"You can stay stubborn and ruin your chance for happiness or listen.", Yasmin said, and Cornelia recoiled in the chair like someone pushed her back physically.
Actually, Cornelia felt the push, but Yasmin didn't use any chant. How was that possible? Did she use an enchanted item? But her hands were empty.
Cornelia shifted in her seat, to confirm that she can move without restrictions.
"Can you talk normally?", Cornelia asked while eyeing Yasmin suspiciously and wondering if she imagined the push.
"What is normal talk, Cornelia? Do you want me to lie or keep quiet while you destroy your best chance for happiness?"
Cornelia was offended. "What am I destroying?"
"I see you are holding your mate close, without giving yourself to him. What kind of a sick game is that? Do you enjoy torturing him?"
Cornelia huffed at Yasmin. Who gave Yasmin the right to meddle? "What do you know about torture? He is too young to feel the bond."
Yasmin didn't think that was a big deal. "If he doesn't feel it, he wouldn't stick to you despite your rejections."
"I'm not rejecting him."
"Keep telling that to yourself and see how long it takes. James will reach his breaking point and either force a mark on you or leave you. Which one do you prefer?"
Cornelia frowned. What kind of choices were those?
Yasmin released a long breath, and she continued with compassion, "Cornelia. I know you as a high-ranking priestess who has all the answers, but this time, I need to tell you that you are wrong. Being with a mate is special. It completes you, it completes both of you."
Cornelia sneered. "Easy for you to speak. Your mate can feel the bond."
Yasmin waved, indicating to Cornelia to calm down. "Is that something that can't be fixed? Are you telling me that priestess Cornelia can't boost one man's perception of the energies?"
Cornelia looked at Yasmin in disbelief. "Are you telling me to use magic on James and force him to mature?" Witches experimented with plants and animals, and even though the faster maturing was successful, it came with side effects of quick deterioration and uncharacteristic behavior. Natural order shouldn't be rushed.
"Not mature.", Yasmin said quickly. "Just to increase his perception of the energies. It will make him feel the bond and you will get your piece of mind that he won't abandon you." Yasmin smirked when she saw Cornelia shifting uncomfortably at her words.
"That's it. Right?", Yasmin said victoriously. "You are afraid that he will leave you. But James is by your side, which means that he wants to be with you even without the bond."
Cornelia shook her head dejectedly. "He is with me because we are together. What will happen when he needs to return to his pack? He will see other women and where does that leave me?"
Yasmin clicked her tongue. "And we are back to boosting his perception of…"
"Enough!", Cornelia snapped and stood up abruptly.
"You can try a temporary spell and see if you like the result.", Yasmin said with urgency while trying to salvage the situation.
Cornelia rubbed her forehead while reminding herself that this was not Yasmin's fault, it was not Yasmin's problem, and Yasmin was offering solutions. They were not the solutions Cornelia would accept, but they showed Yasmin's care and concern.
"I know you mean well, but some things can't be rushed, Yasmin."
"You should talk to your soulmate about this. Give him a choice. It's not healthy that you are carrying this weight on your own and it's not fair that you make a decision without him. If you are too shy to talk to James, I can do it in your place."
"Don't you dare!", Cornelia exclaimed and stomped toward the door. This conversation was over.
Cornelia walked out without any particular goal in mind. She felt like the walls were too close and she needed space.
"Cora?", James called after Cornelia who passed by him in the hallway, like he was not there.
"Shit!", he cursed under his breath and rushed after her. He knew that it was a bad idea to leave Cornelia and Yasmin on their own.
"Cora!", James exclaimed, and he caught up with her just before she reached the stairs. He grabbed her wrist. "Talk to me. I am here."
Cornelia turned toward James in slow motion. She looked into his blue eyes that were full of anxiety and genuine concern and her chin trembled.
She knew that this was not fair. It was not James' fault that she came here, and they met, and she can't blame him for not feeling the bond either. The only thing she could do was to control her actions and decide what was best, but how can she leave him when her heart was aching if they were apart? And the way he looked at her, told her that he felt the same.
It was a difficult decision, one that will impact the rest of their lives, but… did she need to decide anything today?
James observed subtle changes in Cornelia's expression, and he reached to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
The moment his fingers touched her skin, Cornelia jolted, and her eyes widened with something James couldn't decipher the next thing he knew, Cornelia slammed herself against him and her lips covered his fervently.
James was quick to wrap his arms around Cornelia and respond to her frantic kisses.
Cornelia was not sure what she was doing, but she knew that she didn't want to think about anything that was weighing on her mind. She allowed her heart to take over which pulled her toward James in a desperate need for his presence that made her feel whole.
Cornelia soaked in James' touch, his scent, his flavors… and she didn't notice at what point he lifted her and carried her into their room, all without breaking the kiss.
James put Cornelia on the bed and got on top of her, their kisses becoming longer and deeper as they melded into each other.
James loved the fact that Cornelia kissed him while clinging onto him, and she even spread her legs and her hips moved to grind herself against his erection. It was heavenly.
The scent of Cornelia's arousal filled the room and James was confident that her love nectar will taste like the sweetest wild berries!
He got lower, to press on her harder as their hips rocked in sync and he nearly lost his mind when Cornelia moaned into his mouth.
Cornelia's hands moved on their own, tugging on his t-shirt, and she frowned when he held her hands, preventing her from undressing him.
"What?", she asked breathily. "Don't you want…?" She couldn't finish, but James understood her.
James took a deep breath to compose himself before responding, "I want. You have no idea how much I want you, but not like this."
His lips were throbbing from the intense kissing session, and he really wanted to kiss her more, to kiss her everywhere, and to undress her and go all the way, but he knew that it wouldn't be right.
Cornelia looked away in embarrassment when she realized that she made move on James and got rejected. What was she thinking? What would happen if he didn't stop her?
