Wolf's Mate: Lindy And The Wulfen Part 15

The red faded from his eyes until she was staring into the pure, beautiful green eyes of the man she loved. She cupped his face. "I love you, too, Crimson. I thought I wouldn't get to tell you."

He kissed her, and then he pulled back abruptly. His hands roamed down her arms. "Are you hurt? What happened? Tell me everything."

He picked her up, more gently this time and with less growling, and set her on the bed. While she told him what had happened, he paced in front of her, occasionally asking for more details or snarling.

He nodded when she finished the story. "We found the fae and the wizard, and they are both being held for trial. My father and friends are handling things. But that leaves Giwyn."

She reached for his hand. "I'm sorry."

He looked surprised. "What for?"

"I shouldn't have opened the front door. He wouldn't have been able to get to me if I had left it shut."

He went to his knees in front of her and took both of her hands in his. "It wouldn't have mattered. He was very powerful. The spell he used was more powerful than my protection spell, and he would have gotten inside no matter what. I'm the one who's sorry."

"Why?"

"Because I should not have trusted that you were safe. I was foolish, and I almost lost you. I won't take that chance again."

"You can't stay glued to my side forever, Crimson."

"Yes, I can." He stood and pushed her backward, leaning over her.

She laughed. "What about when I have to pee?"

"Be serious, ch.e.l.le," he groused.

"I am! I don't pee with an audience." She placed her palms on his chest and felt the heat of his skin. "I love you, Crimson."

"Fine. You can pee alone, but other than that, forget it." With a soft growl, he kissed her and whispered against her lips, "I love you. I love you so much."

Out in the front room, Crimson spoke to the warrior brownies and thanked them for their help. Crimson invited all the brownies to stay for the mating ceremony, and they seemed very pleased to be able to do so.

Crimson used the portal to contact his commander and explained what Giwyn had done. Fenick was incensed that the female had been part of something so terrible and promised to find her swiftly and see her to trial.

Lindy said, "Was your commander p.i.s.sed because he likes you so much?"

He shook his head. "It's a serious crime to try to destroy a mating. Her punishment would be more severe if you had been physically injured or killed, but it is still a grievous offense. She will not see daylight for many years, and her family will be shamed."

"Good."

Thalia chuckled. "Are you two up for the ceremony still? We can have it tomorrow evening. That will allow time for everyone to get home safely and rest."

Crimson nodded, looking stern. "I want to be mated officially as soon as possible."

Lindy agreed wholeheartedly.

Thalia stayed until Desmin, Merik, Riyad, and the other males returned to Crimson's home. Lindy hadn't met his best friends officially, having been hustled away from them her first night in the realm when they'd been busted at the hot springs.

"We're glad you were able to escape," Riyad said, smiling at Lindy. Riyad leaned in to give her a hug, and Crimson snarled so loudly that it made everyone but Lindy take a step back. She wasn't surprised or worried by the noise he made. He was a wolf and they were possessive creatures with their mates.

"Thank you for helping Crimson. I feel better with those a.s.sholes behind bars." It still amazed her that Giwyn thought nothing of Lindy being sold as a s.e.x slave. Lindy had hated some females before in her life, but she never would have wished s.e.xual servitude on any of them. Giwyn gave new meaning to the term "vindictive b.i.t.c.h."

"...it means that we'll live in her realm," Crimson said, and Lindy brought her attention back to him.

"What?"

Crimson snuggled her a bit closer to his side, which was a nearly impossible feat since she was plastered against him. "I said that it's too dangerous here for you, and I think the best thing to do is live in your realm."

She was both happy and worried. "Are you sure? The people who took me are in prison. The danger from them is gone."

He leaned down, kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Later."

She hummed in her throat and nodded, saying nothing.

After thanking his family and friends once more, she and Crimson helped the brownies settle in for the night on the couch, with the warriors insisting on standing guard around the house overnight. Lindy and Crimson went to bed.

After they made love, Crimson rolled onto his back and pulled her with him. His fingertips twirled across her shoulders as he stared at the ceiling for several moments in silence.

"The loneliest times for me are on the full moon. When I was a teenager, Riyad and Merik would go out hunting with me, but it just aggravated my wolf because they weren't like us. I never told anyone that; I never shared much about my beast because, although people like my friends and my parents try to understand, they just can't. My mom said that she wished my biological father's family had been alive. He was an only child and his parents were much older when he was born and they died before he even met my mom. When I became a wulfen, she tried to locate his former pack, but they had disbanded and left the area, and since they weren't family anyway, she thought I was better off."

"You must feel torn in half sometimes, between the beast that wants things the fae part of you doesn't understand." She stroked her hand across his chest, loving the way his muscles flexed under her touch.

"I muzzled the wolf a lot." He looked at her with a smile. "He's very bossy."

"They can be." She planted her hands on either side of him and straightened her arms, looking down into his handsome face. "Crimson, we can be our own pack here. I don't want to take you from your family."

"You're my family now, Lindy. I know we could be happy here, but aside from the safety issue, I find myself longing to be part of a pack and run with other wolves. If you think they'll accept me."

A lightness settled over her. "They'll accept you because you're my mate. On the next full moon, the alphas can preside over our mating, and they'll welcome you into the pack."

He pulled her down and rolled her onto her back. "Tomorrow we're following my people's traditions, and then we'll leave for your realm. We can keep our home here and visit whenever we like."

He leaned down to kiss her, and she murmured, "Sounds like a good plan to me."

The following afternoon, she was back in the bedroom with Thalia, Veril, and Yunni, who were helping her get ready for the ceremony. Crimson was supposed to get dressed at his parents' home, but he had refused to leave her alone again. Crimson's commander had contacted them earlier in the day to explain that the military had been unable to find Giwyn, and it was believed she had disappeared so she wouldn't get into trouble for her part in the scheme. Crimson had gone berserk, nearly s.h.i.+fting into his wolf form with the news. She'd managed to get him calmed down by speaking to him softly and petting him like she'd seen some mated females in the pack do when their mates were wound up. Until Giwyn was found, Lindy didn't think Crimson would relax.

She was not necessarily relaxing herself. After all, that tricky she-fairy had almost gotten her sold into s.e.xual slavery just because she was a sore loser. Crimson wouldn't feel that she was safe until Giwyn was in custody. Lindy was a live-and-let-live sort of gal, but Giwyn was a whack job and needed to be put away.

Lindy looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Her long hair was curled in ringlets that fell past her shoulders and reminded her of golden curling ribbon. The dress fit her beautifully. Her face practically glowed. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were pink. She wore no makeup save for some lip stain made from a dark pink fruit that Yunni gave her.

Thalia joined Lindy and looked at her in the mirror. "I made a lot of mistakes, Lindy. I'm sorry for my part in your kidnapping and for making you feel inadequate. My son is lucky to have you in his life, and I'm blessed to have you as a daughter."

Lindy didn't blame Thalia for Giwyn being crazy. She couldn't have known that she would become so obsessed with Crimson. But she knew Thalia carried guilt over what had happened.

"Forgiven and forgotten," Lindy promised, squeezing her hand.

There was a short knock on the door, and Thalia said, "That's your mate. He's an impatient thing, isn't he?"

Crimson said through the door, "I'm not impatient."

Lindy laughed as Thalia opened the door. The room fell silent as Crimson stared at her and she stared at him. He looked amazing. Black leather trousers stretched over his legs, and he wore black knee boots. His wings were out, like twin feathered s.h.i.+elds behind his body, and he wore no s.h.i.+rt. Around his forearms were thick leather cuffs, decorated with symbols made of twisted gold wire. A sword hung from his side, the handle glinting with a ruby the size of a silver dollar.

He dropped to one knee and rested his fist over his heart, bowing his head. "You are so lovely, my mate. I am honored to pledge my life to you and to bind myself to you forever in the ancient ways of my people."

She closed the distance and stood before him. He raised his head slowly, his eyes flas.h.i.+ng from green to red, the way they did when he was aroused. "I'm honored, Crimson. To have you as my truemate, my friend, my protector, and the only male I've ever given my heart to."

He stood and pulled her close, wrapping one arm around her waist and resting his fingertips along her jaw. "Mine."

She couldn't help but grin. "I wouldn't want to be anyone else's."

Veril clapped her hands. "It's so romantic."

Lindy laughed, and Crimson smiled. "It sure is," Lindy agreed.

So that her dress didn't get dirty, Crimson carried her from the house to the waiting carriage. He rode with her and his mom, and the brownies rode behind them in another carriage. Lindy leaned against his shoulder, and he cuddled her closer. "Just a few more hours and we'll be bonded forever, sweet love."

"And then what?" She peeked up at him through the veil of her lashes.

"Then I'm going to take you back to our home and spend the night reminding you why we're meant to be together."

As if she needed a reminder. No one had ever rocked her world the way Crimson did. Everything about him seemed made just for her.

The carriage stopped in front of his parents' home. The sun had set, but candles and lanterns lit the entire outside of the house and the walkway leading to the back where the ceremony was to take place. Thalia told her a traditional fae mating was very similar to a human marriage, with the couple vowing to each other in front of an official and their families, followed by a meal and party. But their old ways mating was going to be different because, although Lindy was going to be vowing herself verbally to Crimson, his vows to her were going to be done through deed and not word alone.

Their people had stopped using the old ways several generations ago as they modernized. Like most traditional things, some of the current marriage traditions were based on ancient ones, but the actual ceremony she and Crimson were going to go through was nothing like what the fae did now. Lafawnya said their mating would change the realm forever, and Lindy thought she meant that people would see the old ways and it would rekindle a desire to use them again.

Crimson came around the carriage and held his hands out. She leaned out of the carriage with her hands on his shoulders, and he lifted her easily and set her on the stone path.

"You look so beautiful, ch.e.l.le," he said, twining one of her curls around his finger. "I'm the luckiest male in the realm."

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away. "I love you, Crimson."

He pressed his lips to her forehead and inhaled. "I love you, sweet mate."

Taking her hand, he led her along the torch-lit path around the side of the house and into the backyard. She gasped in surprise to see so many people. Risers had been set up around a stage where the ceremony was going to take place. Hundreds of fae sat in gilded chairs on the risers. One entire riser was filled with men with feathered wings, and she knew they were soldiers in the military like Crimson.

They walked on the stone path between two risers, and the crowd went silent save for the many feminine gasps of appreciation for her gown and, she was sure, how handsome her mate was. As they drew nearer to the stage, lilting music from stringed instruments filled the air. It wasn't the traditional wedding march, but it was beautiful. Crimson stopped them at the bottom of four crystal stairs leading up to the stage that appeared to be made of gold marble. Around the stage, tall posts made of white marble were covered with lavender ribbon and tulle and draped with ivy vines and tiny twinkling lights. Above them, the dark sky was filled with stars as if the universe had come out to witness their mating.

A man that Lindy didn't know came to stand on the stage at the top of the stairs. He had long, white hair and a beard that reached the top of his trousers. He wore a velvet frock coat of dark red, adorned with garnets and rubies.

The music ebbed and then disappeared entirely. The man, who looked to be in his eighties, cleared his throat and said, "Enter ye onto this sacred stone to vow yourself to your truemate according to the old ways, Crimson Ta'rek?"

Crimson bowed at the waist. "I do, Elder Horus."

Elder Horus nodded once and moved away from the stairs, and Crimson took Lindy's elbow again and led her up the crystal stairs. She hadn't been able to see what the stage really looked like from the ground, but now that she was on top of it, she was amazed at what she saw. The solid slab of marble was several feet thick and bigger than her bedroom. In the center of the stone, a stand made of dark metal held a stone pot over a fire of blue flames. The bottom of the stone pot was red with heat, and smoke rose from the inside. Three metal poles several feet in length stuck out from inside the pot.

Elder Horus, who had blue wings veined with yellow, stood behind the pot with a large open book in his hands. To the right and left of the pot were Riyad and Merik. They were wearing their military jackets, their wings spread out behind their backs through special slits cut into the fabric.

There was a rustling sound behind them, and Lindy looked over her shoulder to see a line of people moving up the stairs and parting to walk down either side of the stage. Each person carried something in their hands, and when they stopped moving and faced toward the center of the stage, Lindy was able to see that they were all fae. Their wings were all different colors, which Crimson had explained meant that they had different powers.

Elder Horus looked at Crimson and Lindy, then cast his gaze around the perimeter of the stage. Then he said with a loud voice, "Be welcome ye delegates of the Fae Guilds. From far have ye traveled to witness the mating of these two." Turning his attention back to them, Elder Horus said, "Face your intended."

Crimson and Lindy turned to face each other, their hands clasped between them. Her heart pounded with excitement and joy as she stared into the beautiful face of her mate.

"The gifts of the Fae Guilds," Elder Horus said, "are presented now."

A fae with golden wings stepped from the side and stood in front of her and Crimson. In his hand was a strand of delicate, blue flowers on a vine of tiny, purple leaves. He wove the vine around their clasped hands. "The blosomfae bless your union and wish you a beautiful mating, as lovely as the flowers that bind you together."

He moved back to the line as another fae joined them, a female with blue wings. She gave them the gift of water in a stone container that she poured out at their feet, so they would never be thirsty. The next fae had pearly wings and gave them the gift of the air, a breeze captured in a gla.s.s jar that she set at their feet so they would always feel the wind at their backs. A male fae with orange wings brought them a leather satchel of dirt that they would always have a fertile field to provide for them.

Elder Horus said, "The final gift from the fae is Melinda's wedding band, forged in the hottest of fires as only a firefae can control." A female with blue and yellow wings strode forward and slipped a ring onto Lindy's left ring finger. It felt warm, and a tingle raced up her arm.

Elder Horus said, "Melinda Vincent, do you vow yourself to your mate, Crimson Ta'rek, the Fae Realm Wulfen, from this moment until time ends? Do you vow yourself to him alone?"

As Crimson had coached her, she answered with a voice that only slightly trembled, "I so vow."

Crimson smiled at her, and her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

"Crimson Ta'rek, do you vow yourself to your mate, Melinda Vincent, the Mortal Realm she-wolf, from this day until time ends? Do you vow that you will protect her and your offspring with your life? Do you vow that you will keep her in happiness for the rest of her days? Do you vow to love her, and her alone, as no other has ever loved?"

Crimson's eyes bled to the red of his beast for only a moment, and then he said, "I so vow."

Merik and Riyad came to stand in front of them. Riyad unwound the vine of flowers from their hands and carefully draped it over Lindy's shoulders. Crimson released her hands after a quick squeeze and took two steps away from her. She'd read the history of the old ways and knew in her mind what was going to happen, but to see it unfold before her was nerve-wracking. As Elder Horus began to read in an ancient language, Riyad and Merik pulled two of the poles out of the pot, and Lindy swallowed hard at seeing the glowing brands on each end.

She held Crimson's gaze as Riyad and Merik lifted the brands and brought them down on his biceps. The scent of burning flesh filled the air immediately, but he never flinched or uttered a sound as the brands sizzled. They pulled the brands away, and in their wake were the burned images of the brands, fae language script edged with flames. They were his vows to her, his promise that he would be everything to her because she was everything to him.

The brands clinked against the pot as they were put back in place, and then Elder Horus handed Crimson a dagger that looked like it had been chiseled from stone. He cut across his left palm, and the thick wound welled with blood that dripped into a chalice Elder Horus held underneath his hand.

"The blood of the warrior is his life, given freely today to honor his mate," Elder Horus said, lifting the chalice and speaking a few words in a low tone. The contents blazed and sparked, and the acrid scent of smoke swirled around them.

The third brand was pulled from the pot, glowing with heat, and the elder held it out over Crimson's open, bleeding hand.

"Vow yourself through flesh and blood and iron, young fae. Prove yourself worthy of your mate."

"I so vow." Crimson spoke with strong, sure words, reaching up to grab the brand and wrapping his hand around it. He let out a low growl as he looked at her, his fangs peeking from his parted lips and his eyes flas.h.i.+ng from red to green. "I. So. Vow." He snarled the last word and lifted his head in a joyous howl, releasing the brand and holding his hand up toward the heavens.

The fae around them cheered. Crimson closed the distance to her and held out his hand, palm up. She gasped in surprise to see the scar on his palm read "Melinda." She hadn't realized that the third brand had been prepared with her name.

She lifted his hand and kissed the healing mark.

"Mine," he growled and pulled her close, bending her backward and kissing her hard. The crowd roared again, and she blushed, even though she loved kissing him.

He righted them both slowly, and her head swam as her heart pounded with joy. Nothing had ever felt as right as her life did at that moment. She'd been unhappy for a long time, but as Crimson had said, the paths they'd chosen over the course of their lives had led them to this place. And there was no place she'd rather be.