"Aliana, our Master owns you. All of you. He can take what is his when he wants. It is your duty as his pet to please him." I looked at Silver. Terror evident in my eyes. "Try not to panic, Aliana. This will be your first time. It will hurt...
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Philip
I could barely believe it. She's finally mine.
I looked at my beautiful young Mate who was sleeping next to me. I watched as her chest rose and fell softly. I could hear her soft breaths, her steady heart beat. She was mine. My Mate.
She was young still. Barely reaching womanhood. I would have the opportunity to watch her grow, her personality evolve, her confidence build. I would spend the rest of my life learning her every curve, every nuance of her soul and being.
I was afraid to move for fear that if I turned away from her she would disappear and this night would have been an illusion brought on by the Madness. I looked at the Mark I had made on her. Already I could see my Mark darkening into a symbol of our bond while Alex's bond was already fading, barely visible now, even to my enhanced Vampire vision.
No. This was not Duo Fata. She was mine and mine alone. I no longer had to share her with anyone. What seemed even more incredible, something that would give our kind cause for celebration...she had Marked me!
I touched the mark on my shoulder. If she were to touch it with her delicate hands I would feel a pleasure so profound I'd be forced to take her then and there. Her Mark completed the Mating ritual the same way that two Originals would have. I Marked her. She Marked me. Then we sealed our bond through our lovemaking.
This was the way of our kind. The way we mated and ensured the future of our species. But it was so much more than that. Our species is not a pack species. We are lone hunters. We mate and bond with only one other person in our lifetime. Our kind are not normally social. We prefer to spend our time alone. The bond ensures that we find a partner and mate to continue the survival of our species. Because of our long lifespan, a high birth rate is not necessary. We generally only ever have one or two offspring in our lifetime.
I brave a quick touch. I move some stray hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. I now have a life partner. Someone to keep me company and help share the burdens of an eternal existence. I had a Mate again.
I needed to speak with both Alex and Nicholae tomorrow morning. I will need to bring Aliana with me. I will not be able to bear being away from her. The first few weeks of the Mating Bond are critical to strengthening the connection and as a result it would physically hurt to be apart.
I thought of my dear friend. The confirmation that Aliana is not his Mate can only mean that Alex is still suffering from the Madness and he will need to replace Aliana with another pet to help manage the symptoms. Moreover, it will now be crucial that we find his true Mate.
This means that our work with identifying Dhampirs will need to be expedited. Perhaps a genetics test could be ready for the next Selection which is only a few months away.
