The Wolf's Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen (17 page)

The carriage stopped in front of his parents’ home.  The sun had set, but candles and lanterns lit the entire outside of the house and the walkway leading to the back where the ceremony was to take place.  Thalia told her a traditional fae mating was very similar to a human marriage, with the couple vowing to each other in front of an official and their families, followed by a meal and party. But their
old ways
mating was going to be different because, although Lindy was going to be vowing herself verbally to Crimson, his vows to her were going to be done through deed and not word alone.

Their people had stopped using the
old ways
several generations ago as they modernized.  Like most traditional things, some of the current marriage traditions were based on ancient ones, but the actual ceremony she and Crimson were going to go through was nothing like what the fae did now.  Lafawnya said their mating would change the realm forever, and Lindy thought she meant that people would see the
old ways
and it would rekindle a desire to use them again.

Crimson came around the carriage and held his hands out.  She leaned out of the carriage with her hands on his shoulders, and he lifted her easily and set her on the stone path.

“You look so beautiful,
chelle
,” he said, twining one of her curls around his finger.  “I’m the luckiest male in the realm.”

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away.  “I love you, Crimson.”

He pressed his lips to her forehead and inhaled.  “I love you, sweet mate.”

Taking her hand, he led her along the torch-lit path around the side of the house and into the backyard.  She gasped in surprise to see so many people.  Risers had been set up around a stage where the ceremony was going to take place.  Hundreds of fae sat in gilded chairs on the risers.  One entire riser was filled with men with feathered wings, and she knew they were soldiers in the military like Crimson.

They walked on the stone path between two risers, and the crowd went silent save for the many feminine gasps of appreciation for her gown and, she was sure, how handsome her mate was.  As they drew nearer to the stage, lilting music from stringed instruments filled the air.  It wasn’t the traditional wedding march, but it was beautiful.  Crimson stopped them at the bottom of four crystal stairs leading up to the stage that appeared to be made of gold marble.  Around the stage, tall posts made of white marble were covered with lavender ribbon and tulle and draped with ivy vines and tiny twinkling lights.  Above them, the dark sky was filled with stars as if the universe had come out to witness their mating.

A man that Lindy didn’t know came to stand on the stage at the top of the stairs.  He had long, white hair and a beard that reached the top of his trousers.  He wore a velvet frock coat of dark red, adorned with garnets and rubies.

The music ebbed and then disappeared entirely.  The man, who looked to be in his eighties, cleared his throat and said, “Enter ye onto this sacred stone to vow yourself to your truemate according to the
old ways
, Crimson Ta’rek?”

Crimson bowed at the waist.  “I do, Elder Horus.”

Elder Horus nodded once and moved away from the stairs, and Crimson took Lindy’s elbow again and led her up the crystal stairs.  She hadn’t been able to see what the stage really looked like from the ground, but now that she was on top of it, she was amazed at what she saw.  The solid slab of marble was several feet thick and bigger than her bedroom.  In the center of the stone, a stand made of dark metal held a stone pot over a fire of blue flames.  The bottom of the stone pot was red with heat, and smoke rose from the inside.  Three metal poles several feet in length stuck out from inside the pot.

Elder Horus, who had blue wings veined with yellow, stood behind the pot with a large open book in his hands.  To the right and left of the pot were Riyad and Merik.  They were wearing their military jackets, their wings spread out behind their backs through special slits cut into the fabric.

There was a rustling sound behind them, and Lindy looked over her shoulder to see a line of people moving up the stairs and parting to walk down either side of the stage.  Each person carried something in their hands, and when they stopped moving and faced toward the center of the stage, Lindy was able to see that they were all fae.  Their wings were all different colors, which Crimson had explained meant that they had different powers.

Elder Horus looked at Crimson and Lindy, then cast his gaze around the perimeter of the stage.  Then he said with a loud voice, “Be welcome ye delegates of the Fae Guilds.  From far have ye traveled to witness the mating of these two.”  Turning his attention back to them, Elder Horus said, “Face your intended.”

Crimson and Lindy turned to face each other, their hands clasped between them.  Her heart pounded with excitement and joy as she stared into the beautiful face of her mate.

“The gifts of the Fae Guilds,” Elder Horus said, “are presented now.”

A fae with golden wings stepped from the side and stood in front of her and Crimson.  In his hand was a strand of delicate, blue flowers on a vine of tiny, purple leaves.  He wove the vine around their clasped hands.  “The
blosomfae
bless your union and wish you a beautiful mating, as lovely as the flowers that bind you together.”

He moved back to the line as another fae joined them, a female with blue wings.  She gave them the gift of water in a stone container that she poured out at their feet, so they would never be thirsty.  The next fae had pearly wings and gave them the gift of the air, a breeze captured in a glass jar that she set at their feet so they would always feel the wind at their backs.  A male fae with orange wings brought them a leather satchel of dirt that they would always have a fertile field to provide for them.

Elder Horus said, “The final gift from the fae is Melinda’s wedding band, forged in the hottest of fires as only a
firefae
can control.”  A female with blue and yellow wings strode forward and slipped a ring onto Lindy’s left ring finger.  It felt warm, and a tingle raced up her arm.

Elder Horus said, “Melinda Vincent, do you vow yourself to your mate, Crimson Ta’rek, the Fae Realm Wulfen, from this moment until time ends?  Do you vow yourself to him alone?”

As Crimson had coached her, she answered with a voice that only slightly trembled, “I so vow.”

Crimson smiled at her, and her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

“Crimson Ta’rek, do you vow yourself to your mate, Melinda Vincent, the Mortal Realm she-wolf, from this day until time ends?  Do you vow that you will protect her and your offspring with your life?  Do you vow that you will keep her in happiness for the rest of her days?  Do you vow to love her, and her alone, as no other has ever loved?”

Crimson’s eyes bled to the red of his beast for only a moment, and then he said, “I so vow.”

Merik and Riyad came to stand in front of them.  Riyad unwound the vine of flowers from their hands and carefully draped it over Lindy’s shoulders.  Crimson released her hands after a quick squeeze and took two steps away from her.  She’d read the history of the
old ways
and knew in her mind what was going to happen, but to see it unfold before her was nerve-wracking.  As Elder Horus began to read in an ancient language, Riyad and Merik pulled two of the poles out of the pot, and Lindy swallowed hard at seeing the glowing brands on each end.

She held Crimson’s gaze as Riyad and Merik lifted the brands and brought them down on his biceps.  The scent of burning flesh filled the air immediately, but he never flinched or uttered a sound as the brands sizzled.  They pulled the brands away, and in their wake were the burned images of the brands, fae language script edged with flames.  They were his vows to her, his promise that he would be everything to her because she was everything to him.

The brands clinked against the pot as they were put back in place, and then Elder Horus handed Crimson a dagger that looked like it had been chiseled from stone.  He cut across his left palm, and the thick wound welled with blood that dripped into a chalice Elder Horus held underneath his hand.

“The blood of the warrior is his life, given freely today to honor his mate,” Elder Horus said, lifting the chalice and speaking a few words in a low tone.  The contents blazed and sparked, and the acrid scent of smoke swirled around them.

The third brand was pulled from the pot, glowing with heat, and the elder held it out over Crimson’s open, bleeding hand.

“Vow yourself through flesh and blood and iron, young fae.  Prove yourself worthy of your mate.”

“I so vow.”  Crimson spoke with strong, sure words, reaching up to grab the brand and wrapping his hand around it.  He let out a low growl as he looked at her, his fangs peeking from his parted lips and his eyes flashing from red to green.  “I.  So.  Vow.”  He snarled the last word and lifted his head in a joyous howl, releasing the brand and holding his hand up toward the heavens.

The fae around them cheered.  Crimson closed the distance to her and held out his hand, palm up.  She gasped in surprise to see the scar on his palm read “Melinda.”  She hadn’t realized that the third brand had been prepared with her name.

She lifted his hand and kissed the healing mark.

“Mine,” he growled and pulled her close, bending her backward and kissing her hard.  The crowd roared again, and she blushed, even though she loved kissing him.

He righted them both slowly, and her head swam as her heart pounded with joy.  Nothing had ever felt as right as her life did at that moment.  She’d been unhappy for a long time, but as Crimson had said, the paths they’d chosen over the course of their lives had led them to this place.  And there was no place she’d rather be.

Chapter 20

What Crimson wanted to do was toss Lindy over his shoulder and race home to ravage her a few dozen times before sunrise.  What he
had
to do, however, was stay right there on the stage with his beautiful mate and greet the dignitaries from the various guilds first.

Elder Horus led them to the dignitaries and introduced them, and then Crimson and Lindy shook their hands and accepted their blessings.  When they had met them all, they were led to the edge of the platform to stand before the gathered fae.  Elder Horus lifted his voice.  “I present the newly mated Crimson and Melinda Ta’rek of the Fae Realm.  What has been witnessed here tonight let no one tear apart.”

Crimson’s parents waited for them as he walked Lindy down the steps and past the cheering fae.  His mom immediately hugged Lindy, and the two sniffled, trying not to cry.

“I’m so proud of you, son,” his dad said, hugging him.

“Thanks, Dad,” he said, fighting the urge to cry.

After hugging his mom, he followed them into the house where a private party was set up for their family and close friends.  The rest of the guests would be entertained outside where Crimson and Lindy would make an appearance before they left for the evening.  The party would go until dawn, but he had no intention of staying that long.

“You look like you have wicked things on your mind,” Lindy whispered into his ear.

He just grinned.

The meal passed quickly, although it felt to him and his beast like an eternity.  When it was done, he carried her back outside to the stage and they waved goodbye to the crowd that was well on the way to being six sheets to the wind.  They said goodbye to his family and the brownies, who promised to come visit whenever they were in the realm, before he settled her into the carriage, holding her close for the drive home.

“Do you feel any different?” he asked, nuzzling her neck.

She made a little soft, contented sound.  “I feel like we can take on the world together, if that makes sense.”

He chuckled.  “It does.  I feel that way as well.”

“Do your brands hurt?”

He’d never admit it had been much more painful than he’d expected, but it had been worth every ounce of concentration not to make a sound or show that it hurt.  Because it
had
hurt.  It was good luck for fae to take the brands and not show any signs of the pain to their mate or the witnesses.

“They’re well on their way to being healed.”

“Could you shift and heal them faster?”

“It’s not honorable.”

She made a face and then said, “I just realized I’ve never seen what you look like in your shift.”

“Perhaps we can go hunting after we get settled, unless your pack only hunts on the full moon?”  Since he hadn’t grown up in a pack he had no idea what was acceptable.

“We can hunt in our pack territory anytime we want as long as we go with at least one other person.”

“Well, you’ll always have me by your side.”

Her eyes sparkled with joy.

He said goodbye to the driver and carried her into the house, stopping only long enough to cast the protection spell over the house and lock the front door.

His wolf was chanting in his head,
mine, mine, mine
, and it spilled out of his mouth as he laid his mate gently on the bed.

“Mine.”

She lifted her arms, beckoning him to her.  “Yours.”

He cracked his neck, feeling his wolf close to the surface.  “The gown is beautiful.  If you want to pass it down to our children, you might want to take it off yourself.”

She squeaked in surprise and rolled away.  “Don’t shred it, I love it!”

He bared his teeth.  “What do you love?”

The dress fell from her shoulders, and her breasts were bared to him, the nipples hardening quickly.  “You, Crimson.  I love you.”  And then she muttered, “And the dress.”

He snarled again, and she giggled, wiggling out of the dress completely and slipping from the bed to drape it over the chair.  She wore only white lace panties and the jeweled shoes, standing before him like a goddess.

“Come here, mate,” he said, trying not to order her around too much.

She slipped off the shoes and moved to the bed, crawling across it like a cat, nearly purring as she rose to her knees and slipped her fingertips into the waistband of his trousers.  If the wolf wasn’t riding him so hard, he might have been able to come up with some flowery words or poetry for her, but all he could manage was to not growl with need and shred his own clothes.

Her fingers rubbed against his lower abdomen slowly as she watched him, her eyes darkening with whatever wicked thoughts were running through her mind.  She loosened the lacings and pushed the trousers down his hips, tipping her face toward his.  Forcing his wolf to the back of his mind so he wouldn’t fall on her like an untried youth, he cupped her cheeks and pressed his mouth to hers.  The warm scent of her, like flowers and honey mixed together, swirled around them as he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened them on a sigh.  As his tongue delved into her mouth, her hand slipped inside his trousers and stroked his cock.  A growl lodged in his throat as she explored him with her delicate hands, and he continued to kiss her, trying not to come just from her light touch and the heady knowledge that they were mates and she was his forever.

His hands trailed over her shoulders and down her arms, tracing the soft curve of her waist as his fingers stroked softly up her stomach to her breasts.  He could hear her heart pounding, and it matched the steady, excited thrum of his own.  Her skin was soft and warm, silky under his fingers as he traced the underside of her breasts and nibbled her bottom lip.  Plumping the lush mounds, he lowered his head and kissed the hard nipples that tipped them.  Licking a slow circle around one, he drew it into his mouth slowly.  She arched toward him, her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he laved and sucked the tight bud.  Tending to the other nipple, he sucked it deeply into his mouth and slipped his hands down her waist.  He cupped her pussy with his hand, feeling the heat through the thin fabric, and his wolf howled in happiness.  Lifting his mouth to hers, he kissed her like he could climb down inside her, licking and sucking and tasting every hidden place inside the warm recesses of her mouth.  His thumb found the hard button of her clit through the fabric and teased it with a light touch.  She shivered, moaning softly, and he swallowed the sound like it was food to eat.  Her hands had long ago abandoned his cock, but he didn’t care.  Her touch drove him mad with want.

He felt her drawing close to climax just at the moment she pushed his hand away and collapsed against his chest.  “I want to,” she spoke between gasps, “come with you inside me.  Together.”

She leaned away from him and smiled in a soft, sultry way, looking up at him through the veil of her lashes.  Nodding, he allowed his claws to slide free of his fingertips, hooked the claws around the waistband of the panties, and ripped them apart.  Tossing the fabric aside, he grinned at her surprised look then he stopped thinking altogether as she laid back on their bed and spread her legs, giving him a peek at heaven.

Pink.  Glistening. 
Mine
.

He bent over to remove his boots, dropping them to the floor with heavy thuds.  Shoving his trousers off his legs, he undid the ceremonial leather cuffs from his forearms and laid them on the side table next to the bed.  He kissed the tops of both her feet, pushing his prowling wolf to the back again as his claws receded.  He wanted to savor this night and give her everything she wanted.

He kissed her calves and her knees, the silky flesh of her thighs, and then he licked her clit and her whole body bucked.  Moving up her body with light kisses, he gently rolled her clit between his fingers and thumb, keeping her on the edge of pleasure.  Her hands found his shoulders, and her nails dug into his skin as he swirled his tongue around her navel and kissed his way up her stomach.  Tugging her clit lightly, he alternated between fast and slow movements, ramping up her pleasure but keeping her from going over.

Her breasts beckoned him, and he licked a circle around her tight nipple, loving the way it hardened a little bit more under his tongue and the way her breath caught in her throat with every stroke.  His fingers teased the entrance to her body as his thumb circled her clit, no longer touching the tight bud but teasing the flesh around it.

She whimpered and thrashed under him, whispering his name.  He would never tire of the way she said his name when he was loving her.  It was like a prayer and a chant rolled together.

Her other nipple beckoned, and he sucked and licked it to hard perfection.  Her hands fisted into his hair, and she dragged him up until their lips met.  He held himself above her, his hands abandoning their teasing touch as their tongues danced and tangled and bliss settled over him.  Supple legs slid over his hips, and he felt the press of her heels against his buttocks as she urged him forward.

Breaking the kiss, he nipped at her bottom lip and looked down between their bodies.  His cock was hard, the head glistening with evidence of his arousal, and it seemed to be twitching in an effort to close the distance between them.  Their eyes met as he surged forward, burying his cock deeply inside her with one hard press until their bodies met in the sweetest, deepest part of her.

“Oh, Crimson,” she moaned, her nails biting into his shoulders as her legs tightened around his hips.

“Lindy,” he growled, slipping from her pussy and pushing forward again.  Her back arched, and her eyes darkened further, now almost entirely black with the strength of her desire, edged with the amber of her beast.  The color was incredible and mesmerizing and held him captive as he moved in and out of her hot, wet depths.  She moaned and lifted her hips to meet his, the slow pace he set morphing into a steady, fast thrust and retreat.

He slid one arm underneath her body, lifting her hips at an angle to deepen his thrusts.  She groaned loudly, her hands gripping his shoulders even more tightly.  He swiveled his hips until she let out a soft sound of pleasure and he knew he’d found the spot to send her over the edge into bliss.  He pounded against that same place, driving his body against hers with short, fast strokes as her pussy tightened around his cock like a fist.  He wanted her to come.  He craved it on a cellular level.

She shrieked as she came, her pussy clamping down on him as her body locked up in the spiral of her pleasure.  His wolf howled and he drew her body even closer to his, his fingertips digging into the flesh of her waist where he held her, and he gripped the headboard with his free hand, using the leverage to give her what she needed.

“Oh, Crimson, fuck,” she said with a groan, her nails raking down his back as she thrashed under him.  He tightened his hold on the climax threatening to overtake him.  He wanted her to come again so he could follow her into the abyss.

The headboard smashed against the wall with a loud bang every time he thrust into her, his fingertips gouging the wood as his claws emerged.  Sweat slicked their bodies as she clung to him, chanting his name.  His fangs elongated in his mouth, and as she moaned, “Yes, yes,” his gaze zeroed in on the side of her neck without his marks.  Her pussy clutched him as he pumped into her, stroking over the place that would send her into orbit again.  He shifted the angle of his body so his pelvis stroked her clit, and she went wild under him, clawing his back and leaning up to sink her teeth into his chest with a throaty moan.

She fell apart on a keening cry, shuddering under him as her eyes rolled back in ecstasy.  He let himself go into his climax, howling out his pleasure and filling her body with his seed.  Striking quickly while she was lost to the pleasure, he sank his fangs into the unmarked side of her neck and marked her a second time, his whole body trembling as her sweet blood filled his mouth.

Releasing his hold on her neck, he licked the wound to seal it and growled in happiness as she slumped to the mattress with a contented sigh.

“I think you made me melt from the inside out.”  Her voice was just a whisper but was a balm to his soul.

Nuzzling under her chin, he covered her with his body, careful to keep his weight off her, and breathed deeply the scent of their combined pleasure.  She was his entirely now, and he was hers.  Body, heart, and soul.

And he’d never been happier.