The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 169

Sixty-Two: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

It had been the longest day of my life.

I had tried to build a wind barrier down the center of the room to prevent Blanche's voice from reaching me, but a sharp jab from Cyrus's elbow made me drop it. Tobias slammed the spell caster into the wall, and Aurora had to separate them because I was too shocked to do anything but watch.

It was officially the most turned-on I had ever been, seeing him acting so protective and possessive over me. He was like my personal bodyguard, and I had quite a few fantasies I could make into reality.

I would have jumped him during our lunch break if we didn't have an audience in the room. But everyone had their food brought to us and stayed to continue working. Killian was the only one not present, and that was because he had a to-do list longer than the hallway.

Charlie and Damien were in his office, helping him, and I hoped they were catching up and bonding. That relationship needed a little extra focus, but it was their business. I had said my peace with Charlie already.

Aisha and Margot acted very civilly, and I think it was because their hatred for Blanche was strong enough to give them a common enemy. It made me feel good to know they didn't hate me as much as I thought they did. Or at least, they didn't hate me as much as they hated Blanche, and that was something.

The girl had rattled on about everything from her morning before she joined us at breakfast to every fun and historical fact she could think of for each location Cora was popping around to. It made sense now why she stayed in the city and worked in real estate. The woman was book-smart, and I suspected that she had a photographic memory with how she was reciting information like an encyclopedia.

"This was where the war of 2042 started. I read that they had lost over fifty­thousand humans in this first battle. It really is a shame that they couldn't get their act together and be a united front. They just had to let their government get in their heads and turn them against each other. If I were there..." Blanche rattled on, and I rubbed my fingers in small circles on my temple.

She was annoying as hell but also very helpful. Every place Cora had gone to had one type of historical event or another happen there. It was the only connection we had found so far. But even the kind of events didn't align. Some had mass deaths; others didn't have a single one.

But a quick search found that there was always something document worthy in the history books or online.

Tobias slid behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. They overlapped, his palms flat on my sides as his thumb rubbed in soothing circles. I could feel his heartbeat against my back, and I leaned into him as my exhaustion caught up with me.

"You two are just the cutest! When I heard that you had been able to mark him, I just knew that the Goddess had her hand in it. There was no way the mark would have stayed if you weren't mates. Witches have never been able to mark another species before." Blanche said, her eyebrows raised as she stared at us with doe eyes and a goofy smile.

"We are mates." I snapped. I may have been his chosen mate, but we were mates nonetheless, and my short temper with her today didn't allow me to hear her compliment for what it was.

"Oh, I know. I just meant that maybe you didn't feel the fated mate bond because you're not a wolf or Lycan, but that doesn't mean that you weren't fated to be together. Wasn't he the one who found you all those years ago? I remember you showing up here with me. I was so excited there would be another girl in our age group for training, but then they said you were a witch and had to train with Talia. You never left Tobias's side whenever you were out of that castle." Blanche sighed dreamily as she looked over her shoulder to where a tense Cyrus was hunched over the table, staring at the map.

Even he had looked like he wanted to snap at her to shut up a few times. But he was a good man, and even though he was hurting and on the verge of taking it out on someone else, he refused to let that person be innocent, little Blanche.

"The Goddess works in mysterious ways. Perhaps Blanche is onto something. Lycans have difficulty finding fated mates they have for decades, but maybe it's because their mates aren't always the same species?" Aurora offered as she winked encouragingly at me.

I wasn't sure she knew Tobias already had a mate before me. If she did, she probably wouldn't be saying that.

I remembered the voice in my head during our bonding ceremony, telling me to bite him. It was so distinct, so mesmerizing.

’I've always said I didn't believe there was one mate for everyone. Who's to say that each person can't have multiple mates? Maybe they just haven't realized it because other species don't feel the bond." Aurora raised her eyebrows at me in a knowing glance that had my hands over Tobias's forearms tightening.

When she spoke again, I felt my chest fill with hope. "I have always felt a pull to Henry, but his beast recognized the mate within his own kind. Even after he left me and began a life with her, that pull to him never went away. My love for him never lessened. Having him with me again only confirms that while I may not have been his match as a wolf, our souls have always been entwined."