“Imara, my dear, would you mind terribly answering the door for me? I’m afraid Shaw might pull another card if I leave,” said Thorin as he and Shaw played cards at the kitchen table. “It’s just not possible that you keep beating me every hand, you damn cheat.”

“Who in the world could that be this time of night?” asked Imara as she took off her apron and walked to the front door. “It’s mighty late for someone to come calling don’t you think?”

Thorin chuckled to himself as he drew another card then yelled out to Imara. He wasn’t able to give Imara many blessings, but he hoped this would make up for it all. “Maybe your wolf friend finally learned how to knock, sugar. He’s got awful good manners at least.”

As Imara straightened her dress, she gave her hair a shake as she walked by the foyer mirror then opened the door and gasped. “Why, hello Ben. It’s nice to see you.” 

Ben tried to control his breathing as the scent of Imara swirled around him like a tornado. “Good evening. Thorin told me I could come sit with you tonight, if you want to that is.” He looked past Imara and nodded his chin to Thorin as he peeked out from the kitchen doorway and waved.

Imara glanced back over her shoulder then licked her lips and smiled as she turned back to Ben. “He did? He didn’t mention it.”

Ben nodded and glanced away quickly. “Would you like to come outside? Or?”

Imara put her hand to her forehead as her cheeks flushed with color. “Yes, of course. I’m so sorry.” Imara opened the screen door then went outside and closed it behind her. “Umm...would you like to swing with me?”

As he looked down in Imara’s face, he got so lost in her sparkling green eyes that he forgot to answer. Imara smiled nervously while she walked to the porch swing and sat down, then Ben climbed into the seat beside her and leaned back with his arm behind her.

Taking a deep breath as she tried to find something to say, Imara rubbed her hands along her skirt. Ben glanced down to her fidgety hands and grinned at her nervousness then slid his hand on top of hers and pulled it onto his lap. 

Ben leaned into her ear. “Don’t be nervous, Imara. I just want to spend some time with you before those two change their minds.”

Imara huffed through her nose as she smiled. “I can’t hardly help it. My hearts beating out of my chest. Believe it or not, this is the first time I’ve ever been called on by a man.”

Ben lifted his arm from the seatback then slid it around Imara’s shoulder and pulled her into his side. “And it’ll be the last time because I’m going to marry you, Imara.”

She looked up in his face and bit her lip as she looked in his eyes. She wasn’t sure she heard him right, but she didn’t care. Imara just wanted everything to stay just as it was right now.

Ben looked around Imara’s face then settled on her lips. He wondered what they tasted like. They weren’t just pink like most people, they were cherry red, and Ben imagined they tasted just as sweet as the fruit that grew on the tree in their front yard. “Did you hear me? I’m telling you I’m going to marry you.”

Imara nodded slowly as she looked in his eyes. “Are you sure you mean that? Don’t you be changing your mind and breaking my heart. I don’t think I could stand it.”

Ben snorted out through his nose and he grinned. “Of course, I mean it. A man would have to be clean out of his mind not to want you.” 

Ben released her hand and gently placed his fingertips on her chin then closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers. As he pulled away, Ben opened his eyes and licked his lips. It was better than he imagined. The faint taste of sweet red wine still lingered on her and Ben decided then and there he’d keep her swimming in it forever. 

As he swept his fingertips across her cheek, Ben looked into Imara’s eyes. “I knew the minute I saw you  standing in the yard that you were mine. Things are going to change, Imara. All these people keeping you under their thumb and telling you how to live your life, that’s all over now. The only man you ever need to answer to again is me. You understand what I’m saying to you?”

Imara breathed heavy against Ben’s chest as her eyes became glassy with tears. “Yes, I understand.”

Glancing back to Imara’s mouth, Ben thumbed her bottom lip. “You mind if I do that again?”

Rolling her eyes playfully, Imara said, “I’d like that very much.”

Ben slid his hand around Imara’s head then pulled her onto his lips. As he moved slowly against her in short, soft kisses, he pulled her closer to his chest. Imara slid her hands up his big firm chest then around his neck as he gently parted her lips with his tongue. He slowly entered her mouth and explored it while she softly moaned into his.

When he finally released her, tears rolled down Imara’s cheeks. Ben looked at her with concern as he wiped them away with his thumbs. “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong, baby?”

All the years of loneliness were slipping away and it was overwhelming. Imara smiled and shook her head. “No. It was wonderful. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

Ben took back Imara’s hand and kissed her knuckle before he pulled her back into his chest. “Well, it is. You’re all mine now. So, I want to know all about you. Tell me everything.”

“From when?” asked Imara as she rubbed her cheek against the threads of his shirt.

Ben rubbed the tip of his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply like he’d wanted to do since he first caught her scent when he was riding up the driveway before he ever saw her face. “From the beginning, as far back as you can remember. I got all night.”

Imara licked the taste of Ben away from her and closed her eyes a moment so she could lock it up in her memory in case it was just a dream. “I was born in Savannah. My parents, Dot and Elsie, they were killed when I was a teenager and my brother came back from Europe to take care of me. He was a teacher there. History or something like that. Umm…he didn’t think it was safe for me there anymore because, well, he thinks the people who killed them might want to hurt us, so we move around a lot. I guess that’s pretty much it.”

“You’re a healer.” Ben said then kissed her forehead. “That’s a fairly important detail you’re leaving out. There aren’t a lot of you out there.”

Imara relaxed into Ben’s embrace finally and slid her hand onto his chest. She could feel his heart pounding under her fingertips, and it made her feel better to know she wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. “Well, I don’t have any schooling about it or anything. Thorin says I’m a white lighter, I just have the healing touch he says.” 

Chuckling to himself because a wealthy lady like Imara knew even less about the religion then he did, Ben nodded and stroked the back of her fingers. “Lady of the Light.”

Imara nodded at his words, but she didn’t really understand just wat she was. “Yes, that’s what he calls it. He said it’s in my blood.”

As he softly slid his fingertips up and down Imara’s arm, Ben said, “You’re an ancient kind of creature. You’re very special. The ladies of the light decided who got to stay or had to be reincarnated when men were struck down in battle. You can drive all the darkness out of the most terrible of spaces with just a wave of your hand. I’ve seen some of that myself, Imara.”

Imara shook her head and snickered. “No, that’s silly. I can’t do anything special. I’m terrified of my own shadow.”

“This world doesn’t bend the way the Realm does. Some powers don’t work here, but it doesn’t mean tey aren’t somewhere inside you. I never cared for learning much about the religion, but I remember when Momma told those stories. I remember thinking how beautiful the ladies must be, that they must just sparkle like glass in the sunlight. It all makes sense now.” Ben closed his eyes as he thought about Thorin’s warning and he swallowed hard to keep from choking up. 

“The warlocks hunted your kind to near extinction because they didn’t want you interfering in their plans. They didn’t like that women could undo all their works with just a touch of their hand, so they either killed you outright and made you start all over again as children or they locked you in cages until you learned to behave yourself or just faded away.”

Ben sniffed back his tears then straightened up and looked out across the dark lawn. “I suppose now I know why that story struck me so. It was you. It’s always been about you.” Ben felt like he finally understood the prophecy, why Imara was in danger. He knew if he could just keep her secret, hidden away, no one would ever come looking for her. He’d been so angry at Shaw and Thorin for keeping Imara so guarded, but now he understood it was Imara’s gift that damned her to her Fate. They’d been right all along to be so overprotective.

Imara looked up into his face and asked, “What do you mean it was me?” 

Licking his tears away, Ben shook his head. “I, I just mean why I liked the story so much. It must’ve been because I knew deep in my heart that you were going to be mine someday, even though I didn’t even know you yet. I had to know how to take care of a prize like you.”

Imara looked doubtfully over his face but then smiled. “You sure do know what to say to make a girl’s heart flutter.”

Ben put his hand on Imara’s cheek as he looked down over her. He felt like the master of all things now with her by his side. He didn’t know how empty his life had been until this moment.

“That’s how I feel every time you look at me, Imara. Every single time.” He slid his hand in hers. “It’s true what they say about you. This hand right here, it saved me. I was just living, not doing anything special, and now I have you. Now I know what I was put on this Earth for. My purpose. I could have lived another hundred or so years being miserable, but you come along now and changed everything.”

Melting into his chest, Imara rubbed her fingertips against his, even the touch of his fingers made her feel warm all through her body. 

“You know that Thorin thinks that there’s folks coming after us, don’t you? Are you sure you want to go getting yourself all mixed up in this mess?” asked Imara.

Ben inhaled sharply through his nose and nodded. “He told me everything. But you don’t need to worry, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you. They’ll have to kill me first.”