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Dear Amelia,

Don’t judge me on my last letter. Remember how much you cried on your 50th? You were acting like a brat because Tristan forgot your cake. You were twice the age I was at the time, and you still got your cake. Well, at least now you know where you get your little bratty attitude from.

My dress was completely ruined. I did everything to clean it, but the stain did not come out. Devyn was trying to get ahold of me, but I was too consumed with panic and trying to get the stain out of my dress. He still showed up. And hugged me, calmed me, and told me not to worry.

Apparently, he bought me a dress for the party. He wasn’t sure if I was able to find one, so he got it just in case. And it came in handy. You know what the crazy part was? The dress he bought me was even better than the one I ruined.

My party turned out great- it’s why we started the tradition of having a ball for our birthdays. Even though I had a great time, I couldn’t wait for it to end. It was solely because I had asked Devyn to mark me. And I couldn’t wait until he did.

I know you probably thought we already marked each other, but we didn’t. We’d only been officially dating for a couple of months, and, we didn’t really have the time to think about it.

It was hard waiting so long. I mean, after all, James and I marked each other the second time we saw each other. But with Devyn, it was different. We weren’t fated mates, but our love was just as deep, if not deeper. And he’d never been marked before, unlike me. I wanted it to feel special for him.

In our world, marking each other almost immediately after finding each other- or choosing each other- was normal. And in our world, some people- like Jordan- would say we were moving too slow. I’m sure everyone else thought so too. I mean, they all placed bets on whether or not we’d get together officially. I wouldn’t be surprised if I find out- all these years later- that they placed a bet on how long it would take for us to mark each other.

The fact was, Devyn and I chose each other. And our love wasn’t new. We didn’t feel the pull of the mate bond. We didn’t meet and fall in love. We built our love over years and years of knowing each other. Since we were born, our love for each other was brewing with the most beautiful aroma. My recovered memories were proof. And the mark would serve as proof of how profound our love is. And how much we desperately needed each other.

Sorry about that rant, Amelia. I get passionate when it comes to your dad. Anyway, before the party ended, Jordan gave a toast. He said some nice things about me, believe it or not- I didn’t and I heard him. But he wasn’t the only one. Stella and some other tribe members said a few words. I was fighting for my life, Millie. I wanted to cry at all the nice things people were saying. And I lost the fight.

Devyn was the last to take the microphone. He asked me to marry him in front of all those people. I know what you’re thinking, Jordan said the same thing. And I quote: “What’s up with the men you marry proposing on your birthday?”

I don’t know.

Devyn didn’t know when or how James proposed. And I’m sure no one told him. They might have if they knew what he was planning. They were just as shocked as I was.

After the party, we went back to Black Forest. I took him to the hidden pond where the portal to the Moon Goddess’s realm was. The same place I healed Jordan and met Selene for the first time. I wasn’t sure if it was really a portal to the Moon Goddess’s realm, but it’s where I went and ended up in her realm the first time. I’ll spare you the details, but that’s where we marked each other.

Our new bond made everything feel more intense. Especially the distance. But I was able to feel how deep his love and devotion for me was. It was all consuming and overwhelming, and it made me want to cry out of pure adoration. I always felt how deep his love was even without the mate bond. And after establishing it, it only grew. Like I physically felt it. It was very different than the bond I had with James. It was special. Devyn and I chose each other.

You have a mate. I don’t have to explain the bond to you. You already know what the bliss feels like.

~Mom

MJ. B