chucking Ben under the chin and ruffling the hair of the other boys.
They walked to the edge of the woods, and Jericho looked down at her. “Are you ready to become our mate forever, Lachlyn? You know that once we go through this ceremony, nothing short of death can undo it. Once bears mate, they mate forever.”
“I know,” she reached for both of their hands. “I want to be both of yours forever.”
They both smiled at her, squeezing her hands, and together they walked through the woods. The sun was still high in the sky, but in a few hours it would set and the world would be dark around them. Excitement filled her as they continued deeper into the woods, until finally they came into a clearing where a large dark green tent was set up, with a firepit laden with wood in front of it.
Jericho moved to the tent and pulled out a black fur blanket that reminded her of bear fur. He laid the blanket between the firepit and the tent, removed his shoes and shirt, and stepped onto the blanket. She and Alek moved to the other edge of the blanket, and Alek removed his shoes and shirt and stepped onto the blanket, leaving space between himself and Jericho for her.
They both held their hands out to her and Alek said, “Lachlyn, do you come to our mating with love and honor in your heart?”
“Yes,” she said, slipping off her sandals before taking their hands and joining them on the blanket.
They knelt in front of the firepit, and Jericho lifted a lighter from the ground. They both picked up sticks that had been placed at the edge of the firepit. He held the flame of the lighter under both of their sticks until they were burning, and then they pushed the sticks into the pile of logs where kindling caught fire quickly. The logs that they had cut from trees they felled by hand began to burn, and for several quiet moments, they all simply stared into the growing flames.
They stood and positioned her so that she was between both of them, facing Alek.
Jericho’s hands settled on her hips, and he kissed her neck. “Do you promise to love Alek and me as your mates and protectors for the rest of your life?”
“Yes,” she said and pressed her hands on top of Jericho’s, shivers racing up her spine.
Alek cupped her face in his warm hands and kissed her mouth once. “Lachlyn, I promise to love and honor you as my mate, to protect you and our future children from harm, for as long as the spirits allow me to be here on this earth. Will you have me as your mate?”
“I will, Alek.”
He purred in happiness and kissed her.
Jericho’s hands turned her, and he asked her the same question, his dark eyes burning with passion.
“I will, Jericho,” she promised, and when he kissed her with a growl rumbling in his chest, she felt the same growl bubbling in her own body. It spilled from her mouth as their lips met.
Jericho chuckled and kissed her nose. “Your bear must really be anxious to be so vocal.”
“I’m anxious to be mated to my men.”
Clearing his throat, he said, “Alek, I swear as the mate of your mate, that I will honor and respect our bond as brothers as long as there is breath left in my lungs.”
Alek repeated the sentiment, and Lachlyn felt tears burn in her eyes. Jericho loved her enough to share her with Alek, and Alek, although he might not truly love her yet, was willing to share her forever and treat Jericho like a brother. It was sweet and amazing, and she wished she could find words to express just how much it meant to her, but words failed her.
Jericho and Alek clasped hands on either side of her and then lifted their heads to the sky. Jericho’s bear bellowed and Alek’s cat roared, and her heart swelled with the commitment of their animals to her. Not only were Jericho and Alek the men committing to their mating, but their beasts were as well.
The roaring ceased, and the woods seemed almost reverently silent. Lachlyn looked up at Jericho, and he
They walked to the edge of the woods, and Jericho looked down at her. “Are you ready to become our mate forever, Lachlyn? You know that once we go through this ceremony, nothing short of death can undo it. Once bears mate, they mate forever.”
“I know,” she reached for both of their hands. “I want to be both of yours forever.”
They both smiled at her, squeezing her hands, and together they walked through the woods. The sun was still high in the sky, but in a few hours it would set and the world would be dark around them. Excitement filled her as they continued deeper into the woods, until finally they came into a clearing where a large dark green tent was set up, with a firepit laden with wood in front of it.
Jericho moved to the tent and pulled out a black fur blanket that reminded her of bear fur. He laid the blanket between the firepit and the tent, removed his shoes and shirt, and stepped onto the blanket. She and Alek moved to the other edge of the blanket, and Alek removed his shoes and shirt and stepped onto the blanket, leaving space between himself and Jericho for her.
They both held their hands out to her and Alek said, “Lachlyn, do you come to our mating with love and honor in your heart?”
“Yes,” she said, slipping off her sandals before taking their hands and joining them on the blanket.
They knelt in front of the firepit, and Jericho lifted a lighter from the ground. They both picked up sticks that had been placed at the edge of the firepit. He held the flame of the lighter under both of their sticks until they were burning, and then they pushed the sticks into the pile of logs where kindling caught fire quickly. The logs that they had cut from trees they felled by hand began to burn, and for several quiet moments, they all simply stared into the growing flames.
They stood and positioned her so that she was between both of them, facing Alek.
Jericho’s hands settled on her hips, and he kissed her neck. “Do you promise to love Alek and me as your mates and protectors for the rest of your life?”
“Yes,” she said and pressed her hands on top of Jericho’s, shivers racing up her spine.
Alek cupped her face in his warm hands and kissed her mouth once. “Lachlyn, I promise to love and honor you as my mate, to protect you and our future children from harm, for as long as the spirits allow me to be here on this earth. Will you have me as your mate?”
“I will, Alek.”
He purred in happiness and kissed her.
Jericho’s hands turned her, and he asked her the same question, his dark eyes burning with passion.
“I will, Jericho,” she promised, and when he kissed her with a growl rumbling in his chest, she felt the same growl bubbling in her own body. It spilled from her mouth as their lips met.
Jericho chuckled and kissed her nose. “Your bear must really be anxious to be so vocal.”
“I’m anxious to be mated to my men.”
Clearing his throat, he said, “Alek, I swear as the mate of your mate, that I will honor and respect our bond as brothers as long as there is breath left in my lungs.”
Alek repeated the sentiment, and Lachlyn felt tears burn in her eyes. Jericho loved her enough to share her with Alek, and Alek, although he might not truly love her yet, was willing to share her forever and treat Jericho like a brother. It was sweet and amazing, and she wished she could find words to express just how much it meant to her, but words failed her.
Jericho and Alek clasped hands on either side of her and then lifted their heads to the sky. Jericho’s bear bellowed and Alek’s cat roared, and her heart swelled with the commitment of their animals to her. Not only were Jericho and Alek the men committing to their mating, but their beasts were as well.
The roaring ceased, and the woods seemed almost reverently silent. Lachlyn looked up at Jericho, and he
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