The Blessed And The Beast
Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Joselin’s P.O.V.

The crickets were chirping, and the tall, natural grass was rustling in the breeze. The sound of the nighthad never been more comforting as I worked myself up for what was about to happen.

No one needed to know about tonight unless we told them. It could be our secret, our private momentto be ourselves and embrace our connection.

Things had been sweet and loving for the past few days, enjoying every minute together we couldbefore Rona returned, and we would spiral into chaos again. Tobias’s possessiveness was a majorturn-on, and he owned me and my body whenever I stepped into our bedroom. Yet, each time I toldhim how excited I was for tonight, his whole body would melt and relax, and our hard fucking would turninto slow lovemaking.

It was the kind that could drive any woman wild. My eyes would roll back into my head as my nails duginto his skin. His long, deep thrusts into me and low groans as he enjoyed himself, were incredible.

My hands were tightly clasped before me. The skin-tight dress I had chosen was made of pure lace,leaving very little to the imagination. It ended only a few inches down my thighs and was sleeveless,only held up by a thin strap on each shoulder. The fragile fabric had been difficult to get on, and I knewonce Tobias got his hands on me, I would be walking home naked with a pile of shredded fabric.

The heels I had selected were sitting back at home, waiting for me to return, slide into them, and teasethe hell out of my mate. They were of a similar design, and it almost felt like I was getting married. Allwhite when I only ever wore black.

Was this what it felt like when my parents got married or when other humans did it? The riot ofbutterflies in my stomach felt abnormal, and I kept feeling the need to swallow even though my mouthwas dry.

I felt like my stomach was empty and that I was about to be sick from overeating at the same time. Mybody was as conflicted as my mind, and I pressed my toes into the soft Earth further to ground myself.

Tobias was running late due to an incident at the barracks. He had warned me, and I was okay withwaiting. It would give me a minute to collect my thoughts. I was about to make him very happy by doingthis, or I would humiliate myself.

I tried to think back to when I had witnessed the bonding ceremony between Natalie and Killian. Theirshadn’t been private, and I was grateful mine would be.

I felt him before I heard him; his presence was like a magnet, pulling me toward him the closer hewalked to me. The power and strength of his beast called to me, and I turned to face him behind me.

Tobias stood frozen. His feet were bare, just like mine, to be one with the Earth. His black dress pantsand white button-up shirt were mouthwatering. His dark hair had been combed back neatly, beggingme to run my fingers through it. Everything about him was panty-dropping, and I was glad I wasn’twearing any.

Even under the dim lighting of the full moon, I could see as his eyes trailed over me from my blacktoenail polish up my legs over my barely covered thighs. His eyelids lowered when he reached the lacedress, and I watched with eager anticipation as his breathing became faster.

I had adjusted the fabric a million times until the thicker design spots were covering my nipples, butknowing he could see the waxed skin between my legs was empowering. His gaze stopped there, andhis tongue darted out to lick his lips before he forced his eyes up. The design thinned over my stomachand showed off the underside of my breasts very clearly before the pattern thickened again around mynipples.

“Woah,” He whispered as he walked toward me again, slowly and with silent steps as if he wereworried he would scare me off. But I wasn’t a cornered animal. I was a woman wanting to claim her

man. If anything, I was the hunter, and I wouldn’t let him get away.

“I don’t think I have ever heard you make that sound before,” I whispered, my palms lying flat againstmy thighs, allowing him to see the entire dress and everything it failed to cover.

“I am one lucky man to have someone as beautiful as you love me.” His hand raised, hovering over mycheek as if scared to touch me. I wasn’t going to break. I would never break, not with him and notbecause of him.

I turned my head, closed the gap between us, and shut my eyes. The desire to turn and kiss his palmwon, and as I did just that, his other hand rested on my hip and slid around to my lower back. I smiledas he pulled my hips against his before leaning in and nuzzling my neck where his mark lay.

A sigh of contentment passed my lips.

I had found a beautiful spot in the middle of the forest between the border and the city, so no one wouldaccidentally stumble upon us. The Earth had been very accommodating as I molded it, moving thelonger weeds and growth to the side and raising a soft layer of fresh grass in the middle. The treesabove us opened their branches to let the moon shine down on us, and the low rustle of their leaveswas calming.

“Thank you for doing this. Thank you for choosing me,” I whispered, not realizing until my voice crackedjust how heavy those words were. I had wanted someone to choose me for who I was, and no one everhad.

There hadn’t been a single man in my life that had wanted more from or of me. None of them wantedme for more than one night. But he did.

He wanted me forever.

“I have loved you since we were kids. You have always been it for me.” He responded, his black eyestearing away from me to look up at the moon.

It. I was it for him, and I felt ridiculous for wasting so much time.

“I love you too.”

I felt it then, the shift in the air. My eyes darted up to the sky, following Tobias’s gaze to the large whiteeye peering down at us as if She were present and waiting.

“Are you ready?” I asked, speaking up into the night sky.

“Before we do this,” Tobias muttered, looking down at me. The words should have felt ominous; withanyone else, I would have been worried they were backing out or changing their mind about me. Butnot with him. With Tobias, I was so sure…so confident in us that I just smiled back.

He cupped my cheeks, pressing his lips to mine. He filled every one of my senses. His scentsurrounded me, my skin was dancing with electricity everywhere he touched, and the low moan ofpleasure leaving his chest made me step into him further.

The long and loving kiss made my toes curl, and my stomach tighten with need and anticipation. Iwould never get enough of this man.

When we parted, Tobias smiled widely. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you too. Now, it’s time to make you mine.” I said, glancing up at the sky, worried that themoon would have moved even though it had only been a minute since I last checked its position.

“I’ve always been yours.” He dropped his hands to my hips, but having him tower over me made mefeel so safe and dainty. The heat of his body was soaking into mine as my body shook with nerves. Myhands gripped his shirt tightly in my fists to prevent him from seeing the tremor.

If he did, he didn’t let on. His hold on me stayed strong and sure. “I, Tobias Jones, have been blessedto have you, Joselin Kihlmen, as my mate. I have become a better man because of you, and I willcontinue to work toward being the man you deserve. I will always choose you. I vow before ourGoddess to love and honor you every day for the rest of my life.”

I let out a choked laugh of happiness, traitorous tears slipping over my cheeks. If there was any time forme to break my rule and cry, this was it.

“I, Joselin Kihlmen, have been blessed to have you, Tobias Jones, as my mate.” I paused, taking adeep breath as the air whipped around us in the otherwise still night. “I have never known true lovebefore you, and I promise to always fight by your side. I will do everything in my power to earn the loveyou have given me and to show you daily how much I love you.”

My heart slammed into my chest as my already tight dress began to feel suffocating as I swallowedhard. Tobias could feel my nerves, and he held me tighter against him. His eyes were wide and eagerto hear me say the rest of my lines.

The tanned skin of his neck moved as he swallowed too, his Adam’s apple bobbing as I stared at theblank skin on the side of his neck where his neck met his collar. The spot where a mate’s claim wassupposed to lay.

‘Bite him.’ The voice flittered through my head so softly that I wasn’t sure if I had actually heard it or ifmy imagination was trying to push me to make the dream of marking him a reality. 1

I shook my head, and Tobias lowered his head and caught my eyes. He was being patient, but I couldsee the worry there. He had nothing to worry about.

“I vow before our Goddess to love and honor you every day for the rest of my life.” My heart felt lighteras I spoke the words, my smile so big it hurt my cheeks.

“I accept our bond.” His words rolled over me like a feather trailing over my sensitive flesh. I fell againsthis chest as my knees threatened to give out on me, but he stood firm, holding me up.

‘Bite him. Mark him.’

The voice came again, and I licked my lips as I considered giving in to the temptation. Tobias was rightthere and so fucking tempting.

He was all I could see as the world around us seemed to grow bright in the night, and I couldn’t stopmyself even if I tried. “I accept our bond.”

He leaned forward to kiss me, but I tucked my head into the crook of his neck, opening my jaw wideand biting down on the flesh there until I tasted blood.

I expected to feel horrified…disgusted by what I had just done, as his hot blood dribbled down my chin.I expected him to groan in pain or push me away from him.

But it felt right.

Tobias sucked in a deep breath, and I took that as my sign to stop, to pull away. But my body didn’twant to listen to my brain, and I held onto him with everything I had.

“Fuck,” He groaned, but it wasn’t pain. His claws dug into my hips, and his hard length was evidentthrough his dress pants as he pressed it against my stomach.

Feeling how much he enjoyed this through our bond made me bite down a little harder before therewas a change.

The bond between us had been altered, and I didn’t know if it was from my savage attack on him or thebonding ceremony, but I loved it.

I pulled back. I could feel my tongue coated in the copper-tasting liquid, but my eyes were fixed on thebloody wound on my mate’s neck.

His words were low and gravelly. Tobias sounded pleased with himself, but it also felt like a trap. Anyanswer I gave him would result in a punishment for one reason or another, and a shiver of anticipationran down my spine. It excited me.

“Did you just mark me, sweetheart?”