This would be her new world and he would be at the center.
“So who is this witch we are going to meet?”
“We call her Coimeádaí na Rúin. Keeper of Secrets.”
Jesenia felt giddy as she reached forward and took Dorian’s hand in hers. “And what secrets does she keep?”
He laughed. “If I knew all that, then it wouldn’t be a secret, would it? She keeps our secrets. That is enough for me. She and those before her.”
“Well, I’m glad you told me your secrets.”
“Ah, lass. So am I.”
A short ways up in a small clearing, Jesenia spotted a woman standing alone. Her dark-copper hair was fixed in a bun at the nape of her neck. As they approached she smiled and Jesenia couldn’t help but smile back.
“Riona,” Dorian greeted her with an incline of his head.
“Wolf.”
Jesenia stuck her hand out in greeting. “Hi. I’m Jesenia. Thanks for doing this.”
Riona stared down at the offered hand, hesitating, but then reached out and gave it a quick pump.
Jesenia raised her eyebrows in question.
“She can tell things from touch,” Dorian supplied
“Oh,” Jesenia replied.
“Shall we proceed?”
Jesenia nodded, wondering what all the woman had been able to see in the brief contact.
“Now I must go over a few things. You do know that this will tie your life force together. So when your mate dies, you die.”
“Yes,” Jesenia replied.
“Even if it’s tomorrow. Your life span will no longer be your own.” Riona paused, looking at Dorian. “Is she your true mate?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
Riona directed her gaze back to Jesenia. “This is forever. You won’t be allowed to get tired of him per se. Wolves don’t believe in divorce, so you must be certain.”
“I am.”
Riona inhaled a deep breath. “Okay.”
Jesenia watched as the woman pulled a vial from her pocket. A crystalline blue solution was in it.
“I’ll need some of your blood, Dorian.” Riona held the vial out and removed the lid.
Dorian scored his thumb open with one sharp canine, then held his hand out, letting blood drip into the vial. Riona pulled the vial back and capped it. As she swirled the contents she began to chant in a language Jesenia didn’t understand. A soft glow emanated from the concoction. When she was finished she held it out to Jesenia.
“Drink.”
Jesenia accepted the vial and took off the lid. Others had already warned her about the sweet elixir that would make her veins warm. Her gaze met Dorian’s as she put the glass to her lips and downed the contents. As the warmth spread through her body, so did the love she felt for Dorian. “I love you, forever.”
“And I love you, Jesenia.”
“You are bound,” Riona said with a smile. “I wish you happiness.”
Jesenia heard the soft footfalls as the woman left but she didn’t take her eyes off Dorian, the man who managed to spark every emotion to life inside her. His hands went to her hips and she fell into his body willingly. His lips claimed hers in a sweet, slow kiss that had her toes curling. When he pulled back she sighed, laying her head on his chest. She’d come here in search of her muse, but she’d never thought she’d find a love so powerful and true.
“You honor me, Jesenia.”
She smiled. “I’m so happy that I found you.”
His hands skimmed down her back and he gripped her ass, pulling her body flush against his. She gasped as she felt the evidence of his arousal. “I swear you are ready to go at any time.”
He laughed. “Are you complaining?”
She titled her head so that she could look up at him. “No. Not at all.” He was so sexy. His green eyes shone with mischief. “But I’m thinking the middle of the woods isn’t a good place for this. I’m all for spontaneity, but having twigs dig into the flesh of my ass, I think I can pass on.”
He chuckled, tossing his head back. “Yes. You have a point.”
She sighed as he released her and took her hand in his. They settled into a leisurely pace as they walked. She wasn’t exactly sure where they were headed but she trusted him not to get her lost.
“Are you sad about giving up your bachelor ways?”
He lifted their joined hands and placed a kiss on the back of hers. “No. In fact, I had started to wonder if I would ever find someone to be my mate. I never thought I’d find it in the form of a little hellion who didn’t know how to keep her nose where it belonged.” He glanced at her with a smile. “But in all the years I’ve been alive, I should have known to expect the unexpected.”