Chapter 104: The Mirror

NATALIA

Chuck shakes off his mane of hair. His rugged appearance looks so out of place next to the extravagant decor of my bedroom.

I shudder to think about what I must look like in my robe, but Chuck doesn’t seem to mind.

He steps toward me, smiling shyly.

My wolf’s ears perk up. She doesn’t care that the rain has given my hair a straggly appearance. Or that I never pictured myself with a man like Chuck.

I take him by the hand and lead him toward the bed.

We sit down on the edge. Chuck’s ice-blue eyes meet mine, and I can tell he’s about to speak.

I lean in, stopping his words with a kiss. His lips are soft and warm, and he kisses me back gently.

My wolf is fully alert now.

I place my hand behind Chuck’s head, weaving my fingers through his long hair as I deepen the kiss.

Chuck moves in the same direction I do.

I crane my neck the other way, but we end up bumping foreheads.

I laugh as we pull away from each other.

“We both feel the mating pull,” I say. “I want you so badly.”

“Me too,” Chuck says.

“Why is this so hard for us? It’s like losing my virginity all over again.”

Chuck blushes. “Uhh… Well, actually…”

“What is it?”

“I’ve actually never…,” he says. “I’ve never…”

“You’ve never had sex?”

Chuck blushes again. “I was saving myself for my mate.”

I feel a pang of guilt at the admission of his romanticism. He’s never had sex because he’s been waiting for me.

~Whereas I took one look at him and ran straight into Xavier’s arms…~

“It’ll be all right,” I say. “I’m here now.”

I push him down onto the soft covers, then straddle him and tear off his shirt

At first, Chuck looks a little taken aback by my aggressiveness, but then he grins and pulls off my robe and nightgown too.

His eyes light up at the sight of me, and I feel a warm sensation spread through my body.

I place a hand on his manhood, a thrill running through me at first touch.

Chuck’s eyes fill with excitement as I guide him toward my wet core.

We both moan as our bodies meet, and he first enters me.

I know this should be a bigger deal for Chuck—but it’s a first for me too. My first time with my ~destined~ mate.

It really is like losing my virginity all over again.

I move my hips against him.

He begins to take control as we get into a rhythm, thrusting into me harder and harder.

He meets my eyes and places a hand between us before I guide him to my bud. He begins to move his fingers against me, and I feel building energy unlike any I’ve experienced before.

I moan in pleasure as his caresses become more intense until I can’t curb my euphoria any longer.

I shudder as I climax, and he surges into me too. A blissful smile spreads across his face as we lie together, catching our breath.

Xavier never used to care about my pleasure.

The connection I feel with Chuck is like none I’ve experienced before.

~So this is what it means to be destined mates…~

I meet his smiling eyes.

He reaches out a hand and strokes my hair. “Beautiful Moonbeam,” he says.

ALEX

When we get back to our room, Ariel drops my coat to the floor. The fire burned off her clothes, and she’s never looked sexier than she does right now.

Her hair flows down her back, pure white. It glitters as the light of the moon enters from the window. The color blends into her smooth skin that’s almost glowing with vitality.

I can’t keep my eyes off her. She looks so…powerful.

I reach out and touch her bare shoulder, and a small thrill runs up my arm like a pleasurable electric shock.

“What is it?” she says, turning around.

“You…,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You’re radiant.”

A smile lights up her face. “Am I—”

“Irresistible? Yes.”

I feel pulled toward her like a magnet, and I can’t resist any longer. I cup her chin with my hands and lean down to kiss her.

She kisses me back with passion, and, though it feels like Ariel, something has changed. There’s a spark between us—as if this is our first time touching one another.

I wrap my fingers around her waist and pull her closer. I move a hand down her stomach.

She moans as my fingers massage her glistening entrance.

I pick her up and move toward the bed. I place her on her back and climb on top of her.

She reaches up to undo the buttons of my nightshirt. I shrug it off along with the rest of my clothing.

She trails her fingertips down my chest, and every touch sends another thrill through my body.

~It’s like being touched by the divine.~

She places a hand on my member, and I feel a jolt of electricity course through my veins.

I enter her with force, and she cries out in ecstasy.

I feel light-headed as I thrust into her, the euphoria almost too much. It’s as if I’m floating on the clouds, viewing Ariel and myself from above.

She groans as I move a hand to her entrance again, her white hair floating through the air as if swept by an imaginary gust of wind.

She joins me in the sky as I journey higher and higher.

Her amorous cry pierces the air. The moon eclipses the sun as we become one. I feel myself jolt into her as we both cum.

A stronger shock than before electrifies the air, and, after a second, I feel myself come back to earth, my mind inhabiting my body once again as a gentle breeze brings us down.

I land on the bed beside my mate, having never truly left.

I roll off Ariel and look into her eyes, which are lit up with the brilliance of a flashbulb; they fade back to their usual sunflower yellow.

She looks gorgeous, but I don’t think I could handle losing this feeling of looking into her familiar eyes. They’re the one feature I could never do without.

“Ariel,” I say.

She stretches her arms and sinks into the pillow. “Yes?”

“That was…”

She grins. “Divine.”

“An eclipse,” I say. “A total eclipse.”

ARIEL

As Alex continues to lie panting at my side, I spring from the bed after a moment of stillness, too much energy coursing through my veins to pause much longer.

My powers are so inherently connected to the physical world, to my body, that having an out-of-body experience like that came as a complete surprise.

~I wonder what else I can do?~

This recent surge in my powers is a lot to process. It’s a little overwhelming.

I pad into the royal suite’s bathroom to freshen up.

The cold water feels good on my face, waking every nerve ending in my body.

I’ve never felt more alive, more sated—almost invincible.

As I blink the water droplets from my eyelashes, I’m astonished by my own appearance in the mirror.

My eyes and face shape are the only features that haven’t altered since I’ve begun healing more widely.

My hair is stark white—not the wispy color of an elderly woman, but the vibrant, bright white of the moon on a starless night.

My skin very nearly matches my hair. I’m paler than ever, and yet I feel healthy and strong.

As I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I see my skin begin to glow brighter.

The reflection blinks, and the eyes turn a silvery blue.

Then, without further warning, the reflection speaks: “You’ve done well, my child.”

I’m startled, but I manage to hold myself together as I recognize Selene’s voice.

“S-selene?”

She smiles. “Who else?”

“I thought it was—”

“You?” she says.

I just nod. The Moon Goddess and I have such a striking resemblance now that I hardly took note when she replaced my reflection in the mirror.

She chuckles. “Understandable. We’ve grown quite alike.”

“Why is that?” I’m over the shock of Selene’s sudden appearance, and I’m genuinely curious.

“It’s a consequence of our strengthening connection, Ariel. You’ve connected with me so often and so deeply lately that your outward appearance has begun to reflect your spiritual enlightenment.”

~Spiritual enlightenment?~

~I don’t feel enlightened. I’m just…healing people.~

I feel a sudden pang of doubt. “Is this…what I’m meant to be doing with my gift?”

Selene laughs. “You seem to have me confused for my sister. I believe in free will. And as I said, child…you’ve done well.”

She’s right. It’s Fate who claims I’m ~meant~ to be mated to Xavier.

The thought has barely crossed my mind when the mirror cracks.

A jagged fissure runs from the top to the bottom, sending shards of glass to the floor.

I jump back to avoid the broken pieces.

A loud screech fills my ears as the two halves of the mirror fully separate to create a gap.

“Selene?” I say.

But she’s already gone.

“You shouldn’t trust my sister, Ariel,” a voice says.

I cast my eyes around to see who’s sneering at me, and then I catch sight of her.

She emerges as if from the shadows of the fissure in the mirror and takes the place where her sister was a moment before: Fate.

The family resemblance is clear. She’s just as pale as Selene, but her eyes are dark hollows with none of the warmth of the Moon Goddess.

“You,” I say before I can stop myself. “What do you want?”

“I’ve come to help you, Ariel.” Coming from her, it sounds like a threat. “You don’t really know who my sister is. What she’s done. What she’s lied to you about…”

Fate pauses as if to gauge my reaction.

~I trust Selene! She wouldn’t do anything to hurt me…~

~Would she?~

I look Fate in her dark eyes, like infinite voids, and she smiles.

“Allow me to show you,” she says.