The Beast And The Blessed

Chapter 146

Forty-Two: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

The crickets were chirping, and the tall, natural grass was rustling in the breeze. The sound of the night

had never been more comforting as I worked myself up for what was about to happen.

No one needed to know about tonight unless we told them. It could be our secret, our private moment

to be ourselves and embrace our connection.

Things had been sweet and loving for the past few days, enjoying every minute together we could

before Rona returned, and we would spiral into chaos again. Tobias's possessiveness was a major

turn-on, and he owned me and my body whenever I stepped into our bedroom. Yet, each time I told

him how excited I was for tonight, his whole body would melt and relax, and our hard fucking would turn

into slow lovemaking.

It was the kind that could drive any woman wild. My eyes would roll back into my head as my nails dug

into his skin. His long, deep thrusts into me and low groans as he enjoyed himself, were incredible.

My hands were tightly clasped before me. The skin-tight dress I had chosen was made of pure lace,

leaving very little to the imagination. It ended only a few inches down my thighs and was sleeveless,

only held up by a thin strap on each shoulder. The fragile fabric had been difficult to get on, and I knew

once Tobias got his hands on me, I would be walking home naked with a pile of shredded fabric.

The heels I had selected were sitting back at home, waiting for me to return, slide into them, and tease

the hell out of my mate. They were of a similar design, and it almost felt like I was getting married. All

white when I only ever wore black.

Was this what it felt like when my parents got married or when other humans did it? The riot of

butterflies in my stomach felt abnormal, and I kept feeling the need to swallow even though my mouth

was dry.

I felt like my stomach was empty and that I was about to be sick from overeating at the same time. My

body was as conflicted as my mind, and I pressed my toes into the soft Earth further to ground myself.

Tobias was running late due to an incident at the barracks. He had warned me, and I was okay with

waiting. It would give me a minute to collect my thoughts. I was about to make him very happy by doing

this, or I would humiliate myself.

I tried to think back to when I had witnessed the bonding ceremony between Natalie and Killian. Theirs

hadn't been private, and I was grateful mine would be.

I felt him before I heard him; his presence was like a magnet, pulling me toward him the closer he

walked to me. The power and strength of his beast called to me, and I turned to face him behind me.

Tobias stood frozen. His feet were bare, just like mine, to be one with the Earth. His black dress pants

and white button-up shirt were mouthwatering. His dark hair had been combed back neatly, begging

me to run my fingers through it. Everything about him was panty-dropping, and I was glad I wasn't

wearing any.

Even under the dim lighting of the full moon, I could see as his eyes trailed over me from my black

toenail polish up my legs over my barely covered thighs. His eyelids lowered when he reached the lace

dress, and I watched with eager anticipation as his breathing became faster.

I had adjusted the fabric a million times until the thicker design spots were covering my nipples, but

knowing he could see the waxed skin between my legs was empowering. His gaze stopped there, and

his tongue darted out to lick his lips before he forced his eyes up. The design thinned over my stomach

and showed off the underside of my breasts very clearly before the pattern thickened again around my

nipples.

"Woah," He whispered as he walked toward me again, slowly and with silent steps as if he were

worried he would scare me off. But I wasn't a cornered animal. I was a woman wanting to claim her

man. If anything, I was the hunter, and I wouldn't let him get away.

"I don't think I have ever heard you make that sound before," I whispered, my palms lying flat against

my thighs, allowing him to see the entire dress and everything it failed to cover.

"I am one lucky man to have someone as beautiful as you love me." His hand raised, hovering over my

cheek as if scared to touch me. I wasn't going to break. I would never break, not with him and not

because of him.

I turned my head, closed the gap between us, and shut my eyes. The desire to turn and kiss his palm

won, and as I did just that, his other hand rested on my hip and slid around to my lower back. I smiled

as he pulled my hips against his before leaning in and nuzzling my neck where his mark lay.

A sigh of contentment passed my lips.

I had found a beautiful spot in the middle of the forest between the border and the city, so no one would

accidentally stumble upon us. The Earth had been very accommodating as I molded it, moving the

longer weeds and growth to the side and raising a soft layer of fresh grass in the middle. The trees

above us opened their branches to let the moon shine down on us, and the low rustle of their leaves

was calming.

"Thank you for doing this. Thank you for choosing me," I whispered, not realizing until my voice

cracked just how heavy those words were. I had wanted someone to choose me for who I was, and no

one ever had.

There hadn't been a single man in my life that had wanted more from or of me. None of them wanted

me for more than one night. But he did.

He wanted me forever.

"I have loved you since we were kids. You have always been it for me." He responded, his black eyes

tearing away from me to look up at the moon.

It. I was it for him, and I felt ridiculous for wasting so much time.

"I love you too."

I felt it then, the shift in the air. My eyes darted up to the sky, following Tobias's gaze to the large white

eye peering down at us as if She were present and waiting.

"Are you ready?" I asked, speaking up into the night sky.

"Before we do this," Tobias muttered, looking down at me. The words should have felt ominous; with

anyone else, I would have been worried they were backing out or changing their mind about me. But

not with him. With Tobias, I was so sure...so confident in us that I just smiled back.

He cupped my cheeks, pressing his lips to mine. He filled every one of my senses. His scent

surrounded me, my skin was dancing with electricity everywhere he touched, and the low moan of

pleasure leaving his chest made me step into him further.

The long and loving kiss made my toes curl, and my stomach tighten with need and anticipation. I

would never get enough of this man.

When we parted, Tobias smiled widely. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too. Now, it's time to make you mine." I said, glancing up at the sky, worried that the

moon would have moved even though it had only been a minute since I last checked its position.

"I've always been yours." He dropped his hands to my hips, but having him tower over me made me

feel so safe and dainty. The heat of his body was soaking into mine as my body shook with nerves. My

hands gripped his shirt tightly in my fists to prevent him from seeing the tremor.

If he did, he didn't let on. His hold on me stayed strong and sure. "I, Tobias Jones, have been blessed

to have you, Joselin Kihlmen, as my mate. I have become a better man because of you, and I will

continue to work toward being the man you deserve. I will always choose you. I vow before our

Goddess to love and honor you every day for the rest of my life."

I let out a choked laugh of happiness, traitorous tears slipping over my cheeks. If there was any time for

me to break my rule and cry, this was it.

"I, Joselin Kihlmen, have been blessed to have you, Tobias Jones, as my mate." I paused, taking a

deep breath as the air whipped around us in the otherwise still night. "I have never known true love

before you, and I promise to always fight by your side. I will do everything in my power to earn the love

you have given me and to show you daily how much I love you."

My heart slammed into my chest as my already tight dress began to feel suffocating as I swallowed

hard. Tobias could feel my nerves, and he held me tighter against him. His eyes were wide and eager

to hear me say the rest of my lines.

The tanned skin of his neck moved as he swallowed too, his Adam's apple bobbing as I stared at the

blank skin on the side of his neck where his neck met his collar. The spot where a mate's claim was

supposed to lay.

'Bite him.' The voice flittered through my head so softly that I wasn't sure if I had actually heard it or if

my imagination was trying to push me to make the dream of marking him a reality. 1

I shook my head, and Tobias lowered his head and caught my eyes. He was being patient, but I could

see the worry there. He had nothing to worry about.

"I vow before our Goddess to love and honor you every day for the rest of my life." My heart felt lighter

as I spoke the words, my smile so big it hurt my cheeks.

"I accept our bond." His words rolled over me like a feather trailing over my sensitive flesh. I fell against

his chest as my knees threatened to give out on me, but he stood firm, holding me up.

'Bite him. Mark him.'

The voice came again, and I licked my lips as I considered giving in to the temptation. Tobias was right

there and so fucking tempting.

He was all I could see as the world around us seemed to grow bright in the night, and I couldn't stop

myself even if I tried. "I accept our bond."

He leaned forward to kiss me, but I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, opening my jaw wide

and biting down on the flesh there until I tasted blood.

I expected to feel horrified...disgusted by what I had just done, as his hot blood dribbled down my chin.

I expected him to groan in pain or push me away from him.

But it felt right.

Tobias sucked in a deep breath, and I took that as my sign to stop, to pull away. But my body didn't

want to listen to my brain, and I held onto him with everything I had.

"Fuck," He groaned, but it wasn't pain. His claws dug into my hips, and his hard length was evident

through his dress pants as he pressed it against my stomach.

Feeling how much he enjoyed this through our bond made me bite down a little harder before there

was a change.

The bond between us had been altered, and I didn't know if it was from my savage attack on him or the

bonding ceremony, but I loved it.

I pulled back. I could feel my tongue coated in the copper-tasting liquid, but my eyes were fixed on the

bloody wound on my mate's neck. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

His words were low and gravelly. Tobias sounded pleased with himself, but it also felt like a trap. Any

answer I gave him would result in a punishment for one reason or another, and a shiver of anticipation

ran down my spine. It excited me.

"Did you just mark me, sweetheart?"