First Eclipse

When they reached the house, she stopped and looked at him. "If this anchor is found and whatever needs done to it is-" She studied his face. "I thought that would end it."

Tim opened the door for her. "It will break many spells that are still out there." Going in, he slipped his boots off. "That might lead us to more places and things involved, but-" He waited for her to look at him. "This has been in the works for a very long time. He scoffed. "It wouldn't surprise me if this generation's children are still cleaning up the mess from it."

When she sighed, he regretted sharing that with her. He didn't want to cause her any unrest or disappointment.

"Well-" She went in and sat at the table. "I suppose we need to get in touch with Liri and see which directions we should start in."

"Liri?" He went into the kitchen and pointed to the coffee brewer. She nodded. "Jeri told us about her timeline." She waited until he turned off the water to continue. "There has to be clues there that will help us." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Has anyone mapped out significant finds of everything you've found up until now?"

Tim turned on the brewer and then leaned against the doorframe. "I know they were mapping out something, but I don't know if they have everything." She chewed on her bottom lip and he wanted to go over and taste it. Spinning around, he got two mugs out of the cupboard. "We should tell Liri and the elders. I'm sure they'll be able to come up with maps and space to do all of that." He blew out a breath and stared at the brewer. Bringing her here alone might have been the dumbest thing he'd ever done. Hopefully Mac cut his nap short and came over soon.

"I'm going to message Capri. She has a meeting with a few of the new council today." She laughed quietly as she typed on her phone. "I think it's today. I'm having trouble keeping track. The last week has been a little crazy." Tim glanced over his shoulder. "I don't even know when I should be sleeping or awake anymore."

"Tim?"

He turned around and looked at her.

"Why do I feel like we've known each other forever? I don't do well with people, but with you, It hasn't been that way."

Glancing at the brewer, he saw it was barely starting to drip. Going into the room, he debated on sitting down and then decided keeping her out of reach was better. "I suppose fate designed it that way with mates." He gave her an amused look. "Most mates. I've known some that weren't immediately receptive to one another."

"This is because we're mates?"

Tim nodded slowly. "I think so, yeah."

Fauna leaned forward on the table. "This whole other half of you thing is real?" "It is."

"Why don't humans have it?"

He'd never thought about it. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked at the floor for a moment. "All of the other realms were created for specific purposes. Solrelm, to watch over human souls." He shrugged. "FaTerra is nature related." She watched him so intently that he almost forgot what he was saying. "This realm to monitor and police all the other realms." He went over and sat in the chair across from her. "Many of the realms live a long time maybe having someone to live it with is the reward for all that we do."

Fauna sat there looking at his face, her gaze studying it intently. "I suppose that makes sense. Being alone for hundreds of years would be hard." Her brows creased. "Will I live a long time?" She motioned between them. "If we❞ Her cheeks flushed. "are mated."

Tim cleared his throat and sat back, putting more space between them. "Our lifelines are merged when the bond is complete, so, yeah, you will."

The silence felt like walls closing in on him. He got up and went to the brewer.

"I don't understand it. With Jeri, she said it was a chamber of truth and sharing her soul- or something like that. Is it different with those from Alterealm?"

He opened the fridge. "I only have coffee creamer right now. No milk." He glanced through the doorway at her. She nodded. Grabbing it, he added some to her cup and then scowled at it, not sure if it was enough or too much. Tim picked up the cup and creamer and took them out. Turning, he went back and grabbed his and then stood in the doorway, holding it. "It's uh-" He looked in the cup. "-a combination of things." He glanced back at her. "A small blood exchange, which creates a bond between us." He paused. Putting this into words wasn't as easy as he thought it could be. He looked at her again. "Complete acceptance of each other." He took a sip, and burned his tongue, but then took another sip anyway. "Without acceptance and trust, there won't be a complete bond."

"So, no tattoo?"

He nodded.

"I'll get a tattoo?" She lifted her arm and looked at it.

"Other arm." He looked at his own and wondered which design fate had in store for him.

She looked at her other arm. "They're the same? The tattoo? I noticed a few of the others." He nodded. "Identical."

"It's weird how it just shows up." She looked at him again. "Does it hurt?"

Tim opened his mouth and then paused. "I don't know." He'd never asked anyone but had also never heard anyone say it hurt like hell or anything similar. He shrugged. "It would take away from the moment." She smiled. "I suppose it would." She looked around the room. "Would we live here?"

He suddenly felt like this was a test. He was never good at those. "Uh, actually, I'm a royal guard." He set his cup on the table. "I" He smiled at her briefly. "I didn't think I'd find..."

"Your mate?"

He nodded. "Most guards are assigned an area and live out their life in that area."

"So they don't get to travel and potentially meet their mate?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I haven't been in the same place twice since being assigned the huntress's personal guard..."

"So you go where she goes, which is all over."

He grinned. "Constantly. She doesn't like sitting idle doing nothing."

"I can respect that." She inhaled a deep breath. "So, you'd continue being her guard."

"Yes."

"Would I be left here?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it and studied her. He couldn't tell where she was going with this. "Capri asked me not to take you away from them."

"Oh." She looked surprised. "Were you thinking something like what Jeri and Trendan have? A place next door and then here when you're not on duty?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm asking because if this is going to happen, I want to know the details."

The word if rang inside his head like a gong. His heart felt like it was straining in his chest now, the blood unable to pump. If he messed this up or upset her, he would spend the rest of his life pining for his mate. He hadn't understood that until right this minute. Not to mention the huntress-all of the royal women would be beyond pissed if he screwed this up. "I'm going to be honest with you." Her shoulders relaxed just enough that he noticed it. "I haven't thought of all the details. With everything happening, I've barely been able to speak to you."

She nodded. He wasn't sure if that was good because her expression was still icy. "But you knew this could happen at some point."

"Yes. Every resident of Alterealm knows about it." He sucked in a breath, searching for more to say. "I-I understand that you don't get it because it's all new to you."

She held his look while he held his breath. "Okay. I just didn't want you to be thinking about all of the details without a discussion."

He exhaled quietly. "I understand." He studied the grain in the wood of the table for a second. "I know" He said slowly and then had to catch up to his own thoughts before his mouth relayed them."-everything that's been happening is all new, and if it weren't during-" He motioned in the air. "If we weren't trying to find..."

"Evil people?"

He nodded. He went to continue when she held up her hand. Closing his mouth so quickly his teeth snapped together, he waited.

"If it weren't for all the evil people we have to find, then there wouldn't be this discussion."

He frowned, not sure where she was going.

"I probably wouldn't exist. You probably wouldn't be the huntress's guard, because she wouldn't exist."

Tim sucked in a breath. "True." Now, he felt like an awkward kid, trying to join a conversation he didn't quite get. "Every piece was meant to be." It was the best he could word, fate happens.

She sat there, searching his face, her gaze giving him nothing close to a hint of what she could be thinking.

"Fauna..."

"Leisha." She whispered.

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"My real name is Leisha, but I've used Fauna since I met all the girls with Capri."

"It's a lovely name." He smiled. "It suits you." He cleared his throat. "Which do you prefer?" Before hanging around the royal women, he wouldn't have thought to ask that.

"Fauna when we're around others." She shrugged. "But I wouldn't mind hearing my name said occasionally."

He smiled. “Leisha-" Her eyes were sparkling, and he hoped it was with happiness and not the start of tears because he wasn't equipped for that. "I will tell you what I have been thinking since we ported to that mountain." "Before the cave?"

"Before the cave. I have been thinking that you are amazing, not your affinity to creatures, but you." Her cheeks flushed slightly enough, he continued. "I want to keep you safe and make sure you're happy." He looked around. "I wanted you to like my home, and I've never cared about that before."

She nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked at him. He glanced away so he could focus on words and not her mouth. "It's difficult for me to be around you and not want other things..."

"Like biting me?"

He ground his teeth together for a moment before speaking. "Like feeding, yes." It felt like the temperature rose several degrees. "Especially after I used the effort to help you just that hint of a taste was very tempting." "So, I taste good?"

His eyes, without permission, immediately looked at her throat. "Yes. To me, you do." She almost looked pleased by that. "I don't care if you want to live on the moon, just as long as I can be with you-" He held up his hand. "And I'm not pushing the fully mated issue when I say that-" He motioned between them. "Just with you. You're an amazing woman, and I'm grateful that fate brought you into my world." Tears filled her eyes, and he froze. How had he screwed that up? He blinked, trying to remember every syllable he'd just said.

Fauna smiled. "Okay."

Just a heads up: FindNovel.net is the only place to read the complete version of this book for free. Don't miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey!

Tim's shoulder slumped in relief. "Okay." He nodded, still going over what he'd said.

"I don't know about feeding just yet, but I really enjoy being around you too." Her cheeks flushed.

Tim smiled. He likely looked like a besotted idiot but didn't care. "There's something I-uh, have been wanting to ask you." And now he was back to the awkward teen again.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The blood exchange." He cleared his throat. "If we did, then even if I'm not with you and something happened, I would sense and could get to you."

"You know it's not your fault, what happened with the box, right?"

He shrugged. "I should have been there." He got up and went over to the hutch. Opening the drawer, he pulled out a map. "I was trying to find a good location in the mountains to go look for..." "Tawny's friend."

He opened the map and put it on the table. "Yes."

She pushed the chair back and put her knee on it so she could look over the map. "Did you find one? We could do that while we're here." She looked at him. "If I can't go back, we could do that." She looked excited.

It was then he realized it could be going to the dentist, but as long as she was excited about it, so was he. "We can."

She tapped the map. "Show me."

Leaning over the table, he ran his finger along the mountain ridge and then poked the location he'd thought of earlier. "It's a bit of work to get up there" He turned to look at her. She was leaning over, her face only a few inches from his. "I- uh can't just port us there like the royals."

Her eyes sparkled. "That's okay. The hike and exploring is what makes it fun."

He nodded. She was so perfect, the gods were probably jealous. "Yeah." He forced himself to look back at the map. "If we go up to here..."

"Tim?"

He looked at her.

"I think the blood thing would be a good idea. I like that you would know if I needed you." She said it softly, but he heard every word. "So, we should do that." She made a face. "Can we do it without biting?"

"Yeah." He croaked. "Yeah, we can."

"Okay, let's do that." She nodded. "Before I change my mind."

He straightened up and reached behind his back, and pulled the small blade he kept there because you never knew when you needed a concealed weapon.

Fauna stepped back. "How much blood are we talking about?"

He looked at the blade and then at her. She looked concerned now. "Oh, just a tiny bit. Not a mouthful or anything."

She looked relieved.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He walked out to the kitchen and turned on the tap. He honestly couldn't remember if he'd stabbed anyone with it recently or if he'd cleaned it. When the water ran hot, he held the blade under it. "There's something I have to adjust to." She was standing behind him.

Wiping the blade, he turned back around and looked down at her. "Sometimes change is good."

She looked at the blade and then back at his face. "Where are we getting the blood from?"

He wanted to smile but didn't. Reaching, he took her hand in his. "I was thinking hands." It wasn't the way he'd prefer, but he wanted to keep this within her comfort zone. "A tiny score is all we need."

"Okay. That won't hurt much." She looked at her hand in his. "You go first." She nodded.

Lifting her hand, he held the knife over it and then paused. He didn't want to mark her skin.

"It's okay." She's said softly.

He pierced her skin toward the outside of the palm of her hand so it wouldn't cause her discomfort using it. She didn't make a sound. Lowering his mouth, he latched onto the wound gently, careful that his fangs wouldn't pinch the skin. He looked at her and was surprised when she touched the side of his face.

"Your eyes are red."

Her tone didn't convey fear, so he hoped that meant she was getting used to it. He swallowed the blood he'd siphoned from the small mark and moved his mouth from her skin. Her blood was tinged with her essence, and he wanted more but knew not to push too fast too soon. "I'll get a band-aid." As he straightened up, she touched his mouth. When she applied a bit of pressure, he understood she wanted him to open his mouth. He let his jaw go lax so she would be able to see his fangs. Having been born in Alterealm, fangs weren't new for him, but never had he felt his blood heat as it did when she touched the tip of one of his.

Just a heads up: FindNovel.net is the only place to read the complete version of this book for free. Don't miss out on the next chapter-visit us now and continue your journey!

She pulled her hand back and nodded. "My turn."

Tim needed a moment before they continued. Turning around, he opened the cupboard and dug around until he found bandages. He got one out and closed it. Ripping the package, he turned back to her and held it up.

She held out her hand. "There's barely a mark."

With care, he placed the adhesive over her small wound and then lifted her hand and kissed it. When her cheeks flushed, he decided his new goal in life was going to make them do that. Straightening, he picked up the blade again and lifted his hand.

She took a hold of it. "You have so many scars on your hands."

He scoffed out loud. "Learning how to wield a knife properly isn't easy." He lifted one shoulder and let it drop. "I learned the hard way." When she released his hand, he looked at his palm and then decided they were too calloused. It would be like sucking on a piece of sandpaper. He ran the blade over the end of his index finger and then held it out.

She took his hand carefully in her own and held it for a second. "Just a little bit."

He nodded.

"Okay."

When her lips covered the tip of his finger, Tim had the worst case of regret he'd had in a long time. She looked up at him for a second and then lowered her eyes. He squeezed his shut and clenched his jaw. Blooding had never felt so erotic in his life. He started reciting the oath he'd taken when he'd become a royal guard. He would have shouted it out loud, too, if it helped him not feel like a horny virgin because her mouth was on him. When she lifted it away. He forced his facial expression to relax.

He stood there with his finger in the air and watched her go to the cupboard and get a band-aid out of it. He still hadn't moved a muscle when she wrapped it tenderly over the cut and then kissed the tip of his finger as he had her wound. Clearing his throat, he lowered his hand.

"That's it?"

He nodded because no words were registering in his brain right now.

"Your eyes are still red."

He hadn't even realized they had changed. Running his tongue over his teeth, the fangs confirmed he was a besotted idiot after all. Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly and forced his body to stop betraying him.

She smiled at him when he opened them. "That would be a cool party trick-" She shrugged. "If I went to parties."

Tim smiled. Without thinking it through, he reached over and brushed the hair back from her face. "Thank you. For doing that. It will bring me peace to know I'll be able to sense if you're in distress."

She shrugged. "Knowing you will brings me peace, too."

As awkward went, this moment was getting there. They both just stood there. Tim's phone rang, he grabbed it as if it were a lifeline to end this strange moment. "Yeah." He answered it.

"It's all hands on deck, Tim. That bunch we chased down gave us locations, and the captain says they're full of people we need to send to the cells." Tim stiffened and then looked at Fauna. "She'll be fine out there without you for an hour- the huntress says so."

Tim nodded. "Okay. Meet at the armory?"

"Already stumbling my half-awake ass in that direction."

"See you in five." He hung up.

"What's going on." She looked anxious.

"They need me. Those men we chased down gave them some locations, and from what Mac says, they're full of those we've been looking for."

Her eyes rounded, and then she nodded. "Okay." She looked around. "Go. I'll hang out here with Rocco and Charlie" She smiled. "And a few bunnies."

Tim smiled. "I shouldn't be long."

"Just be safe."

He nodded and went over to the closet and opened the door. He always kept extra gear here. Pulling out one of his lined leather jackets, he slipped his arms into it. She was giving him a strange look. "What?"

She cocked her head to the side. "I can't decide if you belong on a ship or a bike."

He grinned. "I'm not fond of boats."

"Bike it is." She smiled at him.

Going back over to where she stood, he picked up his blade and put it back into the waist of his pants. "Mac's sister is supposed to drop off some food, so don't panic if an old pickup truck shows up."

She nodded.

Zipping his jacket, he shoved up one of the sleeves and opened the porter. Before he pushed it, he leaned down and kissed her mouth softly. "I'll be back soon." Before he changed his mind, he felt along the buttons and pushed the one that took him to the underground chambers.