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“I hate this, but you know what? You’re so fucking brave.” Eurig moved toward her and wound his arm around her hips, pulling her against his chest. His mouth crashed against Bree’s with furious need. Sighing, she leaned into him, relishing in the kiss, desperately wishing that she could stay here, just like this, wrapped in his arms. They could ignore the danger raging around them. They could forget about the war, the monsters, everything.
Only they couldn’t. Because if they did, it would all burn down.
When Bree pulled back, Rafe moved in to kiss her fiercely. His lips were hungry, and the spark of heat in her veins burned even hotter. Taveon took her next with another kiss dripping with a passion he’d rarely shown.
Bree’s toes curled in her boots.
“Well.” Norah coughed as Taveon pulled away. “I certainly didn’t expect that to happen right now.”
Bree’s cheeks burned, but when she turned toward Norah, she couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t act so embarrassed. You have four mates. You know what it’s like.”
Mates. The word had just popped out of her mouth like it was nothing at all, but it was everything to Bree. Taveon, Eurig, and Rafewereher mates, but not in any sort of official way. But Bree knew deep down that they did not need to speak it into existence. She was already theirs, and they were hers.
No matter what happened next, that would never change.
Norah smiled back at Bree. “I’m glad you can finally admit it to yourself. I’ll give you a few moments to say your goodbyes, and then we’ll cast that illusion on you.”
Bree nodded as Norah vanished out of the throne room, leaving her alone with her three mates. They surrounded her, forming a protective circle around her body. Rafe caught Bree’s hand while Eurig took the other. They gazed at her with so much ferocity, her soul shook.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do, Bree?” Rafe asked quietly. “You know you don’t have to put yourself in danger like this. If you want to stay here and fight, none of us will think any less of you for it.”
“He’s right,” Eurig said. “We’ll love you all the same.”
“Love?” Bree caught his gaze in hers, a balloon of hope lifting her heart.
He smiled. “You know I love you. Don’t look so surprised.”
“And I love you,” Rafe said, pressing his forehead against hers. “Always have. Always will.”
“You know how I feel,” Taveon said. “You can feel the love I have for you through the bond. I’m yours, Bree.”
Her heart felt as though it had grown three sizes larger. For a long time, Bree thought she’d never find someone, especially after she’d first endured the Redcap curse. What kind of guy could love a monster like her? But as soon as she’d stepped through that Faerie Ring and into Underworld, everything had changed. These three fae did not see her as a monster. They saw her as Bree.
“My feelings for all of you are beyond anything I could have ever predicted,” she said, looking at each of their faces. “I love you. All of you. Is that...all right? I know it’s not typical to have multiple mates, but...”
“It just feels right,” Rafe finished for her with a nod. “What’s typical doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is I love you, you love me, and they care for you as deeply as I do.”
“I feel the same,” Eurig said, nudging Rafe with his shoulder. “I’ve even come to like this asshole a little bit.”
Rafe grinned.
Bree turned to Taveon, whose eyes were locked on her face. “You know how I feel. I just want you to be happy.”
Footsteps tapped against the floor as Norah reentered the throne room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really need to do this now. The demons don’t seem to care that we’re firing arrows at them. Their leader seems perfectly happy to lose his front lines if it means they do more damage to our walls.”
Bree swallowed hard and nodded. It was time.
Norah came over to her and placed her hands on Bree’s shoulders. Her best friend let out a little sigh and closed her eyes. “This might feel a little strange. I’ve not done this on a person before now.”
Alarm blasted through Bree, though the source of it was Taveon.
He asked, “Are you certain this is safe?”
“It won’t harm Bree, and the illusion will only last as long as she’s accepting of it. So, be careful of that.”
Bree thought back to when she’d first arrived at court and Ethne had cast a glamor on her so that she could spy, pretending to be Ethne herself. It hadn’t gone particularly well, because Bree hadn’t been at ease with the situation. Something to remember when she stepped out of this castle and into the enemy camp. As terrifying as it was, she’d need to stay calm.
Otherwise, she’d lose this illusion.
