At Eighteen…
I stood in front of my floor length mirror, feeling hollow. Two years and I could no longer deal with the pain of waiting to see him again. He had the ability to appear here at the drop of hat, but he hadn’t bothered. His words were empty and so was my existence.
I closed my eyes and cried internally so that no one would know my agony. I felt the hands before I saw my aunt. She wrapped her arms around my waist for a hug, then pressed her chin on my shoulder. I had my mother’s height, but I loved that my father towered over her, cared for her, and cherished her. I longed to look up into the eyes of my mate and see his devotion.
“Stop,” Aunt Charlotte said.
“It hurts,” I cried.
“No, you don’t need to cry.”
“My heart’s broken aunt. I don’t want a party. I want to be left alone. What’s there to celebrate? No human I’ve met has ever come close to the visions I have of him and me.” She spun me around.
Then she looked me in the eyes and said, “If tonight doesn’t make you happy you can travel with me to the states. We’re going to visit our friends in Washington.”
“That would be great. Maybe my real mate will be there.”
“Well, for now, spend the night on the dance floor meeting those who could be the one,” she offered.
“My goodness,” my mother said, walking into the room. “You look beautiful. Come, my princess. This is the night to celebrate your birth. Marco and you must have a splendid night. Even if your favorite doesn’t show.”
“What? You told her?” I screeched at my aunt.
“No, dear. She didn’t. I’ve been married to the man I look at like that for eighteen years. Your heart is on your sleeve. Have faith that it’ll all work out. Now don’t disappoint your cousin. His mating doesn’t kick in just yet. He needs to spin you around the dance floor.”
“Dad?”
“No, he doesn’t know. He’s a man. Darling, if it wasn’t for mating signals, they wouldn’t have a clue.”
We all laughed so hard tears fell from our eyes. “Ladies, what’s so funny?”
“Falcon, you know you shouldn’t just pop in here.”
“Very well, we have a house full of guests.”
“House? We live in a castle, daddy.”
“That we do, princess, now let us celebrate the day you made me a king,” he took my hand and led me down the stairs. The ballroom was crowded with hundreds of guests in their masks. They had been dancing, but my arrival halted the music. Marco ran up the stairs, meeting me halfway. He took my hand and guided me down the rest of the way. The crowd cheered as he led me to the center of the dance floor. I smiled up at him and the music began again.
“You look radiant, cousin,” he whispered. Heavens, Marco had changed before my eyes. I hadn’t recognized the man before me. He would make his mate a very lucky woman. He would be going on an adventure this year, taking him around the world. I was so happy for him.
“Thank you. I must say you clean up really well.”
“That I do. It was my father’s idea for me to look debonair as he calls it.”
“Well, you do.” He spun me around, so I would stop talking about it as the blush crept up his face.
We technically weren’t eighteen for another few hours, but that was why the ball was held at midnight. The night would end as the clock struck our hour of birth and the sun started to rise.
Our parents came into the fold dancing around us. A part of them hoped that Marco and I would mate since we really weren’t cousins, but I never felt any romantic feelings for him. And he was kind of a butthead to me.
The rest of the night was spent dancing and speaking with all those around. So many people my parents knew were here. The one person I hoped would come didn’t have the decency to show for a few seconds.
~~~~
The hours wound down, and I felt the change take over my soul. She was dancing around with others and I couldn’t bear to watch. From the moment Marco twirled her around the dance floor, I wanted to rip his heart out. I’ve waited years to claim her as mine. She was my mate. The wolves told me about Chloe and Erik’s and Gage and Arabella’s relationships. They were fated and felt it, but until the time was right nothing, but the painful need filled their souls.
The heat in my body amplified as the night went on. I returned home several times that night, but I couldn’t stay away. Like Every day. I never stayed away from her since I learned to teleport. Every night I would visit while she slept. Hoping that she was dreaming of me. I’d flee before anyone noticed my presence, but I couldn’t stop from coming. Even if Falcon had caught me, I couldn’t stop myself. I loved her and knew that once that clock struck her birth hour, she would be mine and all hell would break loose if anyone tried to stop me.
I swallowed hard when the clock struck. I teleported into the room inches from her. I breathed her in. I took a moment to let it sink in. She was mine. The longing would soon be at an end. She spun around her eyes widening and that beautiful grey brightened.
“Mine,” I growled. I threw my arms around her waist, then crushed my mouth down onto hers. She grasped at my tux lapels, holding onto me tight.
“Gideon,” she whispered. The way she said my name took away all the years of pain. The remaining guest gasped and stopped to stare at us.
Her father was on us, but I looked at him with a glare that I’d never given him before. “She’s mine,” I told him. Then we were gone.
~~~~
We lay in bed, sated for the time being. “Gideon, I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You better believe it, Princess. I’ve waited for a long time. But the last few years have been hard,” he confessed, brushing my hair away from my face.
“Because you stayed away?” I asked. He dropped his head, kissing my lips softly.
“Because I couldn’t. Every night, I would come to your room while you slept. Watching you for moments at a time.”
“Why didn’t you visit when I was awake?” I slapped his chest.
“Because it wouldn’t have made a difference. It would have only slowed down time. Besides, you forget that I’ve been building an empire for us.” He bent down and kissed me again. That he did. He built a wonderful home for us.
“I love you, Gideon,” I told him for the tenth time since we mated.
“I am nothing without you, Speranza. I love you so much. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to willingly let you out of this bed.”
“Maybe as long as it takes me to want to leave,” I whispered, kissing my own prince. I found my mate. Forever grateful that he fought by my father’s side. Fate had its way.
THE END