Chapter 41 : Longing

*Shawn*

“That was amazing,” Vanessa says, her face flushed with the revelry of the night. I laugh, pulling her in for a kiss.

“You’re officially one of us,” I tell her, cupping her face in my hands. “Although, you were for a while now. This was just a formality.”

“No.” She places her hands on my chest. I frown in confusion, but she grins brightly. “This is the start. This is the first time there is not a shred of doubt in my mind about where I belong. Before I made my way to the temple, Helbane and the fated mate bond with Trent was always looming over me."

She breaks off, her smile fading just a bit. I recall how deeply those wounds reached, how much of her present and her past still had power over her.

“But after meeting the Goddess, I just feel more free,” she continues.

“Tell me about what happened,” I ask softly, guiding her to sit on my bed. We can still hear the faint sounds of the ongoing party, though it’s starting to wind down now as the nigh