’t understand just how crazy I was for her and how badly I wanted to bind her to me for the rest of our days.
“Believe me, my mate, there’s nothing I want more. However, it cannot be done now. In many ways, we are like vampires. Our bonding bite freezes our partner in their current state,” I explained. “That’s the reason why we do not bond when one of the partners is sick or if they are too young.”
“I don’t understand,” Amara said with a frown. “Lycans are not immortal, right?”
“We’re not. Technically, neither are vampires as they can die. They’re just long-lived under specific conditions,” I corrected gently. “Immortality is for the gods. But Lycans naturally age a lot slower than humans. We have on average three times your lifespan. Bonding further increases that trait as we exchange regeneration fluids and our lifespans become synchronized.”
“So if we were to bond now, I would be frozen in this state of sickness?” Amara asked, horrified.
I nodded with a grim expression. “Sadly, yes.”
“Ugh, never mind that!” my mate muttered with a shudder, making me chuckle. She then suddenly sobered. “Could I make you sick, too?”
I shook my head. “No, my blood counters your poison. But at the pace we are going, I have faith that we will reach the plateau in four more days. And then, we can heal you.”
“I can’t wait for this nightmare to be over and for us to start working towards our future,” my Flame said wistfully.
I tightened my arms around her, and she tightened hers around my neck. By Ferazan, how I loved belonging to this woman.
“The past few days have been hard on you. And you have no idea how proud you make me, soldiering on the way you have,” I said, my voice dripping with admiration and respect. “Despite my seed neutralizing some of the poison, your health continues to falter. So I apologize in advance for the upcoming days. Tonight is a well-deserved reprieve before another grueling round.”
“Don’t be sorry for this. You are literally saving my life. I should be the one apologizing to you for putting you through all of this. However, if you really want to apologize for something, you can say sorry for getting frisky before we could bring in all the kindling we gathered.”
I snorted, my cheeks heating with embarrassment and guilt. “Fact! I’m indeed sorry for that, but I will go fetch it when we’re out of the water. After all, I’ve discovered a new passion for it.”
