Page 47 of An Anomaly of Sunlight

“The lake, it’s beautiful.” Propping my front legs up on the balustrade, admiring the cerulean and lavender shades of the water, the breeze whispers through my fur. “The crystalline waters. Appearing only to mate bound pairs on a full moon.” Skyler explains as I add a hind leg to the thin surface, precariously balancing. Using my hind legs, I push off the railing, landing unceremoniously beside Skyler.

He is stunning in this form. The varying shades of browns in his fur make the green in his eyes stand out. They hold a distinctly human expression; pride mixed with desire. “There’s not a scene in the heavens or earth that could compare to your beauty, Sunlight. Human and wolf alike.”

Butting my head against his shoulder, I drop my front half down, wiggling my tail back and forth. “Race you, handsome!” The grass is springy beneath my paws, wind refreshing against my face as I dart to the water’s edge. My paws hit the reddish silt, and I release a victorious bark to the moon.

“Hah! —” My gloating is cut short as Skyler barrels into me, knocking us both to the ground. Rolling until I come out on top, I lick his nose with a playful smirk.

“Our ceremony?” I ask, peering out across the vibrant lake. Skyler moves, both of us pushing into a sitting position. “Only if you’re ready.” Vigorously lifting my head up and down, I make my intentions clear. “I don’t want to be apart, Sky. You are so deeply embedded in my heart, I’m not sure I can bear being without you.

“If that’s what you want,” I add, searching his eyes.

“There is nothing I want more. You are the air in my lungs, the beat of my heart. I exist to love you.” We stand, answering the beckoning call of the water. Just as it gently ripples at my paws, Skyler explains the ceremony.

“Once we drink the water, we will be allowed to breathe under the surface. From what I’ve been told, one of the stones will glow brighter than the others and touching it will transfer its magic onto our skin.”

Nodding, I lap at the surface, the water cool and sweet against my tongue. Skyler follows suit before wading into the depths. The prismatic surface cracks like glass around him as he dips under the water. Gliding underneath, I find him waiting in his human body.

“We need to be in this form for the marks to appear. Focus your mind on your human form and will your shape to change.” With a nod, I shut my eyes and suck in a breath, still in awe of breathing underwater. Already the transition comes more easily to me. Limbs shrink, ears fading into the waves of my hair.

Opening my eyes, the bottom of the lake is littered with sparkling stones. I realize with a hitch in my breath this is what my necklace is made of. “Moonstones,” Skyler gestures. “Only wolves can see their true luster. They appear more like a pearl to everyone else.” The stones are gorgeous, and this is surreal — a watercolor fever dream. A fantasy realm.

The iridescent stones cast their glow along the curves of Skyler’s body. Hues of blue, green, and lavender paint across his skin, highlighting the muscles along his arms and abdomen. My eyes glide down greedily, reminiscing on our time in Vrynthis. I raise my sight, catching his gaze through hooded eyes.

His eyes devour my body with the same smoldering desire. “Once we find our stone, we will accept the bond verbally,” he says, voice husky. That same seductive tone slips into my mind, “Then I’ll take you to my bed to accept physically.”

I thank the Goddess we’re underwater as arousal ignites my core. “Well, we better hurry up and find this stone, then.” With a groan, he dips lower in the water, tugging me down by my wrist. I scan the floor of the lake, not seeing any particularly bright stones. “How far does a pair typically have to go to find their stone?”

Skyler opens his mouth to respond, but I gasp, throwing out a hand in his direction. “Wait, there!” Nestled just below the muddy lakebed, a sliver of lavender light leaks out; the refraction so bright it almost appears solid. Diving down, I gently brush the mud away, freeing the stone and taking it into my palm.

Its surface ripples with otherworldly colors. Turning to face Skyler, I proudly present him with my finding. Eyes glowing, he doesn't speak a single word. Yet I can see the future he promises in his devoted expression. Placing his palm atop the stone, his thumb grazes mine, the touch feather light.

“I, Skyler Ashford, accept you, Amethyst Owens, as my Goddess given mate.” The stone vibrates between our palms, and despite the water surrounding us, I feel the ghost of a tear slip down my cheek. With contentment in my veins, I repeat the words. “I, Amethyst Owens, accept you, Skyler Ashford, as my Goddess given mate.”

With the acceptance spoken, bands of color snake out of the stone and wrap along our skin. The sensation is like a paintbrush. I can’t help imagining the Goddess herself painting us as if she created wolves as her canvases. The bands wrap around Skyler’s left hand and wrist, settling into the shape of a sun, wispy tendrils of light licking up his arm.

A smile stretches across my face as I stare at his new iridescent ink. Once the feeling of the brush strokes fade, I tilt my chin down to see my chest.

An awed “Oh” slips past my lips, catching sight of the remarkable, feathered wings that stretch from shoulder to shoulder. Skyler brushes the fingertips of his sun-infused hand across the wings, the contact exhilarating.

“Beautiful,” his voice is a whisper, “and mine.”

Thirty-Two

Amethyst

We race back to the balcony in our wolf forms. I’m unsure if I’ve completely shifted back before Skyler’s lips are on mine. His hands glide over my body slowly, savoring every curve. We have a full cycle of the moon to complete our bonding, but I sure as fuck don’t want to wait a second longer. Skyler is mine. I’m desperate to be claimed by him. To feel his knot.

Sensing what I need, his hand slips between my thighs. A whimper crawls up my throat as his fingers part my folds. Adjusting my stance to give him more space, he dips inside. One, then two. Not enough. “Skyler, I need more.”

With a low growl, his fingers retreat. The loss of pressure is like a physical wound. He lifts me from the backs of my thighs, and I wrap my arms around his neck to help pull myself up. He leans close enough that I feel his breath against my ear. “Take all of me, Sunlight.”

My fingers fist into his hair as I imagine the various ways I can do just that. Skyler walks us to the bed without bothering to slide the patio door closed. He lowers us until my back hits the mattress. “What do you need, Amethyst?” With a hand on each side of his face, I pull his head down until our noses brush.

“I need you to fuck me. I don’t care how.” I downright demand, staring into the depths of his eyes. The head of his cock pushes against my entrance sending a jolt of excitement through me. Pleading with my eyes for more, he obliges — with a punishingly slow pace.

“Please.” I whine. He takes a nipple between his tendril inked fingers. My mouth falls open as he pushes all the way inside. My head falls against the mattress. The sensation of him gliding in and out of me overwhelms me in the best way. Closing my eyes, I lose myself to get lost in the pleasure.

His thumb circles my clit. My eyes flash open at the jolt of the new sensation. “Look at you,” Skyler pauses, still buried deep, “my beautiful, perfect mate taking me so good.” I prop myself up on my elbows to look between us. A moan slips past my lips as I watch him disappear inside me.