Free Portal to Passion by Tara Nina Page B

lowering her voice so that only Deveney could hear. “Maven asked me to watch over you.”
    “Y-you know Maven?” Deveney stuttered on a hushed breath.
    “Maven and I are sisters.”
    A sigh of relief escaped. Her death grip on the blanket lessened. A common element she could grasp stood within her reach. Maven had a sister. Were they alike? Did she possess a magical gift similar to Maven’s?
    “Are you a magi?”
    “No,” Nona explained with a smile. “All Morphionians are born with magical powers, but only one every few centuries or so are born to become a magi.” The older woman’s shoulders lifted and her chin tilted with pride. “My sister, Maven, born of the Bjorn clan has proven to be our most powerful magi of recorded history. She sent you to us and it is my honor to comply with her wishes and teach you the ways of our people.”
    “Have you been in contact with her? Did she tell you what I’m supposed to do here so I can go home?”
    “Yes to both questions.”
    Before Deveney asked anything else, Nona flipped the blanket from her hands and tossed it to the foot of the bed, out of Deveney’s reach. Naked and cold, she did her best to cover herself with her hands, then grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight, afraid Nona would take that too.
    “Ah, I see it was a ripe mating.”
    Deveney followed Nona’s gaze and gasped at the blood smeared on the sheets and blanket. She swallowed hard, clawing at the pillow for support. The sight of a thin layer of dried blood on the insides of her thighs made her stomach tumble. She couldn’t help but stare at the dark-red stain. Heat filtered into her cheeks. She couldn’t look at Nona, not with the evidence that she’d had sex with Tor so blatantly obvious stained on the sheets.
    Nona brushed the hair back from Deveney’s face, cupped her chin, then gently tugged her head upward. A soothing comfort seemed to penetrate her soul through Nona’s motherly gaze.
    “Deveney, I have helped three of my four daughters through the mating ritual. Do not be ashamed of what happened between you and Tor. Take pride in it and enjoy the sensations shared between mates. The Morphionian mating ritual is passionate and can be a bit rough, especially for a virgin. You are not Morphionian. That is why there is so much blood. Your body conformed to accommodate Tor and thus may have torn. Come.” She urged Deveney to the edge of the bed. “Let’s get you cleaned up before Tor returns.”
    “Mate—mating ritual.” Deveney shook her head.
    “Yes, honey. The mating ritual has started between you and Tor. Your chakras have blended.” Nona closed her eyes for a moment, inhaled deep, and released the breath on a heavy sigh before returning her gaze to Deveney. “It’s a strong mating at that. Your scent reveals to me that your magic has melded. Two have become one, strong and unbreakable bond.”
    Deveney’s mind whirled. Dumbfounded, she followed Nona’s lead, slid from the bed and let the woman guide her across the room to an archway she hadn’t noticed. But then again, she wasn’t looking at anything but Tor’s cock earlier. Maven’s words rose to the forefront of her mind.
    Find the animal you touched that sent you through the mirror. Find your lifemate.
    She hadn’t even looked for that animal, not that it made any sense. What did an animal have to do with her finding a mate? Hell, she hadn’t done anything but fuck Tor’s brains out since she’d arrived. She shot a sideways glance at the woman who held her hand and led her into the most beautiful bathroom she’d ever seen.
    Gorgeous white marble tile covered the floor and walls. Animal carvings were placed strategically around the room. Two large bear statues stood on either side of the toilet, giving it privacy from the rest of the room.
    A sunken tub the size of an indoor swimming pool ran the length of the right side of the room. A wall of stained-glass windows stood as the backdrop for the oversized tub.