I don’t know why he’s obsessed with making us look like tooth fairies in colorful armor, but it’s not happening. Not today. Not ever.
“Seiji. I love you. I really do. But you’re pushing your luck.” I step around a patch of tall grass, careful not to jostle Nevaeh. “We’re not painting our armors yellow or purple. Hazel already mocks us enough. I’m not handing the siren more material.”
“But plain, dark armor is so boring.” He stomps lightly, ruining the whole point of stomping.
When Seiji is uncharacteristically silent for a long time, I glance over and find him deep in thought. “What do you think happened to Harvey?”
Fates, I’ve been dreading this question. One look at Nevaeh and that little boy is enough to know I’m not ready to face what might’ve happened to Harvey. I can’t even imagine anything worse than what these two have already survived.
“I don’t know, buddy. But we’ll find out soon.”
We’re close to where Hazel and Grace are waiting for us when Nevaeh starts to shiver in my arms. Her unease triggers a strange, burning sensation in my chest. With every step I take, the sudden, sharp stabbing pain in my heart grows.
I try to breathe through the pain and force myself to keep walking, but when the world starts spinning off its axis, I have to stop. I can’t risk the precious cargo in my arms.
I lower my guard on my Divine to figure out what’s wrong, and a powerful wave of emotion crashes into me. With every breath, every blink, every heartbeat, I feel like I’m going to combust. I try to fight the overwhelming sensations, only to groan as a desperate longing fills me to the brim, almost knocking me off my feet.
Then suddenly, everything goes numb. I tighten my hold on Nevaeh instinctively. For some reason, her proximity helps me catch my breath.
Nevaeh sleepily nuzzles her face into my neck, and just like that, every vein in my body catches on fire. As if her acceptance of my touch unlocks something, the pieces of my soul click into place, and I feel her weak Divine trying to reach out to me. Her button nose burrows into my neck, and her unconsciously seeking my warmth and comfort becomes my downfall.
Suddenly, I’m hyper-aware of every single part of my body that Nevaeh is touching. Her warm breath fans my neck. The brush of her ice-cold nose against my skin makes goosebumps erupt all over me.
Before, I didn’t let myself look too closely because my Divine gave me no indication that Nevaeh was my mate, but maybeher essence was too weak for me to sense the connection.
Looking down at the sleeping beauty in my arms, I feel like an idiot for not noticing it sooner. I could’ve been appreciating the breathtaking view this whole time. Bruises, dirt, and blood shadow her face, yet I’m still captivated by her delicate features.
I’ve finally found her.
Seiji looks over his shoulder and backtracks when he sees that I’ve stopped walking. “Anxo? What’s wrong? Do you hear something? Should I call the girls?” He spins in place, searching the shadows for whatever made me freeze.
“Mate.”
Seiji’s eyes soften with sympathy. “Oh, Anxo, this is not the time to pine for your mate. I know how much you want to meet her. You’ve been praying for her since you were like six years old. There’s no way Fates haven’t heard your billion pleas. Trust me, you’ll find her soon. I have a feeling—”
“No, Seiji. It’s Nevaeh.Sheis my mate.”
My mate. My other half. My reason to keep going.
Seiji’s jaw drops. His eyes bounce between me and my mate in disbelief, and I instinctively pull my sweetheart closer to my chest.
Oh, drop it, you caveman. He’s not even into women.
“How the fuck are you just figuring that out now? You’ve been holding her for half an hour!”
“Her Divine wasn’t strong enough to reach out before. The bond just clicked into place.”
I don’t know how I missed it, but I realize this is the first time I’m sensing her essence. The little trickster tried to scare us off without a working Divine.
Nevaeh is strong. There’s no question about it. She broke out of her prison on her own and kicked some serious ass in the process. That’s why I’m worried about her reaction when she wakes up and finds out she is now bound to someone for life, not even an hour after her first taste of freedom.
If Nevaeh says she doesn’t want me, I’ll lose my mind andrun away to the mountains. Too dramatic?Maybe.But I can’t live in the same realm as my mate and not have her in my arms. That would wreck me.
“How do you think she’s going to take this new information?” I ask Seiji.
“Don’t worry, I’ll pray for you.” He saunters off, leaving me gaping at his back and begging Fates not to tear her away from me.
I’m not letting her go. Never.
