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Scott stays in his position on the ground, showing no signs of getting up anytime soon. Turning my attention to the goddess, I watch as she lifts her gaze from his and dips her head in acknowledgement of my statement.
“You are right, Laelia. Scott chose to give up his true mate to save the life of the one he loved. I was the one to grant that wish.”
Of course. I don’t know why it took me so long to realise this. Scott told me all about his deal with the goddess, so I don’t know how I forgot. The way Scott kneels there makes my chest hurt. He regrets his decision, seeing as when he saved his love, she ran off with another, but that brought him to me.
The goddess clears her throat and continues. “I am now giving you the chance to right that wrong.”
Head jerking up, Scott frowns at her, but he’s unable to hide the shimmer of hope in his eyes. “What do you mean?”
My lungs constrict tightly as I try to take a breath but can’t. What is happening here? Is the goddess giving him the chance to find his true mate? My heart threatens to crack at the idea of him leaving me to go to another, but can I really be that heartless to deny him that happiness?What about your happiness?My mind whispers. No, if this is what Scott wants, then I won’t stop him, even if it hurts me in the process. What would happen to our connection? Would it be shattered?
“You and Laelia were always meant to be.”
Hope and disbelief wash through me in a flood of overwhelming emotion. “I was supposed to be your mate,” I say, pressing my hand against my chest as though it would calm my racing heart.
It all makes sense now—the undeniable connection between us, the way he fits in with my mates, and the way we feel about each other. We always felt like we were meant for each other, but with the lack of a mate bond, it made us question it. It’s only recently that we decided to ignore the fact we weren’t mates and make a go ofus, and it turns out that we were destined to be mates after all.
Somehow, despite the fact that Scott gave up his chance of a happy ending with his fated mate, we still found our way to each other.
His eyes widen as he processes everything the goddess said. “You… You’re saying that I can have Laelia as my mate? That I’ve not messed up our chance of being happy together?”
“Yes, but it comes with a price,” she cautions, gesturing from him to me, a glowing tether of stars appearing between us. “Your life will become bound to hers. If she dies, so will you.”
I’m so mesmerised by the glowing bond that I almost miss her words. Blinking, I drag my eyes away and stare at her for confirmation, but she’s staring at Scott.
“Yes,” he agrees instantly without even a hint of doubt in his voice.
Shocked at his sudden decision, I gasp, closing the distance between us and placing a hand on his arm. My life is dangerous, and the idea of Scott dying if anything were to happen to me is almost too much for me to comprehend.
“Scott, wait. You should think about this.”
Turning to me, he presses a kiss against my lips. My eyes flutter closed as I lose myself in his touch. After only a moment, he pulls back and greets me with a gentle smile as my eyes open.
“I don’t want to live in a world where you don’t exist, Laelia,” he declares. “This is what I want. I’m meant to be with you.”
I desperately want to accept what he’s saying—after all, we were literally made for each other—but his life could be cut short… No, I can’t even think about it anymore. If this is what he chooses, then I won’t try to make him change his mind, but I need him to know there’s another option.
“We can still be happy, mates or not. You found me, and we still fell in love without the bond. You know that I will always accept you whether or not you’re my fated mate,” I explain, taking his hand in mine and linking our fingers together.
“I know, and that’s exactly why I feel comfortable doing this.” With our hands still linked, he turns to the goddess and lowers his head respectfully. “I would like to accept your offer, great goddess.”
Although she says nothing, I get the sense that she’s pleased with his decision. She lifts her hands, and I feel warmth move through me as the world fades away.
We both return to our bodies with a gasp, orgasms still tingling through us. The tingle of the mate mark on my shoulder seals us together as his newly formed bond makes room for itself in my chest. It’s hard to accept that this actually just happened, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I canfeelhim, then I wouldn’t believe it. I can’t see his back from this position, but I’m sure if he were to turn around, I would see a fresh mate mark on his shoulder.
Once our pleasure has finally abated, we stare at each other in wonder, out of breath and exhausted. A large smile spreads across Scott’s face as he pushes back a lock of my hair and stares at me in wonder. My heart pounds and a word repeats itself in my mind, one I know he’s also feeling as he whispers it against my skin.
“Mate.”
ChapterSeventeen
At some point, I fall asleep, curled up against my newest mate, my heart finally feeling full and complete. Scott was the missing piece I didn’t know I needed. I still have a lot of emotions to work through regarding what happened and what this will mean for the future, but in this moment, everything feels perfect.
A low murmur breaks through my contented dozing, and as I start to fight my way through sleep, I realise that I’m alone in the large bed. A small, needy noise escapes me, and I blindly reach out, searching for Scott. The sheets are still warm, so I know he’s not been gone long, and our bond hums in my chest. He’s close.
The quiet talking paused for a moment at my sleepy noises, but they continue now, getting louder as someone moves towards the bed. Reluctantly peeling my eyes open, I look up and find Scott smiling down at me, Joel standing at his side. The bed jolts slightly, and as I shift my gaze, I find Syn already climbing up the mattress and lying beside me, rubbing against me like a house cat. Humming with happiness, I wrap my arms around him and blink up at my other mates, wishing they could also be wrapped around me right now.
As if on cue, Nicolai and Atlas appear in the doorway. The bonds feel so warm and fuzzy in my chest at having them all here together that my body feels as light as a cloud, and I could float away at any moment. It’s such a peculiar feeling, and I just want to bask in the glory of it. It would be so easy to coax them all to the bed and spend the day getting lost in each other’s bodies. Just the thought makes me giddy, and a giggle escapes me before I can stop it.
