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He, whose current incarnation had been born millennia ago in a time of devastation and war. An infant who had been torn from his mother’s arms. Torn between two opposing worlds. Who never knew love and friendship, only hurt, abuse, and heartbreaking, soul-crushing betrayal.
He’d been an orphan, a slave, a whore, a spy. All in all, a tool to be used and abused as his masters saw fit. It had taken thousands of years to get to where he was now—
Safe, protected and loved by the most beautiful male in the whole universe.
With everything he’d been through, knowing that Sorin had “always” loved him, even when they’d been a million miles apart, through different incarnations, Ere was unutterably grateful. It had all been worth it.
He’d endure everything all over again just to be here now. With this male.
His Phoenix Mate.
“I can’t ever lose you,” he whispered into the descending night.
Sorin turned his head and brushed a barely-there kiss on Ere’s brow.
“You won’t.”
But Ere’s heart suddenly began to beat faster.
Heavier.
As if he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. When did he ever have it easy?
These quests for the Jade Emperor were not what they appeared to be on the surface. Ere just couldn’t figure out what the scheme behind the scheme could be.
But…
Something was off.
He plastered himself closer to Sorin’s side, wanting to burrow beneath the male’s skin, so that he would carry Ere within him wherever he went.
If only.
And then, before he knew it, Divina was done. She came over to them with the last unpaired girl in tow.
“This is Ariana,” she introduced as she drew near.
“She has agreed to come with us to round out the requisite two dozen, and find her mate among the centaurs in the mountains.”
Divina looked at Chiron.
“Given that you are not available to be mated, warrior.”
He dipped his head and lowered his eyes in a gesture of apology, though he was clearly not sorry.
“Oh, don’t worry, lord Chiron,” the girl called Ariana said briskly. “I’m too practical to moon over a male who’s already taken. And I’m not romantic enough to be happy being paired off with a random stranger at first sight. No matter how attractive you centaurs are.”
Divina clucked her tongue like a proud mother hen.
“She’s special, is Ariana.”
Ere heard the praise in Divina’s words, but he also heard the empathy. Perhaps Divina saw herself in some sense in the girl. Perhaps this was why Divina fought so hard against falling in love.
A practical, no-nonsense sex goddess? There was a first for everything.
“Well, that’s smart of you,” he said. “More choices to be had in the mountains. You’ll have your pick of the lot.”
The girl’s eyes sparkled with a curious glint.
