Scarred

Chapter 22: Now and Forever

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Lucienne gently disengaged from Michael's mind and opened her eyes after giving him a mental hug. He needed a few minutes to sort through the memories, just as she had, and her presence would only distract him at this point.

I'm sure he'll be a hell of a lot faster than I was, she thought to herself. Not only is he way more experienced with all this mental ability stuff, he only has to sort through a few decades, rather than four plus centuries of memories. It's probably going to be child's play to him, relatively speaking, she thought to herself, admiration welling up in her for her Ruach.

She smiled, realizing that was the first time the term had come naturally in her thoughts, and she liked it. She moved slightly and put her hand on Michael's bare chest, feeling the slow beat of his heart. He was so surprised when he found out that vampires weren't the undead as he'd always believed, she thought to herself, his memory floating to the surface of her mind. Gilbert had calmly explained what was fact and what was fiction regarding vampires, and then given him a number of books to read.

One of the benefits of all this is that I won't have to spend so much time reading, researching and learning about all this. I already did it as Michael. Seems like he doesn't get as much as I do out of the bargain, though, she thought with a frown, which suddenly turned into a soft smile when she realized that Michael wouldn't see it that way at all. No, my sweet vampire will probably feel like he has the easier task not having to assimilate so much, and will try to help me as much as he can to make up for it.

Her smile grew, and she mentally sent thanks to whatever deity or spirits had brought her and Michael together. She felt beyond blessed to have him. There was no doubt he was fully capable of being a cold and implacable enemy, but when he loved, he loved fully, deeply and reverently. She only hoped she would always be worthy of his love.

Her thoughts drifted to the upcoming completion of the bonding and she felt anticipation rise up in her. The process wasn't just a simple blood exchange along with sex. Oh no, it was much more than that. The bonding required them both to completely open their minds to one another, no holding back, neither of them hiding one moment of their thoughts, feelings or experiences during the entire process. She was a little relieved the memory exchange had happened before all of that since it helped her not only understand what was to come, but also had built trust between both of them.

It hadn't been easy watching Michael experience her life. I mean seriously, most of us avoid talking about certain things, much less sharing the entire experience. I can only imagine what he must have been feeling when I was living his life. She shook her head in wonder over the man.

She was surprised that she actually was feeling excited at the idea of being so open, now. The prospect that Michael would feel all her emotions for himself had her wondering if just maybe it would put the final nail in the coffin of his uncertainty about her. Not that she blamed him in the slightest for his doubts and fears. After living his life, she'd gained a lot more understanding of his moments of hesitation with her.

It wasn't nearly as simple as the straightforward romantic rejection she'd thought was at the root. While he had more than his share of that, much worse had been when a number of his Pledged, people that he'd cared for, had turned away in fear, horror and revulsion when he couldn't heal to perfection and ended up scarred.