Page 189 of Tamed By Her Touch

“The Vow of the Goddess predates the Great Accord,” he explained, his voice carrying through the garden. “Its earliest form was spoken during the darkest period of our history, when males feared the violence within themselves and females feared the males they loved. Over the centuries, the words changed, but their meaning remained. A male who speaks this Vow does not surrender his strength. He promises that he will use it to protect his goddess.”

Kaelus looked at Clair and saw that she was watching him intently.

Varell continued.

“Doctor Kaelus, if you choose freely to speak the Vow, kneel before your goddess.”

Kaelus lowered himself to one knee—the position put him almost level with Clair.

A flicker of surprise crossed her face, probably because she was so accustomed to looking up at him, and then she gave him a tentative smile.

Kaelus found himself memorizing every detail…the faint freckles across her nose…the curve of her cheeks… the green fabric framing the generous swell of her breasts…the tiny crease between her brows that appeared whenever she was trying not to become emotional. He took it all in—he never wanted to forget this moment.

Varell spoke again.

“Offer your hands,” he ordered.

Kaelus held them out and Clair placed her much smaller hands in his.

The moment their skin touched, the Bond surged again and Kaelus felt warmth, desire, and love flowing between them. If this kept up, Clair was certain to know what he was hiding.

He forced himself to clamp down hard and strengthen the mental barrier between them.

Clair frowned faintly—a look of confusion on her lovely face—but she said nothing.

Varell spoke again.

“Speak from your heart, Kaelus,” he said. “The words are yours.”

Kaelus had memorized the formal Vow, but now it seemed inadequate.

So he spoke the truth instead, knowing it would be his only chance to do so.

“Clair Donovan,” he rumbled, “I give you my strength—not so I may rule you, but so I may stand between you and anything that would cause you harm. I give you my hands to hold you when you need comfort, to care for you when you are weary, and to catch you whenever you insist on climbing shelves which are clearly too high for you.”

A ripple of laughter went through the small gathering and Clair smiled.

“You just had to put that in there, huh?” she murmured. “This is supposed to be romantic, you know.”

“I know,” Kaelus said. “I am attempting to ensure your continued survival. That’s romantic.”

She shook her head, but her eyes were shining.

Kaelus tightened his hands around hers.

“I give you my body, not as something I expect you to accept, but as something that belongs to you if you freely choose it. I will never take from you what you do not willingly give, and I will never use my size, my strength, or my desire to silence your wishes. Your body is yours, Lissa’ra. Your choices are yours. They will remain yours for as long as I live.”

Clair’s smile disappeared and emotion filled her face.

Kaelus nearly stopped. Yesterday he had violated those very words. The virus had controlled him, but his hands had still held her down. He had still forced her onto his mating fist while his fangs had pierced her throat.

I don’t deserve her!

His voice roughened but somehow he continued.

“I give you my protection, though I know you are strong enough to protect yourself,” he said. “I give you my care, though I know you are capable of caring for yourself. I give you my counsel when you ask for it and my silence when you do not. I promise that your voice will be heard beside mine and never beneath it, because loving you does not make you lesser and caring for you does not give me the right to control you.”

A tear slipped down Clair’s cheek.