Faye and Ruin

A Bond Between Two

His hands slid up towards my face, cupping my cheeks as he pulled me tighter into the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed him back as if my life depended on it.

Never had something meant so much to me.

Our lips moved together for a moment as he pressed deeper into it and I too, leaned deeper into the kiss. He tasted so sweet, like rain and honey. My heart raced in my chest yet I felt calm and at home. His body heat enveloped mine, calming any rushing fear. Never had I been kissed so perfectly and passionately before. Pulling away just briefly to catch my breath, I felt him smile against my lips. Bayne brushed his against mine once more and I fell into his taste.

Something tickled at the back of my throat, a word. A word that pulled and tugged, begging for me to speak it, but I wasn't quite ready to not be kissing Bayne. His lips were soft. Home.

His calloused hands loosened their hold around my cheeks and he moved away. His breaths matched mine, fast and rapid and I blinked open my eyes to find his cadmium ones roaring with a fire.

"Mate." I blurted out uncontrollably, and then slid backwards on the counter in shock.

"It's about time." He sighed and rolled his head.

My eyes widened even more, if that were possible as I glared at him. "What? You knew? Since when?"

"Since I first touched you." He answered calmly, that silly grin erupting across his face.

"When you put those bracelets on me." I replied in recognition. "You did look a little shocked, but I just chalked it up to the fact that I was mortal. Especially once I learned that I was the first to have passed through the veil." Then suddenly, the excitement that was bubbling shoved out in an instant. "But, that means this whole time, you've only been attracted to me because of that stupid bond."

He furiously shook his head no. "Do you not remember what I told you about soulmate bonds? There's only an initial thread strung between us. If we don't spend the time building the bond, learning who each other are, it's easily breakable and doesn't hold any power. You can't access the bond until both acknowledge it and build upon it."

I watched him as he spoke. "So when you were the one to imprison me and then tried to kill me in the arena, you were trying to break the bond?" I pressed and he smiled softly at me.

"Quite the opposite, little witch. I made sure it was me so I could protect you because it was the only way I knew how. The only way I could with the little bit of power I held. You weren't supposed to have food at all in that cell. You weren't supposed to be able to shimmer away or fight without those bracelets. And I made sure it was me my father sent into that arena because you would have surely been killed had it been anyone else." His eyes flicked towards his hands that were placed on the sides of my head and then he pushed his fingers through my hair.

The same delightful feeling of desire washed through me. This entire time he had done everything he could to protect me, strengthen me. "Why?" I asked. "Why protect the person who was supposed to bring destruction to your world."

"Because you called me cheesedick." He answered, and I waited to hear that sarcastic tone in his voice, but it wasn't there. He was deadly serious.

"What?"

"No woman before had ever dared speak to me like that. I couldn't be with someone who was a push over. I needed someone who'd be willing to tell me exactly what she wanted, how she was feeling, someone strong. When you called me cheesedick in front of my siblings, unashamed I knew at that moment that I was in love with you." He moved my head to look back up at his eyes.