unable to recall what.
It was something Ylenia had mentioned long ago, but she couldn’t remember to
what it related.
With a sense of hesitation, she draped the
sash around her hips and tied it in a knot on one side. Was she wearing it
properly? She didn’t know, and they weren’t here to ask.
She had spent the day wondering what they
had planned, but now, she was almost too worried to step outside and find out.
There was something different about their moods. Excitement, yes, but also
apprehension. Were they as uncertain about whatever was coming as she was? That
thought did nothing to bolster her confidence.
She took a deep breath and exited the
cabin. Starr frowned when she saw Lucian lighting a small bonfire. It was much
too hot to need a fire. Before she could query him, he rejoined Sorin, who beckoned
her forward. Her feet obeyed, as her mind questioned their intentions.
She stopped walking when she stood before
them, waiting to see what happened next.
Sorin was the first to speak. “The moon is
perfect tonight.”
“For what?” Neither of them answered.
“Perfect,” Lucian echoed.
Sorin cleared his throat. He appeared
uncomfortable. “It can’t be official, of course, but it’s the best we could do,
with just the two of us.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Welcome to your Mating Moon Ceremony,”
said Lucian, flashing white teeth in a feral grin. “There will be no
challengers, save us.”
Her frown deepened. “What is a Mating Moon
Ceremony?” As she asked the question, her memory stirred. She knew she had
heard the term before. Even if she hadn’t, she had a pretty good idea of what
was happening. “Sorin, Lucian, I—“
“This is our wedding ceremony, Starr.”
She shook her head at Sorin, denying his
words. “I can’t do this.”
Lucian’s grin faded. “You won’t accept us?”
She sighed. “You know I can’t. Our time
together is finite. Once we return to the castle—“
“You are our wife.” Sorin spoke the words
with quiet conviction. “You have been emotionally since the day we bonded, if
not physically. Last night, you accepted our claim on you. Tonight, you will
accept both of us as your mates.”
“I can’t!” Her voice echoed through the
forest.
Sorin and Lucian stepped forward, as one.
“We would rather die than deny what is in our hearts,” Sorin said.
She trembled as they reached for her,
drawing her into their embrace. She could feel her resolve weakening as Lucian
stroked her back, while Sorin caressed her stomach, just above the sash.
“Please don’t make me do this.”
“We don’t want to force you,” Lucian
whispered in her ear. “We want you to accept us.”
“You want to accept us,” Sorin said firmly.
“Do not worry so much about the future. Seize the moment, dragostia .”
She closed her eyes, trying to fight the
seductive pull of their words and her own heart’s cravings. She opened her
mouth to refuse, but Sorin’s lips settled over hers, sealing off her protest.
She whimpered as Lucian’s mouth drifted lower, to kiss her neck. She should
step away, but it was so difficult to fight them and herself.
“Will you accept us as your mates, Starr?”
There was a note of formality in Sorin’s voice.
“Accept us,” Lucian whispered, and his
breath tickled her skin.
Starr took a deep breath and made herself
step away from them. With obvious reluctance, they let her go. “I can’t accept
you. We will all end up hurt if I do.”
“No more hurt than we’ll be without you.”
Lucian made no attempt to hide his suffering, and it hit her in the stomach
like a physical blow. “Now that we know how it can be—“
“—how it should be—” Sorin interjected.
“—we can’t go back to the way it was. We
need you. You need us. Don’t fight it.”
She took a step back, hoping that putting
distance between them and her would let her think more clearly. “It’s
impossible. I can’t mate with
It was something Ylenia had mentioned long ago, but she couldn’t remember to
what it related.
With a sense of hesitation, she draped the
sash around her hips and tied it in a knot on one side. Was she wearing it
properly? She didn’t know, and they weren’t here to ask.
She had spent the day wondering what they
had planned, but now, she was almost too worried to step outside and find out.
There was something different about their moods. Excitement, yes, but also
apprehension. Were they as uncertain about whatever was coming as she was? That
thought did nothing to bolster her confidence.
She took a deep breath and exited the
cabin. Starr frowned when she saw Lucian lighting a small bonfire. It was much
too hot to need a fire. Before she could query him, he rejoined Sorin, who beckoned
her forward. Her feet obeyed, as her mind questioned their intentions.
She stopped walking when she stood before
them, waiting to see what happened next.
Sorin was the first to speak. “The moon is
perfect tonight.”
“For what?” Neither of them answered.
“Perfect,” Lucian echoed.
Sorin cleared his throat. He appeared
uncomfortable. “It can’t be official, of course, but it’s the best we could do,
with just the two of us.”
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Welcome to your Mating Moon Ceremony,”
said Lucian, flashing white teeth in a feral grin. “There will be no
challengers, save us.”
Her frown deepened. “What is a Mating Moon
Ceremony?” As she asked the question, her memory stirred. She knew she had
heard the term before. Even if she hadn’t, she had a pretty good idea of what
was happening. “Sorin, Lucian, I—“
“This is our wedding ceremony, Starr.”
She shook her head at Sorin, denying his
words. “I can’t do this.”
Lucian’s grin faded. “You won’t accept us?”
She sighed. “You know I can’t. Our time
together is finite. Once we return to the castle—“
“You are our wife.” Sorin spoke the words
with quiet conviction. “You have been emotionally since the day we bonded, if
not physically. Last night, you accepted our claim on you. Tonight, you will
accept both of us as your mates.”
“I can’t!” Her voice echoed through the
forest.
Sorin and Lucian stepped forward, as one.
“We would rather die than deny what is in our hearts,” Sorin said.
She trembled as they reached for her,
drawing her into their embrace. She could feel her resolve weakening as Lucian
stroked her back, while Sorin caressed her stomach, just above the sash.
“Please don’t make me do this.”
“We don’t want to force you,” Lucian
whispered in her ear. “We want you to accept us.”
“You want to accept us,” Sorin said firmly.
“Do not worry so much about the future. Seize the moment, dragostia .”
She closed her eyes, trying to fight the
seductive pull of their words and her own heart’s cravings. She opened her
mouth to refuse, but Sorin’s lips settled over hers, sealing off her protest.
She whimpered as Lucian’s mouth drifted lower, to kiss her neck. She should
step away, but it was so difficult to fight them and herself.
“Will you accept us as your mates, Starr?”
There was a note of formality in Sorin’s voice.
“Accept us,” Lucian whispered, and his
breath tickled her skin.
Starr took a deep breath and made herself
step away from them. With obvious reluctance, they let her go. “I can’t accept
you. We will all end up hurt if I do.”
“No more hurt than we’ll be without you.”
Lucian made no attempt to hide his suffering, and it hit her in the stomach
like a physical blow. “Now that we know how it can be—“
“—how it should be—” Sorin interjected.
“—we can’t go back to the way it was. We
need you. You need us. Don’t fight it.”
She took a step back, hoping that putting
distance between them and her would let her think more clearly. “It’s
impossible. I can’t mate with
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