Chapter 160: I Am Your Mate
Zara
"You will never be old to me." I smiled, feeling...as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Dad led me back to the party, demanding that I put all my worries aside for tomorrow. Although the matter of Marcus and his dubious loyalty was behind me, another problem tormented me.
Where the hell was Kane? I hadn’t seen him during the party and hadn’t heard from him via mental communication. Several attempts to contact him had been unsuccessful. Although Alpha could block mental communication, it bothered me that he chose to do it himself.
Besides the delightful, I didn’t smell anything intoxicating or alluring, even though I smelled the scent of roasted meat. Nova was still looking for our couple, though Kane was at the forefront of our thoughts.
After quite a while, Sophia managed to catch up with me again. The sun had long since disappeared behind the clouds, leaving a dark blue sky behind. The twinkling lights resembled fireflies resting on the trees and rose bushes, making the entire garden seem like a magical oasis.
"Leaving already?" I asked, noticing her dreamy gaze.
"I’m sure Govinda is already starving," She chuckled, the blush on her cheeks visible in the flashlight’s light. "He won’t hunt anyone, but I don’t want him to suffer."
"Don’t worry, I believe you," I chuckled.
"This is for you. It’s not much, but I know you’ve never been one for expensive gifts," She eased, handing me a small box wrapped in silver paper.
"I’m sure it’s perfect. Thank you so much." I smiled softly. "Tell him I said hello."
"You should stop by sometime. He’s absolutely amazing. I think you two would get along great." She smiled brightly, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
"I’ll stop by tomorrow," I replied, waving as she headed back to the barn.
"Happy birthday, Zara," Alpha’s rough voice murmured in my head.
Irritation welled up somewhere deep in my heart, even as my stomach fluttered excitedly at the sound of his voice.
"Where have you been?" I grimaced. "You’ve been planning the party all this time, and you still have the nerve to skip out."
"Let me make it up to you," Alpha purred, his warm voice enveloping my anxious heart. "Look toward the edge of the forest, Zara. See the blue lights?"
I scanned the edge of the forest, as Alpha had suggested, and noticed a thin thread of cobalt lights wrapped around a tree trunk.
"I see them," I nodded.
"Okay, follow them," Alpha muttered hoarsely. "Come to me, Zara."
My legs moved of their own accord, and before I knew it, I found myself in front of a thick oak tree. Using the thread of thin lights as a guide, I let them lead me deeper into the forest.
The bushes around me were dark, but I made my way through the dense forest without effort. It felt like a path had been cleared for me, the ground leveled so I could walk easily in the darkness.
Further ahead, I made out a warm light. Small balls of orange light shimmered on the trees, cascading down the branches in a sea of white and orange. The emerald leaves stood out against the light, making the forest look completely different at night.
Six meters away, at the edge of a small clearing, stood Alpha. In a black suit, he looked incredibly handsome, yet completely out of place. His stunningly handsome face was serene, but even from a distance, I could see the worry blazing in his eyes.
The orange and white light gave depth to his honey-colored eyes and seemed to accentuate their golden hues. From where I stood, I couldn’t detect his scent.
As anticipation and anxiety began to build within me, I stepped forward. A thin sheen of sweat broke out across my skin, and my heart began to pound mercilessly.
I couldn’t help but notice how perfectly my dress matched Alpha’s suit, as if she had chosen the outfit specifically for me.
As I stood three meters away from him, the air around us seemed to change. A gentle breeze blew past Alpha, ruffling his hair.
Suddenly, his scent enveloped me, driving me insane.
Rich and earthy, sweet and musky, at once dark and alluring. His scent was a beacon, drawing me forward, awakening parts of me that had been dormant for so long.
The shock and joy in his eyes were reflected in my own as the connection with my partner snapped into place with a thud.
My legs moved of their own accord, propelling me forward until I crashed into his hard chest. The golden hue in his eyes gave way to endless darkness and longing.
"My mate," Alpha murmured reverently, his voice soft and fragile.
Alpha had always been a strong Alpha, ready to do what was necessary. I hadn’t suspected he had his own fears and hopes. I never imagined this moment would be imprinted in his memory as strongly as it was in mine.
A blinding light danced across our skin, reflecting in our eyes. The word left him. His lips seemed to sing a song, full of longing, relief, and excitement.
"Mate," I repeated, and Nova’s voice merged with mine.
A weight I hadn’t noticed before lifted from my shoulders. The weight of my potential mate was crushing me, suffocating me to the point of exhaustion.
Alpha’s face dazzled with a smile that left me feeling weak and captivated. My heart fluttered at the sight, realizing he’d saved that smile especially for me. A smile lit up his face, and I wondered if I’d ever seen a man so full of joy.
My hands reached up to his face, and my smile melted, sparks running across my skin. My father had told me countless times what it was like to find my mate, but the words seemed useless.
Insignificant in comparison to this moment.
Everything but Alpha and me seemed to vanish; the importance of everything else evaporated. I knew what I was fighting for, who I was fighting for.
"I knew it, I knew it," Alpha laughed softly, though his eyes were wide with surprise. "I’ve never loved anyone like this. I’ve never loved anyone so completely."
"Do you love me?" I breathed, shocked by the sound of my own voice. Never before had I felt so happy, so unconcerned about the dangers ahead.
"Yes," Alpha smiled, flashing his dazzling teeth. "For so long."
Though I’d felt his embrace countless times, this one was completely different. My soul soared to meet his, merging with something new and familiar. Our light touches weren’t enough, and yet it was all I ever needed.
"Why didn’t you say anything?" I asked, my voice escaping me in a breathless laugh.
"I needed to know—I needed to know that you were mine first, that you weren’t meant for anyone else." The pain in his voice broke something inside me, and I tried to wipe away the flash of hurt in his eyes.
"I’m yours. And I always have been." I smiled softly, the stubble on his cheek tickling the pads of my fingers.
"As I’m yours, Zara," Alpha murmured, lowering his face to mine.
His lips were completely different from what I’d imagined; they held more emotion and passion than I could have imagined. His lips were soft, but they held the pain and anxiety we’d both been feeling for weeks.
My fingers tangled in his silky hair as our lips intertwined, pain and passion merging. Every ounce of stress and anxiety I felt dissolved under his gentle touch.
Alpha lost control, allowing me to part his lips with my tongue. I drowned in his scent, in the blissful sparks that consumed my entire being. I felt a part of him blaze within me, marking me as his equal, as his moon.
No experience had prepared us for this moment. Even after every touch and caress, our bodies were completely unprepared for each other. Our lips slowly closed, savoring every taste and every sensation coursing through our bodies.
It took all my strength not to throw myself at him, completely oblivious to the world around me. Nova was overcome with love, ready to seal the deal here, in plain sight.
"I want you to mark me, Zara," Alpha murmured, smiling slyly at the shock on my face. "I’ve waited too long to claim you as mine." If it weren’t for our surroundings, I would have completed the mating process right now."
The passion in his words left me speechless, as I struggled to regain some semblance of control. Instead of waiting for a response, Alpha pulled me close and gazed deeply into my eyes.
"Mark me, mate," he purred. "Let me mark you in return."
My lips knew what to do, finding the softest nub of flesh to sink my teeth into. The scent emanating from his skin intoxicated me. A low growl rumbled in his chest as I ran my fangs down his neck before sinking them into the soft flesh.
