by P. Jameson
But what good was that when he was her life?
No. She wouldn’t have done it different. She would have saved him anyways. Become his mate anyways. She hadn’t been given this foresight, but if she had… she wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“No,” she whispered. “I don’t regret it. Saving you was the best thing I’ve ever done. You’re worth it, Theo. Worth any risk. Worth every sacrifice.”
He closed his eyes as if her words were hard to accept. “The Mother Bear’s reading said my mate would regret ever choosing me.”
Damn that horrible woman. She couldn’t hurt him anymore. Didn’t he realize that?
Mirena touched his cheek, smoothing her palm along his rough jaw. “She’s wrong.”
Theo nodded, accepting the truth, his expression turning determined again. “Wrong,” he repeated.
“Yes.”
“Mother Bear is wrong, and you love me.”
“I do, Theo.”
“And you’ll be mine forever.”
“Forever.”
His eyes flared with desire, and his irises flicked to brown.
“Then get on the bed, mate,” he commanded. “I’m going to claim you now.”
Mirena shimmied out of her dress and did as he said. And there was no fear. Because she knew Theo was her safety. He made her brave the way her vice had before him. Now he’d be her brave bear forever.
Chapter Fourteen
Mate was safe. He was her Anchor. Him. He could hardly believe it.
He was enough.
They were hurting over their circumstances, but there was no regret from her. She loved him, and he felt it in their bond, even more powerful than before. This was what he’d been waiting for his entire life, even though not a goddamn bit of it had gone according to plan.
Damn if that wasn’t life.
And now he’d find his way through it with her by his side.
Theo stripped his pants away and straddled Mirena’s waist. Anchoring his hands on either side of her head, he dove for her mouth. He was desperate for this claiming. Thirsty for her. Frantic to make this permanent between them.
As he worked her mouth, absorbing her eager moans, his fingers reached behind to undo her bra. He slid the straps down her shoulders without breaking their kiss and tossed it away.
With a growl, he pulled back to stare down at her. The hard tips of her breast jutted perfectly with each heaving breath. He palmed one, giving the nipple a soft pinch. Mirena gasped sweetly, making his bear wild for more of that sound.
He moved lower to her scar. The scar that meant so much. Even more than he could’ve imagined when he first saw it.
The scar that was everything. Fucking everything.
He spread his hand over it, finding her eyes. They were tinged sad, but so full of that thing he liked to despise. Hope.
Fucking hope.
He couldn’t despise it now. Not when it was giving him this. Her. His future. His love.
“No regrets?”
She put her hand over his.
“None.”
He moved down her legs so he could reach to kiss it. Like he did every time he was with her. Like he would every time in the future.
This, she’d done for him. For them. Now he’d love her until his dying breath.
His cock brushed her thigh and he thrust it against her panty covered sex, pulling more guttural moans from her. Sounds he surged up to catch as they fell from her mouth.
“I don’t want to take this slow, mate. I want you claimed before I go crazy needing you.”
She nodded, her teeth gnawing her lip in anticipation. “I want that too.”
“I’m going to go hard and fast. Mark you with my scent and claw to satisfy my bear. To proclaim you’re mine to other shifters. But our mark…” He smoothed his palm over her scar again. “This will be our mark, mate. This will always be our mark. The one that brought you to me. The one that kept you with me.”
She surged up to catch his lips in a hard kiss.
Theo growled into her mouth, reaching down to yank her panties over her thighs. She helped them the rest of the way off her legs, and he let out a groan as they went skin to skin. Damn, she was silk on his burlap. And so hot it burned. He fucking loved the feel of her.
Reaching between them, he cupped her sex, sliding one finger into her wetness.
“Yesss,” she hissed, grinding her hips hard against his hand.
Taste, his bear demanded.
Theo pulled his finger from her and jammed it between his lips, sucking the silky arousal from it while she watched, captivated. And it gave him a wicked idea.
He dipped his hand between her legs for more, eyes on hers the whole time. But this time he brought his finger to her lips.
“Suck,” he rumbled, and her mouth formed a surprised O. “Dare you.”
She took his finger all the way to the last knuckle and sucked hard as he slowly dragged it back out, moaning the whole way.
Fuck.
The action hit him straight in the groin. As if she was sucking his cock instead of his finger. Memories of her doing it their second night together almost derailed him. Almost had him wanting to take his time with her.
But she lifted her hips to grind against him. “Need you,” she groaned. “Inside me, Theo. Please.”
Enough playing. He needed to be there now.
He spread her thighs, angling his hips to find her entrance, and then slammed home with one powerful thrust.
Mirena threw her head back against the bed, mouth open on a silent gasp. Theo watched her face, hungry for every expression, as he slowly dragged out of her heat and plunged back in.
“More,” she cried. “Deeper.”
Gladly.
Theo rolled his hips, slamming their bodies together in a pleasure-filled clash. He was taking her there fast, tilting up to make sure he pressed against that sensitive little cleft that made her scream his name so loud.
Hips swinging, he tucked his arm under her shoulder to hold her in place for his pounding.
“More,” she gasped, and he kissed that one away too. “Theo… god.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, keeping their eyes locked while he showed her his bear. His lust crazed bear. His starving for her pleasure bear. The bear that loved her. The bear that grunted and rutted and fucked away their pain to make it something new. A commitment neither of them could ever break. She could see it all in his brown gaze, hear it in the snarly rumble that vibrated his chest
“Coming,” she warned, breathless.
And he felt her body clamp around his, demanding he follow her under.
“Fuck, Rena. Yes, mate. You feel so good.”
He was ready to mark her. He would do it over her ribs, just beside her scar.
Theo kissed her hard, pumping his scent into her as his release hit him like a mack truck. With a swift rake of his claw to her side, the marking was done.
But he was not.
He pounded into her as she screamed his name so loud it ricocheted in his ears. If he went deaf from that sound, he’d never complain. And when she finished with a breathy “love you”, he knew things were going to be alright in their world.
Maybe perfect had a different definition, and it looked like this. Messed up, with a lot of baggage from the past and a few scars. Some hard parts, some fractured pieces, all bound together with love. That was the magic ingredient that turned broken things into treasures, wasn’t it. Love.
Theo slowed his hips, easing to a stop and pressing kisses along her jaw and neck. He pulled back to examine her mark. Three shallow red slashes dripped tiny streams of blood onto the sheets. His bear growled his approval, but Theo gently wiped the mark with the sheet.
“Does it hurt?”
He looked up to see his mate’s pleasure-drunk smile. “Nope. Bet it will tomorrow though.”
“I didn’t go deep,” he promised. “Didn’t want you sore. Not there anyways. Only here.” He grinded against her h
ips one last time. “Want you to remember this every time you take a step for the next few days. What your mate did to you. Want it to make you think of me.”
“Or you could remind me every night.”
“Mmmm.” He pulled her lower lip between his, sucking hard. “I’ll be reminding you for the rest of our lives.”
He fell to his side and pulled her into the circle of his arms, careful to avoid her claw mark. As his mate snuggled into him, Theo let their bond soothe away the heartache of the day. There was so much to be thankful for.
Mirena was safe.
His past was past.
They were together. And they could face anything as long as they were together.
It was their way.
Chapter Fifteen
A persistent knock on the door jolted Mirena from sleep. The room was dark, but it didn’t worry her. She felt Theo pressed against her back, his heavy arm draped over her hip.
More pounding had her easing out of his grasp and flicking on the lamp as he came awake.
“Someone’s here,” she slurred, stumbling to grab some clothes from the dresser.
When she turned, Theo was already pulling on his jeans. She slid on some sweatpants and yanked a t-shirt over her head just in time to follow him to the living room.
He turned the light on and she could see Nastia peeking through the broken door.
“Oh, good,” she quipped, “You’re awake.”
“Am now,” Theron said through a yawn. “Whaddya need, Nastia.”
She waved at Mirena through the crack. “Looks like we have matching doors.”
Mirena groaned at the memory of blasting her sister’s door to smithereens.
“I need you two to come with me, okay? No arguing. Right now. Get your shoes.”
Theo raised a grouchy eyebrow, but tossed Mirena her sandals, deciding to skip the shoes for himself.
“Where are we going?” Theo asked.
“I know what I need to do for you,” Nastia said. “I know how to fix what I did when the Darkness had me. Or… or at least I know something that might work.”
Mirena blinked hard at her sister’s words, trying to understand.
“Nas, slow down. What are you talking about?”
“Just… will you come with me? Both of you? We don’t have much time. I’ll explain along the way.”
The two of them followed Nastia out of the cabin and into the thick of the woods. Mirena tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind as they walked. Having to focus on stepping over rocks and random logs helped a little. Watching out for face-smacking tree branches was not on her list of nice ways to wake up.
“So,” Nastia began. “How do you two feel about adoption?”
Mirena glanced at Theo. He was frowning hard. Probably trying to interpret Nastia’s vague question.
“What do you mean exactly?” he asked.
“Doc says nothing can heal Mirena’s condition.”
“Yes, I know,” he stared darkly at the back of Nastia’s head before reaching over to take Mirena’s hand.
“Well, what if you could still have a baby to raise and love and cherish, but… it wasn’t born of your bodies? How would you feel about that?”
Mirena met Theo’s solemn gaze and knew he was considering the question. Through their bond, she felt his hope mix with hers, tangling and twisting and trying to settle on an opinion.
But the more she thought about Nastia’s question, the bigger her heart grew. A child to love. That’s what she wanted. There was no rule that said it had to come from her belly.
Theo brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back.
They were on the same page.
“Sister, please. Tell me what this is.”
“We’re going to commune with the mystics,” Nastia announced. “Well, I’m not. You are. You’re going to open a circle, and ask them to send you a baby. A Sorcera to raise as your own. You have anchored and kept your light. This is good. You will have your light forever now, why wouldn’t they send you one to raise just like Father Isaac?”
“Wait, did you speak with him?”
Nastia paused, tilting her head. “I did. He knows what has become of me. And you. He’s proud of you, Mirena. And he’s aware Adira is still struggling.”
“O-Okay. But how will this work? We no longer have a circle of three. And Adira’s light is fading. Two of us won’t be strong enough.”
Nastia surged ahead, throwing a loose explanation over her shoulder, while Mirena and Theron rushed to catch up. “Three. We will have three. Or… more.”
Puzzled, they followed her through the dark of the night until they reached a small clearing. Mirena recognized it. They’d battled the Alley Cats in this very field. But what surprised her was seeing the clan gathered there, waiting for them.
“Oh, good,” Nastia breathed. “It looks like we’ve got everyone. Mostly.”
Mirena scanned the crowd surrounding a cluster of lanterns. Magic and Josie. Layna and Ryan. Gash and Bailey. Eagan and Clara. Doc Davis and Owyn. Adira, Mason, and Thames. The only members of the clan missing were Renner and Bethy, and their young, Rhys. But it was way past that little guy’s bedtime. Past all of their bedtimes actually.
Mirena gauged the sky. They were close to sunrise, when the stars would sleep. If they were going to try Nastia’s wild plan, they’d have to hurry.
Staring at the group, she tried to understand how it could work. As if asking the mystics for a baby Sorcera would be simple anyway. But they’d need a circle of three or more magic users to even reach them for a power exchange. They only had two.
Now that she was a little more awake, she had zero faith this was going to work.
Turning to catch Theo’s gaze, she shrugged. But Nastia pushed her forward toward the lanterns.
“Come on, sister,” she urged. “Wake up. Get your head in the game. We have thirty minutes, maybe. But I know your magic is strong. This just might fix all the harm I’ve done you.”
“I… I don’t exactly know what you want me to do, Nas.”
“Here,” she said, guiding her to stand next to Adira. “And you, here…” She positioned Theo as the third side of the circle.
“I don’t get it,” Mirena murmured. “Theo has no magic.”
Nastia blinked at her. “Doesn’t he though? He carries the same kind of magic Thames had when he helped you and Adira perform the Daybreaker spell.”
Mirena frowned. “Love.”
Nastia grinned wide. “Yes! Love. The same magic the rest of the clan has. We’re—well, you three—are going to harness it and open a circle to the mystics. Show your light, and ask for their help. Like we did as children. Like we watched Father Isaac do so many times.”
Could this work? Mirena didn’t want to believe it. She’d spent her night with Theo trying to come to terms with never being a mother, striving to find some peace with it, and now Nastia was telling her there might be a chance.
Her sister was trying too hard to make retribution for the part she’d played in this. That’s what this was. An attempt to ease her guilt. Mirena couldn’t blame her much for wanting to, but giving them false hope was bordering on cruel.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry.
But the entire clan had gathered in the wee morning hours, just to help them. They cared, and they were doing this for her and Theo. The least she could do was humor them.
She glanced at her bear. His forehead crinkled in a frown. He didn’t believe this would work anymore than she did. If Doc couldn’t help medically, and the mating bond couldn’t heal supernaturally, what could the mystics do?
Nastia clapped her hands together. “Okay. Let’s get started, shall we?”
The clan moved to gather behind Theo, Thames first. He put his hand on Theo’s shoulder, followed by Magic on the other side. Then Gash, and Mason. One by one, each of the Ouachita clan linked up, offering their support to Theo.
Even if nothing came of this, Miren
a decided this right here, the sight of their clan standing behind them in a hard time, meant the world to her.
“Adira knows what to do,” Nastia said. “Follow her lead. But Mirena, when the circle opens, it will be your heart that speaks. There’s no spell to call on. Okay? Can you do that?”
Mirena nodded. She was nervous. The last time she’d been this nervous about opening a circle was back at their hut when they’d communed with the Elder Destiny and decided to join the Ouachita clan. Before any of them had lost light.
Adira gave her a soft smile. “I’ll do my best, sister,” she whispered. Mirena noticed her words were steady, and there was no rhyming.
She held her hands up, palms out, and Mirena did the same, pressing hers to Adira’s, before glancing at Theo.
“Go ahead, Theron,” Nastia urged. “Just complete the circle by connecting your palms to theirs.”
With a deepening frown, Theo did as she said and their circle was whole.
Now, to channel enough magic to reach the mystics.
Adira closed her eyes and began. “Lumen ex alto, eumque in tenebris. Light of the deep, cradled in darkness. Quaerentes te, quaerentes te. We seek you, we seek you.”
Mirena repeated her the second time around, focusing on the light within, her magic. Magic she would keep with her always because of Theo.
“Lumen ex alto, eumque in tenebris. Light of the deep, cradled in darkness. Quaerentes te, quaerentes te. We seek you, we seek you.”
One by one, the clan joined in. Mirena could hear Thames booming over the others, and Theo’s voice a softer timbre, beside her. He was unsure. She threaded her fingers between his and squeezed letting their bond speak for her.
The clan repeated the chant, louder and louder until they thundered against the silence of the night.
As always when she communed with the mystics, she could feel the nothing of the Before. The emptiness she feared as a child. The blankness, the dark void. But she pushed through it, seeking the light. The light was always there if she looked hard enough.
