Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Thirty Four: Broken Spell

Adam

My heart fairly melted at her words.

Of course this was what I wanted her to feel. I wanted to be that person for her, I just hadn’t realize I already was. Personally, I felt like I hadn’t put in much effort when it came to that aspect. I wanted to do more when it came to lifting her up and seeing the wonderful and amazing woman she was.

I reached out and stroked her face, her white fur softer than anything I’d ever touched before. Her light green gaze bore into mine and within them I saw the depth of her love. I felt it consume me, envelope me. She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing in bliss.

“Come here, baby girl,” I said, opening my arms. She hesitantly came and curled up in my lap. It was different, having her large wolf cuddled up against me, but I don’t think I would have it any other way. She needed to understand I would love and care for her in any form she presented.

“I love you too,” she breathed as near magic curled through my mind and body at her words. “I’m sorry I scared you earlier,” she apologized.

“I have a feeling it’s not going to be the last time that happens,” I mused aloud as I explored more of this connection. She allowed me past walls she’d built. She allowed me to explore, to page through her memories, to stroke her mind and soul. I don’t know how long we stayed there for, but we had to have been there for hours as I soaked in every bit of her. As I learned everything I could. But a lifetime of memories couldn’t be fully seen, comprehended and understood in such a short time.

Most of the memories I’d rummaged through were mainly from last year when we had met, our time apart and the hurricane of events that had happened in the past few days. I was in awe of experiencing her thoughts and feelings during the times we had known each other.

“We will figure this out, Jadea. We will face this together,” I said gently, confidently. I would do whatever I could, I would be whatever she needed me to be—

“I need you to just be you,” she replied to my thoughts. “I don’t think you realize how much I just need you, Adam.”

In the peace that settled over us, I realized she hadn’t been scrounging around in my mind…

“Right now is more for you than for me, Adam. Besides, there will be plenty of time for me to return the favor. To look through every memory you have, unpack it and embrace every aspect of you. Regardless of what I will see, I know it will only make me love you more.”

Just as this was making me love her more.

I was feeling more confident in our relationship and future than I would have been if we had only talked everything out. I could feel the beginnings of the spell Lance had woven starting to fray.

There was one more thing I wanted to ask Jadea about before this all ended and I was disconnected from her.

She lifted her head and turned a wary gaze my way when Lance’s and my conversation came to the forefront of my thoughts, where she could see them. I saw her displeasure at his mention of that time.

“Why he would decide to bring that up now is beyond me,” she muttered to herself as she moved to get up. The instant she’d sat up, though, I wrapped my arms around her and brought her fully against my chest. It had only been a momentary flash of pain, but I’d felt it nonetheless. It was an unresolved pain. The kind that slowly ate away at ones very soul.

“Because it is something you need to talk about, Jadea.”

“I have talked about it. With Dr. Andrews.” She defended.

And she had… “But not all of it,” I countered because I caught onto the fraying edges of her memories.

She sighed heavily.

“Tell me about it, Jadea. Lance believes it is something you need to talk about. So, lay it on me baby girl.”

I felt the conflict within her. That time was dark and exceptionally heavy. It wasn’t something she wanted to burden anyone with. She fought to make sure I couldn’t see them.

“How about a compromise?” I asked her. When her curiosity filled my mind, I continued. “You don’t have to tell me everything right now. But every week you will share a part of that painful time in your life. You need to talk about it baby girl. And you know I’m right. We can go at your pace. You don’t have to tell it all in one sitting.”

I felt her slight annoyance, however she finally relented because she realized it was past time to tell someone about it. “Every second week,” she pressed.

“Ok,” I agreed.

She took a few moments to gather her thoughts before delving in. “I hadn’t been with my adopted family but a couple of years when the immortal half breed g******e befell the immortal community. It was led by an evil vampire, Victor. He had been wronged by someone close to him…” I felt her hesitate as she tried to remember the exact details. “He had been wronged by his closest friend and confidant, Michael Erickson. He, and his brother, Ulysses, basically stole his true mate. Ulysses, at the time, was the most powerful immortal sorcerer at the time and had basically rewrote Victor’s mate’s reality. He made her believe Michael was her true mate. From this, Victor’s prejudice and anger towards half breed immortals was born. And his vengeance towards the Ericksons soon became more than just revenge. He wanted blood and atonement. He wanted to end the immortal half breeds because they were the main reason untrue mate bonds were made. To him, the only way to see this through was to mass murder the half breed immortals.

“He and his small army came on a stormy night to collect those half breed wolves who were in my father’s pack. Victor told my father he had to release them, or he would be held in contempt and taken with them because sympathizers of the half breeds were dangerous. Anyway, long story short, my father and his entire pack didn’t feel this was… right. So, they stood behind and with their half breed brethren and all of us were taken into custody.”

Within her mind, I felt her strain to keep the dark memories after that initial capture at bay.

I felt the fear of a child who had escaped one hell only to be dumped into a different and more abhorrent one could have. I felt the overwhelming sadness. But there was something else. Something having to do with the Ericksons. I’d glimpsed several faces, one of them being Lance. Why had he come up in all of this? Especially in connection with them?

“Why do you have to be so sharp?” She teased.

“How is he connected to them?”

She sighed heavily. “Because he is the son of Ulysses Erickson.”

Whoa! That was an unexpected turn.

“Their family is full of unexpected surprises,” she snorted.

“How did you two meet?” I asked.

I felt her amusement in my mind. “You’re getting ahead there, Adam. This is as much as I’m willing to talk about today.”

Fair enough, I thought to myself. This was a good enough start to something that was hard for her to share. “Thank you for sharing, Jadea. I can’t imagine what you saw and experienced during that time in your life. But I’m glad you made it through.” And I was glad she’d had Lance. Even though I couldn’t latch onto any specific memory, I felt how much he had helped her through that time in her life and what he meant to her. I was starting to suspect both of them felt that same way towards each other, which was why their friendship dynamic was stronger and different.

As the spell continued to fade, I couldn’t help but feel a bit depressed by the separation. “Is there a way to keep this connection?” I asked a bit shyly. I liked having this intimacy. It wasn’t so I could delve into the depths of her mind. It was more comforting and soothing.

She brushed my mind affectionately and I could feel her need and want to keep this connection open too. “There is, but I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

Our connection didn’t allow for much transparency anymore, so all I could see and feel was what she was immediately thinking. She was holding something back. “Tell me.”

She hesitated and I had this feeling I wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “We would have to drink each other’s blood to make a blood bond. That is the only way to make this permanent.”

She had to have felt my unease because she assured me I didn’t have to make a decision now. “We have time, Adam,” she soothed. “Come. We should head inside and eat something. Tomorrow we will be meeting with Nikolai and then we can head back north for a few days to start the process of getting everything of yours settled.”

Dread and sadness suddenly consumed me as I realized my move from California would be permanent. The last time I’d moved hadn’t gone so smoothly and I was nervous about the future.

Jadea’s cold nose on my cheek pulled me out of my thoughts and centered me. She rubbed her cheek against mine affectionately, her white fur so soft against my skin.

I wasn’t sure if she had caught onto that last bit of insecurity since the spell had finally worn off and our minds were disconnected. A sense of loss and loneliness clenched my heart as I stood up, brushed myself off and followed Jadea into the house. There was a lot I had to think about and come to terms with. But, I knew I wasn’t alone. I had Jadea. I had a family within her pack. I knew my heart and soul, and those of my children, were in very good and capable hands.

Whatever came in the coming days, weeks and months, I knew I wouldn’t ever be alone.