Zoe's only wish is to be able to run barefoot through grass, but she knows it'll never happen. Ever since she was born, she's been unable to touch anything living without it instantly dying. It's a curse she would do anything to get rid of, but that...
I partly wanted to say that it could all wait. There was nothing that could be so important in that moment so that it couldn't wait. I could touch her. Finally, I could touch her, and I never wanted to stop. Stopping in the park had been hard enough, and now, while we were alone in a hotel room...
But I could hear on her voice that whatever it was, it was important to her.
I leaned my head against her shoulder to calm myself. Both my breathing and a certain part of me that pressed uncomfortably in my pants. After a few minutes, I decided I was as calm as I would manage to become and sat up. I pulled her to sit on my lap and my arms snaked around her. I leaned my head so my lips pressed against her bare shoulder.
"You talk, I'll listen," I murmured against her while breathing in her scent and tasting her skin.
"We can't sit like this. You're distracting me," she said, and I smiled at how her voice still sounded somewhat shaky.
"Can't the talking wait, then? I know a lot of other things I'd rather do right now."
One of my hands travelled down to the hem of her dress and started pulling it up. That made her jump off my lap, off the bed, and turn to face me.
"No! That's exactly why it can't wait. I have to explain this before we..." As her voice trailed off, her cheeks became faintly red. But she met my eyes with a hard and determined look. I let out a sigh.
"Can I get to just hug you while we talk? I promise I'll be still. I just want to hold you," I begged her. Not holding her made me feel awfully empty, almost like I needed to have her in my arms to be complete. It was a bit of a strange and strong reaction, but I didn't care. Honestly, I had probably stopped caring about everything other than that I loved and wanted her.
She stood firmly for a moment before biting her lip and nodding. That almost made me lose my tiny self-control. But I knew I would get to that and faster if I was good and listened to her. She sat down in my lap with her side to me so we would still be able to see each other's faces. I placed my arms around her waist, held her as innocently as I could. I wanted to lean my head down to her shoulder again. Feel her soft skin against my lips. But I resisted the urge.
"Okay. So, what do you need to tell me?" I asked, desperate to just get the conversation over with.
She averted her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know how Alex just doesn't get how you fell for me so much, so fast," she started and I felt myself tightening my hold.
"I know you haven't put a spell on me or anything like that," I quickly reassured her, but to my surprise, she shook her head.
"I haven't, but also she's right that it's not normal. At least not for humans." She turned back to look at me. Opened and closed her mouth once before finally speaking again. "Have you ever heard of witches having mates?"
"Well, yes," I said with a frown. "But isn't that just what you call your partner?"
"Yes and no. It is what we call our partner. It's what all magical creatures call their partner. But partner is a bad term for it. Soulmate is a better definition."
"Soulmate?"
She nodded. "Maybe it's best if I give the long explanation," she murmured, more to herself than me, before seemingly taking a decision. "All magical creatures are said to have been created by different, very powerful beings. These beings have had different names throughout history, but are often viewed as gods and goddesses. Hecate from Greek mythology, for instance, is said to be one of the names the mother of witches has. The stories of the beginnings differ, but what all has in common is that the gods and goddesses didn't want their children to live life alone and therefore they found us mates. Our mates would be a person who matched us completely, a perfect fit. Some of the stories even claims that the soul in a person really is just half a soul and the other part is in their mate."
She stopped and seemed to study my face in detail. I had no idea what it showed, but whatever it was, it didn't stop her from continuing. The truth was that what she said, though all new, somehow felt obvious and natural. I knew where her words were going and it made sense. As if I had always known that Zoe was more than just someone I'd fallen in love with.
"Mates aren't restricted to only be the type of creature you are. Well, if it was, witches would have an issue with ehm... having children, since almost all of us are female. Our mates can be any type of magical creature or even a human. We have a way to recognize our mate, though. It's simply that as soon as we look into the eyes of our mate for the first time, we just know. It's such a weird feeling," she said and place her fingers right by my eyes. The touch made me tremble slightly. It was such a small touch, but carried an intimacy I had never felt before.
"A mixture of love, protectiveness, and possessiveness," she said. Her voice filled with those nouns. "And perfection. I was completely lost in your eyes and I never wanted to look away. I still don't want to look away from them. They really are as green as grass. And from that moment, I knew I would do anything in my power to keep you safe and happy. I knew I should have stayed away from you. But it's hard. Once you find your mate, the bond is activated. It makes you want to be near the other person and, well, it especially makes you want to solidify the bond. I loved you from the second I saw you and I will love you until my last breath. You are more important to me than myself, Felix."
I was stunned. Not by that she claimed I was her mate. But the intensity of her love declaration had my head spinning. Though... As I processed it, I realized how that was exactly how I felt about her. Her needs were so much more important than mine. And that had been the case since I first saw her. Because of it having been so unexpected, I hadn't realized what it was I had felt. But already during that very first conversation with her, I had felt an unimaginable pain at the thought of never seeing her again.
"Mate," I whispered to her and stroked her cheek. A smile spread over her lips.
"Mate," she answered.
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