Lyr stared at the monsters around the space. “Now, if you’re all done talking about how we’ve already lost, how about we start talking about how we can win.”
I strode into the room we’d been using and whirled around as my monsters filtered in behind me and Asher closed the door.
“They’re right to question this,” I said, my throat tight as I indicated with my head to the monsters beyond the door. “We all saw what happened to King Adrien. If Warrick can turn us like that, we have no hope of surviving the fae and the outliers.” I didn’t want to believe that we might lose, but I’d seen King Adrien’s eyes as they’d turned red. “We can’t fight him if he already controls our minds.”
“Then we only attack Warrick if we’re together and fighting as a unit,” Kade pointed out. “He can’t change all of us at once.”
I bit my lower lip, and Locke stalked toward me, wrapping me in his arms. “I won’t let him touch you,” he growled.
Smoke trailed from my nose as my chest heaved. “It’s not me I’m worried about,” I admitted, all of the emotion from the past few hours catching up with me. I wanted to burn the sky, to hunt Warrick down and make him pay for all that he’d done. I wanted to slap King Chalir and force him to see that we would only survive this if we united, but I couldn’t do any of those things.
My monsters crowded around me, and when Locke dipped his head, I brought my lips to his, desperate to remind myself that Warrick wasn’t going to take him from me. We had to leave within hours, but I needed this. I neededthem.
Locke slid his arms to the hollow of my back, and he pressed me against him as he kissed me back, devouring my mouth like he was just as desperate to taste every part of me. Like he’d unravel if he couldn’t remind himself that I was his. We kissed like the world was ending, and when Locke’s touch became gentle, a tear slid down the side of my cheek. My vampire swiped the tear away with his thumb and carried me to the bed.
Asher, Kade, and Darian stripped as they followed us, and Locke pulled off my clothes, his gaze locked on me as he peeled away the weapons and layers. Every move slow and methodical. When I was completely naked, he set about undressing himself, and Kade moved onto the bed.
“You don’t need to worry about us, Mahare,” Kade growled softly as he nudged my neck and pressed soft kisses to the side of my face. “All we need is for you to live.”
“But that’s not all I need,” I whispered, and my heart ached at how true those words were. From the moment Cara had been taken from me, all I’d cared about was finding my sister. I had to make sure she was all right and finally apologize for being the reason she was taken, and if she wished, to help her return home. But my heart had grown since then. Locke, Kade, Asher, and Darian. They’d become a part of me.
I leaned across, claiming Kade’s lips as I finally admitted to myself that these monsters weren’t just my mates, they were myfamily,and I’d fight for them just as hard as I was willing to fight for Cara. The last barrier around my heart shattered, and I let them in.Completely.Because there was no life for me without my growly wolf, my mischievous demon, my sweet siren, and my broody vampire. My heart would be theirs. Always.
“Sweetheart,” Asher croaked, his throat raw with emotion as my gaze locked with his, my eyes blurry with tears. He moved closer to me on the bed, and I gasped as his tail flicked out, wrapping tight around my thigh.
Darian, who’d been busy kissing my inner thigh paused and pulled back with an intrigued expression. “Now, now, Ash, I’m not sure if you know this, but I’ve already claimed this spot right here.”
Asher grinned, his violet eyes glowing. “Luckily for me, I know you like to share.”
Darian’s lips curled upward into a sensual smile, and suddenly I was laughing.
I lifted my hand but hesitated. “Does this mean that I can touch your tail?” I asked uncertainly, watching Asher’s expression.
My demon’s grin fell, and he looked as bewildered as I was, but he guided my hand to his tail, letting my fingers brush along his smooth skin. As I touched him, he shuddered, the glow in his eyes brightening. “Only you, Sharachi,” he breathed, his usually amused gaze now intensely serious. “And it’ll always only be you, if you’ll have us.”
My bottom lip trembled as I realized what he was truly asking. He wanted to mark me. To claim me as his mate. And this time…I was ready.
“Yes,” I replied, my words barely above a whisper. “Always.”
Asher’s smile grew so wide, and my eyes watered as he kissed me, his soft lips warm and gentle. I kissed along his jaw to a place beneath his ear, and as his tail burned against my skin, I harnessed a part of my dragon that I’d been too afraid to use. I breathed a small amount of fire onto his skin, leaving a mark of blue flames that glowed in the light. The pain in my thigh soon disappeared, Asher’s mark on me now tingling rather than burning, and somehow, I knew that even when he wasn’t around me, I would always feel his skin pressed against mine.My demon. Mine. Always.
Asher’s tail released my thigh, and I ran my fingers over the violet mark remaining on my skin like a tattoo. Mymate’smark.
Kade kissed my shoulder. “I’m next,” he growled.
I frowned. “But what about your pack?”
He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You arepart of my pack, Mahare. And if the House of Worzel don’t want me because you’re by my side, then so be it. There is no life for me without you, my mate.”
I swallowed hard, but I nodded. Kade left a bite mark to my neck, and I breathed fire onto his collarbone until blue flames marked his tan skin. He ran his fingers over the mark I’d left on him, a low satisfied growl rumbling from his chest.
“My turn,” Darian said with a sensual smile as he marked me, pale blue stars tingling all the way up my arm as I left blue flames on his chest.
“A fitting mark for you, my darling,” Darian commented as he admired his sparkling stars. “Because even in the darkness you shine brighter than any monster I’ve ever known.” His eyes softened. “And all I want is to be with you.”
I couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks, and then I was laughing while Darian kissed up my arm, pressing his lips to each star.
When my siren released me, I turned to Locke, my heart already feeling so full I thought it might burst. His onyx eyes watched me carefully as he drew closer, his fangs already extended.
