And that's the second update for today! I hope everyone who wanted to could find the link to the restricted part of chapter 31? Let me know if you had trouble finding it, I'm happy to help you to it. ;)

Enjoy!

Don't forget to vote.

Love,

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I wanted to move her head, sweep her hair sideways and look at her neck and shoulder very badly but refrained. I didn't want to wake her just yet, the marking process wasn't entirely over even though the marks themselves should have appeared now.

We had to seal it and then possibly bind our life forces together. Given Ams heritage neither Sammuel nor I were entirely sure if she had an immortal lifespan on her own or not. Not that it mattered much, I wouldn't want to live without her anyway so merging our life forces wasn't a hardship.

My skin was still glowing faintly with the power I was extending, it was important that I kept feeding her with it. Stimulating the feedback she was giving me, however faintly... It was what allowed her to sleep right now, effectively pausing the process for a few hours.

It was unusual that the bonding happened when one of the two was still a virgin, like with Ams, it's why I let her sleep now. I wanted her fully alert and awake for the next part and I didn't want to drain her.

That I was expending much more power then needed for this was but a small price to pay. After all, I'd pay nearly any price if it meant spending the rest of my life with her.

I smoothed my hands down her back again gently and realized she was cooling down now that she was sleeping. A blanket appeared to cover us the next instant, I didn't even have to think about it.

Satisfied with that at least, I thought of one thing I could do to ease my aching curiosity. I didn't want to move her to see the mark but I could lift my own arm to see mine.

I liked the spot she'd picked out and I doubted if I'd ever want to roll down my sleeve to cover it... Really, I could care less if the world saw, if my enemies saw or not. I was better known across the supernatural world than most, even for a member of the council.

Fascinated I stared at the marking on my wrist, surprised by the size of the mark. It was larger than usual but that wasn't unheard off when one or both partners were powerful in their own right.

At the center of my wrist a typically Aztec marking stood out, it was a depiction of the sun but the heart of it contained Tlanextic's typical upturned triangle. Instead of the typical lines and dots that usually decorated Aztec art, this sun was filled with the lines and stripes that made up the Ogham writing of my very own people.

I hadn't seen or read Ogham in so long that I had to focus to read the words. Smiling when I could decipher: trust, loyalty, love and respect. There were more and they all had to do with our personalities and our relationship. Like ribbons the words flared out around the sun, interspersed with flames and feathers.

One flame licked up sideways across my thumb and the top of my hand while feathers and Ogham writing ran across the palm of my hand. The feathers looked as if scattered on the wind and flowed with my skin while the writing seemed to lie just underneath it.

More flames, feathers and Ogham writing wrapped around my wrist and up my arm reaching till my elbow. The colors were both vivid and calming, the fire almost seemed to move and burn as if real and the lines of the sun were silvery white like the feathers and seemed to glow. Only the writing was black.

Happy and content I returned my arm underneath the duvet to wrap it around Ams sleeping form. Remembering our previous exercise I smiled as I felt my body ready itself for round two, time to wake her and finish the marking.

Just as I thought that she stirred against me and I had to a stifle a groan when she unconsciously clenched her muscles around me. At least, I think it was unconsciously but with her I was never sure...

'How are you feeling a ghrá mo chroí? I asked as I shifted my hips to make her aware of me inside her still. Although I doubted she would miss it... I just hoped she wasn't sore or hurting, I healed her as soon as I could when I took her virginity of course but this was a first for her. I didn't want her to be uncomfortable in anyway.

She lifted her head and send me a lazy smile, those sinfully long lashes of hers coming down a second, framing her topaz eyes. I swear my heart stuttered for a moment and that was a feat because it didn't really function like a normal heart in the first place.

'I feel great, you?' she replied, her voice a little husky and a lot sexy. I smirked knowing it was because of all the moaning she'd done.

'Amazing,' I replied.

'I can tell, you're glowing...' she was smirking herself as she stretched out across me like a cat, a very content cat.

Rolling my eyes at her I nodded, 'Of course, we're not done yet a rún. Besides, you are glowing too. Not tired anymore?'

'No... what do you mean not done?' she asked.

I couldn't help but tease her; 'I'm never going to be done with you Ams.' Okay so that was probably the truth, it was her that was teasing me with her little sounds, how I'd ever managed to control myself with her for so long... It was beyond me now.

She'd closed her beautiful eyes and lifted her head as she straddled me, her hair thrown back across her shoulders. It was the first time I could look at her mark and the sight made me hot and cold and very proud.

It was of course identical to mine but on her golden skin it looked breathtaking. The Aztec sun symbol was situated right at the crook of her neck above her clavicle, my favorite spot. With the flames and feathers and writing spiraling outwards around it.

Writing curved around her throat and elegantly around her ear while the flames came alive in between it. Feathers fluttering out in silver and golden streaks. One feather lay teasingly on top of the curve of her breast, a curl of black writing spelling the word love around it.

The last part was the vow, the ritual words to bind us as Mates together. They could of course be anything, as long as the intention was the right one but the vow that came to the forefront of my mind was an ancient Celtic Blood vow that my mother had taught me.

A vow that she had presided over many a time during weddings in her long years as the village Cailleach. There had been blood when I took her virginity so it was fitting in a way.

'Is tu fuil 'o mo chuislean, is tu cnaimh de mo chnaimh,' I said softly, my voice still carrying across the room as the power running between us took hold of the words. Making them binding like no marriage vow could ever be.

Ams knew what was happening the moment I spoke and echoed me, her pronunciation of the Gaelic flawless and beautiful.

'Is leatsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon,' the second line of the vow slipped from my throat a little more huskily. All I could see was her golden eyes glowing as she met mine, confidence and love clearly written on her features.

I lost track of what I was doing but it was alright, she spoke the last line of the vow as if she really did know. 'Is leatsa m'anam gus an chriochnaich ar saoghal.' Maybe more than power had been exchanged while she slept.

I repeated the last words back to her, unable to keep the smile from my face. I just had to add: 'Tá grá agam duit.'For the first time in years I felt young again, I was happier than I was on my wedding day fifteen centuries ago.

In the moments after that we were lost to each other as we made love for the second time that day. Mated in full now it was even better than before; the heat and pleasure from our joined bodies enhanced by the magic that bound us together.

Only after we lay side by side, spent, did I whisper to her the optional last part of the mating ritual. I didn't think she would decline but for some reason my stomach still clenched as if expecting rejection.

'Ams, there's one last thing we can do. We're already mated in full but it's possible to entwine our life forces together. That way you'll live and age as I do and if either of us would die we both would...

I don't want to live without you,' I added. I clenched my arm around her shoulder more tightly as I felt the force of that statement slam into me. I really did not want to go on without her by my side.

She was strong and courageous and I knew I'd made mistakes the way I'd tried to keep her from my world... Yet still she forgave me and loved me. I wasn't sure if I deserved her but I was selfish enough to know I would never let her go.

'Does that mean I get to live forever without having to do the whole vampire thing?' she asked, smiling up at me. Really those lashes should be illegal they were so long...

I chuckled and smiled in satisfaction when that made her shiver, for some reason she really loved it when I did that. 'Yes a ghrá mo chroí, we'd be entwining our souls... That is what soulmate means, we are so compatible that our very essences can be entwined. Magic of the purest kind.'

She was nodding already and sitting up, 'Tell me what to do.'

There was no hesitation, no doubt in her. I took a moment to ascertain myself of that fact but really could find non. She wanted this, she was happy even that she wouldn't have to drink blood, I'd never had a problem with it but she seemed queasy about the thought.

'Very well,' I sat up as well and turned to face her, 'Since we need to bind not just our souls but our more mortal bodies together as well there needs to be another exchange.'

Sliding closer I pulled her in between my legs, the duvet pooling around us. I couldn't get enough of the feeling of my skin against hers, she was so soft and warm...

'This once Ams, this once we need to exchange a little blood,' I tried to keep my voice gentle, I didn't want to scare her. As I spoke I held up my left hand and manifested a bowl in it, the exact one my mother used in her ceremonies.

It was red earthen ceramic with Celtic decoration's on the side, artfully made by my father himself. In my other hand I manifested the ceremonial knife and easily slit it across my palm to drip some blood into the bowl.

I heard her gasp but I hardly even noticed the slight bite of the blade, the cut almost instantly healed, leaving no trace.

'Do I need to drink that?' she asked, her voice for once timid, but the way she was jutting out her chin told me she had made up her mind and wouldn't back down.

'No, we mix it in the bowl a ghrá mo chroí,' I was powerful enough to do the binding with blood outside our bodies. I wouldn't subject her to something she obviously felt uncomfortable about, I couldn't protect her from all cruelty but this I knew she didn't have to do.

'Oh...' Bravely she held up her own hand above the ceramic bowl for me to cut with the knife.

I smiled gently as I used my powers to lift the bowl, with my now freed hand I took hold of hers. 'I'll heal you right away a rún but it will still hurt a little.'

With my right hand, the arm that bore her mark now, I brought the knife to hover right above her opened palm. Before she could back away or get nervous in anticipation of the pain, I brought the knife down in a quick but shallow stroke.

Red welled up along the slash and I gently squeezed her hand to allow some of the blood to drip into the floating bowl and mix with mine. Then I send a flash of power across her palm to seal the cut closed without a scar.

She didn't even flinch and my heart swelled in pride as she focused her golden eyes on the floating bowl. I could tell that already her own rather undeveloped powers started pouring out of her, mixing in with the blood.

I allowed the knife to disappear and focused on the bowl myself, using my own powers to finish the bond that she'd already started to form herself. Instinctively she seemed to know how everything worked.

As I finished this final binding I realized how fitting our ritual vows had been, they would fit this almost as well if not better.

When that was done I set fire to the contents of the bowl with a lazy touch of my mind. Allowing the bowl to disappear a second later. 'There... Now you are mine forever.'

I tugged her into my arms so I could hold her close, she was so small compared to me. Her bones fragile underneath her skin but I loved how she had a spine of steel, how she'd never backed down when she had decided on something.

'And you are mine too,' she said, a little defiance in her tone that warned me she didn't like it when I claimed ownership like that. She wanted everyone to know I was hers too.

I rather wanted that myself so I chuckled; 'Yes, completely and utterly yours a ghrá mo chroí.'

*~*

A knock on the door startled me awake and I sat up immediately. Around me the bed was a mess, the duvet rumpled and part of it had fallen to the floor. For some reason my pillow was there as well but that was okay. I'd been using Nathaniel's chest as a pillow instead.

He was already getting out of the bed and manifested clothes on himself the second he stepped onto carpet. Black slacks and a dark gray shirt that matched his eyes, the right sleeve rolled up to display the mark for everyone to see.

His hair was still a complete mess from our earlier activities, the thought alone made me blush a scarlet red. But he didn't seem to notice as he started across the room towards the door.

He stopped in front of it to turn and look at me, a smirk on his face.

Then clothes appeared on my own body, snug black jeans and a dark red top with a wide and low neckline so that none of the mark there was covered.

When I was dressed he nodded once and opened the door.

Jaden stood in front of it, dressed once more in an immaculate suit with a tie that matched his glowing eyes. Sunglasses covered them though as he peered around Nathaniel into the room, his gaze taking in first the mark on my neck and then the rumpled sheets.

A smirk appeared and I felt my face heat up as he puzzled together what had just taken place this afternoon. I expected a comment about it but all he said was: 'You picked a mighty good time to do that... Sammuel is back.'

Immediately Nathaniel stiffened and I felt a wave of unease roll off him before he straightened and nodded.

'Very well, where is he?' he asked, looking back over his shoulder to meet my eyes. 'Your grandfather his here Amelia.'

Shocked by that news I stumbled out of the bed, this was not happening! I'd just had mind blowing sex with my soulmate, marking each other for the whole world to see and now my grandfather shows up?

Everyone was going to know what we'd just done if they saw the mark...

I found myself frantically going through the closet, tossing clothes over my shoulders as I discarded them. Something that would cover the mark but made me look elegant too... I couldn't go around looking like I normally did when I was about to meet an Arch Angel!

Warm hands grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me back against a solid chest. 'Calm down a ghrá mo chroí, it's going to be fine. You look fine,' Nathaniel said. He was drawing me with him towards the door, obviously he thought my clothes looked just fine.

'Nathaniel!' I exclaimed, 'I'm not wearing a bra yet!' Mortified I turned when I heard Jaden burst out in laughter... Damn it! I forgot he was still there!

Nathaniel was laughing too, 'Why didn't you say so?' He snapped his fingers and immediately I felt the familiar feeling of the stupid clothing article... It was a strapless bra however so that there was still nothing covering the mark.

I started to open my mouth to say I wanted to cover it but then realized that he probably wouldn't like it. He might even feel hurt... We'd just marked each other and now I was acting as if I wanted to hide that fact. As if I didn't want him.

Coming to the conclusion that I found it more important to show Nathaniel I loved him and didn't regret this than hiding the mark from my grandfather, I turned and allowed him to lead me out the door. Jaden led the way down the stairs to a private sitting room.

Jaden knocked and then respectfully stepped aside, not entering as Nathaniel swung open the door and strode into the room. He had a tight grip on my hand and pulled me with me before I could protest and succumb to my nerves.

Sammuel stood in front of a large fireplace, his tall frame leaned against it in a show of relaxation. As if he wasn't in the least intimidated by the imposing Angel who stood on the other side of the room, taking up enough space to look towering.

The Viking-like man wore that same leather jacket covered with golden scroll work that looked so typically Scandinavian. His stance was relaxed but his blue eyes were tightly fixed on that Angel as if he was watching his nemesis.

But the other man in the room drew my eyes almost immediately. Standing in front of the windows, his back turned towards the room, all I could see was a set of large wings. They appeared to be made of light in the flickering fire.

If he spread out those wings they would span the entire side of the room, easily 20 feet. Other than that all I could see of him was the long, black hair, flowing down his back in a tight braid that nearly came to his calves. Red and gold threads woven in between and crisscrossing around it.

As we stepped into the room, Sammuel straightened and nodded at Nathaniel. He had a grimace on his face that told me he wasn't very pleased but then his eyes skimmed down over me and widened when he noticed the mark.

He smirked, a devilish glint appearing in his eyes, 'Hello my Lord.' He spoke the words carefully and they were bordering on too respectful but it was clear he was mocking my mate, teasing him.

I expected Nathaniel to say something about it, to put the Titan in his place but instead he smiled widely. 'Always good to see you Sammy.'

Sammuel laughed and resumed his easy pose, leaning against the hearth.

Nathaniel smiled down at me encouragingly and then let go of my hand. He stepped across the room in a slow confident stride and paused right next to the Angel. His shoulder almost brushing that folded back wing of light.

'Thank you for coming on such short notice Tlanextic,' he said. 'I trust my people showed you your rooms and nothing but the utmost respect?'

I couldn't tell if Tlanextic nodded or not but Nathaniel continued. 'How was the journey here?'