bond taking hold. It was too late to fight it now, that's for sure. Gage picked up on her discomfort and pulled her to spoon against him, her back to his very well-muscled front.
“ Shh,” he whispered into her shoulder. “It's going to be alright. You just need to sleep it off, and things will be better in the morning. Now go to sleep.” He tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear, and she let sleep overtake her.
35
CHAPTER FOUR
Gage, however, wasn't sleepy. It was still early afternoon, after all, and while the healing process took some of his energy, he still had plenty left. He looked down affectionately at the woman who had bared her soul and her fears before him. He knew that wasn't easy for her. She had a hard shell for a reason, but she let him in. Then, with less of a fight than he had expected, she let him claim her as his own. They were bonded now, and he felt her in his magic already .
Fiona could do her spell now and save his life from the blood magic's pull. But he knew with a good amount of confidence that he was going to need Dymphna to give his new life meaning. He had seen into her soul, and he had already begun the slide towards falling in love with her. And Gage knew that the inevitable end to that would be falling irrevocably in love with Dymphna. But he wasn't afraid, at least not for himself. If anything, he was afraid for her because he wasn't sure he could be everything she needed him to be.
Without waking her, he slid out from behind her and covered her up with her blankets. In his boxers, he called Fiona's cell from the bathroom.
“ Fiona Ward.”
“ Fiona, it's Gage.”
“ Am I right in assuming you have good news?”
“ The bond is in place. She's sleeping it off now.” Fiona heaved a sigh of relief. “But I still am not sure it's what's best for her. If I'm what's best for her.”
“ Don't get too worked up about it. If you take her brothers as an example, your magic and whatever makes it so aligned is a good indicator that you're good for each other. I love Dymphna, but I can tell she's been lonely. She hasn't even fully realized it yet, but she was getting there. Hopefully before she does you'll be ingrained into her life and she won't have to worry about it anymore.”
“ I'm starting to feel it already, Fiona. Not the bond, I mean. The blood lust. It's not strong, but I can feel a nagging sense of it in the back of my mind,” he confessed.
“ I understand,” she said, serious. “I'll be over in the morning with all the runes for my spell. If it's possible to overcome the blood lust, we'll do it.”
“ Thank you.”
“ It's no problem. After all, you're family now through your new bond with Dymphna.”
“ Speaking of, I'd better get back to her. She's sleeping, but I wouldn't want her to wake up without me there.”
“ Good idea. See you tomorrow.”
“ Alright.” He hung up and returned to the bedroom.
Back holding onto Dymphna, he fell asleep fairly quickly, despite the early hour. But he had dreams all night of blood. He saw the runes etched in blood that would do a particular spell, then another spell. He tried to fight it, to shake off the nightmares. But it didn't work. He couldn't even wake up to get rid of the constant pressure.
Dymphna woke up before sunrise. She usually didn't wake up this early, especially if it wasn't a workday. Then she remembered the bond, right about the time she became aware of Gage. He was asleep next to her, but he was tossing and turning violently. It was like he was trying to throw something off of him, though he had already gotten rid of the covers. Not knowing what else to do, she shook him by the shoulder.
“ Gage! Wake up; it's just a nightmare!”
It took a few shakes, but he woke up. And when he looked at her, his eyes were unfocused and raw with an emotion she couldn't place. Then he realized who she was and where he was, and he sighed, closing
“ Shh,” he whispered into her shoulder. “It's going to be alright. You just need to sleep it off, and things will be better in the morning. Now go to sleep.” He tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear, and she let sleep overtake her.
35
CHAPTER FOUR
Gage, however, wasn't sleepy. It was still early afternoon, after all, and while the healing process took some of his energy, he still had plenty left. He looked down affectionately at the woman who had bared her soul and her fears before him. He knew that wasn't easy for her. She had a hard shell for a reason, but she let him in. Then, with less of a fight than he had expected, she let him claim her as his own. They were bonded now, and he felt her in his magic already .
Fiona could do her spell now and save his life from the blood magic's pull. But he knew with a good amount of confidence that he was going to need Dymphna to give his new life meaning. He had seen into her soul, and he had already begun the slide towards falling in love with her. And Gage knew that the inevitable end to that would be falling irrevocably in love with Dymphna. But he wasn't afraid, at least not for himself. If anything, he was afraid for her because he wasn't sure he could be everything she needed him to be.
Without waking her, he slid out from behind her and covered her up with her blankets. In his boxers, he called Fiona's cell from the bathroom.
“ Fiona Ward.”
“ Fiona, it's Gage.”
“ Am I right in assuming you have good news?”
“ The bond is in place. She's sleeping it off now.” Fiona heaved a sigh of relief. “But I still am not sure it's what's best for her. If I'm what's best for her.”
“ Don't get too worked up about it. If you take her brothers as an example, your magic and whatever makes it so aligned is a good indicator that you're good for each other. I love Dymphna, but I can tell she's been lonely. She hasn't even fully realized it yet, but she was getting there. Hopefully before she does you'll be ingrained into her life and she won't have to worry about it anymore.”
“ I'm starting to feel it already, Fiona. Not the bond, I mean. The blood lust. It's not strong, but I can feel a nagging sense of it in the back of my mind,” he confessed.
“ I understand,” she said, serious. “I'll be over in the morning with all the runes for my spell. If it's possible to overcome the blood lust, we'll do it.”
“ Thank you.”
“ It's no problem. After all, you're family now through your new bond with Dymphna.”
“ Speaking of, I'd better get back to her. She's sleeping, but I wouldn't want her to wake up without me there.”
“ Good idea. See you tomorrow.”
“ Alright.” He hung up and returned to the bedroom.
Back holding onto Dymphna, he fell asleep fairly quickly, despite the early hour. But he had dreams all night of blood. He saw the runes etched in blood that would do a particular spell, then another spell. He tried to fight it, to shake off the nightmares. But it didn't work. He couldn't even wake up to get rid of the constant pressure.
Dymphna woke up before sunrise. She usually didn't wake up this early, especially if it wasn't a workday. Then she remembered the bond, right about the time she became aware of Gage. He was asleep next to her, but he was tossing and turning violently. It was like he was trying to throw something off of him, though he had already gotten rid of the covers. Not knowing what else to do, she shook him by the shoulder.
“ Gage! Wake up; it's just a nightmare!”
It took a few shakes, but he woke up. And when he looked at her, his eyes were unfocused and raw with an emotion she couldn't place. Then he realized who she was and where he was, and he sighed, closing
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