Perfect Mate (A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance #2)(24)

"This hunger guides all of us, from the highest of creatures to the lowest of atoms. There is in all of us a need to draw together with our soulmates. And when we find them, we bond and hold fast, for we know that without them we are lost forever.

"Kar looked down on her creations and saw that though there was still loneliness among them, the hunger she had brought into their beings gave them meaning. And every time two pieces of a soul or star bonded, a burst of loving, joyful energy was released. And this was good. She sought out Araken and told him that as punishment for his laziness, he would spend the rest of eternity finding out soulmates and guiding them towards each other. In this way, he would speed the progress of unity. And when he was done and all beings were united, he would have to break apart the universe again and again, and again reassemble it. This, she said, would be both his punishment and his reward, for wherever he went and brought two pieces of soul together, he was bathed in happiness and love. And so the universe is broken and repaired in an eternal cycle. Araken guides us toward the other being that houses the part of our soul that had previously been lost to us."

Dee looked from Julia to Damien and back again.

"By Kar's light and goodness, we come together tonight to see these two pieces of soul united. Our pack embraces their bonding and wishes them well on their paths, now united. And when they return to the sky, they will come together as one soul. We begin with two flames of light coming as one."

Dee held out her unlit candle, and Damien and Julia held out theirs. Julia guided Damien's hand, trembling, and they both lit the candle in the middle. They blew out their own candles and Dee put them aside, keeping the middle one lit between them.

"No longer two separate beings, you are bonded for life. You must hold each other tightly, and protect each other, from now until you return to the earth. Have you your vows written?"

Julia nodded and pulled out a piece of paper. Damien tapped the side of his temple with his finger, and Dee laughed in apology.

"Damien," Julia began, taking his hand with hers. She had written ten different drafts of her vows, and thrown them all away. Last night, though, they had slept apart and she had realized what she wanted most to say.

"When we first met, I knew that you were the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. You treated me with kindness and love. Now that I've come to know you in a deeper way, I want to be with you more than ever. I promise to be faithful to you, to support you when you need support and to lean on you when I am weak.”

Julia swallowed hard. Choking back her tears, she continued reading. Damien squeezed her fingers in support, and she looked up into his tender expression. She spoke the last part of her vow without looking at the paper she was holding.

"How can I express my love? How can I tell you the feeling in my heart when you take my hand? This is a feeling that I can't even understand myself. It takes me up and lifts me into a sacred place, it makes me realize that I am not a whole person without you. It hurts me. It heals me. It is a feeling that binds me so tightly that sometimes I can't breathe. And when you kiss me, I know that I am yours forever and for always, and the whole world lights up with my love. Damien, you are special to me and I promise that nothing will ever come between us. I vow from this moment on to keep you in my heart, just as I hope you will keep me in yours."

Julia folded the paper and put it aside. When she looked back up at Damien, she saw that his lips were trembling slightly. He smiled and took her other hand, pressing them tightly in his. When he spoke, though, his voice rang out in confidence.

"Julia, my love, my heart. I was lost before I met you. Now that we have found each other, I can't say or do enough to show that I want to hold you to me forever and never let go. In the darkness, you are my light. In sorrow, you are my joy. I promise to cherish you, to be faithful to you, to love you without any hesitation. I promise to protect you and keep you by my side, to treat you as my equal even though you're way, way, way better than me."

The pack members laughed lightly and Damien grinned. Julia felt tears welling up again behind her eyes as he spoke.

"I want to share everything with you, Julia. I want you to be my mate, and I want you to mother my children. I want you so much that it takes my breath away. Be mine, and let me be yours, and I promise you that we will make a beautiful life together."

Julia could not help the tears streaming down her cheeks as he finished his vow.

"Now," Dee said, "Damien, do you bond yourself to Julia by the light of the moon?"

"By the light of the moon, I bond myself to thee, Julia, my one true mate, now and forever."

"And do you, Julia, bond yourself to Damien by the light of the moon."

Julia could barely choke out the words through her joyful tears.

"By the light of the moon, I bond myself to thee, Damien, my one true mate, now and forever."

"Then go and be blessed," Dee said.

Damien took Julia into his arms and swept her up into a deep kiss. All of the guests cheered, and Julia closed her eyes, feeling Damien's lips pressing against hers, taking her breath away. At that instant, she felt again the connection that had drawn them together and would stay with them for all of their lives. Julia broke the kiss, wiping her eyes with her hand and then throwing her arms back around Damien's neck in a tight embrace. Although her arm still ached from the accident, she could not feel the pain past all of the joy that rushed to her heart at that moment. His lips brushed her ear.