148| ONE HEART
When I get back to Kiwina, I feel like I’ve just taken on a whole coven of Revenants and survived without a scratch. There’s so much that could have gone wrong, but I can’t help but believe that everything fell into place perfectly. Even so, I’m a little more than a little shell-shocked I’ve returned without a scratch and with the outcome I’d hoped for. I pause just within the invisible border into Azure territory, sensing my mate before he steps out of the shadows and wraps me in a tight embrace.
“You’re back,” Blue breathes in my ear, relief evident in his voice and tight embrace. My mate presses his face into my neck, drawing in a deep breath as his arms tighten around me protectively. I squeeze him back, unable to stop my own need to smell him as I close my eyes and inhale his scent of bright pine and parchment. His scent is alive and brilliant, warm and crisp. My muscles relax into his hold and I have to force my grip to loosen so I can lean back and smile at him.
“I’m back,” I tell him belatedly with a grin. Blue grins back and leans in to plant a kiss on my forehead before releasing me and taking my hand. Though the heat of his body has melted away from mine, I still feel the warmth of his presence around me like a cloak.
“Let’s get back to the house,” Blue insists gently. “I’ll make you some tea and you can tell me all about the mission.” His words add another layer of balm to my frayed nerves and I nod in agreement, squeezing his hand. I need to talk about this, even if the experience wasn’t bad, I need to vocalize it. Process it.
We make it back to the house quickly, the security of the familiar kitchen and usual scents wrapping me up in more comfort as I settle into my chair. Blue bustles around the kitchen, putting a kettle on the stove with fresh water in, and a combination of herbs for the tea in with it. I watch him silently for a moment, still unable to fathom just how comfortable things have gotten with us since we first met. Just a little over a year. How has time flown by so quickly?
I’ve lost so much, but also gained just as much- if not more. My entire outlook on life and how I see myself has dramatically changed. My life isn’t threatened by my old Pack and I’m free to do whatever I want with the time I have. Time that’s seemingly infinite- to me at least. And, sure, I’ve got responsibilities to deal with, both new and old ones, but they aren’t weighting on me like anchors. They hold me in a firm embrace that’s more akin to a weighted blanket than something to hinder me.
And then there’s Blue…
“Okay, I’m all ears.” Blue leans over the counter to take my hands, his attentive silvery-grey eyes trained on mine. My stomach flips at his wrapt attention, cheeks warming a few degrees before I tamp down my response to him. I suck in a deep breath, refocusing on the meeting I’ve just come back from.
“So Shola didn’t come to the meeting,” I start off the rendition of the meeting, making sure I mentally add my memories to the retelling so Blue can have a complete picture of all that transpired. It was a short meeting, all things considered, but at the time it had dragged on forever. As I explain everything, Blue seems to relax, sensing the outcome before I get the chance to tell him.
“That’s the last one.” Blue grins at me, his mega-watt smile brightening the room as he squeezes my hands. “You’ve done it, Red.” He repeats, reaching over to cup my cheek with a look of awe in his monochromatic eyes. His praise stirs heat in my bones, warming every inch of me and then some.
“Oh, come on, I had help-” I splutter, completely thrown off by both his words and my reaction to them. When did I start caring so much about Blue’s approval? Looking back on it, I know it’s been something I’ve secretly been wanting. Approval that would put me on the same level as my mate, something that could make me his equal. And now I am. We’re both Alphas of strong Packs, both have powerful allies and aren’t afraid to go against the norms of our world.
It’s suddenly so clear to me that there’s no one else I want by my side, even if it’s just for a little while. A few hundred years with him may be just a part of my lifespan, but it’s something, right? Still riding the high from getting shit done in Darklight, I pull Blue’s hand, getting him to skirt around the counter and stand before me.
“Hey,” I begin, my heart beating a mile-a-minute. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” I remind him, the thoughts I’d had after my conversations with Craven and Khadija wrapping me up in strength, even as I feel like I’m about to pass out from the sheer terror pulsing through me. Terror and exhilaration…and a complete certainty that this is what I want. More than anything.
“What’s up?” Blue asks, tilting his head, but not intruding into my thoughts to find the answer. More of me relaxes, my heart swelling with joy and a certainty that my next words are one-hundred-percent the right thing.
“Let’s seal the bond.”
