His eyes widened.
“I mean … if you don’t mind, but you don’t have to. It’s fine…” Zara stumbled over her words.
Wadim felt shame and embarrassment come through their bond. He realized she thought he would be repulsed. Silly female. He’d have to reassure her that repulsion was the furthest thing from his mind when he thought of her.
“I’m your mate, Zara. It is my privilege and deepest desire to care for you in any way you need. I will help you, but I will keep my eyes on your beautiful face, because you aren’t ready for anything that might happen if I look at the rest of you.”
She sighed. “I’m not much to look at. I don’t think you will have any trouble restraining yourself.”
Wadim forced his wolf, who wanted to growl at their mate, down. He and his beast did not like their mate degrading herself. “You are beautiful to me. All of you. And hopefully one day you will truly believe me when I say that.” He didn’t wait to see how she would respond as he lifted the hem of her shirt. She raised her arms obediently, and he slipped it over her head. Wadim’s eyes never left her face as he helped his mate undress and then climb into the tub. Once she was fully submerged and covered by the bubbles, he sat down on the floor next to the tub and just stared at her. She had no idea how incredible she was. Zara was a miracle to him.
“You’re staring at me,” Zara said, her face turning a rosy pink.
“My mark is beautiful on your neck,” he said.
“The Blood Rites is supposed to be pretty special, isn’t it?”
Wadim nodded. “It’s the equivalent of marriage to a Canis lupus.”
“And I missed it.” She sniffed as she wiped another tear away. “I missed my own wedding, essentially.”
Wadim leaned forward and gently brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “It’s something that can be repeated, and usually is with true mates.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
He nodded. “My da told me that, sometimes, if a male’s mate was in danger, once that danger had passed, the male would mark his mate again, just as a reminder to both that they belong to each other, that nothing would separate them. They would both bite one another in the same place as the original bites.”
Her eyes widened. “But I didn’t bite you. Does that mean we aren’t bonded?”
“Not technically. I gave you my blood, so it’s a half bond, I guess. At some point, when you’re ready, we can do it again and you can bite me. And … also when you’re ready, we will have to complete the bond when we … consummate our mating.”
She paled.
Wadim hurried to add, “But only when you’re ready. I’ll wait as long you need … years, decades, a century… It doesn’t matter, as long as I’m with you.”
They were quiet for a while as Zara leaned back in the bathtub, resting her head against the edge and closing her eyes. Wadim simply watched her. He probably seemed like a creeper, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He felt like he’d nearly lost her and if he blinked she’d suddenly disappear.
“Ander said he used witch magic to bind my soul to his. How did I not know that? How did I not feel it?” Zara asked.
“The witch he got the spell from was probably very powerful. She could have made it untraceable. Even my wolf didn’t sense it,” Wadim explained.
“Rachel and Sally where there, weren’t they? I remember hearing their voices.”
“They were. Your breathing was strained, and I couldn’t reach you. There was a barrier between us.” Wadim forced down the panic threatening to return as he remembered being unable to reach her through the bond.
“I need to thank them,” Zara said as she lifted her head to look at him.
“Neither of them would expect it, but they will want to see for themselves that you are okay now.”
“Wadim?”
“Yes, beautiful?”
“I love you.”
Wadim let those words wash over him, chasing away the fear he’d felt and the worry that she’d hate him for forcing the Blood Rites. He kneeled over the edge of the tub and cupped the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers.“And I love you,” he whispered into her mind.
When she was ready, Wadim helped Zara from the tub and let her dry herself off as he went and retrieved her some comfortable clothes in which she could sleep. He passed the place where Jen and Stephanie had fought and noticed it had been cleaned. Rachel and Sally probably had something to do with that. He’d have to get them a couple of cool T-shirts as a thank you gift.
