Morana

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I could have stayed there forever. On top of Alejo with his arms around me. Listening to his breathing and heartbeat. Nothing had ever felt so secure, so calm, so right.

But after a while, we both started to move a little. Not to leave the bed or to separate from one another. But to lie next to each other instead.

Our legs were entangled, our arms around one another. My head was on one of his arms and I could feel his nose in my hair as he took deep breaths.

It felt like a lot of tension between us had been released. Like all the doubts and worries had disappeared as we had finally given in to what we both wanted. I hoped that was true and that the peacefulness now would last. I didn't want to fight with him, or be angry and frustrated, or worried he would not accept all of me. I wanted the calmness and the feeling of complete content that the moment offered me.

His hand traveled down my body and then underneath the top I still wore. His touch made goosebumps appear on my skin and I smiled to myself because I knew it would be a long and beautiful night.

Though there was one thing I wanted to, needed to say to him before anything started again. One last reassurance that felt important to give him.

"I don't care who my mate is," I whispered and his hand that drew circles on my back stopped. "They could be a god for all I care and I would still pick you."

I moved away so that our eyes could meet, so he could see the seriousness in mine. His brown eyes smiled at me and were filled with such awe and wonder that it made me blush.

"I wish I could top that declaration, but I can't," he said. "But I do feel exactly the same. No one can make me stop wanting you and when your mate comes along, I'll put up a damn good fight if necessary and make sure to win."

I felt my heart swell with warmth at his words. He maybe wasn't the one some god or goddess had intended for me, but he was the one I wanted and who wanted me in return.

Wasn't that more magical than a soulmate?

We kissed again. This time, the gentleness and softness of the kisses continued. Neither of us were in the same desperate hurry anymore. So instead, we took our time.

We undressed each other, explored the other's body with both our hands and lips. Just a sweet caring and loving.

"They might hurt you," Alejo whispered to me. He leaned his forehead against my chest and both his hands rested on my back. "If I do anything that displeases them in any way, they might hurt you."

His voice shook and there was a tightness mixed in the gentleness of his hold on me. I brushed my hand through his hair, untangling small knots that had been created.

"I'll make sure they never get a chance to hurt me," I told him.

"You won't manage that."

"I know. But I will still make sure they never get a chance."

He moved his head and started kissing my body again. Kissed my breast while one of his hands traveled further down to caress me between my legs. Both his kisses and touch were light. Neither meant to express anything other than the love he had for me and it made me feel like I was floating.

"Could you tell me what you found out at the Library that had you so upset?" he asked me a while later.

I rested my head on his shoulder and my fingers drew hearts over his stomach. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell him anymore, at least not completely. But just thinking about it had me feeling a fear I definitely didn't want to let intrude on the moment.

I got up, and on top of him, locked our lips together. I could feel him between my legs and, with the help of a hand, made him slid into me. It wasn't about sex at that moment. It was about a need to feel connected to him. To know he was there and not going anywhere.

I knew he understood that. He didn't make any movements in or out, but just held me as I kept on kissing him.

I leaned my forehead against his and one of his hands went up to cup my cheek.

"To me, the Librarian looks like you, but dead," I admitted. It was as much that I felt able to admit in that moment. As much of my fears that I could allow to taint the peace.

"That doesn't have to mean anything. Or not what you think at least," Alejo began reassuring me at once. "No one knows why the Librarian takes the form they do, so that might not necessarily be some sort of premonition of the future."

"But what if it is?" I whispered and heard on my voice that my tears were nearby.

"We'll just have to make sure it won't be."

He moved his head up and kissed me again. My tears started to fall, and I felt a desperate need for him again, but a very different one from earlier. Before, it had been a need born from desire, now it was a need born from fear.

Alejo rolled us over so he was on top and slowly started to move in and out of me.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered and kissed my tear-stained cheeks.

"You can't know that," I answered with my eyes closed.

"I know. But just like you'll make sure that my family never hurts you, I'll make sure to never leave you."

I felt an ache at his words. It almost felt like they were an ominous foretelling of promises that would be broken.

I clung onto him as we continued to make love. Pushed my fear away as much as I could, but not managing completely.

Dawn began to ascend.

Alejo spooned me with his lips against my shoulders. He played with my nipples with one of his hands, while the other moved in and out of me. My eyes were closed as both of my hands gripped his arms while I moaned out the pleasure he created in me.

I had, at that point, completely lost track of how many times we had had sex that night, how many orgasms he had made me have. But I knew the one he built up to then would be one of the last, if not the last, as dawn would force us out of the security the night and darkness had offered.

As it had been that whole night, it was as if Alejo and I were one, completely in-synch, and he was also aware of that the moment was coming to an end. So, after he had brought me to an orgasm again, he slid into me. Made love to me one last time.

When it was over, the light in the bedroom told me that night had left, though I faced away from the windows. There was, however, one last topic I wanted to bring up, one last question I wanted to ask before the magic of the night disappeared.

"Rick thinks we're actually mates somehow," I said. "That the fact that I could open the poster already the first time we met proves that. Would it be possible? Could we be mates but not know about it?"

Alejo remained silent for a long time before answering. "That's what I tried to figure out when we were at the Library. I read up on the mate bond. And though the mate bond is extremely complex and there's little certainty about it, I think not. The bond is considered a life, so it could potentially be killed. But I can't see why someone would kill our mate bond."

Neither did I. It wouldn't make sense that someone would have. But when he stopped talking voices I thought I would never hear again returned. Those slithering voices.

Except, it wasn't that they spoke to me right then and there. It was a memory that swam to the front of my mind. A memory I couldn't remember or place and that felt like it didn't belong to me, but to someone else.

"The price was agreed, and the payment done. The blood of three for the ever flowing. Three lives for the everlasting."