Page 56

She winced.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“A blinding pain hit me right in my orbital front. Shit. It’s Thane. He’s trying to reach me. I’m afraid if I open our link, he’ll be able to track us. Although I trust him with my life...what if whoever leaked our location gets to him? Wait, if they were able to track that place, what about Savage and the other homes?”

He watched her mind spin as she considered why she hadn’t thought about the danger Thane and the others might face. His female is amazing.

“If they’d wanted to get to your brother or Savage, they could’ve done so at any time. The Club’s location has never changed. The difference in the anomaly is my crew, and the connection to you and me.”

“So, you think they wouldn’t have taken me if I hadn’t connected with you? That’s awfully egotistical of you, mo ghaol,” Thana teased.

“My Clan and I have been to America several times, but the Society ratcheted up their abductions by several degrees. It makes me wonder why. Did we trigger something, or had they already suspected there were gifted humans before our arrival?” Severin leaned against the headboard, pulling her between his spread thighs so her back was against his chest.

“Going through the intel we gathered from the decommissioned facility on Long Island, we found they’ve been testing people they believe are gifted for over fifty years. The earliest date listed was long before your arrival,” Thana denied.

Severin wrapped his arms around her. She was tiny compared with him.

“No. I’ve been coming to America for hundreds of years.” He let out a tired sigh, then continued. “My brother...he’s my other half. We’ve been together since before we were born, sharing the same womb, even shared females. Not that I would ever share you, my Fated. If another male were ever to touch you, I’d cut off the limb that dared to do so.”

“That sounds gruesome and sexy.”

“Mmm, don’t ever tempt the devil, baby. Trust me, I will destroy every motherfucking bastard who dares try it. When you allowed yourself to be taken, my world narrowed to getting you back and killing every single bastard involved. It was torture to be away from him for so long. I had to come here to be near him so our bond could ease the ache in my chest. Bianca and our mate bond had nearly fizzled to nothing because of her madness.”

“What do you mean?” She glanced over her shoulder. Sadness clouded her beautiful features as she looked at the female she’d never met.

“You know, Bianca and Scepter had a chosen bond, and they’d loved one another. When I returned, our Fated bond destroyed that. But I didn’t know the truth about Bianca’s mental state. Hell, I don’t think Scepter knew how fucked up she was. It hadn’t become apparent until we left my family estate and bought our own. Her family supplied her with medicine, which I guess was their way of keeping her steady. Only their version of steady was, in truth, fogging her brain. That was why she accepted my brother so readily. Yes, she loved him, but if she hadn’t been fogged out of her mind, she’d have known he wasn’t hers. My family was aware, but my father was a bastard. The only thing he cared about was the proper succession.”

His arms tightened, but she didn’t seem to mind. She sat perfectly still, letting him finish, as if she knew whatever he had to say would likely break her heart. He could’ve told her he’d never hurt her.

“You’re awfully still, leanabh-nighean. Are you going to say anything?”

“I’m listening.” Thana turned and straddled his lap. “Is this too distracting for you?”

“I think I can multitask.” Severin lifted her by the hips, sliding her back and forth, coating his cock with her wetness. “I want to bury myself inside you.”

She braced her hands on his shoulders. “By all means, then. Do it.”

Severin released her right hip and grabbed his dick in one hand, aiming himself toward her, then helped her ease herself onto him.

They both sighed softly.

“In the end, Bianca’s parents were killed, and the medicine stopped coming. She didn’t tell me anything about it, so I didn’t know she was dependent on them. Her mental state deteriorated further and further. I thought she was just adjusting to our relationship, the new life we were building together, and living on our own. Within six months, I couldn’t leave her without her freaking the fuck out and vowing to unalive herself. I had to hire several staff members whose only job was to watch her and keep sharp objects out of her way. We set wards so she couldn’t transform. It was exhausting, and leaving the estate became a chore. Finally, I had to decide whether to put her in a facility for our kind that had gone rabid or never leave home again.”

He explained how Bianca and he spent the remaining years of their bond, separated by a facility. He returned to the mountains and lived with the monks, learning more and denying himself the chance to have a mate. He’d go back to visit, check on Bianca and his parents, of course, but only distance kept him sane.

“I’m so sorry, mo ghaol. Was there nothing that could’ve been done for her?” Thana asked, pressing her lips to his brows.

Neither of them seemed to mind that they were connected in every way. His cock twitched inside her velvet body.

“By the time I figured out what her problem was, her mind had sustained too much damage, and even our kind couldn’t heal it. I think the Fates knew I needed a second chance, and I’ll be forever grateful. You, Thana, are the best thing that has ever happened to me. While Bianca might’ve come first, you are my choice, my love, my last.” Severin licked her bottom lip, then tugged it into his mouth.

Thana wanted to embrace the poor female who’d been mated to Severin, but she also wanted to hug her male. She’d known he’d suffered and had felt it through their bond, but hearing it from him was different.

“I feel so bad for Bianca. Was she aware of her surroundings and that you weren’t there? Did she have friends at the facility?” She couldn’t imagine living without truly living.

“At the care center, they pair patients of the same sex so there aren’t issues with bonds. She had lucid moments when she remembered me, but most days she was stuck in her youth, long before she knew of Scepter or me. As long as the childhood things she cherished were around her, she seemed settled.” Severin grabbed her hips, lifting her, then pushed her back down.

She let out a breathy moan. “Are we done talking then?”