forced matings with Titannia had driven him to the edge of insanity. Until he met Michaela, he’d thought his cock dead. It had twitched for the nurse, showed an interest he’d thanked the gods for, but it hadn’t gone full-mast until a certain blonde had appeared on Liam’s screen reading about cowboys.
Amanda’s gaze and daring smile had brought life back to his libido, and he’d barely met her. He wanted to bathe in her scent and bring her the shiniest toys he could find to make her smile.
Fuck. He wanted to goddamn nest , and if that wasn’t enough to tell him the truth then nothing ever would be.
Amanda was his truebond. She had to be. There was no other explanation.
Was there?
Raven had never thought to find himself blessed with a truebond. If what Aileen was hinting at was true, if Amanda really was his truebond, then Raven had more to be thankful for than simply his cock getting hard.
“How do I know?” He sipped the tea, unable to meet her gaze. For some reason he felt both embarrassed and cautiously optimistic.
“Hmm.” Aileen sat back, a small, nostalgic smile crossing her face. “When I met Sean, all I could see was him. When I caught his scent, I wanted it to become a part of mine so I could smell him whenever I wanted. And his laugh, oh, his laugh.” Aileen sighed happily. “Nothing could make the sun shine brighter than Sean Dunne’s laugh. The first time we kissed and I tasted him I knew. He was my truebond, the only one in the world who could complete me.”
Even in the Black Court they’d heard of the Malmayne-Joloun non-mating. Hell, because Aileen had followed her truebond and refused to bond with Duncan Malmayne, the entire Malmayne clan wound up falling to the Black. For the Black Court it was the coup of the century. Titannia had been ecstatic. She’d plucked one of the strongest White Court clans right out of Gloriana’s fingers, and she’d barely had to lift one of her own.
Of course, the fact that Duncan had upheld the marriage contract and truebonded with Moira Dunne, the direct descendent of Aileen, hadn’t stopped the Malmaynes’ fall. Instead it had been the tipping point. Leo, the closest to true-blooded Sidhe of Aileen’s children, truebonded with a human, Ruby, and refused to set her aside for a Malmayne. Shane, the eldest and the only one to be a true hybrid of both his Sidhe and leprechaun parents, had truebonded with another hybrid, Akane Russo. Of course, the Malmaynes hadn’t wanted someone of mixed blood in their precious bloodline, so Shane had never been a contender for mate.
They’d wanted Leo, and no other. They’d even threatened Ruby, kidnapping and torturing her and earning Leo’s wrath. He’d proven himself a true Sidhe lord that day, reclaiming what was his by force.
Raven had to respect that about the man.
“So, what you’re saying is, if I kiss her I’ll know?”
Aileen shook her head. “I’m not certain. You’re not Sidhe, but you are part sylph. What are the bonding rituals of the sylph?”
Raven laughed. “Like I would know. My mother wasn’t allowed to teach me anything about my sylph heritage. Everything I know, I learned on my own.”
“Then speak with Robin. He might be able to help.” Aileen sipped her tea, humming in contentment. “He, too, thought he couldn’t form a truebond until he met Michaela.”
“But he did.” Michaela and Robin were two halves of a whole. Raven could no longer imagine one without the other. It had stung at first, but how could he hate the man who’d freed him and claimed him as his own?
“And his blood runs through you.” Aileen tipped her cup to him. “I see no reason why you can’t truebond.”
“And if I’m wrong? If Amanda isn’t my bondmate, just some hot chick I’d like to bone?”
Aileen gave him a look that even children like him, who’d grown up with a mother under tremendous pressure, understood. She wasn’t happy with him in the least. “Then you see where it
Amanda’s gaze and daring smile had brought life back to his libido, and he’d barely met her. He wanted to bathe in her scent and bring her the shiniest toys he could find to make her smile.
Fuck. He wanted to goddamn nest , and if that wasn’t enough to tell him the truth then nothing ever would be.
Amanda was his truebond. She had to be. There was no other explanation.
Was there?
Raven had never thought to find himself blessed with a truebond. If what Aileen was hinting at was true, if Amanda really was his truebond, then Raven had more to be thankful for than simply his cock getting hard.
“How do I know?” He sipped the tea, unable to meet her gaze. For some reason he felt both embarrassed and cautiously optimistic.
“Hmm.” Aileen sat back, a small, nostalgic smile crossing her face. “When I met Sean, all I could see was him. When I caught his scent, I wanted it to become a part of mine so I could smell him whenever I wanted. And his laugh, oh, his laugh.” Aileen sighed happily. “Nothing could make the sun shine brighter than Sean Dunne’s laugh. The first time we kissed and I tasted him I knew. He was my truebond, the only one in the world who could complete me.”
Even in the Black Court they’d heard of the Malmayne-Joloun non-mating. Hell, because Aileen had followed her truebond and refused to bond with Duncan Malmayne, the entire Malmayne clan wound up falling to the Black. For the Black Court it was the coup of the century. Titannia had been ecstatic. She’d plucked one of the strongest White Court clans right out of Gloriana’s fingers, and she’d barely had to lift one of her own.
Of course, the fact that Duncan had upheld the marriage contract and truebonded with Moira Dunne, the direct descendent of Aileen, hadn’t stopped the Malmaynes’ fall. Instead it had been the tipping point. Leo, the closest to true-blooded Sidhe of Aileen’s children, truebonded with a human, Ruby, and refused to set her aside for a Malmayne. Shane, the eldest and the only one to be a true hybrid of both his Sidhe and leprechaun parents, had truebonded with another hybrid, Akane Russo. Of course, the Malmaynes hadn’t wanted someone of mixed blood in their precious bloodline, so Shane had never been a contender for mate.
They’d wanted Leo, and no other. They’d even threatened Ruby, kidnapping and torturing her and earning Leo’s wrath. He’d proven himself a true Sidhe lord that day, reclaiming what was his by force.
Raven had to respect that about the man.
“So, what you’re saying is, if I kiss her I’ll know?”
Aileen shook her head. “I’m not certain. You’re not Sidhe, but you are part sylph. What are the bonding rituals of the sylph?”
Raven laughed. “Like I would know. My mother wasn’t allowed to teach me anything about my sylph heritage. Everything I know, I learned on my own.”
“Then speak with Robin. He might be able to help.” Aileen sipped her tea, humming in contentment. “He, too, thought he couldn’t form a truebond until he met Michaela.”
“But he did.” Michaela and Robin were two halves of a whole. Raven could no longer imagine one without the other. It had stung at first, but how could he hate the man who’d freed him and claimed him as his own?
“And his blood runs through you.” Aileen tipped her cup to him. “I see no reason why you can’t truebond.”
“And if I’m wrong? If Amanda isn’t my bondmate, just some hot chick I’d like to bone?”
Aileen gave him a look that even children like him, who’d grown up with a mother under tremendous pressure, understood. She wasn’t happy with him in the least. “Then you see where it
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