“If death were a person, I’d throat punch him, push him down a fire-ant covered hill, and then set him on fire. Or her. I mean, I guess death could be a chick. Actually, the more I think about it, death would definitely be a chick. Women are just more likely to drag the whole murdering process out. After all, a quick death would be a gift to your enemy. Only your friends deserve quick deaths. Because, again, only a woman would think about their friends needing killing. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m merely talking about killing them if they do something ridiculous like lick your mate or rub her scent all over him. Then, bestie or not, she’ll be pushing up daisies. Okay, enough about that, carry on with the story. You have my permission.” ~Jen
In his long life, Wadim had never been more terrified than he was right now. Their bond was completely open, and he could see and feel everything his mate was experiencing, but he couldn’t seem to do anything about it. One minute, she had been standing next to him watching Jen fight and kill Stephanie and the next she’d been on the floor wailing about the blood on the front of her shirt. He’d carried her back into one of the archive rooms and now sat on the floor with her in his lap. She was crying, and the sound echoed off the walls of her room, but other than that, she was not in the archives with him. She was trapped in her memories.
“Zara! Open your eyes, beautiful, open your eyes,” he ordered as he felt his wolf rising up inside him. In her mind, she was back in that terrible place with the vampire who had hurt her. She was chained to the floor, her back against a stone wall and her head pressed tightly against it. Her eyes were closed. Only seconds before, she’d looked terrified, but that fear had faded and been replaced by a spark of determination.
Now Wadim couldn’t get a response from her. He pushed further into her mind, against a wall she’d somehow put up between them. It was like a wall of glass. He could see her through it, but he couldn’t get to her. “Zara, please, remember. Come back to me,” Wadim pleaded. For a brief second, he felt her, felt the object of her determination—death. She wanted to die. She wanted to leave this world, leave them. Wadim’s wolf was incensed inside of him. He slammed his will against the man’s and roared at her. “MATE!” His hands, under the control of his beast, pounded on the glass wall in her mind. “YOU WILL NOT LEAVE US.” He howled so loudly Wadim wondered if he’d actually said it out loud rather than just through their bond. “Open your eyes, mate! Open your eyes and see the truth beneath the lies.”
She was giving them no response. Wadim opened his own eyes, pulling himself out of her mind to check on her physical body. She was no longer crying, in fact she wasn’t moving. Zara was limp against him. Everything inside him froze as Wadim looked down at her chest and then let out the breath he was holding as she inhaled and exhaled. She was breathing.
He continued to watch her chest rise and fall and noticed her breaths were getting shallow and strained, as though she were trying to breathe through a plastic bag.
He shook her. “Zara? Come on, baby, wake up.” Wadim tapped her cheek, but she didn’t wake up or move. Her breathing continued to sound labored. “ZARA!”
“Wadim?”
He looked up to see Rachel and Gavril standing in the doorway. “Something’s wrong,” he said, his eyes on Rachel because she was the one who might be able to help.
Rachel hurried over and knelt beside him. “I need to go into her mind,” Rachel said.
She was asking him permission. Sharing the mate bond was aggravating to his wolf, but they both knew their mate’s life depended on it. Wadim nodded.
Rachel placed her hand on Zara’s forehead and closed her eyes. Wadim noticed Gavril was crouched down behind his mate with his hand on her shoulder, reminding her he was with her. She could lean on him and use their bond if she needed to draw strength from him. They’d been bonded for so very long they almost moved as one. Wadim wanted a chance to have that with Zara. He needed to share the years with her, experiencing life and the beauty, sorrow, joy, pain, laughter, and love, all of it. He wanted it with her. Without her, his life would be a grey existence, a half-life that would never be whole. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t lose her, not when he’d only just found her.
Rachel immediately pushed her light into Zara as her hand touched the girl’s flesh. The healer looked first at the stress on Zara’s lungs and heart. The she-wolf’s heart was beating as if she were running a marathon, even though her physical body was lying still as stone in her mate’s arms.
Zara’s lungs were rigid, refusing to fill with air, making it hard for her to get a good breath. Rachel could feel that the girl’s body was desperate for air, sustenance, warmth, safety, touch. Her very soul was desperate for love.
Rachel moved from Zara’s body into her mind and felt a tremendous darkness swirling wildly within Zara’s subconscious. A seed had been planted. Rachel could see the origin. A vampire’s magic. Now, the seed was attempting to grow, to overtake Zara’s healthy memories and twist them to darkness. Rachel pushed a little further and came up against a shield, like a glass wall. On the other side sat a woman on a floor of a stone with her eyes closed. A tall man stood next to her, looking down at her with confusion and … something else. Rachel watched him closely for a moment and then realized what she was seeing—lust. This man coveted the woman on the floor in many ways.
“She is mine. You cannot have her,” the man said as he turned to look straight at Rachel. He smiled and his fangs flashed.
“You are wrong on both counts. She is not yours, and I can have her because she belongs to our pack. You are nothing but a bad memory that shall be excised,” Rachel said, her voice still calm. Inside, however, the healer was beginning to worry.
Zara grew pale on the floor. Something was very wrong.
The man began to laugh. “You think you know so much, healer? Yes, I know what you are. And your power is no match for mine. Zara’s soul has been marked.”
Rachel eyes widened, and she had to steady herself from pulling out of the female’s mind.
“Ahh, I see you know what that means. You must be old, healer, to know of such magic.”
“That’s witch magic,” Rachel whispered.
The vampire nodded. “Very good. Turns out witches have the same weakness as any who desire power—greed. It didn’t take much to get what I wanted. Witch magic is fueled by blood and, obviously, I am good at getting blood. Turns out if a person has even a smidgeon of supernatural blood in them, they can be soul bound to another supernatural.”
“Why her?” Rachel asked, shifting her attention back to Zara’s sitting form.
He shrugged. “She has the blood of Canis lupus in her, which means she had the potential to live a long life. She was beautiful and strong. And she tasted divine.”
Rachel kept her light steady, not wanting him to sense her disgust. She now understood why Zara’s soul was so filled with darkness. The healer needed to keep the vampire talking. Maybe he’d reveal his plan for Zara’s soul. His words hit her like a ton of bricks. “Why are you talking in the past tense? Zara is still of Canis lupus blood. She is still beautiful and strong.” Rachel didn’t add that Zara probably still tasted divine. That was just … ewww.
“Not for much longer.” The vampire chuckled as he looked back down at Zara. “She doesn’t even realize why she wants to die so badly. She thinks she wants to escape her existence. But she really wants to die because her soul is searching for its mate—me.”
“But you’re dead,” Rachel said.
“I am,” he agreed. “But, as I said, she is soul bound to me.”
Rachel reached deep into the recesses of her own mind, searching for any information she knew about the witches’ power of soul binding. “So, by binding her soul to yours, you had to leave a part of your own soul in her when you died?”
His grin widened, and he tilted his head as he looked at her like a proud parent. “And here I always thought healers were mousy idiots who knew nothing other than a little herbal healing.”
“What do you want from her?” Rachel asked.
His grin fell. “You’re treading carefully on the edge of being considered a mousy idiot again.”
Rachel shrugged. “Humor me.”
He sighed, letting out the air in a loud whoosh as his shoulders exaggeratedly rose and fell with the breath. “Fine. It’s not like I have anything else to do at the moment. Since I am no longer amongst the living, the only way for our souls to be together is if she dies as well.”
Rachel watched him carefully. There was a gleam in his eyes that told her he wasn’t being completely forthright. Not that she should expect anything different from a vamp, or even the soul of a dead one. “What’s the rest of it? She doesn’t just have to die, does she?”
“Witches might be greedy, but they also like messing with those who want to know their magic. You have to be careful when buying the spells because they are tricky. Once it’s cast, nothing can be changed. I didn’t even know there was a contingency to the spell until I was killed.
“The witch hadn’t told me that in the spell was a clause that if one of the souls passed on without the bound one, the only way for them to be together was for the living person to die, of their own free will. In other words, they couldn’t be killed by someone or by an accident of some sort. If either of those things happened, then the binding would be broken.”
Rachel felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. Zara’s death would be worse than a death sentence for Wadim. They weren’t bonded. If she died, he would be left behind without her. No doubt, that would send him over the edge.
Deciding she’d gotten enough information from the vampire, Rachel turned her attention back to Zara’s unconscious mind. Rachel gave herself her human form so she could be seen by Zara as a person and not just a ball of light. She stared at the girl sitting on the stone floor. Rachel put her hand against the clear wall standing between her and Zara. Rachel thought of all the things that brought joy and light into the world. She remembered the times in her life that had filled her with love and hope. Rachel pushed those emotions into her magic, as she pushed her magic against the wall. She could feel the force of the vampire’s soul attempting to push back, but Rachel was alive. Her will was stronger than his dead one.
Rachel lifted her other hand and placed it on the wall as well. She poured light into her hands in an attempt to get past the barrier so Zara would be able to feel her and hear her. “Come on, Zara, let me in,” Rachel said under her breath as she continued to pour her magic into her hands and against the barrier. Rachel pictured each new child their pack had been blessed with. She remembered the first time her eyes met Gavril’s and the power that one look had given her. She thought about the love she saw between Vasile and Alina and the sacrifices they’d made for those they loved so dearly and for those who would never know it.
Rachel felt the barrier shudder and heard a popping sound. She opened her eyes and saw a long crack running diagonally across the barrier. But that was all. She could feel Gavril pushing his own strength into her, but she didn’t know if it was going to be enough.
“I’ve got your back.”
Rachel’s head whipped to the side to find the owner of the soft voice. Sally. The soft-spoken healer smiled at her as she placed her own hands in the same position on the barrier. Hope swelled inside of Rachel.
“Anything I need to know?” Sally asked her.
Rachel nodded. “Her soul has been marked by the vampire who held her captive. His soul is trying to take hers. Zara is lost in her mind and thinks this is all real. She doesn’t realize she isn’t a captive any longer. We need to get this barrier down so we can reach her.”
“Just when I think things can’t get more convoluted,” Sally said, shaking her head. “How do we bring this down?”
“The opposite of darkness is light. This barrier is a result of the lies with which the vamp filled her mind. It is the physical manifestation of the darkness the soul bond has created in her.”
“So, we use our light to bring the wall down?” Sally asked.
“Exactly. And how do you create more light?” Rachel asked.
“By exposing the darkness,” Sally said with a determined gleam in her eyes. Her lips pressed tightly together as she looked at the barrier. “Alright, let’s shine some light on the situation. And yes, I totally meant that as a pun. Jen’s wearing off on me, causing me to say stupid stuff when I’m stressed.”
Rachel grinned. “If your stupid stuff makes others smile, it can be forgiven.”
They both turned their attention back to Zara and the wall between them. Rachel closed her eyes again and whispered, “Great Luna, help us. Help us save Zara.” Rachel once again focused on shoving her light into the barrier.
“The lies create darkness. Expose the lies with truth.” The Great Luna’s voice filled Rachel’s mind. “Speak truth into her soul.”
Rachel began speaking, letting the Great Luna’s words and wisdom guide her. “Zara, you think you are alone. You are not, dear sister. You are a part of our pack. You have become a dear friend to us, and we care for you and your well-being. You think you have no other options, that death is the only way out of the hell in which you lived. Hear me, Zara. Hear me and feel the truth in my words. You are loved. You have a mate who adores you and is terrified of losing you. This isn’t your end, child. It is only the beginning. Don’t give up. Don’t stop fighting. You don’t have to do it alone.” There was another popping sound, and Rachel’s eyes opened once again. Another crack had formed in the barrier.
She turned her head to look at Sally and was not surprised to see the young healer lit up like a firecracker. Rachel had always recognized the power in the girl. Suddenly, Sally’s eyes opened, and instead of seeing the brown orbs that Rachel was accustomed to, the other healer’s eyes were filled with a white light. Then Sally began to speak, and Rachel felt chills roll down her skin. Maybe Rachel hadn’t had a clue how powerful Sally was.
Sally had heard the Great Luna’s voice. She was sure Rachel had heard it too. There had been another crack in the barrier, but it still wasn’t enough. They had to give more.
“Zara!” Sally boomed, her voice sounding as though she’d shouted into a cave, reverberating off the walls. “Listen up! If you die, I swear to you I will come to the afterlife and drag your butt back just to smack some sense into you. Don’t let him win! He took so much from you, I know. Believe me, I know what it’s like to have precious things taken from you against your will. I understand what it’s like to feel like death is the only option. I actually chose that option once upon a time, because I thought it was the only way to save those I love. But for you, there is another option. You fight. Fight against the memories that are threatening to steal your sound mind and turn you into a blubbering weirdo, rocking in a corner. You fight against the lies that the wicked man said to you and hear the truth instead.
“The truth is that you are alive and well. You aren’t in this hell any longer. You made it out. Do you hear me? You made it out! You have a mate who is the cutest nerd in all the nerddoms of the world, and he is completely taken with you. You have three new girlfriends who think you’re the coolest thing since ice makers were invented. The truth is that you are loved so very much. You are loved, and we would miss you terribly if you left us. So, fight. Do you hear me?” Sally lifted her hands from the barrier and then slammed them back against it as she roared, “FIGHT!”
There was a heartbeat of silence and then the wall shattered and began to fall. It was almost beautiful as it fell in slow motion, Sally and Rachel’s lit-up hands still glowing behind it, causing the shards to appear iridescent.
Sally didn’t even wait for all of it to fall. She just ran through it, straight for Zara. Sally knelt beside her still form and pressed her hands on either side of her face. “Zara, come back to us,” Sally whispered.
She felt Zara’s spirit trying to slip away from her, so Sally pictured a rope and tethered her own spirit to Zara’s.
“Sally, no!” Costin’s firm voice filled her mind.
“It’s going to be fine, Costin. Trust me.”
Then Sally pictured herself pulling on the rope, pulling Zara’s spirit back into the land of the living, so to speak. “I don’t know if you know this about me, Zara, but out of Jen and Jacque, I am actually the most stubborn. You would think it would be Jen, but nope. You see, I am the most stubborn because I honestly believe everyone has a purpose in life. Everyone has a certain number of days they are supposed to be on this round, spinning ball of water and land. And they can’t leave until they’ve completed their work. You have not completed yours. You are not done. You have so much left to do, so many people who need to be impacted by you. So, you see, I can’t let you go. Don’t make us mourn you before your time.”
Sally hadn’t noticed Rachel kneeling on the other side of Zara. She, too, had her hands on the girl, but hers were on Zara’s arm and hand. Both pushed their light into the mental form of the girl that was just a memory. They weren’t going to stop until she was back, until she believed them.
Zara wanted to die. Didn’t she? For some reason, the girl was suddenly confused about what she wanted. One minute, she was sure her miserable existence just wasn’t worth enduring any longer, and the next she was considering fighting, trying to get free or at least holding on and praying for someone to rescue her.
“Fight, Zara, you have to fight.”
She didn’t recognize the voice that suddenly filled the air around her. It was feminine and beautiful, almost musical in its quality. Fight. The voice wanted her to fight.
“Why?” Zara asked the voice.
“Because this is no longer your life. You aren’t trapped with that monster any longer. You’re free. You have a family again. You have sisters and brothers and a man who loves you. Try to remember."
Zara desperately wanted the voice to be real. She didn’t think she could hold onto this life much longer. She honestly didn’t know how much fight she had left. She forced herself to focus and search her memories. Zara imagined her mind as a file cabinet, her memories lined up in manila folders. She began flipping through them, noticing the pictures filling the folders. One after another, she flipped. They began as happy memories, pictures of her family and friends. But soon they turned dark. The pictures became dark and blood soaked. Some were blank, containing memories she’d completely blocked out because of the trauma. She forced herself to continue looking. Somewhere toward the end of the file, she paused. Inside of this file was the picture of a handsome man. It was bright, crisp, and clear and so completely out of place among the rest of the dark folders, she thought some cosmic bookkeeper must have misfiled it somehow. But then Zara felt something stirring in her stomach, and her heart began to pound out a rhythm in her chest that was nearly painful.
She knew this man. How do I know this man? His eyes were gold and full of kindness and mirth. His lips turned up in a smile that looked content on his face, as though he wore a smile more than any other expression. He was handsome. Zara found herself reaching out and running her fingertips across his forehead and down his cheeks. Have I ever touched him like this before?
She doubted it. It had been so long since she’d been around humans. Hadn’t it? She flipped through the rest of the filing cabinet and found more folders containing pictures of people who clearly weren’t vampires. Zara felt like she should know these people, but she couldn’t place them.
There was a beautiful brunette with eyes as kind as the first male she’d seen. There was a blonde woman who had a mischievous look on her face that made Zara think perhaps she enjoyed causing a lot of trouble. Then there was a redhead who had a look of exasperation on her freckled face. She appeared levelheaded more than anything. The other pictures were of males, nearly as handsome as the first picture she’d seen, though they didn’t draw her in as he had.
Who are these people? The memories had to be hers. She didn’t think she was sorting through someone else’s memories. The vampire pictures she had no trouble whatsoever recalling. So, Zara had to know these people, too, but how? She’d been a captive of the vampires since she was eleven. These people weren’t in her life before her capture.
“Remember, Zara. Remember Wadim, Jacque, Jen, Sally, Alina,” the voice said and continued to list more names.
Zara repeated the names over and over, but it wasn’t until she heard a different voice that her brain began to feel as though it were going to shatter.
“Beautiful.” A deep, masculine voice replaced the feminine one and sent shivers down her spine. “I need you to remember me. I need you to remember the first time you bumped into me and nearly brought me to my knees. You were the loveliest thing I’d ever seen. I knew instantly you were my true mate.”
True mate? Zara was puzzled. What on earth is a true mate? Is it like a soul mate? And do those even exist?
“It is exactly like a soul mate, and yes they exist,” the deep voce said.
“Who are you?” Zara asked.
“I’m Wadim. I’m the picture at the start of that file in your mind.”
Zara flipped back to the beginning of the memory file and stared, once again, at the handsome face. Her heartbeat started to speed up as she gazed into those golden eyes. Wadim. That named sounded so familiar and precious to her. She wanted to remember.
“He is nothing to you.” Ander’s voice suddenly broke through the bubble that had enveloped her.
Zara’s head snapped up to see the … thing. She called him a thing because he wasn’t a man. He was the thing she despised most in the world, and he was staring down at her with a determined fire in his eyes.
“You are mine.”
She shook her head. “No. You can keep saying that, but I will never be yours. Not any part of me.”
“Your soul says otherwise,” Ander said, and a sinister smile spread across his evil face.
“My soul—” Zara began but stopped when another voice—Wadim’s voice—reverberated throughout the room. Somewhere, deep down, she was beginning to believe this wasn’t a room at all but actually a place in her mind. Yet it seemed so real to her.
“Zara’s soul belongs to me! Just as mine belongs to her. Your lies have no hold on her any longer,” Wadim roared.
Zara didn’t know what was happening, but the rage that overtook Ander’s face terrified her.
“NO,” the vampire bellowed.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and, for a split second, she thought it was a vampire bite. But then the pain subsided, and pleasure coursed through her body. If this was some sort of drug, then sign her up for more.
“Zara, swallow.” Wadim’s voice sounded strained. “I’m sorry, beautiful. I didn’t mean to take the choice from you. I didn’t know what else to do.”
He sounded so forlorn and lost that Zara wanted to wrap her arms around him, but that thought fled when she felt something warm sliding down her throat. A second later, light exploded in her mind as memories flooded in and Zara remembered everything.
She opened her eyes and blinked several times. When her vision cleared, she stared up into golden eyes.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” Wadim said, his lips drawn tight across his face. “I almost lost you,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” Zara whispered.
Wadim shook his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. It is I who will be doing the apologies, but first we need to get you cleaned up.”
Wadim felt nauseated as he carried his mate to the bathroom. Sally and Rachel had stepped out of the room the minute Zara had opened her eyes, allowing Wadim to have time alone with his newly bonded mate. Considering he’d just performed the Blood Rites on her without even discussing it first, they were probably going to need some one-on-one time to talk about it.
He hadn’t known what else to do. Rachel and Sally had managed to loosen the hold Ander had on Zara. But once the vampire started speaking again, Wadim had been terrified that Ander would be able to drag her back into the darkness of the spot in her soul he occupied. He needed his mate to break free. When Sally pulled out of Zara’s mind long enough to tell Wadim about the soul bond the vampire had placed on Zara, Wadim had nearly lost it. His wolf had simply reacted. It sank their teeth into her neck without a second thought. Wadim hadn’t even had time to truly enjoy marking her because all he could think about was the fact that, even though he might be saving her life, she’d most likely hate him when she found out what he’d done.
Then, to add insult to injury, he’d given her his own blood without her consent as well. He couldn’t stand the idea Zara might hate him, but he couldn’t let Ander have her soul. Even if she never wanted anything to do with him, Wadim would rather have that outcome than see her die and be stuck with that vampire for eternity.
In the bathroom, Wadim kicked the door shut and set Zara on the toilet. He knelt down in front of her and tilted her chin up so he could see her face. “I’m going to run you a hot bubble bath. Is that okay?”
She nodded as silent tears tracked down her face. Wadim didn’t know what to say or do so he simply leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He stood and went about running her bath until the tub was full and nearly overflowing with bubbles. Then Wadim opened the door.
“I’m going to wait out here while you get in the tub. Do you think you’ll need help undressing? I can get Rachel or Sally if you’d like.”
Zara’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. “Please don’t leave,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Okay, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable with a female?” Wadim asked.
“I’d be more comfortable with my mate,” she said, her voice cracking just a bit. As she stood, Wadim realized she was trembling.
He shut the door and stepped up to her. “Shh,” he said gently as she started to cry. She buried her face in his chest and the sobs were muffled, but they still broke his heart. “My love, what can I do?”
“Forgive me,” she whimpered.
“For what?” Wadim nearly growled. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I forgot you. I forgot everyone who has helped me these past months. How could I do that?”
“Zara, you have been through hell. You may be physically healed, but the emotional trauma may take years to mend. I would never fault you for what has happened. Not only were you dealing with the memories of the horrors you endured, but your mind was also wrestling with black magic,” Wadim explained. “You didn’t know Ander had marked you.”
“Even in death, he holds power over me,” she cried.
Wadim shook his head and put two fingers under her chin, lifting her face to his. “No, not anymore. And it is I who needs to ask your forgiveness. I did not know how else to break the soul bond he placed on you. I’m sorry, beautiful. I performed the Blood Rites without your consent.” Wadim drew in a heavy breath before continuing. “I know I didn’t ask your permission, and I am so sorry I took the choice away from you. I didn’t know what else to do.” Wadim waited for the anger and hurt he was sure she would feel toward him, but instead, Zara cupped his face and rose up on her toes to kiss his lips. She rarely initiated physical affection, and it was a gift when she did.
When she pulled back, she smiled and it lit up her lovely face. “Thank you for saving me. Thank you for taking care of me, for loving me.”
“The honor is mine, Zara,” Wadim said as he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and breathed in her unique scent. His wolf wanted to wrap her up, take her far away from any danger, and give her time to heal. He wanted to reassure her over and over again he would never let anything or anyone hurt her again. But sticking her in a bubble wouldn’t be what was best for her. She needed to experience life, especially after being locked underground in hell with a demon for so long.
“Ready for that bath?”
She nodded. Her hands were still shaking as she started to lift her shirt. Wadim started to turn around to give her privacy, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Could you help me?”
His eyes widened.
“I mean … if you don’t mind, but you don’t have to. It’s fine…” Zara stumbled over her words.
Wadim felt shame and embarrassment come through their bond. He realized she thought he would be repulsed. Silly female. He’d have to reassure her that repulsion was the furthest thing from his mind when he thought of her.
“I’m your mate, Zara. It is my privilege and deepest desire to care for you in any way you need. I will help you, but I will keep my eyes on your beautiful face, because you aren’t ready for anything that might happen if I look at the rest of you.”
She sighed. “I’m not much to look at. I don’t think you will have any trouble restraining yourself.”
Wadim forced his wolf, who wanted to growl at their mate, down. He and his beast did not like their mate degrading herself. “You are beautiful to me. All of you. And hopefully one day you will truly believe me when I say that.” He didn’t wait to see how she would respond as he lifted the hem of her shirt. She raised her arms obediently, and he slipped it over her head. Wadim’s eyes never left her face as he helped his mate undress and then climb into the tub. Once she was fully submerged and covered by the bubbles, he sat down on the floor next to the tub and just stared at her. She had no idea how incredible she was. Zara was a miracle to him.
“You’re staring at me,” Zara said, her face turning a rosy pink.
“My mark is beautiful on your neck,” he said.
“The Blood Rites is supposed to be pretty special, isn’t it?”
Wadim nodded. “It’s the equivalent of marriage to a Canis lupus.”
“And I missed it.” She sniffed as she wiped another tear away. “I missed my own wedding, essentially.”
Wadim leaned forward and gently brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “It’s something that can be repeated, and usually is with true mates.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
He nodded. “My da told me that, sometimes, if a male’s mate was in danger, once that danger had passed, the male would mark his mate again, just as a reminder to both that they belong to each other, that nothing would separate them. They would both bite one another in the same place as the original bites.”
Her eyes widened. “But I didn’t bite you. Does that mean we aren’t bonded?”
“Not technically. I gave you my blood, so it’s a half bond, I guess. At some point, when you’re ready, we can do it again and you can bite me. And … also when you’re ready, we will have to complete the bond when we … consummate our mating.”
She paled.
Wadim hurried to add, “But only when you’re ready. I’ll wait as long you need … years, decades, a century… It doesn’t matter, as long as I’m with you.”
They were quiet for a while as Zara leaned back in the bathtub, resting her head against the edge and closing her eyes. Wadim simply watched her. He probably seemed like a creeper, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He felt like he’d nearly lost her and if he blinked she’d suddenly disappear.
“Ander said he used witch magic to bind my soul to his. How did I not know that? How did I not feel it?” Zara asked.
“The witch he got the spell from was probably very powerful. She could have made it untraceable. Even my wolf didn’t sense it,” Wadim explained.
“Rachel and Sally where there, weren’t they? I remember hearing their voices.”
“They were. Your breathing was strained, and I couldn’t reach you. There was a barrier between us.” Wadim forced down the panic threatening to return as he remembered being unable to reach her through the bond.
“I need to thank them,” Zara said as she lifted her head to look at him.
“Neither of them would expect it, but they will want to see for themselves that you are okay now.”
“Wadim?”
“Yes, beautiful?”
“I love you.”
Wadim let those words wash over him, chasing away the fear he’d felt and the worry that she’d hate him for forcing the Blood Rites. He kneeled over the edge of the tub and cupped the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers. “And I love you,” he whispered into her mind.
When she was ready, Wadim helped Zara from the tub and let her dry herself off as he went and retrieved her some comfortable clothes in which she could sleep. He passed the place where Jen and Stephanie had fought and noticed it had been cleaned. Rachel and Sally probably had something to do with that. He’d have to get them a couple of cool T-shirts as a thank you gift.
Once they were settled in bed, Wadim wrapped an arm around Zara’s middle and pulled her back against his chest, tucking her in tightly against him. “It’s late and you’re exhausted. Sleep and tomorrow we will see the healers so we can thank them.”