Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45069 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Her head was spinning as she processed his words. He’d called her Baby girl. It made her chest tighten. She wanted to run toward him. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to know what it would feel like to be held in his arms.
“I might not even be able to see you at all by then,” she murmured, mostly to herself. “And I’m going to be a burden.”
She flinched when he responded as though she’d spoken much louder. “Little rebel, you will never be a burden. You are exactly perfect, and if you can’t see me with your eyes, you will see me with your hands.”
She sucked in a breath. Her heart was racing. She was stunned by how kind he was and how strongly she was affected by this encounter.
“I’m going to follow you home now, Olivia. I want you to be careful and stay safe. I need to know you will obey me and not take chances like this again so I won’t worry about you all the time.”
She stood taller and nodded. “I’ll be good. I promise.” She would do this for him. She would do it because even though the next year would be the hardest year of her life, and even though tracking him down like this might make her long for him even more than ever, she would have the memory of this encounter to get her through the lonely times.
She would go to bed every night hearing his voice in her head.
Baby girl…
Chapter One
One year later…
“Olivia, do you promise to love and honor your mate, Damon… To accept his guidance and care… To learn from him the ways of our pack… To lean on him in times of sorrow… To laugh with him in times of happiness… To accept his protection from harm… To obey his directives… To cherish him for eternity?”
Damon’s heart was in his throat as he stood before his mate and waited for her to respond.
“I do.” Her voice was soft and breathy.
He hadn’t heard it in a year, but he had never forgotten. He’d imagined her voice a million times in the past year. He’d imagined her slight stature, her gorgeous brown curls, and her green eyes, too. He couldn’t wait to see her eyes again even though he knew she would not see out of them.
As was custom, Olivia was on her knees in front of him, her head bowed to the floor. The tradition was intended to prevent the female shifter from seeing her mate until after they were declared bonded. It was unnecessary in this case, but for custom’s sake…
Damon set his palm on top of his mate’s head, touching her for the first time, feeling her warmth, her strength, creating a connection that made his heart rate pick up.
His father was conducting this ceremony, as was also tradition, and his next words solidified the claiming. “I hereby declare in the presence of these witnesses, following the norms of our pack that have stood for centuries, that this couple is now mated.”
Olivia shivered beneath Damon’s palm.
Both her parents and his—the only other people in attendance—murmured their blessings and exited the room, leaving Damon alone with his new mate. As soon as the door snicked shut on the round ceremonial room in the government building, Damon dropped to his knees before his mate and cupped her face.
He leaned in close, uncertain if she could make out his features or not. He knew she had been slowly losing her vision throughout her life and was holding on to the last pinpoint of sight.
“You are so lovely, Baby girl. I’m the luckiest man alive.”
She licked her pretty pink lips and blinked several times before squinting. “I’m going to be a burden to you, Sir.” She’d said the same thing to him last year when the naughty girl had snuck out to catch a glimpse.
“Never. You will never be a burden. Wipe the idea from your mind.”
“But, I will. I—”
He slid one hand to her mouth and set two fingers on her lips to stop her from finishing that thought. “Do not speak those words again. You’re mine. You will always be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
She bit her lower lip and squinted further. She wasn’t wearing the glasses he’d last seen her in, but as he opened his mouth to ask about them, she reached into a pocket on her dress and pulled them out.
Olivia lifted them slowly to her chest, clutching the glasses in her hand. “I can’t see anything without these, and very little even with them, but I want to put them on so I can make out the features of your face. Do you mind?”
He frowned. Why would he mind? “Of course not, Baby girl.” He took them gently from her hand and opened them to slide them on her face.