Page 21

TWENTY-ONE

Lena

Morning came far too quick and not nearly quick enough. Lena hadn't quite managed to sleep, partially from nerves, partially from the fantastic desperate sex. She didn't know if it was because they both knew it could be the last time but it had been more intense than ever.

But with the first sunlight peeking in through the curtains, the time for laughter was over.

Lena turned on her side, not at all surprised to find Aditi awake already. She never slept well when something big was happening and this was possibly the biggest thing they had dealt with so far.

"Do we have to look?" Aditi whispered, looking adorable tucked in under the blankets.

"You want to have sex the rest of our lives with clothes on?"

"Only you would have to keep your clothes on," she teased.

A chuckle escaped Lena and she was glad that even after everything, they could still joke around. "We've delayed this long enough. You check."

Aditi looked surprised. "You want me to check? You don't want to do it on your own?"

"No, we did this together. We should find out together." Lena reached under the blankets for Aditi's hand and guided it onto her body. "Touch me."

The briefest flicker of desire flitted through Aditi's eyes before a far more serious expression came on.

She shuffled closer and let her hand glide down.

Lena enjoyed the sensation, the slow move, the gentle exploration.

They could've just thrown the blankets off and the lights on but this was far more pleasant, far more intimate.

Aditi's fingertips travelled over her elbow and she giggled.

"That tickles."

"Have I never touched your elbow before?" Aditi wondered, her hand moving further down.

Lena shrugged. "Maybe not."

"I'll make it up to your elbow later then."

The mattress dipped when Lena turned on her back so Aditi could touch her other side.

Even after a whole night together, her touch still felt new and exciting.

Aditi explored every part of her. Her arms, her stomach, her shoulders.

She even patted Lena's face even though that was totally unnecessary, but it still made them giggle.

Then Aditi's fingers touched her hip and a spark jolted up Lena's spine. Her eyes widened at the feeling and she could see the same surprise in Aditi's eyes.

This was it.

All patience gone, Lena tossed her side of the blanket away and twisted, raising her hip to examine it. An orange pattern had appeared on her skin, with slightly raised lines that tickled when she ran her own fingers over it.

"Is that...?" Lena looked at Aditi, suddenly overwhelmed.

Aditi nodded. "That's my mark."

"Show me?"

With a nod, Aditi pushed the blanket away too. Lena's gaze went down to her waist where she knew Aditi's shifter mark was located. There was a little tattoo over it too, one Aditi had gotten when she was eighteen. A little fuck-you to fate.

Lena brushed her fingers over it. She'd seen the mark plenty of times over their relationship but she'd refused to pay attention to it. Maybe it was strange that she knew every inch of Aditi's body like the back of her hand but didn't know this.

"Is it really the same?" she asked.

Without saying anything, Aditi pulled her in for a kiss. It instantly created unprecedented sparks and Lena could feel her heartbeat in the new marking on her hip. Or maybe it was Aditi's heartbeat. It was hard to tell, she just knew that it felt so very right.

Of course, it was right.

"I love you," Aditi said when she pulled back from the kiss, her voice laden with emotions.

Lena brushed her fingers over Aditi's cheek. "I love you too. Now what?"

"Now we'll be together forever."

"Oh, is that so?" Lena asked, chuckling despite the excitement welling up in her. Forever. What a beautiful word it was, what a beautiful promise. Except it wasn’t just a promise, not with shifters. It was more. It could be more.

And she wanted it. She wanted it more than anything, which was quite surprising but their time apart gave her new insights into what a life without Aditi would be like.

She took Aditi’s hand and guided it to her hip, to the new mark. “I accept."

“Huh?” Aditi sat up, the blankets sliding away from her body. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want forever. So…”

“Are you talking about the mating bond?”

“I am.”

“Who are you and what have you done to my Lena?”

Lena chuckled. “I know, I’m surprised too. But I really, really want forever with you. I always wanted that. Unless it’s too soon.”

“No, it’s not, it’s… perfect.” Aditi threw herself onto her.

They kissed so deeply, Lena could feel it in her soul. It was making her feel so warm and full and so very light. She really never wanted this to end.

Aditi pulled back, her eyes dark and somehow bright at the same time. “Are you sure? When I bite you, that’s it. You and me, forever.”

“I’m ready,” Lena said, enjoying the way anticipation was rushing through her body. She never knew it would feel this good to have this kind of confirmation, the security, the commitment. They talked about forever many times before but there’d always be this hint of doubt in the back of her mind.

That wasn’t here anymore. This time, when Aditi said forever, Lena believed it.

She relaxed and enjoyed the trail of kisses that Aditi peppered over her body. Some of the kisses made her shiver, others tickled, and some sent an instant bolt of desire down to her core. Everything felt more intense, more charged, she never wanted it to end.

And after today, it never would.

Aditi reached the mark on her hip and pressed a soft kiss on it first. An unexpected rush of pleasure tingled up Lena’s body and she made a funny noise.

“You okay?” Aditi checked.

“Mmm,” Lena hummed, reaching down to stroke Aditi’s shoulder. “Don’t stop.”

A little grin appeared on Aditi’s lips. “Do I ever?”

The next kiss made Lena sigh and she let herself fall into the sensation.

She could feel everything so very clearly.

Aditi’s hand on her thigh, some of her ticklish hair draped on her belly, the press of her chest. Even the scrape of her teeth, gentle at first, but then surprisingly sharp and yet painless.

It filled Lena, like an ocean trying to fit into a lake, all too much and yet exactly right.

Aditi’s voice was hoarse when she spoke again. “How did that feel?”

“Wonderful,” Lena murmured, dazed and clear-headed at the same time.

She reached out, touching Aditi’s beautiful face.

There were so many things she wanted to say, so many emotions contained within her, but she didn’t know how to explain them.

She didn’t need to either, she knew Aditi could feel it too. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” A tear slid from Aditi's eye and she kissed the inside of Lena's hand. "I'm so happy."

"Me too. We should've done this sooner," she joked. "Too soon?"

"A little." Aditi rolled closer for another kiss. "I love you so, so much."

"You better. I'm your fated mate." The word sounded incredibly foreign to Lena's ears but it also came with a little thrill. Fated mate. It was no longer a threat or something to fear. Instead, those two words embodied a life with Aditi.

If only she'd seen it that way sooner, she could've avoided all this heartbreak. But then again, maybe in sixty years time, they could fondly look back at it and laugh about the time they were both so stubborn and silly.

Lena wrapped her arms around Aditi, enjoying the intimacy of their new bond. "What are we going to tell our friends?"

"Alix is going to scream," Aditi speculated.

"Totally. Maria might pop out her baby prematurely," Lena joked, sighing into the wonderful embrace.

"Imagine. That would be something."

"I guess it's a worry for later."

"It is. This is about you and me and nobody else." Aditi touched her face. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"It's a little late if I wasn't," Lena replied, touched that Aditi was checking though. "But yes, I'm okay. I thought I'd be freaked out more but actually, no. I feel really calm, calmer than I have in months. This is right. This is what I want."

Aditi looked relieved. "Good."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, this feels like a dream."

"It's not a dream." Lena pulled the blankets over them, chuckling when it made Aditi shriek and giggle. "And I know just how to prove to you that it's not a dream."

"Really? What did you have in mind?"

Grinning so much it hurt her cheeks, Lena nipped at Aditi's earlobe.

Aditi's laughter was muffled from the blankets. "You do that in my dreams too."

"Oh? What about this then?" Lena said as she pressed her lips into Aditi's neck. Maybe this was a dream but if that was the case, she never wanted to wake up. This was just so right.

Her own bed, Aditi in her arms, the rest of their life ahead.

This was home.