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Radon’s heart jolted back to life.
Responding to my soul’s proximity, even though we were still a hundred feet away from one another, his soul latched gratefully onto mine in that dark place he’d retreated to and siphoned off everything I had to give. I felt Radon’s taloned hand grab mine in his mind’s eye and hold on. Sucking my gift of life deep into his soul so he could battle the eternal dark brought on by the stinking rot of the Hunter’s deadly curses, piled one on top of the other, until there was no end to the suffering.
But there was an end, because that suffering couldn’t win in the face of the connection we shared.
I fought for his return to life right alongside Radon, sweat beading on my brow, until my limbs gave way from exhaustion and I toppled from the tree.
Right as I lost consciousness, I rejoiced as I felt Radon open his eyes, and I heard him breathe my name, as though his lips were placed up to the shell of my ear. “Tess…”
Then, just as the world went dark, I was caught in the arms of my sun, who’d arrived just in time to witness my swandive. I was safe in Quasar’s arms once more. Fuck, but I was one lucky girl.
20
Quasar
It was my fault. I sat down heavily on a chair to the symphony of my mates enjoying each other, but my brain couldn’t put a pause on the track running through my head. I wasn’t exactly sure which part of the recent terrible events were my fault, but I simply knew that somehow I had caused at least part of this pain.
If I hadn’t acted so rashly, could I have saved my mates from their torment?
Alternatively, if I’d made my way faster to ground zero, would I have reached the fighting in time to save one of our own?
The moment I’d broken through the undergrowth, body strapped down with every weapon I could carry from Onyx’s stash, I was triumphant. Blood singing, pulse gun in hand, ready to let my rage reign down on our enemies as we protected my mate’s hard-won territory.
Instead, as I emerged from the thick foliage, what I was faced with was the sight of a dragon–Sulfur–who’d been driven mad with grief from the loss of his mating bond. Bromine–our mechanic and a fucking sensational example of our kind–lay dead at his feet as the enraged beast defended his fallen mate’s body from further harm.
It wasn’t fair. Not in the slightest. The mated pair–a completed bond–had come to Earth to help their Thunder find their mate, and now this? Where was the fucking justice in gaining a mate, only to lose one such as Bromine?
My heart broke for the pair of males as I joined the battle and roared out my disdain for the quickly falling witches. The Stellar Misfits, summoned by Sulfur’s terrible summons, had come running and were taking out the stragglers even as they beat their hasty retreat upon seeing the new-found ferocity of our warriors.
With tears tracking down my cheeks, I unloaded, not caring if I hit the targets in the back as the cowards bolted from the scene.
Then, a new awareness ripped through my consciousness. Bright and true.
It was Tess. Even in this awful moment, my heart soared to feel my little warrior mate pressing close. Finally, finally embracing our mating bond with such strength of purpose.
For one moment of pure elation, I felt her sweet and succulent essence flooding into me. Bolstering me. Lifting me up and out of my grief for our fallen comrade with her fierce love. Then my joy turned to horror as I felt her equally urgent summons.
Tess was in danger. Her battle lust was drumming an insistent plea right into my ears, begging me to hurry to her side. To join her in defending what was most dear. But the fear and outrage which accompanied that call wasn’t for herself. No, it was for another.
I quickly scanned the completed bond, not even having time to revel in the feeling of the mating mark rushing to the surface and permanently imprinting itself on my skin. This was no time to roar my joy to the stars, I had a job to do.
Tess needed me and I would come through for her if it was the last thing I did.
Taking off at a dead sprint, I trusted in my dragon’s uncanny ability to navigate this foreign terrain in order to get to our mate’s side by the quickest route possible. In the meantime, I sent my mind tracing back through the completed mated bond, hunting for the vital information I needed in order to come to her aid.
High above, Asteroid–my battle-hardened mate–was already racing through the air. Deadly and lethal in his single-minded focus as he hurtled toward the enemies threatening our mates. Sighting the quarry, I felt the burst of his rage like a punch to the chest, making me stumble before I righted myself and pushed my burning legs that much faster.
Drakon Hunters hiding in the trees who hadn’t got the memo that their pitiful attempt to take over our newest stronghold had failed, shot weak curses at my body, trying to slow my passage. I took them all out with barely a thought, my attention entirely focused on my mates as Asteroid tucked his wings and dove at our enemy.
Driving them away from someone precious.
I felt Tess urging him on, willing him to destroy those who had dared attack us.
But Radon… Where was my final bonded mate? I tugged on the bond which usually pulsed with life–assuring me that even when we were at loggerheads, our souls were still heading in the same direction–and felt nothing.
The spit dried up in my mouth.
My bond with Radon had turned into a dry husk of a thing. Brittle, even, and lifeless. As though a mere puff of wind could disperse our connection to the ether.
