“When can we mate?” His chest rumbled, and his voice sounded nearly whole again.
I smiled, kissing his nipple. “You said there is normally a ceremony? A celebration of the bond?”
I felt him nod.
“Then why don’t we do it when your sedge can join us? We can travel to Mirkwold and perform the rites when the heather blooms.”
He dropped a kiss on the crown of my head. “Sounds perfect.”
“And…in the meantime…” I hated to bring the topic up, but some things needed to be settled. I wasn’t afraid anymore of his answers.
“In the meantime I should clean up the mess I made.” He sighed. “The people will be frightened—their Herald of Death actually meted out death on their holy leaders. I need to make certain these deaths won’t mean new enemies for the seraphim.”
“You’re staying here?” Delight blossomed.
“For a while,” he agreed. “To give you time to adjust. And so you can spend time with Jo.”
I grinned and kissed him again. “Thank you for realizing how important that is for me.”
His thumb stroked my side, a nonverbal response.
“I cannot wait to see your cottage in Mirkwold.” I stretched to bite him on the chin. “Will you fly me there?”
He rubbed his chin against my head. “As soon as the cult accepts a new leader, I’m abducting you to my home. Our home.”
A place that will fit us both. I fell silent for a moment. “Do you think…do you think the rest of the congregation will accept me? Us?”
“They will if I tell them to,” he declared. “No one is ever hurting you again.”
Sighing, I tried to explain. “I mean…”
“I think they will finally realize you’ve got a brilliant brain and a brave heart,” he added gently. “And they will see you for the leader you always ought to have been.”
“Castiel!” Azrael’s voice boomed up to us. “Are you going to clean your kills or are you going to make me do it?”
Castiel groaned, his wings flopping to the ground beside us.
I laughed. “Is he always so terrible?” Thank goodness I had Castiel as a mate instead of this malevolent curmudgeon. I loved Castiel’s sunny smile and playful nature.
“No. He gets grumpy when he’s worried.” Castiel kissed me again. “Very well. We should probably intervene before the locals panic.” He stood, naked, the sun glinting off his wings.
I shielded my eyes to admire my lover, my mate, and smiled. How lucky I am.
He held out his hand, an offer that meant far more than helping me off the ground.
I took it and stood, joining him for the rest of our long lives. Never had anything felt so right.
Epilogue
Azrael
I folded my arms across my chest and surveyed the sanctuary of this church. Humans trickled inside in twos and threes, taking their spots along the pews with quiet whispers.
Glancing up at the front, I saw Castiel standing on the platform, waiting for everyone to gather before he spoke. Lilith, his mate—his human mate—sat on the front pew, gazing up at him with such besotted rapture it nearly made my skin crawl.
On either side of Lilith sat her mother and her sibling. It was clear all three were related, but that was the only similar thing about them. Lilith’s mother sat stone faced, leaning slightly away from her daughter. She hadn’t glanced at Jo, her other child, once. She was the type of woman, Castiel told me, who had very little room in her heart for more than one person—and a very small brain.
Jo, the sibling, was altogether different. Sharp eyes, determined jaw, and a rigid back marked how much they didn’t fit in here. From what I understood, they had been cast out years ago and were only here today in support of Lilith. The siblings clasped hands and scowled at anyone who looked at Jo. It was hard to believe these two were related to Absalom Meadows. Jo wore a black sash around their arm, signifying bereavement, so they had been told about their brother. It appeared they were experiencing the same complicated grief Lilith had in regards to the brother.
