and not be late for their own bonding ceremony. Without a shadow of a doubt, Flo would march into that shower and drag them out. They managed to keep it down to long shared looks and little touches as they prepared. Baer didn’t have any fancy clothes, but he grabbed his nicest pair of jeans and a hunter-green polo shirt. Wiley looked dapper in a pair of navy slacks and a white oxford.
Downstairs, they found the other Weavers waiting, and to his shock, all had cleaned up as much as they could under the time constraints. Clay and Dane were dressed similarly to Baer, while Lucien and Grey were actually in suits.
Lucien adjusted his tie and winked at Baer. “My bonding ceremony is going to be fabulous.”
Grey snorted beside him. “You’ll be lucky if your bonding ceremony isn’t in the middle of a fight with the pestilents.”
The family room had become a bower of blooms. Now he understood Flo’s muttered remark. Baer couldn’t guess at where all the flowers had come from, but this was what he got for asking a goddess to decorate for him. It was an explosion of scents and colors. The air was thick like a hothouse.
Even Dane was rubbing his eyes. “My sinuses are going to be a mess for days,” he muttered.
Clay leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple. “We’ll move everything outside after the ceremony.”
Slender fingers slid across Baer’s palm and threaded with his own. Baer looked down to find Wiley staring up at him with such a look of joy and love, it took his breath away.
“You sure you want to do this? The binding is forever. You’ll be stuck with me,” Baer said in a rough voice.
“Sounds kind of like heaven to me. Let’s do this.”
Together, they walked past the men who’d become his family and stood in front of the three goddesses. Baer lifted up their joined hands, and Willie solemnly wrapped them together with a delicate fabric that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow in the fading sunlight.
All three goddesses took hold of their arms while also touching the binding cloth. In a low, melodic voice, Willie chanted something he couldn’t understand. The voices of the sisters flowed in like the evening tide, rising and wrapping around them in a sinuous dance. It was beautiful and electric. Energy crackled lightly in the air, lifting the hair on the back of his neck.
Wiley gasped as a light glowed around them. A swell of warmth grew within Baer from where their hands were joined and then flowed into Wiley’s body. The power shifted and moved between them. Each time, it brought more emotions from Wiley. Deep love, happiness, devotion, concern, determination, loyalty. It was overwhelming. Baer blinked away tears and he found answering tears shining in Wiley’s eyes.
The chanting wound to a halt, and Baer exhaled a deep sigh of relief.
A bubble of laughter broke from Wiley, and he tossed back his head on a gasp. “I can feel your emotions.”
“What do you feel?” Baer murmured, soaking in every ounce of Wiley’s joy.
“Love. Beautiful, perfect love.”
Leaning down, Baer captured Wiley’s lips in a sweet, drugging kiss. The world was on the cusp of falling apart, but he would treasure this moment for the rest of his days. He had his Wiley. Together, they’d be able to conquer whatever the pestilents threw at them and more.
Chapter 23
Baer couldn’t believe Wiley was really his. They stared at each other from across the bedroom, and the soft smile on Wiley’s face warmed Baer’s entire body.
“You’re happy with this?” Baer asked even though he could feel Wiley’s joy, thanks to their new bond.
“Couldn’t be happier. You?” Wiley took a step toward him.
“It’s a dream come true. I wanted you before I knew you were my soul mate, but this is like icing on an already perfect chocolate cake.”
Wiley came up to him and wrapped his arms around Baer’s neck. He stared at him for the longest time, his gaze roaming over Baer’s face. “I just can’t believe this. I hoped with everything in me, but I honestly felt you deserved someone who’s not so broken.”
Baer’s heart turned over. “You’re not broken. You’re you, and that includes the illness. I’m sorry you suffer from it, but it’s a part of who you are to me, and I love you. All of you.”
“I love you, too.” Wiley slipped his hands down to the two buttons of Baer’s shirt and started undoing them. He