Statera - The Balanced One

Chapter Thirteen

Keitan's kiss was always strong in its pull. But this time was different; it was a concentrated sensation laced with a primal undertone that intoxicated my senses. His scent was strong tonight, and it set an inferno raging through me. He didn't need to vocalize his feelings because I read them in his eyes. Guiding me across the deck, we slowly swayed to the beat of the music. He never broke eye contact as he twirled me around the patio. The emotions arcing between us were more powerful than anything I'd ever experienced. When the dancing stopped, the world around us shifted back into focus, and I noticed the deck was utterly silent except for the sounds of the night.

"I love you, Zor."

Before I said anything, he kissed me again, on my brow first, then my face, and down my neck. He lingered along its column, caressing my shoulder. His fingers brushed my dress strap, which slipped from its resting place to cuff my upper arm. The slight sensation it caused on my already feverish skin left me lightheaded and needy. When he traced his lips back up my neck, I felt the warmth of his breath as he whispered to me.

"Zor, I have no idea what I am doing."

"You could have fooled me, Keitan."

It came out in a seductive tone I hadn't meant for it to, but it was all the insinuation he required to scoop me into his arms and head into the house. He walked through the kitchen, past his father and siblings in the family room, and headed up the stairs. He stopped in front of his door, returning me to my feet. Then, raising his hand to an intricately carved wooden plaque that depicted a wolf standing before a woman whose arms extended toward it. The woman had the wings of a bird, and upon closer examination, I realized the woman in the carving was me.

Keitan lowered his hand from the carving and took my hand in his. He raised our joined hands to the carving, never taking his eyes off me. When our hands touched the carving, it blazed to life with a blinding yellow light and then softened to a golden glow—the door unlocked and swung open.

"The Elder of the pack—my father, approves and gives his blessing. If he didn't, nothing would have happened, and we'd be denied entrance together."

"But then, why have I been able to go into your room before now?" I asked, confused.

"That's because before, you came into my room as a friend, not as my intended. But now you are, which requires the Elder's permission and blessing. It's like asking a woman's father for her hand before a man can marry her. Zora, in our culture, bonding and taking a solitary partner is marriage."

Keitan reached down to caress my cheek and backed into the room, pulling me with him. I closed the door behind us and reached for the small purse I'd brought along. Keitan's gaze followed the movement. Clutching the small bag, I walked to his bed, sat down, and patted the empty spot beside me. Slightly unsettled, he sat on the bed next to me. Worry was written all over his face, and I felt he thought I wouldn't choose him since it was clear he'd already chosen me. I let out a long breath of air, reached inside the purse, and pulled out what was inside.

"Keitan, this belonged to my godmother, who also happens to be my father's oldest sibling, Aunt Alma. She had three sons and no girls. So when I came along, I was the first girl of my generation. My aunt knew her childbearing days were over, so she passed this on to me. In my father's tribe—my tribe, it is the woman who picks the man she intends to give her heart to. This heirloom symbolizes her right to pick her life partner; if the man accepts, it also represents their bond. This can only be given once by each female descendant. Once it's given, it can't be taken back until another female family member is fifteen. When your heart tells you you're looking into your soulmate's eyes, it is how you know he's the man the heirloom is destined for. It doesn't happen for everyone, but for me—it has—with you."