#12

Her pov

He looked at me in wonder. Or was it pride? "You are amazing," he stated, still staring at me, with eyes in reverent awe. Raising my brow. "You're not afraid of what I'm capable of?" I countered. “I can feel your soul, dearest, and if you try, you can feel mine, too. Since I saw you at the falls, I have been in awe of you. I already knew you are a special witch, and that your soul is kind and wise. The beast in me can sense it.” Weariness overwhelmed me. Connecting with someone on that level could have consequences I couldn’t take back. Opening up myself, my soul to his was a risk I’d been forewarned about. However, I had promised Aunt Bess I wouldn’t hold back on this journey. And The Mother had literally led me to this place in time and the man, or was he the beast before me? “Do you trust me?” I let out a weary whisper as I faced him fully. "Absolutely!" he stated without question. I motioned for him to come close. I stood, reaching up, taking his head between my hands, my thumbs in the softness of his Temples. The ever-present comforting hum of energy as our skin touched caressed me, giving me confidence.
"I'm going to dive deep. This is your last chance to back out." I offered. “I have nothing to hide from you, love,” he spoke with unsanctioned confidence. Taking a shaky breath, I stared up into cobalt pools and dived.

I ripped past flashes of his life, which mostly appeared as if I was crashing through a forest and a city, then that beacon of light from the other day when I calmed his beast came into view as I catapulted into it. His body locked around mine, but he didn’t even flinch. He may have been holding me up because once I passed the surface, I melted into that feeling of home. Straying from all sense of my body. His soul felt like the warm rays of sunshine. Something within me embraced the feeling of being engulfed in his most basic self. Reaching further, I felt again and could sense the adoration, the protectiveness, the devotion beaming at me from the most primal part of him. I reached out for it, my inner self yearning. I momentarily lost myself as I basked in the beauty of our embracing souls. Something within me clicked once more, the tether in me linking us together. As the link fused, I could see it in my mind like a silver chain reflecting in the light of our mingling souls. And then suddenly it swallowed me and then spat me out.

I came back to my lips locked with his, our bodies pressed feverishly together, tongues warring with need. I didn’t want to stop, but I was confused and dizzy, and out of breath. My senses were screaming at the act as I pulled back. My entire body became jello as I wavered. I leaned back towards him, my head resting on his bare chest as he held me close, slowing the spin of my mind. I went nearly limp as he scooped me up and sat down on the rock I had been sitting on before.

He pulled me close, tucking my head under his chin. As big as he was and as slight as I was, we fit perfectly in our embrace. "What is this?" I whispered. I just realized he was languidly stroking my hair. "The other half of your soul," he answered in a sweet whisper as he kissed the side of my head. I motioned to where our bodies joined and hummed. "All of this, why I know so little about you yet with you I am at ease? I mean, I just shared my deepest secrets with a stranger. Now our souls have linked, yet you do not fear what you willingly allowed yourself to be tied to?" I was still vibrating with sensations, but the cloud of euphoria holding my body limp as a hostage was easing. "Our souls gravitate towards each other; they are familiar to each other. There’s no better feeling than the completeness of two halves coming together. The Moon Goddess, she is The Mother of us all, and her gift to us is the knowledge that out there is our other half chosen specifically for us, and you love, are mine," he gently growled out into my ear his facial hair tickled and the deep vibration of his tone struck somewhere deep within causing a delicious shudder, as my nerve endings ran a domino effect through my body causing my core to ache. His fingers, still stroking through the tresses of my hair, soothed away the panic, and I took in a steading breath.

Trying to keep my thoughts quiet, I wondered how I was going to make it through this journey without jumping his bones after that kiss. "How are you so calm?" I whispered, glancing up into his indigo eyes, brimming with emotion and acceptance. The latter was foreign to me. “We grow up hearing the stories, knowing what to look for. He spoke as he cupped my cheek. Readying ourselves for that all-encompassing moment, me being an Alpha means you'll feel it stronger. You being of such power is making this extremely intense for me. But I aim to be a gentleman and let you figure out where you want to be with this.” he stated, giving me a sincere look. “I realize it's new. I apologize if I have overstepped.”

I blushed, realizing it was my first proper kiss. He gently smiled at me, trailing a finger along my pink cheek. “I think after you talk to our Diablo, you'll have a better understanding he’s the only one like you I’ve ever known to go through it." "Diablo?" My heart sank. The witch was not my brother. "Yes, he is the mate of my sister. I was going to let him tell you about what that meant, so it wouldn’t come across so suddenly, but I wasn't expecting you to be so bold." He smirked. I shifted in his lap, "I need to deal with those pelts. Do you mind banking the fire?” I glanced up at him, my hand on his chest right over his heart where it seemed to belong. He pressed his forehead to mine, then ran his nose along mine. I relished how he made me shiver in response. He inhaled deeply at my neck. Taking in my scent, I assumed, before letting me go.