We sat down together, his arm around my shoulders, my head on his chest.

"I was so scared," I whispered. "When you didn't remember me. When I thought I'd lost you forever."

"You didn't lose me. You never could." Xavier tilted my chin up, his gray eyes intense. "Even without memories, I loved you. My soul knew you. That's what the mate bond is, Thelma. It's not just emotional or physical. It's destiny."

He kissed me gently, and I felt years of pain and fear and separation dissolve. We made love there under the stars, slowly and reverently, celebrating life and reconnection. Every touch was worship. Every kiss was a...