Chapter 1
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.
She grabbed his wrist to stop him. “Close your eyes first.”
“Why?”
“So you can’t see me while I’m wearing them.”
“Why on earth would I not want to see you with your glasses, Olivia?”
“They aren’t attractive,” she whispered.
His breath hitched. “Olivia, what happened to my Little rebel? The woman I met last year who snuck out of her house to catch a glimpse of me? Why do you think I would care about your glasses?”
She rolled her pretty green eyes. “I’m not stupid, Damon. Kids have laughed at me my entire life. I know they’re ugly.”
He stiffened and finished sliding them onto her face. “Kids are mean and cruel. They were jealous because they knew you had the mark of an Alpha mate. No one in my family or any other Alpha family will ever make fun of you for who you are and what you cannot control.”
She trembled as she lifted her hands to his cheeks and leaned in closer, moving her head all around less than an inch from his face. A slow smile spread. “You’re gorgeous.”
“As are you, Little rebel.” He set his palms on her waist. “This dress is stunning.” It was a white dress covered with delicate gold lace. The cut was completely modest, reaching all the way to the floor, high on her neck, and to her wrists. She would never wear anything that covered this much of her skin in his home, but it was very pretty.
Damon grasped her biceps and rose, helping her stand with him. He wasn’t certain how her balance might be. He’d done as much research as possible to understand both her particular degenerative eye disease and how to make his home as easy as possible for her to navigate, but until he could speak to her personally, he’d known he wouldn’t be able to fully understand.
She slid her glasses off and put them back in her pocket. She was trembling as she licked her lips. “I promise I will learn my way around your home quickly and be useful to you. My mother has taught me how to do many things without my sight. I can even cook and clean. I just need to learn where everything is and?—”
He cut her off again with a finger to her lips. “Take a breath, Little rebel. I’m certain you can do anything you put your mind to, but you won’t need any of those particular skills in our home, Baby girl. I will do the cooking and cleaning.”
She gasped, her mostly blank eyes widening.
“Olivia, this has nothing to do with your vision or abilities. The mates of Alpha Protectors do not cook and clean. None of them do. You will be pampered and worshiped by me day and night. You will not serve me.”
“But…” She was at a loss for words.
He wasn’t surprised. He knew that the citizens of the Drydus pack who lived in the valley had no knowledge of how the Alpha Protectors and their mates lived in the surrounding mountains. It had always been this way.
The Alpha Protectors were all born with a mark on their left inner wrist. Eventually a mate was born in the valley with a matching mark, fating them to join their intended on their twentieth birthday.
The citizens of the valley lived in male-dominated households, but the level of that domination and the expectations came nowhere close to resembling the customs of the Alpha Protectors.
Olivia would learn. It would be a shock to her system at first—as it was with all new mates—but she would find her place and settle into a new way of life. Damon would ensure that she was the happiest Little girl in the world. It was his life’s mission.
“We should go, Little rebel. The sooner we get to our home, the sooner you will be able to settle in and lose some of the anxiety I feel wafting off you.”
“Okay,” she whispered as she pulled her shoulders back and offered him a pasted smile.
He cupped her face and slowly lowered his lips toward her. “May I kiss you, Olivia?”
She swallowed. “Of course.” Her pulse shot sky high.
Damon hoped if he set his lips on hers, she might feel the bond more strongly and relax her rigid frame a bit. After stroking her bottom lip with his thumbs, he closed the distance and kissed her pretty mouth.
Heaven had nothing on Olivia’s lips. He knew because he tumbled into heaven as he took this first liberty with her. When she leaned into him, grabbing his waist, he licked along the seam of her lips.
She parted for him, giving him access to her sweetness, and he didn’t hesitate to stroke his tongue along hers, unable to control the low moan that escaped his mouth.
He wanted more, but he couldn’t let this go further while standing in the ceremonial room in the government building. He wouldn’t risk touching her with his mark, let alone aligning their marks. Doing so would create a sizzling heat between them he’d only heard about.
He could feel the pull to do so. It was instinctive and insistent like a living being whispering in his ear. Take her. Claim her. Make her yours .
When he finally managed to force himself to break the kiss, he was panting. So was she.
“Damon…” The sound of his name coming from her mouth was musical, but he needed something else.
“The mates of Alpha Protectors call their mates Daddy, Baby girl.” He stroked her cheek, watching her reaction.
“Daddy?”
“Mm hmm. It’s a term of endearment.”
“You don’t want me to call you Damon? Your name?”
He set his forehead against hers. “You might be inclined to shout it at an unusual decibel when I’m buried inside you while you come so hard your eyes roll back,” he teased. Sort of.
She gasped.
He chuckled. “Let’s go home.”
She swallowed hard, and her voice squeaked as she responded, “Okay…Daddy. My mother said you’re going to carry me in your arms. Is that true?”
“Yes. I can give you a few drops of a mild potion that will put you to sleep during the journey. That’s what most mates do to help their females relax during the trip.”
She licked her pretty lips again. “Do I have to?”
“No, especially not if doing so gives you even more anxiety. You could close your eyes, hold on to my neck, and focus on something other than the climb up the mountain.”
“Because it’s kind of scary for a sighted person?”
“Yes.” He wouldn’t lie to her. That was the reason.
“I’ll be fine. I promise I won’t panic. Will you please let me hold on to you and stay awake?”
“Yes, Baby girl. I’ll do whatever makes you most comfortable. If you change your mind along the way, I can always stop and give you the potion.”
“Okay.” Her heart rate settled, letting him know his Little mate would prefer not to be put to sleep. He didn’t mind. It simply meant he would need to take his time and go slower than he would otherwise.
She giggled when he picked her up and cradled her against him. “We’re not dressed for a climb up the mountain.”
He chuckled. “It’s a weird tradition.”
When she leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed, he kissed the top of her head and strolled toward the exit. Several other Alpha Protectors would accompany them up the mountain—yet another tradition.
Soon he would have his precious mate in his home.
She suddenly lifted her head. “My bag…”
He spotted it against the wall. “I’ve got it, Baby girl.” After swinging her small satchel over his shoulder, he stepped out of the room and into his future.