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“We wanted to honor your wolf and the sacrifice she made to bring you back to us,” Torsten says, stroking my leg beneath the dress. Lifting the carving, Chase gently eases it from my hold to place it between the nests of flowers as Sawyer kneels by my shoulder.
“This is from Lorcan,” he also produces a similar box. Opening it for me, a plaque sits inside. Gold calligraphy across the black slate reads, ‘For Orianna, the purest of us all.’ Tears prick the back of my eyes. Placing the plaque beside the wolf, we all remain on the ground, lost to our thoughts. I’d been avoiding the need to hold a memorial for my wolf, preferring to leave the grief which poured from me in the underground caves. But masking heartache doesn’t eradicate it.
This is perfect—a quiet moment to remember. A simple show of devotion nuzzled within the nest of colors and delicate smells my planted flowers provide. I pray that my beautiful white wolf is on the other side somewhere, frolicking through the lushest of forests and swimming in the purest of lakes with my mother.
When Jax finally lifts me back to my feet, I inhale the soothing fresh air drifting from the open doors deep into my lungs. My soul is washed free of regret. A part of me will always be missing, but she traded herself so I could be with the four males surrounding me. So that I can live a full, eternal life. Even Sawyer will remain by my side, as his life is linked to mine in multiple ways.
“The ballroom should be ready. Come, your majesty, you have an afterparty to attend.” Chase bends low on a dramatic bow. I roll my eyes, dragging him upright by a handful of his long, brown hair.
“I much prefer when you call me Pumpkin,” I smirk. Chase’s responding smile is full of fang and the promise of fun, his shoulder ramming me off my feet. Laughter echoes around the dome as I punch his back, ordering him to put me down.
“Sorry, I don’t abide by your commands anymore,” he jerks me about. Dropping me heavily to my feet, his hand instantly finds my nape. “I have free reign to do what I want when I want,” he growls. Desire pools within his eyes, and the air suddenly becomes thinner. My own arousal reaches the others, drawing out pained grunts.
“Nope,” Sawyer’s voice is strained. “Not now, not here.” Tugging me from Chase’s grip, I’m thrown into the cradle of his arms and carried away. Peering over his shoulder, I spot the plaque and wolf embedded within the soil. As if this moment wasn’t already perfect enough, I feel as if my loved ones are all here with us, surrounding me with their blessing, and I know my life will never feel incomplete again.
“Aww, you’re no fun, Raven!” Chase jests before the males start making crude gestures, acting out a boning scene on each other while Torsten licks his lips, and Chase smacks Jaxon’s ass. Okay, maybe I’m hoping my mother’s spirit isn’t present for that part.
* * *
The after-partyof my coronation is a celebration as I’ve never known before. Tables surround the dancefloor, the white clothes matching artfully dressed chairs with pale pink sashes tied into large bows. The vases of lilies have been converted into centerpieces, surrounded by champagne chutes of blood for all. Upon the podium where I recently stood, the Techies have erected a DJ booth, complete with a speaker system and strobe lighting I recognize from the Car Wash nightclub.
Despite being dressed in their finest attire, all vampires present are jumping to the beat of the music and expressing their macho bullshit in the mosh-pit that’s formed by the large windows. Finnian started it, which was no surprise. Lorcan slipped out of the room after the ceremonies, leaving us to our festivities. The females dance and giggle together safely behind a wall of guards, protecting them from the males who linger nearby.
I understand my decree is an exciting prospect, but make no mistake, the female’s safety is my main priority. By banishing the Moon Bound Trials, my men and I will need to discuss healthy ways to permit meetings between the genders before there’s a free for all. Lorcan told me of the horrors that took place before his harsh rulings, and I have no desire to resort to acting like savages.
However, I’m going to take this one last night for myself. To enjoy my husbands before the weight of responsibility hits us tomorrow. That’s why I’ve been swaying in their arms for hours, dancing in tune with their heartbeats, memorizing every fleck of color in their eyes. Every part of them speaks to a different part of my soul, from the scratch of a stubbled chin to the caress of tender fingers. If I were so inclined, I could tell them apart by smell and taste, but why deny myself staring into their beautiful eyes? Icy blue, emerald green, pewter gray, and even Sawyer’s eyes that shine black from corner to corner. They all look at me as if I hold the key to unlocking their souls, and I suppose I do. There’s just one thing missing.
“Walk with me?” I ask Torsten, my arms currently around his neck. Inclining his head, I nuzzle the side of his white hair as he would to my wolf. We cut a path through the crowd of males, many of the soldiers stopping to congratulate me before resuming their dancing. I collect a clean glass from a nearby table while Torsten is busy signaling Jax, Chase, and Sawyer from a makeshift bar at the back of the ballroom. They meet us at a set of rear doors, stepping onto the balcony. Nealon stands guard inside, closing the curtains to give us all a moment of privacy beneath the moon's light.
“We all good?” Jaxon asks, worry marring his brows. Smoothing away the worried lines with my thumb, I place a quick kiss on his lips. A satisfied sigh escapes him, perfectly echoing my own emotions.
“Of course, I just had something I needed to do.” Walking towards the stone wall surrounding the balcony, all three vamps rush to block me from getting too close. Parting Chase and Torsten, I gently lower myself onto the edge. At some point, they’re going to have to trust that I won’t bolt again. I’m here for good.
“Tell us what you need, Pumpkin,” Chase winds his arm around my back. I lean into his side.
“I want you all to moon bond with me.” Sawyer is the only one who doesn’t freeze, statue still with widened eyes. He knows me better than the rest. He most likely foresaw this when accompanying me to the East Wing library. There isn’t much on moon bonds, but I devoured whatever little information there was.
“We don’t even know if that would work,” Jax’s frown is back in full force.
“And we won’t until someone tries.” I counteract. “The circumstances are all present. A loving bond, a crescent moon.”
“We all need to ingest your blood at the same time you drink ours,” Torsten starts, and I wave the empty champagne flute at him. One step ahead of mostly anything they can throw my way, I only have one variable left up to chance. Turning my attention to Sawyer, his blackened eyes are already fixed upon mine.
“I’m going to need your help.” He doesn’t hesitate, striding forward to pluck the flute from my fingers delicately. Without the need to ask, fangs are torn through wrists, and in unison, the vampires drip their blood into the glass. Torsten shifts, allowing Sawyer to straddle the wall and lie me back across the stone, my head in his lap. My chest rises and falls heavily against the lace of my dress. Tremors roll through my entire body, the anticipation too much to bear. Peering up into Sawyer’s eyes, the trace of a smile crosses his lips.
“Should we have a countdown or something?” Chase asks, but I can’t wait that long.
“Go,” is my swift instruction, and they don’t hesitate to obey. Within a flash, the piercing of fangs sink into both of my wrists and one in my neck, quickly followed by the heady sucks that make me groan. My nipples pebble, my thighs clenching as my back arches up from the stone. Tilting my head upwards, Sawyer holds the flute over my parted lips and tips the contents inside.
A combination of all three slides down my throat, a final swallow sealing the deal. A bright light glows as the wash of the moon graces all four of us. It shines brighter than I thought possible, forcing my eyes to close. When I’d been in this position with Sawyer, I hadn’t been able to notice the change within. It was erratic, but I loved him. That was all the moon needed at the time, but now, it feels like we’re connecting all over again.
The bond takes instantly, filling me with blissful intent, just before a tidal wave of emotions barrels through my being. The groan from all other sources on the balcony shows they feel it too, but I didn’t need to hear them to know that. I canfeelthem. Love and happiness expand within me until I feel close to self-combusting. With another drag from all source points, I feel my soul winding through theirs, expanding through their psyche.
The glow withdraws, as do the fangs, but we remain in place. Panting. Feeling. Sensations fill me, and no corner of my soul is left untouched. Sawyer’s hands sweep into my hair, gently massaging as I rub at the heavenly sensation filling the inside of my chest. I’d never expected to find love, never considered myself a person worth loving. But how could I have anticipated these men who appeared in my life during my darkest moments? Each one, in their own right, is an enigma who has brought light and purpose to my life.
And now that I’ve been shown the true purpose of existing, I will never have enough.
My kings. My everything. We will rule side by side as they become my advisors, teachers, lovers, best friends, whatever I need, and vice versa.
