said it. She choked and trembled. "Her mate?"
"Her consort. Mate. Yes."
With a cry, she flung herself at him. As
if he expected it, he easily caught her and grabbed her wrists, though she did
manage to knock him back against the wall. Struggling against him, she growled
and cursed even as she fought the wild torrent of emotions inside of her.
"I'm not…I'm not…"
Somehow he shifted, trapping her arms
and wrapping an arm around her. Her head cracked against his. He raised his
hand, burying his fingers into her hair and guiding her head to his shoulder.
"I know. Easy."
"I'm not…the queen," she
insisted through ragged breaths as she continued to squirm and fight against
him. Why did he have to be so rotting strong?
His grip tightening, he rested his head
against hers. "I know. Shhh."
Whispering calming words, he held her
until the fight left her. "Can you let it go now?"
Though she no longer wanted to hurt him,
the fury still raged within her. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. "I
don't know."
"Can I let you go?"
She nodded against his shoulder and his
grip on her wrists disappeared. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
Wrapping both arms around her, he
stroked her hair and sighed. "We'll sort it out. You can do this."
She closed her eyes and wished she could
believe him.
"What do you feel?"
Startled, she tilted her head back to
look at him. "Angry, the fury is all wild inside."
"The anger, the fury, it drives us
to fight. That is normal," he said quietly, his eyes meeting hers.
"When we have our Queen, she will guide us. We are all connected."
"Even me?"
He smiled a little. "You are only
connected to me. Can you feel it? Look beyond the fury. Can you find it?"
The hope in his voice made her breath
catch. Closing her eyes, she tried to do as he asked. Looking inside herself, she
dove into the swirling mass of black and red, fighting to see if there was
anything beyond it. What she found stole the breath from her lungs.
Strings of black and red twisted and
intertwined with two brilliant lights. Her. Kei. It brought them together.
Connecting them. Binding them.
The feelings of love and trust and utter
devotion overwhelmed her and made her forget everything else. She was
everything to him…but it wasn't one-sided. Kei was her best friend, her family.
More than that. She would do anything for him, trusted him with her life, and
yes, even loved him. The feelings themselves were not surprising. She knew how she
felt for Kei, but feeling them so suddenly, so fully, shook the very
foundations of everything she knew. It was one thing to say the words, but
another altogether to feel them with every part of her being. Finally, she
understood.
Pulling back, she opened her eyes.
Dazed, she stared up at him in shock. "What is…?"
His eyes glowed golden as he smiled
brilliantly down at her. "That is us. You see me now."
Chapter 7
Westport
After the shock of actually seeing and
feeling their bonds, Aro finally managed to let go of the fury and let it fade
away. Immediately afterward, she fell asleep, still wrapped in Kei's arms.
The next morning she once again woke
before him. Staring into the darkness, she blinked away sleep. For the first
time in what felt like forever, she'd had a wonderful night’s rest. No
nightmares. The warmth of Kei's body curled around her reminded her of the
safety and love she'd felt the day before.
She'd never felt such strong feelings.
The intensity of them honestly frightened her and left her confused. Kei's
response had been so different, but then he'd been feeling such things for a
while, hadn't he?
As gently as possible, she shifted out
from under Kei's arm and slipped out of bed. Washing up in the basin quickly, she
tried not to overthink everything from the previous day. Instead, she decided
to try to contact Rhee-En and see if he'd be returning soon, or not.
Good morning, Arowyn.
She winced at the obvious irritation in
his tone. Had he still been asleep? I'm sorry to disturb
"Her consort. Mate. Yes."
With a cry, she flung herself at him. As
if he expected it, he easily caught her and grabbed her wrists, though she did
manage to knock him back against the wall. Struggling against him, she growled
and cursed even as she fought the wild torrent of emotions inside of her.
"I'm not…I'm not…"
Somehow he shifted, trapping her arms
and wrapping an arm around her. Her head cracked against his. He raised his
hand, burying his fingers into her hair and guiding her head to his shoulder.
"I know. Easy."
"I'm not…the queen," she
insisted through ragged breaths as she continued to squirm and fight against
him. Why did he have to be so rotting strong?
His grip tightening, he rested his head
against hers. "I know. Shhh."
Whispering calming words, he held her
until the fight left her. "Can you let it go now?"
Though she no longer wanted to hurt him,
the fury still raged within her. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. "I
don't know."
"Can I let you go?"
She nodded against his shoulder and his
grip on her wrists disappeared. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
Wrapping both arms around her, he
stroked her hair and sighed. "We'll sort it out. You can do this."
She closed her eyes and wished she could
believe him.
"What do you feel?"
Startled, she tilted her head back to
look at him. "Angry, the fury is all wild inside."
"The anger, the fury, it drives us
to fight. That is normal," he said quietly, his eyes meeting hers.
"When we have our Queen, she will guide us. We are all connected."
"Even me?"
He smiled a little. "You are only
connected to me. Can you feel it? Look beyond the fury. Can you find it?"
The hope in his voice made her breath
catch. Closing her eyes, she tried to do as he asked. Looking inside herself, she
dove into the swirling mass of black and red, fighting to see if there was
anything beyond it. What she found stole the breath from her lungs.
Strings of black and red twisted and
intertwined with two brilliant lights. Her. Kei. It brought them together.
Connecting them. Binding them.
The feelings of love and trust and utter
devotion overwhelmed her and made her forget everything else. She was
everything to him…but it wasn't one-sided. Kei was her best friend, her family.
More than that. She would do anything for him, trusted him with her life, and
yes, even loved him. The feelings themselves were not surprising. She knew how she
felt for Kei, but feeling them so suddenly, so fully, shook the very
foundations of everything she knew. It was one thing to say the words, but
another altogether to feel them with every part of her being. Finally, she
understood.
Pulling back, she opened her eyes.
Dazed, she stared up at him in shock. "What is…?"
His eyes glowed golden as he smiled
brilliantly down at her. "That is us. You see me now."
Chapter 7
Westport
After the shock of actually seeing and
feeling their bonds, Aro finally managed to let go of the fury and let it fade
away. Immediately afterward, she fell asleep, still wrapped in Kei's arms.
The next morning she once again woke
before him. Staring into the darkness, she blinked away sleep. For the first
time in what felt like forever, she'd had a wonderful night’s rest. No
nightmares. The warmth of Kei's body curled around her reminded her of the
safety and love she'd felt the day before.
She'd never felt such strong feelings.
The intensity of them honestly frightened her and left her confused. Kei's
response had been so different, but then he'd been feeling such things for a
while, hadn't he?
As gently as possible, she shifted out
from under Kei's arm and slipped out of bed. Washing up in the basin quickly, she
tried not to overthink everything from the previous day. Instead, she decided
to try to contact Rhee-En and see if he'd be returning soon, or not.
Good morning, Arowyn.
She winced at the obvious irritation in
his tone. Had he still been asleep? I'm sorry to disturb
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