Roan focused on the Prime and Prima.“Visata made Himself known at the council meeting.He admonished us for our transgressions, as He should have.We all know that what we did was wrong, no matter how well the females have been treated.”He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a steadying breath.“Each of the Shaman are delivering this same message to their respective kingdoms.Visata has decreed that the human females who have become potential mates for the Damarians will no longer simply find a male and fall in love.They will be preordained.Each male will haveonemate that is theirs and theirs alone.Visata will not strip theanimifrom them because it is not His desire to see His children perish, but He will make them have an even greater appreciation for the gift that is a mate.The mark she bears will match his own.This is how you will know to whom each belongs.”
“I’m with Maddie on this,” Lola declared, her eyebrows arching in emphasis as she gestured towards her friend with an open hand.She leaned back, crossing her arms with a thoughtful nod.“That doesn’t sound like a punishment at all.You each still have a mate.”
“One female among millions—no billions,” Wyatt chimed in.“And we’re somehow supposed to find her?”
Okay, so when he puts it like that,it doesn’t sound too great.
“The females we have cared for all this time will be given their marks and sent to the kingdom for which they match.”
“So they don’t actually get set free.”Maddie pushed forward, no longer relaxed on the couch.
Roan didn’t even glance her way, though Lola noticed a tick in his jaw.“Their mates might be there, or might not have been born yet.To this end, Visata will grant them the lifespan of their future mate.As long as theanimuschooses to stay with the kingdom for which she is destined, she will be healthy and live as long as she needs to.If she chooses to leave, then her life span will be that of a normal human, and her mate will have to accept her choice.She will be made into a Null, no longer able to bring forth the soul of the animal in a male.Therefore, no beastwalker will be tempted to take her.”
“Okay, this is sounding a little more promising.”Maddie motioned with her hand.“Proceed.”
Lola sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.
Roanspoke up.“The male thatwouldhave been her mate will forever live without the full ability of his beast.”
“Thereit is.”Maddie pointed at Roan.“Dudes are gonna be sad and alone because they snatched up that which did not belong to them.”
Lola thought about it and realized that males who weren’t even alive and hadn’t been a part of what their people had done would suffer the consequences.They’d possibly lose their mate forever because of the choices of those who came before them.That seriously sucked.
“Visata is not unjust or unloving,” Roan continued, as if Maddie hadn’t been offering up her pearls of wisdom.“The bonded females will be known asErossazzi—the Only Beloved— as we areHisOnly Beloved.The beastwalkers and theanimiwho complete the bond will carry the essence of the other in their souls, as we carry Visata in ours.They will be a beacon to one another for healing and feeding each other’s souls with emotion and touch, just as He asks us to come to Him for guidance, love, and spiritual nourishment.”
“Okay, we’re back to the lack of punishment part,” Maddie huffed.“It doesn’t seem like a very balanced punishment.”
“Well…” Roan finally turned and gave Lola’s friend his attention.“You are not the Creator, and therefore your bias blinds your ability to see grace, mercy, and jealousy, all balanced on the tip of a knife.Now, if I may?”He held out his hand.
“The floor is yours, Quicksilver,” she said with a saccharine smile.
Roan looked as if he wanted to slap some tape over Maddie.“Should the males be forcefully separated from their mates, they will wreak blind havoc on the world until they are reunited.As you would do should you leave Visata’s presence.TheErossazziwill bear maleandfemale children, just as Visata wishes for us to bear the fruit of His love.Visata has said that we have His forgiveness, but there are always consequences of wrongdoing.”
The room was quiet as Roan slipped his hands into his pockets, his silver eyes landing on Maddie, flashing a look that dared her to say something.Lola’s friend stared back at him, her lips in a tight, straight line across her face.It was clear to Lola that Maddie was irritated with his high-handedness, not to mention her inability to rile him up.Maddie loved to get under a person’s skin.Usually that was Katy’s job, but when their brunette friend wasn’t around, Mads took over.
Taras’s throat cleared with a rasp that made Lola jump.Her eyes shifted back toward the Prime but stopped on Callon, whose gaze she’d felt the entire time Roan had been speaking.A fiery heat swirled deep within her chest, engulfing her heart in flame as the lion tattoo burned on her skin.She raised her hand to touch it as Callon’s jaw tightened.Was his tattoo doing the same?She tried to open herself to his emotions and was hit with a barrage of frustration and desperation.Lola pictured herself shutting a door between them, and the feeling abruptly stopped.His eyes flashed a bright gold, and Lola got the distinct impression that he was thinking about breaking down the proverbial mental door.
“We will obey Visata.We will meet with the females who live at the compound and let them know of the choice laid before them.”Taras turned to the handsome, man-bun-wearing, tattoo artist.“Kian, call Jaxine and let her know we’re going to need her.You, Jaxine, and Zephyr will need to tattoo any of them who wish to stay in our world.”He turned to the Shaman.“Roan, I will need you present so you can nullify any who decide to return to their human lives.”
“What are you going to do if they go to the authorities?You’ve had some of these women for years, right?Are they going to try to have you all arrested for kidnapping them?How can they possibly go back to their lives after being gone so long?”Lola was on one of her rolls where her mind moved so fast she couldn’t stop and let someone else answer even one of her questions.“What are they going to tell their families?That they just went on a really long vacation?That they needed a break because, ‘It’s not you, it’s me’?I mean, seriously.You could all go to jail.They could lock you up for a very, very long time.”
“What would you have us do, Lola?”Taras leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly in front of him, eyes searching Lola’s face intently.“Do you want us to go against our Creator and keep the females?Do you think they should be contained, so there’s no chance of us being punished for kidnapping them?”
Lola pressed her fingers to her temple as a headache formed.She didn’t know what needed to happen.Obviously, they couldn’t keep the women against their will.But she didn’t want Callon going to jail.She lifted her eyes to his.Still, he stared at her.The throbbing in her head became unbearable, like fifty elephants dancing on her skull.The surrounding space blurred as the ache moved to just behind her eyes and kept growing stronger.Katy was missing, who knew how many women were being held by ten supernatural kingdoms, and the man she was mated to for life had been involved in the kidnappings.This probably wouldn’t sound nearly as bad if it were the plot of some cheesy paranormal romance book.Because in a book it wouldn’t haveactuallyhappened, she mentally chided herself.
She closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out the bright lights that suddenly felt like jagged knives piercing through her skull.It had been a while since she’d last suffered from a migraine, and she cursed under her breath as she tried to will the pain away.
“Lola?”She heard Maddie’s voice calling her name from what seemed like a million miles away, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes and respond.Relentless throbbing pulsed, each beat echoing like a drum in her head.A wave of nausea washed over her, and Lola fought the urge to retch, her breathing shallow and uneven.
Then, suddenly, warmth enveloped her face, and the pain vanished.She gasped and her eyes flew open.The golden eyes that had been five feet away moments ago were now right in front of her as Callon’s large hands cupped her cheeks.His thumbs ran gently across her flesh, causing her to shiver.The electricity in her chest grew until she thought it would burst forth and jump into his.
“What’s happening?”she whispered.
“You were in pain,” he said simply.“I fixed it.”
“You probably don’t remember me mentioning that back in your room.”Roan spoke up.“Your bond allows you to heal one another.Or in this case, it seems, take away the other’s pain.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the females,” Callon said gruffly.“It’s not something I’m proud of, and you would have run away screaming if I had.”
