“Oh shit,” she gasped, realizing her fire magic had burned his upper arm in a band where her palm and fingers had been.“I’m sorry.”
“Hey, hey,” he said, kissing her with a grin.“You marked me.I fucking love it.”
She grinned and cupped his face, feeling how warm her hand still was from her magic flare.“I love that you marked me too.”
He pulled from her body and settled next to her, his hand on her belly and their bodies as close together as possible.
She closed her eyes and reveled in the feelings that coursed through her.
She could feel a connection to him now that they were marked and mated.It was like she could feel his wolf and it was incredible.
“I didn’t know it could be like that,” she said.
“Me neither.I think it’s supposed to be that way with truemates.It’s so good, so amazing, that it obliterates anything that came before it.This is the first day of our life together.The wolf and the phoenix witch.”
“Sounds like a romance novel title.”
He laughed.Snuggling against her, he kissed the healing mark on her neck, which would scar and remain forever, and she reveled in how it felt to be with him.He’d rocked her world, made her feel like the most precious person on the planet.
“I’m so glad you found me,” she said.
“Me too, sweetheart.Me too.”
Sebastian listened to Emberlin talk to her sister after they’d discussed Christmas Day and their plans for the future.Like Declan and Winterlyn, Sebastian and Emberlin thought it was a good idea to stay in Northernmost until they had kids and then live with the pack in Southern Ohio so they could be with other shifters and family.
She’d asked about what she could do in Northernmost, and he was certain that Santa would want to utilize her healing magic in the infirmary since they only had two elves who took care of everyone, but she could do a lot with her fire magic too.
His mate was an impressive and powerful female.
He was a lucky male.
Emberlin ended the call and looked at Sebastian.“I don’t understand what’s going on with her.”
“I only really heard your side of the conversation.”
She grimaced.“I asked her about Christmas Day and getting together, and she was being so cagey.She acted like she had to get off the phone and was too busy to talk, but when I pressed her about her conversation with Mother Nature, she told me that I didn’t need to worry about it.That she washandlingthings her way and I should just focus on my mating.”
They sat on the couch and he put his arm on the back cushion behind her and rubbed her neck.“Do you think she’s jealous we found each other?”
“Maybe.I think she’s mad at me because of what happened.You know how guilty I feel that I didn’t get taken and she did, so she’s probably feeling something like that too.Wondering why I got away, but she didn’t.”
“I’m sorry things are stressed between you two.I’m sure once she comes to terms with things, she’ll realize she can’t blame you for what happened, just like I hope you’re not blaming yourself.”
She rolled her eyes.“I’m trying not to, but yeah, I do blame myself some.Not for finding you, of course, that’s the most awesome thing ever, but that she lost her magic.She probably feels like a ship without a sail in a storm.”
They sat in silence for a little while, and then she said, “You know what?Tonight is our first date, and you said you wanted to video chat with your parents before we left.I want to put aside the stuff with my sister and focus on the night ahead.You still haven’t told me about our plans for our first date.”
“It’s a surprise.”
She grinned.“I can’t wait.”
He grabbed his tablet from the side table drawer after sending a text to ask if his parents were free for a video chat.He set up the tablet and opened the video app.Then, once his parents responded they were free, he pressed the contact button for his dad and waited for it to connect.
“I’m nervous,” she whispered.
“Don’t be, they’ll love you.”
“Hello!”his dad, Elias, said, his voice booming as he grinned.
