Page 81

Something to consider later.

For now, I decide to answer him honestly. I run through the list of her injuries, taking satisfaction in the way he wilts with every word. I don’t sugarcoat anything. If she has to face this reality, then so does he.

I fully expect him to run away like before. He doesn’t. Emerald green eyes meet mine, and he shocks me further by asking, “What can I do for her?”

“Nothing. She needs a Nest and her Mate. So unless you can sneak us both into Caelan’s hospital room…”

I lift my brows, and after a moment he takes my meaning and nods.

“For what it’s worth,” he murmurs, “I’m sorry. I tried to make my question as easy as possible because truthfully… I didn’t want to do it.”

I scoff. “That's all well and good, now that the damage is done. But it doesn’t absolve you of anything.”

“No, I know that⁠—”

“Do you?” I snap, cutting him off. “Because I’ve got to be honest. It doesn’t seem like you know much of anything. You sure as hell don’t seem to know where you left your morals, because instead of pushing back when you knew something was wrong, you participated in the destruction of an innocent Omega. Now Idril’s the one who has to pay for your cowardice.”

I hang my head, exhausted by having to explain basic fucking decency to someone five times older than I am.

“Regretting it doesn’t matter. Acknowledging that you didn’t want to participate doesn’t matter. Fates, I can almost understand Daxen’s thought process—if I squint really, really hard—but you? You knew it was fucked up, and not only did you stay silent, but you participated.”

I finally force myself to look at Vae and almost flinch when I see the way his hand—curled into a fist—is grinding into his sternum.

Just like Daxen.

The similarity in their expressions is enough to give me pause. Either this is some kind of Pack Bond situation, both males have terrible heartburn, or something else is going on…

Then I realize… I don’t fucking care. I don’t have the mental energy to engage with him anymore. I turn my back on him, dismissing him to finally—fucking finally—pull back the blanket and climb onto the stone bench behind Idril.

The second I’m close to her, my body relaxes. My muscles unwind, and my lungs expand for the first time in hours. I can’t scent her, and this is the least ideal situation ever, but Fates… she’s here.

And she’s mine.

I’m only passively aware of Vae’s presence. I can see him still standing there from the corner of my eye, fist resting against his sternum and devastation in every line of his face. I don’t bother telling him to leave; it’s clear he’s dealing with some internal crisis, and with Idril next to me, I genuinely don’t care about anyone or anything else.

Being careful not to jostle her too much, I peel her T-shirt over her head, but leave on her tank top. I exhale and finally—finally—wrap my arm around her delicate frame, pulling her close and tucking the blanket around us both.

My chest touches the skin of her back.

And the world tears apart.

My body bows and my back arches.

My Beast howls.

The sound is primal. A feral claim that, despite having attended hundreds of mating ceremonies, I’ve never heard before in my life.

Something in my chest pulls and pulls and pulls, before erupting into twin streams of blazing silver. They start to spin, twisting together into an intricate braid until—with a flare of blinding light—they SNAP together, forming a Fated Bond the likes of which I’ve never seen.

Glittering silver bursts through my vision. It wraps around my soul and into my heart, shooting through my veins. It overtakes me completely, filling my mouth, nose, and ears—until every one of my senses has been replaced by silver so beautiful it can’t possibly be real.

I can feel it, surging through my blood, burrowing into the very marrow of my bones, until there is nothing left. Nothing but her and me and this Bond between us.

It’s inside and outside, and all around me. Curiously, I reach out, overwhelmed with the desire to feel the silver thread against my skin.

The Bond sparks and shimmers the closer I get to it, and the moment my skin makes contact⁠—

My consciousness shifts, throwing me out of my body and into the awareness of something ancient. Something I get the distinct feeling I’m not actually meant to be.