"I'm glad I performed to your standards," Pix smiled, looking super happy by my comment. "It's because of what happened near the end. Do you remember seeing the crystals around us begin to glow?"
"The purple ones? I think so." It wasn't like I was focused on that. My mind and body were far to occupied with the pleasure he was delivering to me.
"What about how you felt? Did you feel like your energy was being pulled to the surface and wrapping around me?" he elaborated.
Oh. I do remember that. It had felt as though my energy was being sucked out, but at the same time I felt a different sense of power wrap around me and seep into my flesh.
"Yes. I do remember something like that. It was as if we exchanged energies. It was warm and felt oddly nice? It's hard to differentiate from everything else that was happening," I explained.
Pix gave me a slight nod and took a deep inhale, letting it out slowly before he opened his eyes and looked me in the eye.
"On rare occasions, when two individuals have a strong connection, their magic responds to one another. The cave you walked into would be a normal space for a shifter or individual with no magic, but those of us who have hints of magic or are pure witches and wizards, that cave is a symbolic place."
"If it's symbolic, why was it kind of decorated like a cave hotel?" I questioned.
"The magic stones you saw embedded in the walls and bed frame are there to help replenish a magic user’s energy. Think of it as going to a spa to relax and feel a sense of rejuvenation after a massage and facial, for example. The cave works on pulling out an individual's magic from the depth of them, usually a place where it's a lot harder for the individual to reach without a great motivator like fighting and or a strong desire to save someone."
"Oh. That kind of makes sense," I acknowledged. "So while you sleep, it brings out your magic and works on replenishing it. It makes sense now," I concluded, understanding the meaning for the bed and comfortable resting space.
Pix nodded. "Exactly."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked.
"There's nothing wrong with that per se, but while we were being intimate, our magic was doing its own thing, and basically..." He trailed off.
"Basically?"
"Our magic basically did its own unification ceremony. I hadn't thought of it in that sense, but those crystals are what are used when a familiar and master decide to create a bond. It's usually one crystal and that's enough to make a solid connection."
"But we were around a lot of crystals." I was already piecing things together and I realized why he was having a difficult time confronting me about what had happened.
"Yes, and our magic complemented one another. So. Well." He fumbled with his words, unsure how to say the inevitable.
"Are we bonded? As in Mistress and Familiar?" I questioned.
"Yes and no," he admitted.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.
"Yes, as in you're now my Mistress in a magic sense, but no because you're far more than that," he admitted.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
I noticed my wolf was panting happily, running around in a circle. I needed a few seconds to absorb her words and it finally clicked in my mind.
"We're mated?" I asked in a calm voice.
Pix stared into my eyes, slowly nodding his head. "It wasn't my intention. But...yes, I had thought about being more than just boyfriend-girlfriend, but I just entered all of this." He paused and used his free hand to run it through his hair.
"What I'm trying to say is that I didn't mean to take away your choice of mating me. By the time I caught onto what happened, the unification was already sealed. I'm sorry." He looked really sad and a bit of fear flickered through his eyes.
I reached out to stroke his right cheek. "In order for the mating unification magic thing to work, doesn't my magic have to want to bond with the other person?" I asked.
"Yes. It doesn't necessarily have to be in that moment, but both individuals basically have to want to be bonded. It's like when you want to marry someone. You'd love to simply take their hand and get married, but there are all these extra steps you have to take and thus, the reason why people court and get engaged to one another. It gives the couple the opportunity to take things slow but solidify the intentions of unity between them."
"Then what's the problem?"
"You're not mad?" He looked confused, making him look rather adorable. I leaned up and kissed his lips.
"No. I may have been a tad delusional in the cave, but I can admit the thought of you having another Master or Mistress frightened me. I didn't want to share you, which is maybe weird because our relationship is so new. I just wanted you by my side like the others. I hoped to get stronger magic-wise, just to have a shot at having you as a familiar. Not in an abuse of power way, but as a loving partnership. It sounds selfish when I say it out loud, but that's how I felt."
With a smile, I looked into his eyes while wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Either way, my magic must have known better and removed all the steps that would get in the way of what I truly wanted. Over and over, you've shown not only commitment to me, Pix, but compassion. It seems whenever I'm in a jam, you're right there to help me. Not everyone would have been okay with me taking their blood, but you didn't hesitate. It just feels nice to be loved by you wholeheartedly. What I'm trying to get at is, I'm perfectly fine being mated with you.”
"Even if I'm still new to all of this?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"Experience is earned, Pix, and the last time I checked, neither of us are rushing in this relationship. We have years, maybe decades to grow and experience many things." With another kiss on his lips, I looked at him with a loving expression.
"Plus, it's nice to not be alone in this world. To know you'll always have someone to listen and share the world's wonders. I can't say we won't have ups and downs, but I'll gladly experience them with you and work through the bumps together."
His face grew red and he blinked a few times as he glanced away. "I feel like I'm supposed to say that to look all cool and stuff," he whispered.
I laughed. "You could if you want."
He looked back at me, a small smile forming on his lips while his blue eyes admired me with adoration. "I wondered why the twins were so confident in the idea of you not being mad, but I can see why. You're so easygoing, Sia." He tightened his hold around my waist, pulling me into a hug. "I was scared you'd reject me."
"Never," I whispered.
We sat in silence and I listened to his fast heartbeat, realizing how important this conversation must have been for him. He hadn't committed to anyone since his previous Mistress' passing, living a life of solitude all until recently.
I wanted to express my love daily, to enjoy having him by my side like the others and appreciate our world in a new light, while juggling whatever was brewing in the dark shadows among our different shifter races.
We moved back to stare into each other's eyes, my heart feeling full of contentment. I didn't know if all my suffering in the past was what led me to this moment, but it sure felt worth the years of pain.
Pix closed his eyes and nestled his nose against mine, and I smiled, letting my eyes close as well.
"We should have made popcorn," Brian whispered.
"Why? You don't even like romantic scenes in movies," Liam countered.
"True, but the popcorn is like an appetizer and romance scenes usually lead to sex anyway."
"Just admit you want to just join in. So impatient."
We both turned to look at them and Pix groaned. "You two always ruin moments."
"That's payback for ruining my alone time with Sia in the washroom last time," Brian argued, accusingly pointing to Pix, who shrugged.
"I didn't ruin anything. You took too long to make a move."
"He has a point. You're slow, Brian." Liam yawned.
"What kind of brother are you?" Brian huffed. "I should have been an only child."
&nbs
p; "You'd cry every day without me. Admit it." Liam walked over to us. "Aside from Brian's and my bickering, did you give her the item yet, Pix?"
"Right. I forgot." Pix confessed.
"Give me what?" I asked, watching Brian walk over to stand next to Liam.
Liam chuckled. "Well, it was Pix's idea, but we got to hop on the wagon."
"See. It's why I like Pix more than Alexander. He thinks about the majority." Brian nodded in approval.
Pix smirked and used his free hand to dig into his pocket. He pulled out a tiny plum purple box and presented it to me. I gave him a confused look, my eyes drifting back to the smooth exterior of the metal box that had a bunch of blue, gold, and red magic symbols across the smooth surface.
"Is this for me?" I asked hesitantly, my heart pounding against my chest. The box could have held so many things, but my mind was buzzing with excitement at what exactly it could be.
"It is." Pix whispered. "I didn't want to do something without Liam and Brian's involvement, and um...we had to talk to your dad too."
With a steady breath, I reached for the box and picked it up, taking a closer look at the exterior. I could already feel the magic surrounding the tiny box, making it feel heavier than expected.
I hesitantly glance at the three of them, but they all had encouraging smiles and hopeful eyes, giving me enough of a push to open the box.
My wolf walked over to the edge of the surface, sitting down quietly as she waited in anticipation. Pressing the tiny button on the front part of the box, the lid popped open, flipping back to reveal a stunning gold ring with a bright blue gem in the middle.
My jaw went slack as I stared at the beautiful piece of jewelry, not only sensing the magnificent energy leaking from it and calling to the power deep inside, but noticing how the slightest tilt of the ring changed the color of the stone entirely.
It shifted from a vibrant light blue that reminded me of Pix's eyes, to a stunning gold, similar to Brian's golden ones. It moved right along to a ruby red, followed by a plum purple like the box. It stopped for a moment at silver and returned back to the blue color.
The band part was thick, made from what appeared to be some exquisite, high-quality gold, though I was unsure about how many karats it was. It shone brilliantly in just the regular lights of the cabin, making me curious as to how stunning it would be in the sunlight.
"This...is..." I choked on my words, unsure what to say or if the item in my hand was even real. This can't be a-
"While you were resting, the three of us went to see your dad and explained that I was your third mate," Pix began. I looked up to him, noticing the glint of excitement in his sky blue eyes.
"I know I expressed that I didn't want to be in an alliance with the Magic Council for a number of reasons. However, seeing as we bonded, making you my Mistress, I wanted some type of symbol of that connection. In the magic world, a ring is a symbol of commitment and power, similar to how a ring in the human world can be tied to two people marrying one another."
Pix grinned as his eyes softened. "When my Mistress died, I never thought I'd commit to anyone again. Falling in love didn't cross my mind because I was still bitter. Angry at the world and assumed my loneliness was a fair punishment for being unable to save my Mistress. I feel dumb for waiting so long, but I realized that all those agonizing, lonely nights were worth it since I not only met you but was given a chance to love you."
He reached for the ring, pulling it out from the box so I could really get a good look at the entirety of it.
"Since our unification shifted to a mate bond, it meant we needed a stronger ring. It also meant that Liam and Brian had to be present because they are also your mates. The Council isn't aware of the details, but Eve agreed to help bless the ring and complete the shift of it going from a standard ring to a magical instrument."
Liam took a step forward. "Pix figured if we were going to give you a ring that held a bit of power from each of your mates, we would go the extra mile and make our mate bond official."
Official? Won't that mean-
Brian nodded to me as if he could read where my thoughts were leading to. "The three of us figured we wouldn't be turning back when it comes to loving you. Each of us is bonded to you. My wolf, Liam's vampire side, and now Pix and his magic. We wanted a symbol of our joined love and decided to ask permission. That's where your dad came in."
"We presented the ring to your dad and asked if we have his blessing. It wouldn't be a traditional standard wedding ring, but we figured this would suit you better. After a long talk, he approved and said he'd been looking into getting something that would help enhance your magic ability like his ring. Now that we already had a magic instrument, he could enable it to do just what he'd been looking to get you," Pix elaborated.
Brian ruffled his hair. "Long story short, we agreed we would stick with you through thick and thin, but we didn't want to delay confronting you about it. We would have decorated the place and had a little ceremony, but knowing our mother, she'd try to make a whole wedding ceremony and invite all her friends."
"So we told her it would be an engagement ring for now. That's why it's gold. When we get officially married with a ceremony, it will shift to pure silver. The diamond will still remain the same," Liam reassured me.
Pix nervously smiled. "Uh. So, basically…we wanted to ask for your hand in marriage."
The other two nodded. "Aren't we supposed to go on one knee to make it all romantic?" Liam whispered to Brian.
"I think you're not supposed to ask out loud what we're supposed to do," Brian replied.
"We clearly didn't think this through far enough," Pix muttered.
A snicker escaped me, the three of them looking at me as I gave them the best smile I could muster, tears forming in my eyes.
"Yes. I'll be more than happy to marry the three of you, and you don't need to kneel, but I do want a kiss from each of you."
"That works!" Liam and Brian replied.
Pix chuckled and used his right hand to lift my left hand, sliding the ring onto its rightful finger. I stared at it with blurry eyes, my tears flowing down my cheeks. My wolf howled in my head, running and rolling around in happiness.
Pix brushed away a tear that rolled down the left side of my cheek, tilting my head so I met his happy eyes that were becoming glossy.
"I love you, Anastasia. I'm so happy to have a Mistress as loving as you. I have confidence that we'll get through whatever is brewing and show the world our love." He finished his declaration with a steamy kiss that made my toes curl.
When he pulled back, he helped me up and Liam walked forward to give me a tight hug, followed by an intense kiss. "I love you, Anastasia Hollister. Even if you kill me with those early morning meetings."
I laughed at his comment. "You must be living the dream now that we're on vacation."
"Don't blame him," Brian replied, taking Liam's place and giving me a fierce kiss. "Mornings are hard, but when you're around, they're more manageable. I love you, Anastasia. Thank you for changing each of us, though I'll still be Evil Liam," he winked and hugged me.
"Wouldn't want it any other way," I laughed through my tears, hugging him back. He pulled away after a minute, and the three of them stared at me, while I admired the new ring on my finger.
I could feel the difference of having it on, balancing a sense of calm and pulsating acknowledgment of strength. It was as if with this ring, I knew deep inside my soul that I could handle anything that came my way.
"After my dad's approval, did you guys get another lecture?" I asked.
"Not really. He seemed really happy. He said he never thought he'd get the opportunity to see you marry," Brian admitted.
"He's really happy to be back in your life, Sia. You can see it in his eyes," Liam added.
"He said after our vacation, our rings will be ready."
"You guys all get rings?" I asked, pumped that they would at least have something sentimental as well.
&nbs
p; "Yup. Mine's red," Liam replied.
"Gold," Brian stated.
"Blue," Pix announced. "They're being blessed by Eve. Once they're done, you'll see a huge difference in our connection with one another. It will help us get to one another a lot faster, and now that I'm your familiar if there comes a situation where you're in a jam, you can summon me with the ring and I'll appear. Doesn't matter the distance," Pix explained.
"That's amazing," I replied. "I'm so happy."
The three of them smiled, each of them appearing like they had won the lottery.
"We're just as happy, Sia. Thank you for loving us," Liam whispered.
"Loving our hard-ass egos," Brian replied.
"Only you have a hard-ass ego. I was only an ass in the beginning because I had to act like you," Liam countered.
Brian rolled his eyes. "Can you not ruin the loving moment we're having with your need to point out unnecessary info? It's thanks to me that you even met Sia."
"Has nothing to do with it. You're still an ass. Don't ignore the primary problem," Liam argued.
"Can we at least enjoy the rest of the evening without you two arguing?" Pix huffed. "Or should I resort to the freezing off your balls option?"
They both went silent and I laughed. "Why don't we go enjoy some beach time? An evening dip while enjoying the sunset."
"Now THAT sounds like a good plan," Pix emphasized. He moved to hug me from the back, giving me a light kiss on my neck. "Does that include some loving time?" he whispered in my ear.
"Anytime you want it," I purred, turning my head enough to meet his yearning lips.
"They're going to have all the fun without us," the other two said together.
The kiss was short-lived as we both looked to them. They both lifted their hands up defensively. "We weren't arguing."
"Stop complaining and just come join," Pix grumbled. "Or I'll just keep Sia all to myself tonight."
"Evil," they said together. With a smirk, I raised my hand to look at the ring once more.
They went out of their way to meet my dad and ask for my hand in marriage while ensuring Pix would be able to finalize our Mistress-Familiar bond. I'm so damn grateful.
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