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But not for you…, a small voice whispered It would weaken hiic

Thousands of you, Scribe One of her

She turned to hier lips, delving in to taste and tease She responded by pulling hi her body to his in the s where she touched it More He had to have more of her Malachi pulled off his shirt and hers until their bodies were pressed together He’d never felt asp Protecting Ava was imperative He knew she was the key And as her th

"Malachi?" She sat up, her hair spilling over her shoulders in the low light

"Wait here I’ll be right back" He whispered a kiss across her mouth before he stood and walked downstairs, all the way to the old rug shop He walked past the showroo into the back room where they stored the new pieces for shipment and also the tools to do repairs

There, on the workbench, he found what he was looking for He grabbed the dye and then looked for a brush but couldn’t find one Just then, he spied a child’s painting in the corner, sitting on top of a s it, he saw a mess of watercolor paints and… He smiled A brush Not the best quality to touch his mate’s skin, but it would have to do Someday, they would complete the ritual, then he would brush her skin with sable and decorate her fro, so he grabbed the vegetable dye and the child’s brush before he headed back upstairs

When he entered their s in bed with a frown on her face

"Where did you go?"

He placed the brush and dye on the side table and knelt beside her "I ere not here I ere someplace beautiful where I could stand with you beforeyou mine"

Her eyes filled with tears, but they didn’t look sad "Malachi--"

"I can’t do that, Ava But I want you to knoould I will, someday And before another hour passes, I want to say the words I can Words that will ers up her bare spine "Write on your skin the spells that will bind us together" His fingers reached the nape of her neck as he bowed his face and kissed over her heart "Will you let ht?"

"Right now"

"Your… mate?" She still hesitated at the word, but Malachi smiled

"Yes"

"Forever?"