The Claiming (7 page)

Sasha muttered an agreement, but deep inside she was pleased that Cole showed his soft side only to her. It was like they had a secret they only shared with each other.

“I better let you go,” Dena said. “I'm sure Abby and Julie are champing at the bit to get you ready.”

They said their good-byes and Sasha turned back to her friends. “What else do I have to do to get ready?”

In hindsight, that wasn't the best question to ask. Another hour later, they'd discussed how they wanted to do to her hair, how much makeup she should wear, and if she needed shoes. Sasha didn't quite understand the shoe thing, but Abby was busy texting, and when she looked up she said no to the shoes.

When they finally let her look in a mirror, Sasha couldn't believe the transformation. The combination of the dress and the light makeup made her look different than usual. But she could see this excitement in her eyes that absolutely transformed her. Hell, she
felt
different.

“Cole is going to die when he sees you.” Julie stood behind her in the mirror. “You look beautiful. And you know what else?”

Sasha shook her head.

“I don't even have to ask how you're doing; it's written all over
your face.”

Sasha laughed at Julie's mention of the phrase she told her she wanted someone to use one day. “Thank you.”

Julie gave her a quick hug. “Are you ready? Because I think there's a certain Dom waiting for you.”

Abby and Julie led the way with Sasha following close behind. She had assumed the ceremony would be held indoors, perhaps in the library. But her two friends led her outside, where she could see what looked like hundreds of candles burning in the garden.

Abby squeezed her hand. “We're going to have a seat. Cole will let you know what to do next.”

Sasha jumped when somebody touched her shoulder.

“It's just me, little one.”

“Sir, you startled me.”

“Forgive me, that was not my intent. But I wanted us to walk out together.”

“Is there anything I need to do or prepare myself for?” she asked.

“No, little one. I would have told you.”

He knew her so well. Knew her struggles. What caused her stress. And likewise, he knew how to alleviate those stresses and struggles.

She nodded and he cupped her face, softly stroking her cheek.

“You look incredible,” he whispered. “In fact, incredible doesn't begin to touch it. I need more adjectives.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

He held out his hand. “Are you ready?”

“It seems odd, walking in together hand in hand.”

He put his hand down and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Because you're a submissive?”

Duh
, she wanted to say, but nodded instead.

“I'm sure there are a lot of people who would agree with you, and I'm not saying they're wrong. Just that for
us
, you and I, I think it works better to show that we're each equal in the relationship. More important, I want you to know that I don't view you as lesser than I. Quite the opposite, in fact. As a Dominant, I hold you and your well-being so far above my own. It's quite humbling to have you trust me so much.”

He never stopped amazing her. Just when she thought she couldn't love him anymore, he'd say something like what he just did and her heart would swell. She held her hand out. “I'm ready now, Sir.”

He lifted her hand to his lips for a quick kiss and then led the way outside.

The candles that lit the garden looked amazing, like something out of a dream. They gave just enough light for her to see the path and the smiling faces of their friends. She felt as if she were walking on air the entire way down the stone pathway to where Cole had set up a small table. Something was on it, but it was covered up with a white tablecloth.

Most shocking was Fritz, standing beside the table. She looked up at Cole, but he only winked at her.

“Cole and Sasha,” Fritz started, when they came to a stop before him. “Is it your intent to enter into a Dominant/submissive relationship?”

Cole gave her hand a squeeze. “It is.”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

Fritz stepped to the side and waved Cole to the table. She felt his absence when he dropped her hand to lift up the white cloth. Underneath was a bowl. She couldn't figure out what that was for. She'd been to a few collaring ceremonies and she'd never seen a bowl used before.

Cole took the bowl and handed it to her. She looked down into it as she took it.
Water?

What was she going to do with water? Was she supposed to drink it?

Before her, Cole simply gave her the smile that always lifted her mood and eased her fears. She was being crazy. Cole knew what he was doing. He had the entire ceremony under control. She needed to relax and enjoy it.

“Sasha, my dearest little one, when you came to me, you were frightened and unsure. There were issues in your past that clouded your vision of the future.” He took a sponge from the table and put it in the bowl. He squeezed some water out of the sponge so it was only the slightest bit damp. “You are mine now and I am the one who will carry your fears and worries, letting there be only light for your journey forward. With this water, I wash all the pains of yesterday away.”

With the gentlest touch, he ran the sponge across the bare skin of her neck and down her arms.

“The nightmares that have haunted you are gone, washed away.” He knelt down and dribbled water across her feet. “The doubts you had, the fear, and all the secret things you kept hidden in your soul. They are all gone. There is only you and you are mine.”

He stood up and took the bowl, but she could barely see him for the tears gathering in her eyes. His words healed the remaining dark spaces inside her and she knew the past wouldn't bother her anymore. She had a feeling her panic attacks were gone forever, too.

He put the bowl back on the table and took both her hands. “I vow to you today, in front of our friends that I will protect you, love you, cherish you, and pamper you.” The corner of his mouth lifted up with just a hint of smile. “I also promise to correct you when needed, push you when called for, and to ensure you never have trouble falling asleep. Knowing this, do you consent to be my submissive and to wear my collar as a symbol of my dominance?”

“Yes, Sir,” she managed to get out.

Cole nodded to Fritz and the German Dom took a pillow from under the table and placed it on the ground beside Cole.

“Though I once told you about why I would ask my submissive to kneel on rocks,” he said so low she knew no one else could hear. “Tonight it would please me more for you to use a pillow.”

When she knelt down before him, it felt right. Sure, she'd enjoyed walking in beside him and standing face to face holding hands, but it was when she knelt for him that her world felt like everything was in its place.

He briefly touched her hair, the small act filling her with even more peace. But it wasn't until she felt the collar being placed around her neck that she understood exactly what peace was. Though less than an hour had passed since he'd taken off her old collar, the feel of her new one caused her entire body to relax. And when he fastened it into place, she muttered a soft, “Yes.”

His chuckle told her she hadn't been as quiet as she thought she had.

“I'll admit,” he said, “I feel better with it around your neck as well.”

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to say anything or quote her own vows. Obviously, Cole had been planning this and would have had time to come up with something. She didn't have a way with words like he did, and she didn't think she could come up with anything meaningful on the fly. She hoped he didn't ask her to say anything.

But, of course, he knew her better than she knew herself, it seemed.

He held his hand out to her. “Come stand by my side, little one.”

She rose slowly to her feet and found herself facing Cole, once more in front of Fritz. For some reason the big German Dom didn't seem as scary when he was smiling.

“Cole,” he said, “I've known you for a long time. Probably longer than anyone here. I was with you as you discovered and defined your Dominant nature. You probably don't remember and you'll probably punch me for bringing it up, but there was a certain night when you were just starting out. We'd just finished a training session, it had been awkward, the chemistry wasn't working, the sub had left, and we were talking. You looked at me and said, ‘Fritz, one day I'm going to find the One. And everything's going to click. She won't be perfect and we know I'm certainly not. But together, we're going to be pretty damn close and when we're together, sparks will fly.'”

Cole didn't move his gaze from her as he answered, “You're right. As soon as we finish, I'm busting your nose.”

Around them, their friends laughed.

“Hold on,” Fritz said. “I'm not finished. You've had some rough times. You never quite seemed settled. I think that's why you were always off traveling the world. You thought you had what you wanted, but deep inside, your heart was still searching.”

Cole squeezed Sasha's hands.

“Sasha,” Fritz said to her, “I don't know you as well, but I know you've had some obstacles to overcome. And I know what I see before me now is a strong, independent woman who knows with her head and trusts with her heart. It's a beautiful and precious thing that you offer to my friend and I thank you for not being perfect, because he's certainly not. But together, you two are pretty damn close.

“So, Cole and Sasha, I don't have any earth-shattering words of advice. I can't promise you that life will be smooth. I can't even promise that you're going to
like
each other all of the time. But I can tell you this, those sparks? They're so bright, they're blinding. And you have a circle of friends who are delighted and honored to share in this moment with you.”

Sasha wiped a tear from her eye and she heard either Julie or Abby sniffle.

“Oh right,” Fritz said. “You can kiss now.”

Cole's lips came over hers, and she no longer heard sniffles and she was no longer aware of Fritz or the candles or anything other than Cole. He filled her and in those seconds when he held her, she knew she filled him, too.

“I love you, my Sasha.” His voice was rough and hoarse.

“I love you, Cole.”

It was only Fritz's cough that finally pulled them apart. She found herself surrounded by Julie and Abby, both of them oohing and ahhing over her collar. Nathaniel and Fritz brought out food that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Daniel passed out champagne flutes and everyone toasted them.

It was the happiest day of Sasha's life.

She took Cole's hand and was about to tell him that very thing when suddenly, everyone got quiet. She looked around, trying to find out what happened. Her gaze wandered up the path she'd walked down with Cole not long ago to find it wasn't a what, but a who.

***

“Damn it all to fucking hell and back.” Cole knew he should have stopped by Mary Catherine's house after her interaction with the women. But he'd put it off because he didn't want to see her and he knew if he went by her house, she'd get the wrong idea.

All that would have been preferable to the look on Sasha's face when she saw Mary Catherine standing at her collaring ceremony.

“Get her out of here,” Sasha said. “I won't have her spoiling my perfect day.”

But he was already walking that way. He'd pick the woman up and physically throw her out if he had to.

“I've been about as patient as I'm going to be,” he said. “But this is a private event on private property and you need to—”

She held up her hand, but that wasn't what stopped him. It was the look on her face. She looked like her world had just fallen apart.

“Let me,” she said. “Just one quick word and I'll leave you alone forever.”

He shook his head. “No, you've been nothing but rude to—”

“Let her have her say.” Sasha came up behind her and slipped her hand in his. “Go on, Mary Catherine.”

For once she looked uncertain of herself. Her eyes darted from him to Sasha to their friends behind them. “I don't . . . I mean . . .” She took a deep breath. “I don't know exactly what I just witnessed. That is, I think I know, but I'm not sure. But whatever. I know enough to know that my husband never looked at me the way you look at her. And it hit me, I can't have that with you, but I can have it with someone. I want someone to look at me that way.” She wiped away a tear. “That's all. And I'm sorry I was mean to you, Sasha. You're obviously a very special woman.”

Cole could count on one hand the number of times he'd been surprised. Interestingly enough, they all involved Sasha. But nothing surprised him more than when she dropped his hand, walked to Mary Catherine, and hugged her.

“It's okay,” he heard Sasha say. “Come have some refreshments.”

And though she tried to refuse, his little one was very persuasive. Within minutes, she had Mary Catherine drinking champagne and had introduced her to everyone.

By the time Sasha made it back to his side, the night had grown chilly. He took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders. “You leave me speechless,” he told her.

She smiled and looked across the lawn to where Julie was talking with Mary Catherine. “I felt bad for her. She lost out on you.”

He chuckled, his heart bursting with love and pride for the woman at his side. “It's true what Fritz said earlier.”

“That you're going to punch him?”

“No.” He took her hand and kissed it. Then he slowly entwined their fingers. “What he said about me being unsettled. He was right and I never realized it. I was always looking for something. Do you know that I haven't once looked into a job overseas since we've been together?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “You haven't?”

He shook his head. “No.”

It was amazing he'd never noticed it. But he no longer felt the need to travel the world. He was content—
settled
, to use Fritz's word—with his life in Delaware. Writing what he felt like, when he felt like it.

Sasha frowned. “I don't want to keep you from working.”

“It's not that, little one. It's that there is no need for me to look anymore. I found what I was searching for.” He traced her collar. The collar that represented who he was and where he came from. The one that had been handed down for hundreds of years. Perhaps because the universe knew this was the woman it was truly meant for. “You may wear my collar, but make no mistake about it. You're the one who's claimed me.”