Page 93 of Winter Unleashed
“No, I want it to be special, and not while I was laid up in bed.”
“That’s a good idea.” I settled my head against his chest again. “You better call me when you do it.”
“I will.” He gave me a squeeze. “We should go.”
I sighed knowing he was right. Our mates were waiting.
My new life was waiting.
We stepped out of each other’s arms and the instant our hands dropped I felt cold and shaky. “Fuck, this is really happening,” I said with a shiver.
“It really is, but it’ll be good. You’ll be with Liam. That’s all that matters.”
I nibbled my lip and nodded. “That’s true. It is all that matters.”
“Then go to him.” He took me in his arms again and kissed my forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whispered, taking his hand to make our way to our mates.
When we got to the patio, I plopped down on Liam’s lap and kissed him. “Take me to bed, Vinur.”
“Gladly,” he said against my lips.
He stood with me in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. Once there, he lowered me to stand, and I lifted my hand to rub my thumb over the crease between his eyebrows. “Stop worrying.” When the crease remained, I leaned in to kiss him.
As he relaxed, his hands slid onto my hips as he opened to me. I moaned a little when our tongues met, and he pulled me closer. My hands slid into his hair as the kiss deepened. I didn’t want the night to end. I wanted to stay in his arms, in our room, forever.
Leaving my friends and the only home I’d ever known weren’t the only things troubling me. When we got to Ulfurjord, I’d have more responsibility than ever before. It had been hard enough handling the shit that popped up in Cullum County. Being Vinura was a whole other matter. It’d be up to us to take care of any supernatural issue in the entire world.
“Now you’re worrying,” he said pulling me from my thoughts.
“Sorry. Maybe we should talk more about Ulfurjord and our duties.”
He nodded and led me to the balcony. “What would you like to know?”
I took a deep breath. “How does it work? How do we know if there’s trouble? And when there is, what do we do? Will I get to meet the Fae who created us? Do we have anyone to help us? Or do we fight everything on our own? What if we want to start a family? Will we ever have time for a vacation? What if I suck at it?”
“Is that all?” he asked as his lips twitched upward.
I nibbled my lip while I thought about it then nodded. “I think so, yeah.”
“First, no you will not get to meet Iris, Demeter, Hypnos, or Persephone. They do not live anywhere near where we’re going, and they are more reclusive than Artemis.”
I’d been hoping to meet the four Fae who had created the first packs. Artemis had created Vinur first, but the other four had taken care of the rest. They’d each created shifters in their own likeness, which is why the members of each pack have specific characteristics. Most shifters believe they are goddesses, and I’m sure the fairies want to keep it that way. Every shifter is tattooed with a pack mark to honor their pack’s so-called goddess: Iris for Summer, Demeter for Autumn, Hypnos for Winter, and Persephone for Spring.
My shoulders drooped a little at the idea of never meeting them, but maybe it was for the best. The Fae seemed to be a moody bunch and with my mouth there was no telling what trouble I’d get myself into.
“As for knowing when there’s trouble,” Liam continued, “there’s a basement in the cabin. And in the center is a globe made of mirrors.”
“Like the scrying mirror?”
“Sort of. It works a little differently. When we want to check on things, the globe will light up and highlight the areas where there is questionable supe behavior. If there’s anything that needs our attention, that area will flash red.”
My mouth fell open. “Seriously? That sounds like a sci-fi movie.”
“It’s magic more than technology,” he said with a small laugh. “You’ve heard me mention ‘my men’ or ‘my guys’ over the past few months.”
“Yes, you always have someone to do something no matter what the task is.”