Sun was rising to paint the sky with magnificent oranges and pinks, the increasing light seeped into Cornelia's room where two unmoving bodies laid on the bed.
James was on his side and observing his chocolate-colored Goddess. Cornelia. Cora. His mate. She was the definition of beauty.
The thin blanket covered them waist-down, and he could see her shoulders, breasts, and stomach. Every inch of her was perfect.
The golden designs smeared due to their repeated lovemaking, and they all blended into Cornelia's melanin-rich skin, giving her a golden hue that looked natural.
James didn't sleep last night. He was elated and excited, and now he was worried.
He had no regrets, but he was high after the ceremony, and he felt the bond and the pull, and his wolf was messing with his mind, and they did it. They made love, many times. And he marked her and she was his.
There shouldn't be problems, but James was aware that the craze from last night subsided.
He could feel the bond between them now, the delicious sparks prickled his skin wherever they touched, and he definitely wanted to have sex with Cornelia more. However, his mind was clear, and he feared that Cornelia will be clearheaded also and she might regret what they did last night.
James chided himself for not holding back at least a little bit. He was acting like a savage, going at it until Cornelia barely held her eyes open. James got a wet towel and wiped her body, and she barely moved. He really was a beast. What if she hates him now?
Cornelia stirred in her sleep and James' anxiety shoot through the roof. Will she wake up now? What if she tells him to scram? He didn't want to leave her, he couldn't. It would kill him.
He held his breath when he realized that her eyelids were shaking.
And there it was… she opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times and then her deep brown eyes settled on him.
Mental images from last night flashed in Cornelia's mind, reminding her of what transpired in that room between James and her, explaining their naked bodies and the soreness in her midsection.
The effect of the last night's ceremony wore off, but Cornelia could feel that the connection between her and James solidified. She wondered if he somehow matured overnight, or if she was imagining it.
Cornelia forced herself not to look away. What was done was done and she couldn't take it back, and even if she could, she wouldn't. It was natural to be with a soulmate and she didn't want him to think that she felt bad about the sex, or about the marking, or about this intimacy that was new, because none of that was forced.
From the moment she felt the pull, Cornelia wanted to be with James, and now that he marked her, he confirmed that he wanted the same. It was not just empty words and promises, it was marking, and that was forever. The person she loved, loved her back, and she was happy. It was that simple, and she didn't want to complicate things.
James' insides jolted when her lips lifted into a smile. Was she smiling at him? Or maybe she just had a good dream and once she remembers what happened she will slap him?
"Good morning, Jay", she said lazily and moved closer to him.
James wanted to pinch himself. It's not that Cornelia came closer to snuggle, but she hugged him and buried her face in his chest!
Was he dreaming?
But if that was a dream, where did all that happiness come from? Was it possible that those were her emotions, and he could sense them through their strengthened mate bond?
James' arms wrapped around Cornelia, and he buried his face into her hair, taking deep breaths to fill his system with the sweet scent of berries; each inhale was a confirmation that this was real, it was happening, Cornelia was awake, and she was not cursing him or pushing him away!
"How are you feeling, Cora?", he asked cautiously.
"Are you asking about my neck?"
"I am asking about all of you. Are you in pain? Is there any discomfort? Do you want me to bring some food or…?"
"Just hold me, Jay", she interrupted whatever he was about to ask next.
"Cora?", he didn't want to bring up the topic which plagued his mind while she was sleeping, but he had to get it out there. "Are you blaming me for what I did last night?" He wanted to make sure that she won't hate him for marking her.
Cornelia lifted her head to look at him. "What YOU did? How much I remember, I was a willing participant." James went to the length of cutting his hand on a glass so that he snaps out of his lustful daze, and then he asked for her permission. "Why would I blame you?"
James' heart cracked as it was unable to contain all the emotions that swelled within him. Cornelia's eyes were full of understanding and love, and no one ever looked at him that way. The acceptance and approval were things he craved for as a child, and he labeled them as not important while he was growing up, but now that he was getting those from his mate, he had to admit that they were important. They were everything.
James swallowed the pinch that formed in the back of his throat. He won't cry. "Don't worry about it. I was just overthinking things."
"I love your mind, James", Cornelia said, and the fact that she used his full name meant that she was serious. "But please, don't overthink it in the direction where I think badly of you. You are my other half and whatever I feel toward you, I feel towards myself as well. And I love myself."
"Does that mean you love me?"
Cornelia's eyes shifted uncomfortably. She told him last night that she loved him, more than once, and that was in the throes of passion, and now it was embarrassing.
"I told you already", she said.
"Say it again, Cora", James insisted.
Cornelia puffed her cheeks in protest. "Why don't you say it?"
"I love you, Cora. You are my most important person now, and you always will be", James said without missing a beat.
"I… I…", she inhaled forcibly. "Feel the same."
James couldn't believe this. "Why are you not saying it? Are you shy now? After everything we did last night?"
Cornelia looked at him stubbornly. "It doesn't matter what we did last night. It was the first time for me to do such things, so please don't tease me or take it lightly."
She didn't say more than that, but James heard the rest of her words that were left unspoken. It was not the first time for him. He wanted to assure her that it was equally important to him, maybe more, but going that way could backfire, and he needed to tread carefully. He didn't want to spoil this morning; not now when he confirmed that she didn't blame him for what happened last night. She accepted that he claimed her and marked her, and that meant she accepted him as her mate.
