but Ria had lived most of her life on the run, never being able to settle in one place for too long. The nature of the duties she had assumed when she took over as Nyx from her mother demanded that she give up a normal life. She was at the mercy of what she was. Who she was, underneath it all, didn’t really seem to matter…except maybe to Jake.
Since meeting him, she finally understood what mating was all about. Having just one person in the entire world who was devoted to you , and you alone. It was a heady feeling. And even though she had the occasional doubt about his ability to form a true mate bond because he was human, most of the time she thought they were both on the same page. Both devoted and loyal.
It didn’t matter to him that she was a queen of her people. It didn’t matter to her that he was a seer. All that mattered when they were together was each other. As it should be between mates.
“Normally, this kind of party would go on all night long, you know,” she told her mate as they danced to a slow tune someone had put on.
There were speakers placed discretely around the deck, and a superior sound system. They had music, the fresh air of the early evening breeze, good food and even better company. Who could ask for more from a celebration of their mated happiness?
“I’ll count on an all-nighter when we finally get to have our mating celebration among your Clan,” he replied, nuzzling her neck. She loved it when he did that, but he drew back, his eyes narrowed in question. “But I suspect you have other plans for this evening—or at least part of it.”
“Yeah. About that.” She sighed, knowing she couldn’t put off her explanation any longer. “You know about what I do, right? I mean, you’ve seen something in your visions that shows you the gift and burden of being the Nyx, haven’t you?”
“You speak for those on the other side of the veil,” he answered in all seriousness, his voice a low tone that only she could hear. She answered in kind, though the shifters around them were giving them as much privacy as they could on the wide deck. The soft whisper of the evening breeze was enough to keep her words from falling on ears other than her mate’s.
“I do. There’s a ceremony centered around it all, but at the heart of the thing is the object everyone is after.” She didn’t want to name it. It was second-nature to her to obscure the fact of the amulet’s existence. It was the greatest secret of the Nyx. “I use it to communicate with the other side, but only on the days surrounding the new moon, for a few hours each night for three nights. During that time, any shifter is entitled to try to speak with those who have passed beyond our realm. It’s my duty to try to intercede for any who asks.”
“This time, Ria…” he pulled back to look down into her eyes. His expression was solemn. “This time, you had better start seeking some answers yourself. Time is running out. You need to know if there’s anything those on the other side can tell you that will help in your defense. Don’t ignore them again. Talk to them first, this time. Promise me.”
She took a deep breath and let it out, finally having to face her fears. “Okay. But I want you nearby. I’ve been afraid to listen to what they had to say. I was afraid they were warning me that I was going to be joining them soon. I didn’t see how I could keep running the way I was for much longer. I thought my time was up on this mortal plane.”
“Nope.” His expression softened as he drew her closer, still softly swaying to the music. “Everything’s different now. I’m with you. We are one. Where you go, I go, forevermore.”
“You almost sound like a shifter,” she teased him. “Have you been studying up?”
“Actually, yeah. For a very long time.” His tone grew serious. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me and my past. A lot of it you’ll find out along the way and I look forward to
Since meeting him, she finally understood what mating was all about. Having just one person in the entire world who was devoted to you , and you alone. It was a heady feeling. And even though she had the occasional doubt about his ability to form a true mate bond because he was human, most of the time she thought they were both on the same page. Both devoted and loyal.
It didn’t matter to him that she was a queen of her people. It didn’t matter to her that he was a seer. All that mattered when they were together was each other. As it should be between mates.
“Normally, this kind of party would go on all night long, you know,” she told her mate as they danced to a slow tune someone had put on.
There were speakers placed discretely around the deck, and a superior sound system. They had music, the fresh air of the early evening breeze, good food and even better company. Who could ask for more from a celebration of their mated happiness?
“I’ll count on an all-nighter when we finally get to have our mating celebration among your Clan,” he replied, nuzzling her neck. She loved it when he did that, but he drew back, his eyes narrowed in question. “But I suspect you have other plans for this evening—or at least part of it.”
“Yeah. About that.” She sighed, knowing she couldn’t put off her explanation any longer. “You know about what I do, right? I mean, you’ve seen something in your visions that shows you the gift and burden of being the Nyx, haven’t you?”
“You speak for those on the other side of the veil,” he answered in all seriousness, his voice a low tone that only she could hear. She answered in kind, though the shifters around them were giving them as much privacy as they could on the wide deck. The soft whisper of the evening breeze was enough to keep her words from falling on ears other than her mate’s.
“I do. There’s a ceremony centered around it all, but at the heart of the thing is the object everyone is after.” She didn’t want to name it. It was second-nature to her to obscure the fact of the amulet’s existence. It was the greatest secret of the Nyx. “I use it to communicate with the other side, but only on the days surrounding the new moon, for a few hours each night for three nights. During that time, any shifter is entitled to try to speak with those who have passed beyond our realm. It’s my duty to try to intercede for any who asks.”
“This time, Ria…” he pulled back to look down into her eyes. His expression was solemn. “This time, you had better start seeking some answers yourself. Time is running out. You need to know if there’s anything those on the other side can tell you that will help in your defense. Don’t ignore them again. Talk to them first, this time. Promise me.”
She took a deep breath and let it out, finally having to face her fears. “Okay. But I want you nearby. I’ve been afraid to listen to what they had to say. I was afraid they were warning me that I was going to be joining them soon. I didn’t see how I could keep running the way I was for much longer. I thought my time was up on this mortal plane.”
“Nope.” His expression softened as he drew her closer, still softly swaying to the music. “Everything’s different now. I’m with you. We are one. Where you go, I go, forevermore.”
“You almost sound like a shifter,” she teased him. “Have you been studying up?”
“Actually, yeah. For a very long time.” His tone grew serious. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me and my past. A lot of it you’ll find out along the way and I look forward to
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