Once I got over the shock of seeing him shift, I was completely confused. “Why do you choose to stay a horse?” He lived at Valor’s in horse form. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he would want that.
He shrugged, his long hair danced along his body. “Valor treats me well and I prefer my horse form.”
“Isn’t that odd for Weres?” I asked. Most Weres preferred human form, only shifted to their animal shape if they needed to. Never had I met any who desired this type of lifestyle.
“It is, but we are all different. The life of a horse is simpler and less complicated. It is our desired state.” Guess that made sense, even if it was a little odd.
“Okay…er…that’s good then I guess. Well, thanks for the ride.” I suddenly, felt a bit perverse that I’d been riding on his back.
He nodded in acknowledgment and glanced around us. “As to your question, this is Logan Canyon.”
I followed his gaze and gasped. We were standing in the heart of a canyon—large steep cliffs surrounded trees, lush plants, and thriving wildlife. Breathtaking couldn’t even describe this.
“I’m going to head off now,” Atticus said. “When you wish to return home, whistle for me, and I’ll come.” His expression turned sultry. “I can scent some young mares that are looking for a stallion such as I.” He grinned, then he shifted and galloped off.
“Okay, that is just freaky.”
Kyden chuckled. “Thought you might enjoy that.” He took my hand and started toward one of the cliff. Stepping in behind me, he gave me a little help as we began to climb up. When we found a large ledge, we sat down.
I sighed, surrounded by eons of mountain beauty. “It’s so gorgeous here.”
“It is that,” Kyden responded sounding just as awed.
Time passed as we just sat in silence, enjoying the sound of birds chirping and brushes of wind against the trees. I finally glanced over at Kyden. He stared at me intently, so much so it made me laugh. “Penny for your thoughts?”
He smiled softly, his green eyes alight with joy. “You capture my thoughts.”
How did the man always seem to know just what to say to make me melt? I leaned in and kissed his lips. It was soft and delicate, which was so unlike him. Normally once my lips met his, he ravished me. A bit confused, I backed away. “What is it?”
Lightly, he traced my jaw line with his fingers. “Eternity is not long enough to love you, Álainn.”
“Kyden…” I responded softly.
He smiled sweetly, placing his finger on my lips to hush me. “Before we met…” He hesitated, looking out to the scenery, then met my gaze again. “Before we met, my existence was an endless waste—a life amounting to nothing.” He continued to trace the contours of my face. “The day you arrived, all that changed. It was as if my soul had settled, found its rightful home.”
My eyes glistened with tears. Kyden speaking of emotions—what was this?
His fingers never stopped their dance across my face. “Still to this very day I feel undeserving of you.”
“Kyden…”
He stopped me, touched my lips again. “I will eternally feel overjoyed that I have been granted the right to share in your life.”
“As will I.”
He smiled at that, ran his thumb across my lips. “You are truly a blessing. In every part of you I find joy. Even the stubborn pain in the ass side of you brings me much amusement.”
I laughed through my tears. To be loved, so completely, without any restraints¯never had I thought I’d be this lucky.
“I will forever work to be one who deserves you.” He took my hands and held them tight on my lap, his face warm with emotion. “Do you remember when Drake first learned of us?”
I nodded, the memory was hard to forget. My late birth father hadn’t been thrilled about the idea of us becoming a couple. Kyden’s womanizing past left Drake more than unhappy seeing his daughter with the likes of him. After a little scuffle and a talk, Drake’s feelings were appeased.
“Do you remember what he and I talked about?”
I thought back. I didn’t know all the details of what they had talked about that changed Drake’s mind, but responded with the only thing I did know. “Your intentions?”
“That’s right.” He nodded, appearing pleased I remembered the conversation. “That night I told him I would always protect you. Do anything in my power to see you happy and that it was my intention, when the time was right, to bond with you.” He smiled softly, his eyes shining in pure happiness. “I believe the time has come.”
Dear God, he was proposing. I wasn’t expecting this in the least. My heart blossomed. Happiness soared through my body and sent butterflies aflutter. Without hesitation, I grabbed the Guardian who stole every part of my heart and kissed his mouth in answer. He responded immediately with more emotion than I had ever felt from him. This wasn’t about heat or intensity—it was about the love that had evolved between us.
He released my mouth to run light, sweet kisses along my neck. “I’m taking that as a yes.” Amusement filled his voice as his lips created heaven along my skin.
I grasped the sides of his face, drawing his gaze to mine. “Kyden. You say those things, but the truth is those are my words you’re saying.”
His eyes glistened. All that we had been through, all that had gotten us to this point, made everything about this moment mean more than the world itself.
“Álainn,” he whispered before he captured my mouth with his once again.
With our lips connected, our hands worked quickly to remove our gear. Every part of me wanted—needed to feel him. To be connected. My body was warm from emotion and I was ready for him. This wasn’t about passion or about consuming each other with sultry needs, nor was it about arousal. It was the need to be together, be as close as we could to each other skin and skin.
Slowly, he laid me back, settled between my thighs as I widened them to accommodate him. He ran his hands along the sides of my head and entered me with the smoothest movement imaginable. I sighed at the perfection of it.
He stared adoringly into my eyes. With each long, slow stroke, our love blossomed deeper. There was nothing else—nothing in the world that mattered except us in that very moment.
Lovemaking at its finest.
Kyden’s eyes were deep and soft. I gazed deeply into them, seeing my future resting within their depths. We would have a life full of love, happiness and complete admiration for each other. How had I become so lucky?
He grasped my head tightly as his thrusts continued, long and slow, stroking so I felt all of him. So I understood just what it meant to be completely connected to him and how glorious it felt to be united. I reached up, cupped his face, and drew him closer to me. We faded away from existence, knowing only each other. We were bare, completely na**d and hid nothing. We exposed every bit of ourselves that defined who we were.
His angle changed, and with it came waves of pleasure deepening my breath, and arching my h*ps toward him. He groaned deeply as my muscles clenched against him in the pure agony of my release. His speed never increased. His eyes never left mine as I moaned out our love, completely surrendered to the satisfaction rushing over me.
As the sensation grew, our souls captured each other in our building release. We never closed our eyes—never looked away as we both came together in nothing more than total trust in each other. We had belief in the wonderful prospect that was our life.
“Gods, do I love you.” Kyden breathed heavily, still gazing deeply into my eyes.
“Right back atcha.” I used Kyden’s famous line. He never was one to say the words. But it meant more because I knew when he said it, like moments like these, he felt it deep within him. He chuckled deeply as he rested his head against my neck. Everything was quiet around us as we took a moment to recover. Finally, I asked, “So, what exactly is bonding?”
He rose up, leaning on his forearms and stared down at me, a brow arched. “You have agreed to something you know nothing about?”
“I know it’s like marriage,” I shrugged. “I just wondered what you do exactly?”
“It is very much the same. There will be a ceremony similar to a wedding. The difference is the bonding will tie us together magically. It will deepen our bond.”
“Really?” What we shared was something I wasn’t even capable of dreaming up. “I can’t imagine it being much deeper than this.”
He brushed my hair off my face. “It is permanent in ways you cannot imagine. That is why you do not see many who have done it.”
That I had taken notice of. Only a few Guardian couples I had met were bonded. Even Talon and Zia, who seemed so perfect for each other, hadn’t taken the plunge. “Tell me then, why are so many hesitant?”
“We will belong to only each other. You will be unable to be apart from me without a sense of real loss. We will feel each other more deeply—know each other’s emotions.”
“You will feel what I feel?” I asked a little surprised.