Page 47 of Verses and Blooms
“I love you,” I whispered. He pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck and spoke into my ear.
“I love you, too, Wildling. You have my soul now and I never want it back.”
We stayed like that until his knot let me go. Then I turned in his hold and pressed my face to his chest, relaxing into the nest with the sound of his heart against my ear.
“Is she awake?” Ares asked as he came in to check on us. The bond we’d forged burned a little brighter now that he was close and I smiled up at him.
“Yes,” I answered before laying back against Ledger, focusing on the bonds that filled me.
I knew it would be beautiful and perfect. There was a heady mix of lust and happiness, but also a complicated jumble of feelings that was a tribute to our pasts. It wasn't overwhelming, it was just a part of the multitude of layers that were a part of our bond.
This would be a reminder every day that I made it out, and I found a pack that accepted me, scars, trauma, and all. Just as I accepted them.
It took me a second to realize that I could feel every one of my mates. I sat up, staring down at Ledger with wide eyes.
My hand went to my chest, resting there. “Ansel.”
Ledger nodded. “He said he wanted me to bite him, to make him a part of our pack. Now you have us all.”
Warmth spread through me and I sent a wave of excitement and pride straight to my omega.
I was so fucking proud of him proud of us all. No matter what life threw at us we found our way together and this heat that was probably intense for all of them and probably for me, even if I didn’t remember most of it,
Yet, we came out on the other side, bonded and ready to face anything this life tried to throw with us.
This was what a bond should feel like, what love should feel like, and I would never accept anything less
Chapter Seventeen
Audrey
It was so hard to push past the post-heat fatigue and open my eyes. My heat had spiked again and went on for what I was positive were several days. Now here I was, body perfectly sore and the feel of our bonds warming me from the inside out.
I had bonded mates.
Holy shit, I didn’t think that was something I’d ever admit to.
They saw all of my trauma and scars and chose me anyway. Just like I chose them.
I soaked in that feeling wrapped in my warm nest for a little longer. It was too perfect not to.
It would be torture to go back to ARC and not have access to my nest. I could at least put some of it on my bed but I wasn’t optimistic enough to think I’d get more than that.
It wasn’t until a warm hand started stroking my face that I was finally able to open my eyes.
Caspian was there, gently brushing his fingers over my cheek, a small smile on his face.
“There you are. Are you feeling better?”
I didn’t answer right away as I stretched, taking stock of my body. It wasn’t just a little sore, but it was also something that I enjoyed. A reminder of my heat. Especially when I could only remember bits and pieces.
“Yes,” I admitted reluctantly.
He chuckled softly and pulled me into his chest. “I get it. You being over the heat means we have to go back to our reality.”
“I’m not ready,” I said as I fought back the burn of tears. Clearly, my emotions weren’t back to normal yet, either. “It’s been nice. It felt like we were finally a family. A pack like we were meant to be.”
“We’ll be that again,” he promised as he kissed my hair. It was so casual, as if we’d done this a million times.
