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She looked at Kern. “Would you mind living on Altor? We can visit Pyron often. I really like your grandmother.”
“I meant what I said. I will live anywhere as long as you are part of my life.”
“There is a complication,” Cylex cautioned. “She needs to return to the Citadel to complete her training, but—”
“I would be arrested as soon as they see me?” Kern realized.
Cylex nodded. “You did Flow through their defenses and kidnap one of their conduits. We need to stay away until Raina is ready for us to claim her.”
“She has not stated that we are her choice,” Kern pointed out.
“Only because we haven’t gotten to that part of the conversation yet,” Raina said with a blinding smile. “You have answered all of my questions and addressed all of my concerns. I’m ready to make this official. I want you guys to claim me. I want you for my mates.”
CHAPTER7
Reality paused for a moment, holding Cylex motionless within its grasp. Had Raina just agreed to mate with Kern and him? Cylex’s heart lurched, slamming against the wall of his chest before thudding wildly. They had done it! Kern had decided to cooperate and now she was ready for them to claim her.
Cylex glanced at Kern. He looked as stupefied as Cylex. They were both social outcasts, hybrid bastards who had been rejected by even their own families. She was a treasure, a powerful conduit coveted by males all over the star system. And yet she had chosen them.
“Are you sure?” Kern shook his head, drawing himself out of the stupor. “My grandmother said you had to spend at least two weeks here before she would offer you other options. Our courtship can last longer. We want you to be certain. This is a permanent decision.”
“Are you trying to talk me out of it?” Raina challenged, removing her hands from their legs. Cylex didn’t miss the flash of hurt in her expression. This was not the reaction she’d expected.
“Of course not,” Kern objected.
Cylex stood up and drew her to her feet. His hands lingered on her upper arms. “This is the outcome we were praying for. We just expected it to take much longer for you to arrive at this decision.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” she grumbled. Gradually, her hurt was turning to defiance. It was a common reaction. Whenever she felt vulnerable, she rebelled. Kern hadn’t quite figured out the connection so it kept landing her over his knees. Discipline always made the sex even hotter afterwards, but this conversation was too important to be sabotaged by a power struggle. If they continued to argue, Cylex would intervene.
“I’ve been stuck in a sort of limbo for months,” she was saying. “I’d rather form the bond so we can get on with our lives.”
“Is that the only reason you want us to claim you? You’re tired of waiting?” Kern moved behind her and placed his hands on her hips.
Unsure of the best course of action, Cylex lightly scanned her emotions. Kern was right to challenge her. The surging emotions accessible through their mind link did not match her casual nonchalance. She cared about them deeply and wanted them to claim her desperately. She was struggling to express herself verbally, but she clearly needed to talk.
“Being trapped in this in-between stage is not the reason I want to bond with you, but it is the reason I want it to happen now. I’ve accepted that my life on Earth is over. Now I need my life in this star system to begin.”
“So we are the launch point for your new life?” Kern asked softly, his mouth close to her ear.
“I fought the idea of needing anyone, fought it hard. I’m strong and independent. I’m responsible for my own happiness.”
Cylex pressed his hand against the side of her face. “Longing for your mates doesn’t make you weak. It makes you a conduit. We were programmed, engineered to operate as part of a unit. Without that unit we will always feel incomplete.”
“Do you need Cylex and me to fill this void or will any empowered male do?” Kern’s voice was cold and challenging, but Cylex could see the vulnerability behind his stern expression.
She twisted around to look at Kern, one of her hands resting on Cylex’s chest. “It has to be you and Cylex. There was no heat, no visceral connection with anyone else.”
Kern fisted the back of her hair and captured her mouth, kissing her deeply. She tensed for half a second then melted into his embrace and returned the kiss with equal fervor. When Kern released her, Cylex turned her back around and reinforced Kern’s claim with his own. They would touch, taste, and possess every inch of her lovely body before this night was through.
Raina was trembling and panting by the time Cylex lifted his mouth from hers. “Does this mean that you both accept me as your mate?”
Kern chuckled and wrapped his arm around her upper chest. “Was there ever a doubt, pet? We have wanted you and only you since we first saw you.”
Cylex brushed her hair back from her face, drawing her gaze to his. “I’ve loved you from the start. I was forbidden from revealing my feelings, but I knew I would do anything to bond with you.” To ensure that she knew his words were true, he gradually lowered his mental shields and let his emotions flow into her mind.
“I felt the connection too,” she assured him, cheeks flushed, eyes gleaming. “I just wasn’t sure what to do about it.” She reached back and placed one of her hands on Kern’s thigh as she lifted the other to Cylex’s neck. “You guys are the perfect balance. Your personalities are very different, but together you provide everything I will ever need. I trust you and want to build a future with you. I’m so grateful we found each other.”
Cylex bent and brushed his lips over hers. “I have ached for this day, stood there watching you, yet knowing I dare not touch.”
