ROMANCE: BBW PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Bear Prince’s Witch Bride (Bear Shifter Royalty Military Arranged Marriage Romance) (Paranormal Alpha Male Fantasy Romance) by Liza Lightwood Page B

that Kole’s shirt has slashes and holes all throughout, so there is one less barrier between us.
    “I almost lost you,” he whispers into my hair, kissing the top of my head affectionately. I curl into him and allow the warmth of his body to seep into me. As a mermaid I am cold blooded. Vampires are more coldblooded than most, but their body temperature is still rather warm in comparison to ours. And after they feed on human blood, which they do only a few times a year, their body temperatures rise exponentially.
    I almost forgot about the other presence in the room and I turn to Domino. “Honey, are you all right?” I ask, looking into her nearly black eyes. Her dark brown hair falls over her face and she nods. She will undoubtedly be scarred by this situation, but at least we are all alive.
    “I heard him say that he doesn’t like mirrors, so I went and found one,” she says. I guess it distracted him long enough to save you,” she smiles.
    “I see you three have stopped the assassin,” the Headmaster says proudly.
    We nod and I pull myself to my feet, Kole’s arm never leaving my waist. “Did you know it was you? Why did he do this?” Domino asks.
    “I did not know it was me, Miss. Elvy. Will you all follow me back to my office?” The Headmaster asks kindly. I take a peek at Laithe, who is still unconscious on the floor.
    We each step over his body and the Headmaster whispers an incantation to Laithe’s body and it disappears. I don’t bother asking where the monster had gone. The wooden paneled hallways look completely different after everything that had just happened. I push myself further into Kole, knowing that my fears will subside if he is close enough.
    We enter the Headmaster’s office and I take a seat. Kole remains standing and peels his shredded shirt from his body, still facing me. Domino stands directly behind him.
    “So did he not mention his motive?” The Headmaster asks. We all shake our heads. “Well, if you haven’t heard by now, I am leaving Edmund’s Academy for a few years to assist in building another academy just like this. This year, I was planning on choosing an Elite to temporarily take over as the Headmaster or Headmistress. I don’t know how Laithe heard about the opportunity, but the power drove him to madness,” he says. I notice that the Headmaster called Laithe by his actual name. He stripped it of any form of respectful title. “But because of your accomplishments, each of you will run your own sectors of the academy while I am gone. If you accept, you will all three be in charge and can remain with us for as long as you would like.”
    “Of course,” I answer immediately.
    Kole merely nods and Domino jumps up and down excitedly. It is a great honor to receive this position, especially as a twelve-year-old.
    “Spectacular,” the Headmaster says. He turns away and walks toward his desk.
    Domino tilts her head and looks at Kole curiously. “How did it get shredded?” She asks, referring to the shirt he stripped. She still looks excited, but the distraction calms her. Kole turns in her direction.
    “Laithe thought a knife would do damage to my skin,” he begins. I miss the rest of his statement as I look at his marking. The intricate drawings are clear and beautiful with two faceless souls connected in the center. Because I see only the part of his destiny most relevant to myself, I furrow my brows in confusion. What does this have to do with me?
    I widen my eyes in realization.
    “I’m your soulmate,” I mutter, not trusting my voice. Kole turns to me and smiles. His white teeth and dimpled smile are gorgeous and I stand, staring at him.
    “I’ll leave you two alone,” the Headmaster says, understanding the importance of finding a soulmate. He sets a sealed envelope on the sofa beside me as Domino follows him out of the room, giving us a suggestive look. I look at the letter in anguish.
    “Open it,” Kole says. I look at him and don’t give my