chapter ten

“Before I give you my answer, I need honesty from you two.” I rested my elbows on my knees as I sat forward, first looking into Ulf’s eyes before settling on Hemming because I knew Hemming had more to tell.

They were both sitting on the couch adjacent to me, sitting close enough that their thighs were pressed against each other despite having room on either side. It was obvious they were comforting each other without wanting to make it obvious.

“What do you want to know?” Ulf asked, his eyebrows slightly forward.

“Everything. Let’s start with the most basic, why me?” I asked, turning my gaze back to Ulf. “There had to have been others before me, right? I’m not the first potential mate you two were exposed to in all of these years. I’m not that naïve.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, Love,” Hemming spoke up. “Well, yes, there have been others we’ve both been attracted to. But none have survived the change as you have.”

“What… do you mean, I survived the change?” I forced out. My body froze, locking into place.
“You are magnificent, Liliana. When I found you in the water, and your eyes told me all, I knew you were it for me. I’m sorry, my water lily, I am much too selfish to have let you go that night.” His eyes were soft, but his shoulders were tense. “I breathed our life into you, and your soul accepted it.” He leaned back to rest his upper back against the couch, but his posture did not relax as his gaze was still locked on me.

“I knew the moment you didn’t run away from me after remembering our first meet,” Ulf spoke up, drawing my attention back to him. “Instead of running, you came with me to hear my story. You listened, and you accepted me. I knew right then, and there you were, my chosen mate. The only other being to not initially run from me was Hemming, which was only because he was too busy trying to fight me.” He couldn’t help the joke from slipping out, but he caught himself afterward with the clearing of his throat as one of his furred hands clawed into the couch at his side.

You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever was afraid of Ulf outside of seeing them in the window that first time. I was more preoccupied with the fact that something was watching me, and once Hemming told me to let him watch, I almost subconsciously accepted Ulf as if he wasn’t a threat despite his looks. The moment of silence allowed their words to catch up, and the realization hit me.

“Am I still human?” My voice was small, barely even above a whisper.

“No,” Ulf spoke up. “Once your soul accepted it, you bonded with it. You are no longer human. You are much more now. You are a protector, like us.”

“Were you ever going to let me go?” My voice was a little stronger now.

“No,” Hemming said. “No, my water lily. We were never going to let you go. We will respect whatever kind of relationship you wish upon us, both Ulf and me. But the second your soul accepted, you were ours to keep. So if you do not want to be in a relationship with either of us or both of us, we are willing to leave you this house or build you another on the island. However, we will never let you go. The magic now running through your veins entwined with your essence would never allow it. Not even to let a mortal wound separate us.”

“What?” My back flew backward to hit the back of the couch, and my fists clenched tightly at my sides. “Are you saying I am not only stuck here with you, but I can’t even die?”

“Oh no, you could still die. But it will be just much harder now. We would have to be out of the picture, in a sense,” Hemming shrugged, looking off to the side with a small smile before turning his attention back at me, “for that to happen.”

So this was my destiny now. Forever bound to them. But is it such a bad thing? I mean, yes; I wasn’t consciously aware of the acceptance my soul had given them, and we would definitely need to talk about what counted as consent. But in my short time with them, they gave me nothing but love. They showed me such a comfy new way of life. Not only that, they did what they could to protect me, not only from my past and from others but even myself. They took the reins of my shattered life and hid me in their nest.

So was it a bad thing that I’m forever stuck here with them? Not really. In fact, it is more of a relief because if I am stuck here with them, they’re stuck here with me. They can never leave me. They would never leave me. They already said there had been no others before me, at least not in the same way. So it is flattering they chose someone as fucked up with riddled trauma and baggage as I am. And it wasn’t just like a destiny thing. There was no higher power being or fate that chose me for them. They chose me.

I don’t know why I am still thinking about this. I have already decided on the beach precisely what I chose. I wanted them. I really wanted them. I have never felt so seen, loved, and cherished as I do with them.

“Okay.” I swallowed hard. “I’m willing to see where this goes. As long as you continue being honest, I will accept being your mate.”