**Trigger Warning** There be feels in this post. Also, it’s a little on the long side, but I promise, it’s worth it.

Since mankind has discovered the capacity to love, we have attributed it to all kinds of things. Love of beauty. Love of nature. Love of self. But what is love really? Throughout history we have struggled and failed to come up with one encompassing definition of such an indefinable feeling. Because the truth is, love is not just one thing, it is many. What love is to one person may be something else entirely to another. It changes day-to-day from when we are young and innocence to when we are old and hopefully wise. Welcome to the adventure.

Below you will find many different takes on love in its myriad forms. Hopefully, one of them will speak to you. So what is love?

Love is…

Enduring

“Has there been anyone else?”

“No. It was only ever you Peter. Always has been, always will be.”

~ Coming Home ~

Faith

“Destiny or not, all love must be fought for. Love may feel like magic, but it’s faith and perseverance that makes it happen.”

~ Sara’s Moon ~

Surprising

“When did you know?”

He chuckled to himself. “I knew the first moment I saw you. There was this feeling deep inside that said I would do anything to be near you. I had been searching for so long for that feeling and there you were out of nowhere, when I least expected it.”

~ Charline’s Solstice ~

Teamwork

“I want us to be a team. I’m under no delusions about the frailty of my humanity and I don’t want you to spend every minute we’re together afraid that you might hurt me or going out of your way to make sure I’m safe.”

“We both know you can take care of yourself,” he fought.

“Yes, we do. But we also both know it won’t stop you from trying.”

His hand fisted in the sheets and he swallowed. I’d clearly hit my mark.

“I want to be your equal Xander, not some damsel your jumped up hormones think they have to defend.”

He snorted and his mouth twisted into a scornful frown.

“I’m serious.” I leaned forward to press my lips lightly against his. “I want to be your partner in every sense, not just in name.”

~ Diana’s Eclipse ~

Desire

I rolled my head to face him. He was curled up beside me still smiling from my pathetic attempts at balance. I loved looking at him. I loved everything about him, even his stubborn nature and the way he seemed to constantly torture me.

“I guess it will be truth,” he sighed looking at me with those perfectly blue eyes.

“What do you want Matt?”

“I want you to kiss me.” I shifted so that I was fully facing him. I couldn’t have heard that right.

“What? Why?”

“It’s not your turn. Truth or Dare.”

“Truth,” I replied quickly. I wanted to get back to the other thing.

“Uh,” he gave an exasperated sigh. “Why does it matter?”

“Because I want to know. Now answer the question. Why?”

“Except I choose dare,” he replied maliciously. I knew exactly where he wanted me to go with that and I refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Then I dare you to tell me the truth.”

“That’s cheating,” he argued.

“The truth Matt.”

“Because I liked it okay. Are you ha—”

My mouth was on his before he could finish. He felt even better than I remembered. I fell into the desire I had been avoiding for the last few weeks. None of this is real, I thought distantly. I’m actually passed out drunk on the floor and just having a really good dream. He tasted amazing.

~ Darkness Defined ~

Fearless

She reached up tentatively to touch the cut on my lip. “Do you know what happens if a demon gets bitten by a werewolf?” She asked looking up at me innocently.

Why wasn’t she more concerned about that? I shook my head, not trusting words to actually come out of my mouth.

She flashed a perfectly wolfish grin. “Absolutely nothing.”

~ Charlotte’s Midnight ~

Silly

I had a thought and smiled.

“Alec?”

“What?” he replied barely pausing.

I tried not to laugh as I asked, “Will you be my Valentine?”

“Yes,” came the quick response. I was shocked. Where I had expected teasing or at least a snicker, there hadn’t even been hesitation. My poor heart felt like it might burst. I pulled him tighter and lost myself to the very different heat that was Alec.

“I love you,” I whispered.

~ Darkest Whisper ~

Bold

“I will not let her be alone anymore!” I yelled at Xander, before realizing what I was saying. “I mean them,” I corrected more quietly. “I won’t let them be alone anymore.”

Xander gave a heavy sigh. “Then you’ll have to become Alpha sooner than we planned.”

~ New Moon Rising ~

Sacrifice

I looked up into his cognac colored eyes. Just like the liquor, their amber depths warmed me from the inside out. And I finally admitted to myself something I had known for weeks: I cared more about this man than I’d ever cared about anybody in my life. I wanted to give him something to show him that. But despite all my wealth and social standing, there was only on thing of any real value I could give him and I gave it freely.

I met his steady gaze and said without any hesitation, “I will never do anything to intentionally harm you without proper provocation.”

He smiled back at me as if it was some kind of joke, but I felt the weight of the words settle into my bones. When I’d taken my oaths to be a Lycan Detective and been imbued with Fae magic, I’d been warned not to make promises lightly, not knowing just how deep the Fae magic would reach. But in that moment, I knew without a doubt that I would die to keep that promise.

~ Hart’s Betrayal ~