Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Kiera felt a flush of heat go through her.
“Brux, I’m still with Iyanna!” she thought at him, scandalized and thrilled all at once.
The answering amusement and lust through their Bond was immediate.
“You are sad. I just want to help you forget the past, baby.”
Kiera’s cheeks went hot. She could feel Iyanna watching her now with rapidly growing suspicion.
And if she was honest—if she was really, truly honest—forgetting the past with her mate sounded like a wonderful idea.
“I want that too,” she admitted. “I like your way of forgetting.”
The warm pulse of lust and desire that came back through the Bond made her shiver all over.
“You haven’t heard a thing I’ve said in the past three minutes,” Iyanna said, laughing suddenly.
“What? Yes, I have!” Kiera protested.
“No you haven’t. Don’t lie–I know that face.”
Kiera frowned.
“What face?”
“That very specific ‘my giant alien husband just said something filthy in my head’ face,” Iyanna informed her dryly. “I know it because I’ve made it. Dra’vik is pretty good with the mental dirty—talk, you know.”
Kiera let out a startled laugh.
“Oh my God! All right, it’s true–you got me. Brux felt that I was sad and wanted to, er, cheer me up.” She coughed.
Iyanna grinned.
“Don’t worry—I’m not offended. Honestly, I’m impressed you two lasted this long apart without trying to run off to the nearest private room. You haven’t been Bonded very long–you’re still in the honeymoon phase.”
Kiera covered her burning face with both hands and laughed harder.
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” Iyanna patted her knee. “You love me. But I think we may have to cut our time short.”
Kiera lowered her hands enough to peek at her friend.
“All right–that might be a good idea,” she admitted.
Iyanna laughed.
“Oh, honey, I know what it’s like to want to be with your mate all the time when you first get Bonded.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and got a look of concentration on her face.
Kiera could almost feel the mental message going out.
A second later Iyanna opened her eyes and smiled.
“Yep. Dra’vik agrees. Apparently Brux has already been making giant soulful wolf—eyes for the past five minutes while pretending he’s still interested in fence reinforcement.”
That made Kiera laugh again.
“That sounds like him.”
“It absolutely does.” Iyanna stood and held out a hand. “Come here.”
Kiera got up and stepped into her friend’s arms.
Iyanna hugged her tightly.
“I’m really happy for you,” she murmured. “And I’m sorry again that I helped get him taken away.”
Kiera hugged her back just as hard.
“I know you were just trying to protect me.”
“I was. And Commander Rarev has pardoned him completely, so the two of you are free to live your lives and be happy watching animals together on the sanctuary forever.”
Kiera smiled.
“That’s my dream come true.”
A few minutes later, after Iyanna had gone to meet Dra’vik and Brux outside, she stood alone for just a moment in the doorway of her home-dome and looked out over the sanctuary.
Evening had fallen properly now. The barrier fields shimmered softly blue in the gathering dusk. The chiming trees whispered. Somewhere in the distance, one of the theebles cheeped something obscene in a tiny angelic voice and another answered it, making Kiera grin.
The sanctuary was going to open next month to the public. There was still so much to do before then—final habitat checks, signs to hang, feed deliveries to organize, last—minute safety inspections–not to mention the endless paperwork involved in opening anything to tourists, especially when your tourists had to come through a fold in space en—route from a giant living Mother Ship.
But for now…for now there was still time. Time to breathe. Time to heal. And time to fall more and more in love with the male the Goddess had chosen for her.
Brux’s mind brushed hers again, warm and impatient and full of love.
“Come to me–I miss you.”
Kiera smiled into the darkening evening.
“I’m coming.”
And as she stepped out into the twilight toward the huge dark figure waiting for her near the Vorn enclosure, she thought how lucky and blessed she was.
Blessed to be alive…blessed to have found him. And blessed to have a future spread out before her on this strange and beautiful little moon.
The rest of her life waited for her there in Brux’s arms, and she couldn’t wait to begin it. Because she was, and always would be…
Tied to the Lykan.
THE END?
NEVER!