His eyes softened as Skender stared at her. His gaze roamed over her face as if trying to memorize every inch, every nuance of her expressions. Tenia opened her end of the bond completely. She didn’t want there to be any secrets between them. She pictured what she saw when Peri ignited the compound in the cold fire. Tenia remembered the burning against her skin and her sheer terror when Torion appeared and she’d known there was nothing she could do to save him. She let him see every thought that ran through her mind when she’d been sure her life would end.

  Skender’s hand rose, and the pads of his fingers ran across her forehead and down her temple to her cheek. Her face wasn’t the only place she felt his hand. Skender used the bond to let her feel his touch in her hair, down her back, and up her calves to her thighs. He overwhelmed her senses. Her nerves felt exposed as he pushed his own emotions through their open bond. “If I could turn back time, I would give anything to keep you and Torion safe. Even if it meant tying you both to my side. I would do anything to keep you from going through what you did,” he whispered. The reverence in his voice only punctuated the longing Tenia felt from him.

  “When we first met, I was so angry.” She bit her lip as she recalled the first time she’d seen him. Her eagerness to get Torion away from the Order had been her only focus … until suddenly she saw Skender. He’d been standing right in front of the door that kept her son captive but also safe from the ugliness that had become their lives. “I wanted to kill you, but in equal measure, I wanted to be with you. I was so confused.”

  His lips turned up in a small, crooked smile. “I was pretty sure you were going to follow through with your threat to slit my throat.”

  Tenia winced as she remembered the words she’d spat at him. She’d said a lot of things out of terror and rage—things she didn’t mean. She lifted one of her hands and ran her finger across the flesh of his neck where she’d threatened to plunge her blade. Now she’d protect his throat with her own life.

  “No.” He shook his head, having picked up on her thoughts. “My life is not worth sacrificing yours. Don’t you ever consider it. I protect you. That’s how this works.”

  She shook her head in return. “I don’t think so. If that was how it worked, then there would be no mate bond that tied our lives together. Our souls are two halves, remember? One cannot exist without the other.”

  “That’s only if the bond is complete,” Skender said. “As long as that doesn’t happen, I can die and you will continue this life with Torion.”

  “And if I died?” she challenged. “The darkness would destroy you. Your wolf would become feral. And you would have to be killed anyway.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed a finger over his lips. “And even if we both live, without the bond complete, the darkness will still continue to grow inside of you.”

  Skender leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. “But not as fast. Having you near would be enough to slow it down.”

  Tenia’s anger flared as she realized what he was saying. “You still don’t want to complete the bond with me?” Just saying the words out loud felt like a blade being shoved into her heart. “Even after we nearly lost one another? Even after I’ve told you I don’t care what has happened in your past? You’re mine now. You’re Torion’s now.” Tenia gripped his shirt in her hands, fisting it so tightly her knuckles turned white.

  “I have lived for centuries on my own, Skender. I accepted the reality that I would always be alone. That Torion would be the only love in my life. And until you, I was content with that. Or at least I thought I was. And then you and your damn patient, protective, selfless ass had to go and ruin my contentedness.” She pulled her hands back, his shirt still gripped within them, and slammed her knuckles against his chest. “You gave me something I didn’t have. You gave me hope. You made me realize I didn’t want to be alone anymore. But not only that I didn’t want to be alone, but that I didn’t want to be without you. YOU!” She snapped her mouth closed, trying to contain everything that had built inside of her, threatening to erupt. If she wasn’t careful, Tenia might just hit her mate with a bolt of her magic in order to knock some sense into him. “You told me once that you were made for me and I for you. Are you telling me now that is no longer what you believe?”

  He growled. “Of course not. I told you when we were in the compound that I would never complete the bond because I wouldn’t allow you to tie yourself to the likes of me.” He pulled his head back from hers. Then as if he couldn’t help himself, Skender pressed a tender kiss to each of her cheeks. He ran his hands through her hair and gently pulled as if to punctuate his words, “You shine brightness into the dark parts of me, my own personal sun. I will not bite you only for you to bear my shame as your own, simply because you wear my mark.”

  Tenia gritted her teeth and tried to rein in her temper. “That is not your decision to make. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  “But it is, my sweet Tenia. I have the right to choose whether I bite you.”

  She couldn’t help it. Before she even realized what she was doing, Tenia opened her palms, releasing his shirt and slammed her hands into his chest, shooting a bolt of her magic. She didn’t hit him with enough power to cause any damage, but the jolt got his attention.

  “Dammit, female.” Skender barked and grabbed her wrists, pulling them away. He pushed them down and pressed them against the side of her thighs, effectively shackling her. “Was that really necessary?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Have you changed your mind about completing the bond?”

  His lips drew taunt across his face. “No,” Skender bit out.

  “Then yes, it was necessary.” With his hands wrapped around her wrists, Tenia’s fingers were still free to zap him again, this time in his leg. He snarled and gripped her tighter. She probably shouldn’t have smiled, but Tenia couldn’t help it. She smiled even bigger when she thought of how Myanin would totally approve of her friend’s persuasion tactics.

  “Zapping me will not change my mind. Can’t you see you deserve better than me?” he practically shouted. “If you take me as your true mate, you will also bear my shame, Tenia. Don’t you get it? It’s not just about me not being worthy. It’s about the fact that you aren’t just mating me. You take on all of my sins as your own. You will not have a pack, because I don’t have a pack. You will face the rage of others, simply because you are mine and I am yours. Torion will be affected as well. He will not be able to be with the other kids because we won’t be welcomed. He will live with the stigma of a father who did horrible things and he will never be able to get out from under it.”

  “You’re a bigger fool than I thought.” She gave him one more pulse of power, this time hard enough that he released her. She leaped to her feet and took several steps away from him. Skender slowly stood, his eyes never leaving hers. “Being a pair, sharing a soul, choosing to love one another comes with all of that, no matter who we mate, Skender. The person’s baggage doesn’t determine their worth, and it shouldn’t determine our ability to love them and be with them, despite what we might endure. That’s what love does, it endures.”

  “Love isn’t always enough.” He sounded utterly defeated, which just pissed her off more.

  “Are you saying that the Great Luna got it wrong?” She motioned between them. “What? Was she having an off day when she matched two souls that couldn’t be together? Did the creator of all supernatural beings fall asleep on the job and then just say, ‘To hell with it. Let’s just see how they do together?’”

  Skender frowned. “Of course not. She’s a goddess. She doesn’t make mistakes.”

  “You sure about that, wolf?” Tenia asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Because you're telling me I deserve better than the true mate the Great Luna gave me, the one she created to be the other half of my soul. It sounds a lot like you are accusing our goddess of screwing up.”

  His eyes widened, and it looked as if he was finally catching on to what she was saying. Tenia didn’t look through the bond at his thoughts. She didn’t know if she could handle hearing anything more about how he didn’t want her.

  “I never said I didn’t want you, soarele meu.” Apparently, he was not staying out of her head.

  “It feels like that’s what you’re saying, Skender.” Tenia shook her head and closed her eyes. It hurt to look at the man who’d broken through her defenses and made her see that her life hadn’t been complete. Tenia swallowed hard. She realized that if she didn’t have Torion, she might have actually wished that the cold fire had taken her life. It was a hell of a lot less painful than what she was enduring at the moment.

  “Don’t ever think something like that again,” Skender snapped, his hands suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, giving her a small shake. “I cannot imagine a world where you don’t exist.”

  Tenia lifted her head and opened her eyes. She felt tears gathering and hated that she couldn’t keep them at bay. She opened her mouth to respond, but a bright light caused her to clamp it shut. Warmth filled the cave, and then the aforementioned goddess stood before them.

  Tenia immediately fell to her knees, and Skender did the same. His shoulder pressed against hers as they bowed their heads before their Creator.

  “The questions from your mate are valid, Skender,” the Great Luna said, her voice the sweetest music to Tenia’s ears. “You have shown remorse for your transgressions. Your heart is no longer the same. I know of your intentions to atone to those you’ve wronged in an effort to make peace. Are these the actions of a man not worthy of love?”

  Tenia heard Skender suck in a breath and felt his body tremble against hers.

  “Do you think that my grace is insufficient to cover your wrongs?”

  He breathed out quickly. “No.”

  “I have blessed you both with a true-mate bond,” the goddess continued. “I was not distracted, or asleep, or having an off day when I created either of you. I bound your souls, and then each of you was born when I deemed it your time to be here. I knew all that you would endure. I knew every step your feet would make even before you could walk. I knew every ounce of pain your hands would deliver and also every act of love they would give.

  “I made you, as you told Tenia, to be her mate. And she is yours. Nothing I join can be separated, not even by you. You have the choice to follow the path set before you, the one you veered from recently, or you can step off of it again and leave behind what I have for you. I have loved you, Skender, with an everlasting love, and I will continue to love you, but there are consequences when you stray. Think about those consequences before you deny the mate I’ve entrusted to you. Think about all who will be affected if you do this.” The light intensified in the room, and Tenia had to close her eyes against the glow.

  “I stand before you,” the Great Luna said, her voice echoing off of the walls, “as your creator. I bless this union. Even if you put the past behind you, the way forward will not be easy. You may share a soul, but you are still two distinct personalities with your own wants and desires. They will clash, often. But it will be in those moments of conflict that you have the opportunity to show one another the grace I have shown you. Skender.” Her voice was sharp as she said his name. “Stand.”

  Skender obeyed immediately.

  “This is the woman who is the light to your darkness. Will you take her as your mate? Will you love her, love her son, and take him as your own? Will you obey the commands I have given true mates regarding one another? Will you stand beside her when she needs to lean on you, behind her when she is too weak to stand on her own, and in front of her when she needs to be shielded from the dangers in this world?”

  Tenia couldn’t breathe. The Great Luna was throwing down an ultimatum to her mate, and Tenia was terrified Skender’s guilt would keep him from embracing the gift their creator had given them.

  When he didn’t answer right away, Tenia tilted her head back slightly so she could look up at him. His eyes were closed, and tears ran down his face. She reached up and took one of his hands. He threaded his fingers through hers and held on tight. Tenia felt his love pouring through their bond. She felt his apprehension and worry that he couldn’t be what she needed. She also felt his yearning to have what the Great Luna offered.

  “Please,” Tenia whispered into his mind. “Don’t leave me only half a soul. Don’t doom us both to such misery when we have been offered such an amazing blessing. I love you, Skender.”

  * * *

  Skender sucked in a sharp breath. His mate’s confession was the final push that shoved him off the edge of indecision. Regardless of the many excuses he’d given, no matter how valid, Skender wanted Tenia with an intensity he barely understood. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced, but he was beginning to understand the many things he’d heard from other males about how they felt when it came to their mates. Earth shattering, humbling, and life changing were just a few ways he could describe it.

  Yes, he’d made some heinous mistakes in his past. And there would be consequences for those mistakes for many years, if not decades, to come. But, here and now, his Creator offered him grace. She wouldn’t take his true mate from him, or him from her. She’d blessed their union and called him to be the man Tenia and Torion needed. Would he really throw that back in her face because he refused to accept the forgiveness she offered? No. He knew he wasn’t worthy, would never be worthy, but the love of the Great Luna gave him the opportunity to work toward being a better person, a better wolf.

  He finally raised his head, though his eyes remained on the floor. “I take her as my mate,” he said, nearly stumbling over the words because of the overwhelming peace that covered him simply by taking that first step. “I love her, and I love Torion as my own. I will obey the commands you have given me as her true mate. I will st—” Skender’s words faltered. He swallowed several times, trying to get himself under control. “I will stand with her in whatever capacity that she needs.”

  “Then do what she deserves.” the Great Luna’s voice filled his mind. He thought of the Blood Rites that his race had performed for centuries.

  The light faded from the room, and Skender didn’t hesitate. He pulled Tenia up to stand beside him. He turned to face her and dropped to one knee. “On this day, I kneel before you, as a servant to my mate, to ask if you will make me whole. Will you give yourself to me? Finally calming the beast inside, bringing order to chaos, shining light where there has been only darkness? Will you bind your life to mine, your fate to mine, and your soul to mine? In so doing, will you complete the mate bond?” He looked up at her, hoping she could feel the sincerity in his voice. He needed her to know she would never have reason to doubt his love for her.

  Tenia’s cheeks were wet with tears as she nodded her head. She pulled him up and pressed her body against his.

  “Can you say it out loud?” he asked, wanting to hear it from her lips.

  “Yes, Skender,” she said, her voice soft. Her eyes held his own with a determination he’d come to respect, though at times, it drove him crazy. “I will give myself to you. I have been yours from the minute I saw you, even if I didn’t want to admit it.”

  Their faces were inches apart, and Skender could feel her warm breath against his skin. He lowered his head slowly, giving her the opportunity to stop him if this wasn’t what she wanted. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, and his breathing quickened. Skender released her hands and lifted his to cup her face. Lightning shot through his fingers, through his arms, and radiated throughout the rest of his body from the simple contact with her. He leaned closer and tilted her face up. Her eyes softened and desire filled them. Desire for him. “You have my heart,” he whispered, expressing the thought he knew was already reaching out to her through the bond. “You are my everything.” Tenia’s skin warmed beneath his hands and took on a slight glow. “Soarele meu. My sun.” Skender sighed in awe of the female he’d been given.

  He closed the distance between them and nipped her bottom lip, holding it briefly before releasing the plump flesh and then softly pressing his lips to hers. Tenia moaned, an incredibly sexy sound of which Skender’s wolf approved wholeheartedly. He ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, and she obeyed his silent request, opening her lips. Her taste rushed into him, and he knew he would never get enough of it.

  Skender dropped his hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up and carrying her over to the bedding where she’d laid unconscious for so long that he’d been sure he’d lose her. He eased down to one knee and then the other, never breaking the kiss, and then lowered her onto her back. Skender released her waist so he could brace himself over her with his hands. Only then did he pull his lips from hers. He smiled when she raised her head, attempting to follow his mouth. He took pride in the fact his mate’s skin flushed with want for him. Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath. I did that.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, lowering his head to nuzzle his nose against hers while breathing in her scent. “We can wait if you want to make sure this is really what you want.”

  Tenia turned her head, bearing her neck to him. “This is what I want. I want to be yours in every way.”

  Skender’s wolf rumbled as he watched his mate submit to them. He felt no hesitation through their bond, and he wasn’t going to disrespect her by questioning her again. Tenia was a grown woman. She knew what it meant to be his mate, and she accepted all that came with it.

  He lowered himself until their bodies touched from legs to chest and rested his weight on a forearm so he didn’t crush her smaller form. Then he slipped his other hand under her head and wrapped his fingers around her delicate neck. Skender lifted her slightly so her head dropped even further to the side. He roamed his eyes over the skin that ran from behind her ear, down her neck to her collarbone. His mouth watered, and he felt his teeth sharpen. The wolf rose to the surface, instinct taking over. His lips skimmed down her flesh until her shirt impeded his progress. His beast growled and took the fabric in his mouth. With a quick jerk of his head, Skender tore the shirt from her shoulder, exposing her flesh down her arm and collarbone.