Chapter Twenty Six

After a delicious serving of pan seared salmon, Bastion and I exited the dining hall. He gripped my tiny hand in his large all-encompassing one, pulling me behind him as he crossed the lengthy corridors.
“Bas, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I giggled when he gave me a dimply smirk.
“Just a few more seconds, baby. Patience.” I playfully growled, skipping to keep up with him. That was when the familiar crescent shaped door ornament came into view.
“The chapel? Why?” I slowed my step, but Bastion didn’t slow down, instead bending to cradle me in his arms as he rushed to the oak door. I buried my face into his neck, biting my cheek in second-hand excitement. It had been awhile since I had seen him so overjoyed, making me wonder what the chapel would have to do with it. Wait-
“You aren’t planning an impromptu wedding, are you?” I questioned with a grin, which he returned.
“Not exactly, though I wouldn’t be opposed to that, baby. Are you proposing?” I slapped his back, eliciting a loud chuckle that vibrated my entire torso.
After a brief but powerful knock, Jesse came into view. His eyes trailed over my elevated position, a slight blush brushing his cheeks.
“Ah, King, Queen. I’m so glad you got my message. Please, come in.” He stepped back as we filtered in before shutting the door behind us and clapping his hands together. “You have no idea how many times I’ve reached out to Luna since discovering the breaking of your bond. I’m over the moon that she finally replied, and not only that, but agreed to reinstate it on the grounds that you both accept the full responsibility of the connection.”
What? This couldn’t be real. My shocked eyes found Bastion’s doting ones.
“Really? We can get it back?” I didn’t think it would even be a possibility. Jesse nodded.
“She’s been watching you two since the rescue, and is very pleased with how your love has prevailed without the bond.” The smile on Jesse’s face could not have been wider and was mimicked throughout the room.
“We can get it back, baby. We can be mates again.” He cooed into my hair, squeezing me tightly against his rapidly beating heart. This seemed too simple, a far cry from how the goddess normally did things, but I didn’t want to ruin things by asking questions, so I nodded emphatically.
“There’s nothing I want more. I love you.” My hands sought either side of his face, gently pulling him in to my waiting lips for a tender kiss. “What do we have to do?” I asked, keeping my eyes focused on Bastion’s hazel green ones.
Jesse crossed to the front of the rows of chairs, standing directly under the neon full moon on the back wall. “We need you to complete your mating vows manually.”
“So it *is* like a wedding.” Bastion mused, setting me down a few feet away from our Priest.
“In a way, yes.” He laughed, leaning back against the front of his desk. At that moment, Luna appeared beside him with a pristinely white smile.
“It’s been awhile.” She offered with a subtle nod.
“It has. Wait, are you going to reveal yourself to Bas?” I asked, my eyes flickering to his curiously searching gaze. She shook her head.
“Not today, dear. I’m only here to hear your vows and reinstate the contract, just as the kid said. Unfortunately, Lysander and I have some important matters to attend to after this, so I won’t be able to stick around long.” My shoulders dropped slightly as worry filled my head. *Is Lysander okay?*
“Of course he’s okay. He’s pretty tough, you know.” Her knowing retort startled me, but I quickly remembered that she could hear my thoughts. *Shit. Think pure thoughts. Think pure thoughts.* She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle it. “Why don’t we get started before you work yourself into a stroke?” She joked, stepping forward. I blushed.
“Um, good idea.” I mumbled, turning to face Bastion as I awaited instructions from either the Goddess or Jesse, but only a long string of silence followed. Then, Luna’s much more solemn voice filled the air.
“Aria, before we do this…” Her features were troubled, her eyes flicking to the floor, then to Bastion. “Are you sure you want your bond back? It seems like your love hasn’t taken any hits by its absence. I’m almost worried that it would only be a hindrance to you in the end.” I coughed at her words, furrowing my brows and crossing my arms.
“What are you- What do you mean, ‘in the end’?” I thought, that way I didn’t have to worry about Bas overhearing my concerns.
Luna shifted her weight nervously, pulling her lip between her teeth. “Nevermind. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She muttered, barely audible. Then, as if with the flick of a switch, she perked up, her eyes alight with joy once again. “You may begin, Jesse.” Jesse nodded, looking just as lost as I was before stepping forward, offering his raised palms for us to hold. We both accepted, our eyes widening as we witnessed a live surge of electricity jolting from our connected skin. It was remarkable.
“Alright, I will begin by reciting the vows as written by The Moon Goddess. All you’ll need to do to accept them, is respond with a simple ‘Yes, Goddess.’ Sound good?” We both nodded excitedly, warming each other with our affectionate gazes. Jesse cleared his throat, flipping open a pocket notebook and placing his reading glasses on the tip of his nose.
“On this day, before your Goddess, Luna, do you solemnly vow to surrender yourself, body and soul, wolf and human, to your divinely given mate, never to be refused or rejected again for as long as you both shall live? And by doing so, do you promise to uphold the general rules and principles associated with possessing a mate, including in procreation, faithfulness, and the combining of two hearts into one? What say you?”
My breath caught in my throat as I opened to speak, when in the corner of my eye, I saw Lysander’s pitying blue gaze piercing through me. But just as I swallowed to address him, he was gone, making me wonder if it was all in my imagination that he was there at all. What was going on? Why did he look so dejected? What was he even doing here?
“Yes, Goddess.” Bastion’s emotion filled voice drew my attention back to him. Thankfully, he was seemingly so overwhelmed with his commitment that he didn’t notice my distraction.
I quickly corrected my expression to resemble the loving one he was giving me, before responding with my own, “Yes, Goddess.”
“It is done.” Luna’s echoing voice sounded in my head, signaling the completion of our union.
I don’t know what I expected to happen when my bond was salvaged, but before I knew it, Bastion had me straddling his hips as he carried me into the nearest semi-private locale, Jesse’s storage closet. Already I could feel the long-forgotten electrifying sensations of his skin against mine, eliciting a smothered moan and signaling my eyes to change to deep black.
“Mate.” Sella cooed in reverence, and I had never realized until that moment just how empty we had been since surrendering our connection. Why did I ever give this up?
Once the door was shut behind us, his lips met mine with a starving need, lowering me to the floor in desperation. I felt it too, the strong urge to mate, and began to pull off each article of clothing on Bastion’s gorgeous body just as he was doing to me.
I didn’t care that we were on the floor in a closet. I didn’t even care that our High Priest was probably being traumatized by our sudden horny behavior. All that mattered was that I had my mate back. I was complete.
“I love you, baby.” Bastion breathed out heavily against my lips, his tongue diving back into my mouth the second I caught a gasp. His hot body melted back against mine, and his tip quickly found my entrance. “Fuck, you’re so ready.” He growled after scenting my arousal, thrusting himself deep inside of my drenched pussy with a groan.
My back arched at the sudden intrusion, and I grasped blindly for Bastion’s hair, giving the shortened length a painful tug as soon as I got a good grip, knowing he would like it.
“Bastion, I need you.” I moaned, pulling him flush against me as his hips met mine over and over again in the punishing rhythm of our lust and love. The cramped room echoed with our howls of passion and the connection of our bodies, fueling my desire and sparking a million lights inside of my heart.
His elbows rested on either side of my head, tangling his hands in my hair as he held me in place. I knew I wouldn’t be able to last long with the pleasure soaking through my muddled brain, so I focused on giving Bastion an equal amount of pleasure as he was giving me. My unextended teeth dug into the most sensitive part of his shoulder, and he shuddered at the stinging contact.
“Fuck. Baby, you’re going to make me come.” He gritted, picking up his merciless pace and sending my nerve endings into high gear as they crested the height of our climax.
“Yes, Bas- God, come with me. Fu-“ My breath hitched as his cock slammed into me for the last time, my hands roaming and clawing at his back in the midst of my immense satisfaction. His lips found mine again, his delicious mint taste drowning me in a rush of welcome emotion as his body tensed, flooding my swollen pussy with his seed.
“Aria…” He cried out breathlessly, collapsing against my panting body and entwining his limbs with mine like a vine on a branch.
I would never regret my decision to pledge myself to my mate, and if I had the choice to do it all over again, I would. Seeing him this way, spent and totally sated in my arms, looking as at home as I felt with a twinkle in his half-drawn eyes, was worth any risk that came along with our bond. My love for him was eternal.