“Well then, if we’re all ready, my dears, let’s assemble here before the statue of the Goddess,” the Priestess Superior said. “For she, too, is an honored guest at your Joining, since it was she who brought the two of you together.”
Elli couldn’t agree more. And so it was that she and Roke were Joined in the holy bonds of love and devotion right before the statue of the Goddess. And through the ceremony she felt her warmth and love beaming down upon them all, as the Goddess herself witnessed the Joining of…The Priestess and the Thief.
Epilogue
“Oh, you didn’t have to do all this!” Elli looked around the room in delight. Sonja’s living area was filled with Christmas decorations, from a red and green wreathe on the door, to adorable little wooden soldiers called “nutcrackers” on the mantelpiece, to a full-sized Christmas tree in the middle of the room.
“It’s no trouble at all!” Sonja made a shooing gesture. “I always keep my Christmas decorations up past New Year—I love them! So when your man, Roke, was telling me how much you loved the Christmas party and how he wanted to recreate it, I thought this might do.” She shrugged modestly.
“Might do? Why, it’s perfect!” Elli exclaimed.
“Look—I even have some Christmas cookies made by my good friend, Melanie. She wanted to thank you and Roke because if it wasn’t for that spiked punch, she might never have gotten together with her men, Clear and Strong—they’re Twin Kindred,” Sonja added, in explanation as she offered Elli the platter of red and green sugared cookies.
“Oh my, really?” Elli asked, taking one of the cookies and biting into it. “Mmm--delicious!”
“Yeah, Melanie and her men make some mean cookies,” Sonja said and giggled. “Though as I understand it, ‘making cookies’ means something different to the three of them now.”
“Sounds…interesting,” Elli murmured. “But I don’t understand—why does Roke want to recreate the human Christmas party we first met at?”
“Well, I think he wants to give you a gift—which is a big part of our Christmas traditions,” Sonja said. She raised an eyebrow at Elli. “Although maybe he already gave you a pretty good gift last night? I mean, it was your bonding night, right?”
“He…he did,” Elli admitted, feeling her cheeks get hot.
Their lovemaking the night before had been completely different from their Mirroring in the Tenebrian palace. It had been slow and tender and perfect.
Roke had kissed and tasted her everywhere, “healing” her aching nipples and pussy with his tongue for a long, long time until Elli came for him, moaning and gasping his name.
After that, they sat on the couch naked together, with Elli straddling the big warrior’s hips and his hard shaft bare between them.
“Slowly, sweetheart,” he’d murmured, looking into her eyes. “And gently, this time. I want to take my time bonding you to me.”
And, as Elli had taken his thick shaft deep in her pussy, he had held her gaze with his, right up until the moment when he had bitten her on the neck, injecting his Essence and bonding them together for all time.
It had been a beautiful and moving moment and also private, which was important to Elli since they’d had to do so many things publicly at the Tenebrian palace. To add to her pleasure, her new mate’s Essence in her bloodstream had made her orgasm immediately and then again, over and over, as Roke continued to bond her to him all night long.
All in all, it had been the most beautiful night of Elli’s life and she’d woken up hungry for more of the same. However, Roke’s side of the bed had been empty. But he had left her a note, letting her know he had a little private business to attend to but not to worry—he would have a surprise for her that night.
Apparently, Elli thought, as she nibbled the delicious Christmas cookie, and looked at the red and green decorations and the blinking lights on the Christmas tree, this was the surprise. It made her happy to think that Roke would go to so much trouble for her, but she wondered where her new mate was. She hadn’t seen him all day and she missed him terribly.
“I’m here, sweetheart and I missed you too.”
It was Roke, speaking through their new mental link. Elli looked around for him and saw the big warrior walking through the door of Sonja’s suite.
“Welcome!” Sonja greeted him with a big smile. “And now I think I’ll leave you two alone.” With a wink, she left the suite as Roke and Elli thanked her.
“This is beautiful,” Elli said, motioning to the decorated living area. “I love it, Roke. But why did you go to all the trouble of recreating Christmas for me?”
“Well, the human Christmas party was the first place we met,” he reminded her with a grin. “And while that meeting wasn’t exactly ideal, I know how much you love this human holiday.”