Soul Keeper - Phoenix's 23rd Birthday

Phoenix's POV: !1 year after running away!

I could always tell when Jasper was within a few miles of my camp. His scent got stronger the more time we spent together. I think I had accepted him as my mate at some point, which helped me pinpoint where he was more easily.

I eventually got curious and found out that he had been driving up to a trail a few miles from my camp, parking his bike, and walking the rest of the way to my camp. I wondered why he didn't drive all the way to my camp.

I knew he could make it, but I never questioned it. 

He sat beside me by the fire, putting his arm around me for the first time. I whipped my head up, looking at him as jolts of electricity flowed between our touch.

Our eyes connected, and I could tell he was feeling it, too. My heart swelled with excitement.

"Happy Birthday, little witch," he said with a smile, handing me a small box wrapped in shiny purple paper. 

"Wait, how did you know? Wow, I hadn't even remembered. Are you sure?" I rushed out quizzically.

"I'm sure. I had a dream several nights ago. I thought it strange and didn't think much of it until I had it repeatedly. I think your wolf passed the information to me," he said with a smile. 

Wait, he knew about my wolf?

I hadn't shifted in front of him.

I had only shown him my powers, and even then, I never spoke of Nat being involved in any of it. Apparently, my attempt to keep some things from him didn't work.

I looked down at the box and then back up at him.

Was he watching me when I didn't know?

That doesn't seem right, I would have smelt him.

Did he have some sort of ability he didn't tell me about and knows more about me than I realize? 

"You mentioned I was your mate. I knew you were a wolf the first time we met little witch. I may not be a wolf, but I know werewolves are real and have mate bonds. I have connections with most of the Wolve territories and packs. Witches and warlocks have bonds, too; we just don't refer to them as mates," he said as if he knew what I had been thinking.

I groaned with embarrassment at the memory of my naked self, throwing a fit about having a second mate. 

"Why didn't you ever ask me about it or say anything? You didn't have to bring me a gift either. That was very sweet of you, Jasper," I said, slightly frowning, staring at the box while leaning into him slightly.

The electricity between us still existed, but it was now more calming and understanding, bringing my heart rate down and at ease. 

"You were very... well... skittish when we first met. I didn't want to push you. Plus, it didn't really matter to me either way. I found my soul keeper, and I was just happy to be around you, honestly," he said with a small laugh, squeezing my shoulder and bringing me closer.

I tilted my head up to look at him. "Soul keeper?" I asked curiously.

"Soul keepers are our version of a mate." His voice was confident.

"Mmmm," I hummed. I was enjoying how his fingertips glided up and down my arm so naturally while you continued his explanation.

"They aren't as common in our community as within the wolving community. We often fall in love and marry just like any normal human does, but on rare occasions, some people find their soul keeper. I knew my prominent gift was only matched with the rarest of gifts, so I didn't really hold out any hope of having a soul keeper, you see; I thought the internal flame didn't really exist outside of books and old tales. Many witches and warlocks have the gift of flame, but yours is special; you have the internal flame. Much the same as me, who has the gift of internal earth magic, fueled only by the internal flame." he explained this like it was any other Tuesday, and I sat there in awe, staring at him, my mouth gaped open like a lovesick puppy.

Nat ran wild circles in my mind, panting and howling at his revelations and openness. 

"Well, I ... so I'm your soul keeper? Did you know when you met me? How come you didn't say anything? Why are you telling me this now? I can't believe in 23. This is wild. I didn't think you knew anything. I've just been out here pretending I haven't been obsessed with how you smell and what you do to me and-" I couldn't tell you how long I babbled on nervously.

I'm not sure how coherent I was either but before I knew it, his lips were on mine.

Oh, Goddess, our lips were on fire. I mean, actually on fire. This time, I wasn't the scared girl running to the bathroom to put out her flames.

No, I welcomed the flames, and so did he. He pulled me closer, his hand on the small of my back, pinning my frame against his, as steam rolled off our lips.

Our tongues rejoiced in the slick, tantalizing friction that existed between us for the first time. 

My hips pushed towards him, needing more, wanting more as his hands gripped my waist, pulling me up into his arms. I wrapped my legs around him as we gave into this newfound understanding of what we were and meant to each other.

I finally pulled away after what felt like an hour of his lips captivating my own.

His lips were swollen, as I only imagined mine were the same. They were tingling and still slightly on fire until he clenched his hands together, resting the flames from my lips into silence.

The smile that sprouted on his face increased my heart rate dramatically.

"I knew you were my soul keeper," he explained as he sat me down, "but I could also feel your brokenness, a void that I knew I couldn't fill. I cut off our emotional and internal connection the second I recognized your state of mind. Don't worry, little witch, it was temporary," he said once again like he was reading my thoughts.

"Some of it did seep through when we practiced magic together, but I let you move towards your conclusions on your own. Based on how you were feeling before, I knew you needed that power. Now go on and open your gift," he said calmly. 

"Thank you," I whispered.

I am grateful for the knowledge, openness, and understanding he provided me, and of course, for this cute little box wrapped in shiny purple paper that I knew gave significance to my magic.

After melting the wrapping paper away, I opened the tiny box, which he grinned at.

I stood there confused, looking at the simple purple key shining back at me. 

"You can't live in a small yurt in the middle of the woods forever, little witch," he responded to my obvious confusion as I pulled the key from the box, holding it in front of me like it was infected with some sort of disease.

I tilted my head, looking at him before he scooped me up and brought me into the yurt.

He lay there next to me, holding me for the first time. It felt like home—correction: He felt like home. 

"There is so much I want to tell you, little witch, but first, I want you to come home with me. I miss you when you're gone, and my coven is growing suspicious of me leaving for several hours daily. I have an extra room, so calm down. I'm not asking you to marry me. Just that I want you to live... closer," he said with ease, rubbing my arm softly to calm my obvious anxiety.

I sighed; like I said, he always knew what to say. 

"Coven?" I asked curiously. His smirk was so proud and excited that I turned to him, ready to listen to everything he had so eagerly waited to tell me.