Chapter 102: Bonds of Blood and Magic

Trixy’s POV

I took the book from Trishelle’s hands, the aged leather cool against my skin. The tome felt foreign, yet I knew better than to assume I was familiar with even a fraction of the knowledge contained within these walls. Survival had been my focus, not procreation or prophecies. I’d been too busy learning to navigate this world, teaching myself and Bruno how to control the powers that simmered beneath our skin, to spare much thought for books about babies.

"Here," I said, handing it back. "Let’s see what it says."

Trishelle wriggled deeper into the plush chair, her belly prominent beneath the thin fabric of her maternity dress. Her mates flanked her like protective sentinels as she began to read the Chapter aloud, her voice steady despite the wonder in her eyes.

My gaze drifted around the library. Sam walked among the towering shelves, his brow furrowed in concentration as he scanned the spines of ancient texts. Across the room, Bruno and Sammy had their heads together over one of my brother’s favorite books on combat techniques, their eyes sparkling with the easy camaraderie of men who found joy in violence.

I moved toward Sam, my footsteps silent on the enchanted floor. "What are you looking for?"

He turned, and the heat in his eyes made my breath catch. "I’m wondering if there’s a book that contains the words to express how amazing you are. How lucky I am to have met you." He leaned down, his lips brushing mine with feather-light tenderness. "How glad I am that you’re on my side."

Laughter bubbled up from my chest as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I’m pretty sure that’s not in any book here."

"Then they’re missing the most important knowledge of all." He hugged me tight, and something inside me shifted—a feeling of acceptance I hadn’t realized I was missing all along.

We stayed wrapped in each other’s embrace, gently swaying as our breaths slowed and deepened. The bond between us hummed with renewed intensity, and as if in response to my thoughts, my tattoo began to glow along with Sam’s mate marks around his wrist.

He startled, pulling back slightly, but I held him tighter. "It’s okay. It’s safe."

I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but I sensed that my powers—those wild, unpredictable forces that sometimes felt like a separate entity within me—wanted to bond with my mate. A soft violet light surrounded us, visible only to us at first.

Bruno stepped closer, his own tattoo beginning to glow. As twins, the powers we shared, though different in manifestation, often felt like two sides of the same coin.

The light wrapped us in a cocoon, and I felt weightless, as if floating in a sea of stars. We stared at each other, my eyes beginning to glow with my magic. To my astonishment, a similar purple ring appeared in Sam’s eyes.

My heart swelled with an emotion so powerful it nearly brought me to my knees. Before I could speak, Sam began to say words I didn’t understand, but my heart recognized them instantly. My powers, merging with him, gave him the ability to speak the bonding vows of my realm.

Tears streamed down my face as I repeated the words, my heart knowing what my mind didn’t.

"I swear before all witnesses to honor, respect, love and cherish you with all my heart, mind, body and soul. I choose to choose you every day, and will protect you with all I have. You are mine and I am yours."

We spoke the vows together, our voices blending in perfect harmony. Sam raised one hand to gently cup my cheek, his thumb moving back and forth as he looked at me like I was the most precious thing in this world, and he could hardly believe that I was his.

Bruno stepped forward, placing his hands on each of our shoulders, his eyes glowing as well. "I witness this bonding and have no objections. May you be blessed."

As he stepped back, I felt my mate mark tingle. I watched, mesmerized, as the tattoos on Sam’s wrist began to shift and rearrange themselves, forming letters I recognized from ancient texts. I took his hand, marveling as our vows were now permanently etched around his wrist.

He looked down, stunned that even though the writing was nothing he’d ever seen before, he could easily decipher it as if it were written in English.

"I don’t understand," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Bruno smiled and shrugged. "Magic doesn’t always need to be understood to be real."

Sam wasn’t sure what was happening, but he was over the moon. He hugged me tight, feeling my happy tears wet the front of his shirt. He turned his head, rubbing his cheek against my hair, simply soaking in the happiness he felt. Who knew this simple and seemingly unnoticed ceremony would make him so happy, so filled with contentment?

He opened his eyes, awed that no one else saw that light or felt the warmth. His eyes rested on Bruno, and he wondered if he was really happy for them, as his brows were furrowed and he kept rubbing his chest. When Bruno’s eyes lifted and met with Sam’s, an unspoken question passed between them, one of concern. His brother-in-law just shook his head. It seemed like Sam would have to get Dr. Lorenzo to check him out.

I raised my head, looking at him with the same awe he felt. He leaned down and gently kissed me. "Come on," he whispered, "let’s get back to the group."

Trishelle’s POV

I slowly turned through the pages of the ancient book, my mind focused as both my mates read over my shoulder. The text, whose title was so old it was barely decipherable, contained only a few lines about this apparent prophecy.

According to the book, whenever there was growing chaos in all the realms, a child, chosen by the gods, the creator and guardian of all realms, would be born, their presence alone beginning the process of peace and stability. There were no actual accounts, just stories and a lot of verbiage that could not be traced.

Bradley stood with the book and headed over to his aunt. He gave her the open page, and the elder woman skimmed through with her keen gaze.

My back was beginning to ache from sitting in one spot for too long. James, as if reading my mind, began to rub my back, making me arch like a cat waking from a nap. I moaned softly at the relief his strong hands brought.

"Anything," he whispered, his breath hot against my nape. Even though the room temperature was comfortable, I shivered, my skin prickling at the heated promise. Damn, my pregnancy hormones were getting stronger each day, and I did miss him greatly.

I shook my head; this was not the place, and now was not the time. I cleared my throat, pushing away my growing desire. "So, were you able to finish your work at home?"

His use of the word "home" made his heart skip a beat. I no longer saw his pack as a place to run from, but maybe I was starting to see it as somewhere I could belong. This thought touched him, and he decided that he would not give up without a fight. If his pack had reservations about me having two mates, then they could leave, and if anyone challenged him, he would fight, and he would win.

His mind renewed, he smiled at me. "Yes, love. Everything is done, at least for now. I need to go back in a few days to check on things." He kissed the back of my hand. "I’ve made some changes. I see how Bradley runs his pack, and I have decided to reshuffle a lot of people. I have arranged for some competitions to be held in a few weeks so I can choose the Beta and Delta that is right for the job, not just someone who tells me what I want to hear." He kissed my hand again. "I hope you will be there as the Luna to give your support."

I smiled at him. "Of course, I will. I may have had some tough times there, but it is still the place I grew up."

James wanted to kiss me, but he held back. He hung his head, leaning in. "I’m sorry, love. I’m really sorry that me and my pack put you through so much. I was wrong, and that is my one failure as an Alpha I could never forgive myself for; abusing one of my people who was weak and needed me the most."

He raised his eyes to mine, tears making his vision blurry. He knew he planned on apologizing, but he didn’t think it would be here.

"Trishelle, my love, my mate, please forgive this stubborn little boy and this foolish man who failed to protect you. Please." Tears streamed down his cheeks, and for the first time in his life, James was not afraid of what others would say. He knew he had no right to ask, that me accepting him was more than he could or should ask for, but when he was at Bloodmoon, he went into the little room that was mine, and he felt sick to his stomach. Sure, his father had sent her there, retaliation or punishment, but when he became Alpha, he should have made things right.

I turned to fully face him. Cupping his cheeks, I wiped away the tears of self-loathing streaming down his face. "James," I whispered softly. "I had forgiven you a long time ago. Now, it’s time for you to forgive yourself."

James leaned his head in my hands, his guilt consuming him, unaware or maybe just uncaring that Bradley and

the others watched him. "How could you?" he wondered, his voice muffled in my hands. "I did so wrong by you."

I shrugged my shoulders. Bringing his face up to mine, I spoke, "I began to see how you changed, and I decided to let things go. I may not be happy with the way I got pregnant, but I would not wish my baby away." I pulled his face towards mine until our foreheads touched. "Or wish that you weren’t the father." I smiled wryly. "Okay, maybe when I first met Bradley, I thought that, but now, I wouldn’t change a thing." I kissed him on his brow. "Forgive yourself, so we can move forward, together."

It was like my kiss freed him from the mental prison he held himself in for so long, longer than he even realized. He leaned in, tears falling, as he cried in my arms. I shushed him like a child, stroking his back and making cooing sounds until he was calm.

When Bradley saw that it was clear, he made his way back to us with Cynthia. Thanks to Trixy’s magic still coating us, an armchair materialized, allowing the other woman to sit. Bradley reclaimed his seat on my other side, and James cleared his throat, ready to get back to business.

Cynthia smiled at him, showing no hard feelings, yet her lips soon turned down. She held up the book. "To be honest, my dear, I recall reading something similar in one of our books in the Elder’s library. We have books on many topics relating to running the packs and keeping the peace, of course, nothing like this." She made a sweeping gesture to include Trixy’s library. "However, there are a few of the older books that do talk about tales and legends. Most we dismissed as fanciful, but now I am not so sure."

I leaned forward, grabbing her hand. "Is there any way for us to read what those books say?"

Cynthia nodded. "I will reach out to the others and put in my request, but I will have to go back to headquarters to search for the right books."

Bradley placed his hands on ours. "I’ll make traveling arrangements as soon as we leave."

We all nodded, and I read the Chapter again.

Trixy’s POV

Sam and I, feeling closer than ever, wandered around the library. "Trix, you are amazing. I am honored that you and your powers chose me."

I smiled. "So am I."

He watched as I looked at the shelves, concentration furrowing my brow. "Looking for a book to explain why, or how?" he asked, but I shook my head.

So many thoughts were swirling through my mind that I couldn’t focus. I was happy, horny, awed, anxious, worried, and even a bit of fear danced around the edges. I was always mindful when I came here, knowing exactly what I wanted to know, even if I didn’t know how to describe it. However, my mind and heart were a jumbled mess.

Sam tugged on my arms, turning me to face him. "What’s wrong?"

I shook my head. "I just wonder if..." my voice trailed off, sure that he would think me foolish for my worries.

He leaned in. "Babe, just breathe and center your thoughts."

I closed my eyes, shutting out all other distractions and instead focusing on his breathing, his scent, all of which made my mind focus on the information I wanted to find. Within a few minutes, a book covered with a shimmery blue cover floated off one of the shelves and came directly towards us.

Sam gently shook me, and I opened my eyes. Lifting my hands, the book fell, the pages flipping through. I scanned the text, my eyes widening.

Right there on the pages was the hope I sought. On a night of a full moon, one year after bonding, two people from different races can conceive and have many children. The pages flipped, and another Chapter showed that there was proof of my kind marrying a shifter and having offspring. It also expressed that after bonding, they are able to share their powers and even sense when the other might be in danger.

Excited, I turned the book to Sam, a huge smile on my face. I can have his children, that news bringing me great relief.

We walked back to the chairs, reading together. It felt like another hour had passed before everyone became restless.

Bradley stood. "Okay, folks, I know this was quite amazing, but we should get back before the pack thinks there was a breach of safety or something."

They all stood, stretching, some watching longingly as the books they were reading flew back to their respective shelves.

I looked around and, when I was sure that everyone was ready, I recited my spell, opening the portal back to the morning room.

When the last person exited, the portal closed while Bradley looked at his watch. He had a business meeting and wondered if he had missed it, as he felt like they had spent three hours or more in that space. His mouth hung open when he realized it was less than five minutes since they left.

He turned to me. "Just what the heck was that? How come less than five minutes passed? We were in there for hours."

I smiled sheepishly. I had gotten so used to how time moves in that space, I forgot to let the others know. "Yeah, Alpha. Time seems to slow down when I’m in there. I’m not sure how."

Bruno chimed in. "Yeah, whenever I need some serious rest, but don’t have much time, Trix usually lets me in. It’s almost like a minute in there is an hour out here."

Elder Cynthia tilted her head. "That could explain why those books are in such good condition, despite their age." Her eyes sparkled. "Marvellous, just marvellous."

Everyone nodded, and with Bradley dismissing them, they all made their way to their rooms to think and discuss what they had learned.