Something in the possessive tone made Morgan’s cheeks heat, but she held her ground. “I can handle myself, you know.”
Sebastian’s smile was pure challenge. “I’m counting on it.” He glanced to where Nico and the others still hovered, protective and reluctant to leave. “They care about you.”
She followed his gaze. “We’ve been through some things. Trials tend to bond people.”
“True,” he agreed.
The airport lights flickered as Morgan and her friends said their goodbyes—Akira fierce, Miryam teary, Raphael pretending to be indifferent, and Nico offering her a last, measured look full of his usual mischief and maybe a little concern.
Morgan squeezed Akira’s hand and hugged Miryam tight, forcing a smile. “I’ll text. I promise.” She nodded at Raphael. “Be good to her. If you’re not, I know a good hitman.”
Raphael bowed his head to her in an old world gentleman way as he said, “Noted.”
Finally, Nico stepped forward, his voice low. “I am sorry that this was the way you were introduced to our race. But, I am glad that you were willing to stay. Whatever happens, you’re not alone anymore. Remember that.”
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. For a crazy dude, he was oddly endearing. The group turned and headed back towards the plane, Miryam and Akira both turning a couple of times to look back at her.
And then it was just her and Sebastian. She drew herself up, not out of bravado but because she owed it to herself. She wasn’t a shifter, at least not yet, but she was his equal—her soul said so, even if her body was all human fragility.
He offered his hand, palm up. Not a demand—an invitation.
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. Heat leapt up her arm, and she knew it was the mate bond sparking to life, steady and strong. What else could it be? She felt like she’d been holding her breath for years, and now—finally—she could exhale.
He squeezed her hand, gentle but sure. “Ready?”
She nodded, letting a small, genuine smile slip through. “As I’ll ever be.”
And together, they left the empty tarmac behind—two souls, one fate, stepping into the unknown. Was she scared? Absolutely. But did she feel like she was making a mistake?Morgan could honestly say from the deepest part of her gut that for the first time in her life, she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Nico slumped into his seat on the plane, the hum of the engines a pale backdrop to the static in his mind. Raphael had already buckled in. His posture was stiff and his eyes kept cutting to Miryam, only to then quickly look away. Akira and Miryam sat together, heads bent in whispered conversation, each glance back toward the jetway no doubt asking silent questions—would they ever see Morgan again? What did the future hold for either of them?
Nico’s chest tightened. He’d done his duty. Morgan was with her mate, by shaman law. He’d delivered her safely, even if “safe” was a relative term where Sebastian was concerned. He should have felt relief. Instead, he felt the weight of a dozen choices pressing down on his shoulders, heavy as stone. He needed to talk to Akira. There was so much to say. He didn’t even really know how she felt about him, the tattoo and bond between them. Hell, he didn’t even know how he felt. Everything was happening so fast. But as much as he wanted to talk to her, he had other things to deal with. As far as he knew, for the moment, Akira wasn’t going anywhere. And if she decided she wanted to, he’d just kidnap her. See, one problem solved. Now, onto the next.
Finally, with Morgan no longer his immediate responsibility, and his decision about Akira made, he let himself look at the unread messages—texts, voicemails, missed calls from Lyric. It was time to find out what information she had, and how it would affect the information he and Raphael had gathered.
He put in his earbuds, pressed play, and listened as Lyric’s voice spilled into his ears—tight with urgency, threaded through with fear. He clicked on her text messages and read through each one, but it was the last one that held his attention:Change of plans. Can’t make it to the airport. Too risky. I am shocked, but the evidence speaks for itself. The king and queen of KOS cannot be permitted to stay in power. I’ll be in touch.
Nico’s jaw clenched. Athena and Aurelius? What had the royal pair done? Did it have anything to do with Azure and the animus? Did she know where Roan and Maddie were? He didn’t have a clue what he should do. Lyric said she’d be in touch, but he hadn’t gotten any more texts from her.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw movement.
Akira sat in the empty seat beside him. “You look worried,” she said, her voice soft. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
His stomach tightened as he looked over at her. The worry in her beautiful eyes nearly brought him to his knees. How long had it been since someone had been concerned for him? How long since someone had offered to help himbecauseof that worry?
Nico fought the urge to touch her. The mate bond that was growing stronger compelled him to wrap her up and protect her. Was this what the Damarian males felt? If it was, damn, how did they get anything done?
“Nico?”
Her voice drew him from his inner thoughts and he focused on her. “I’ve gotten some texts from the shaman from the Kingdom of Silk, and they’re concerning,” he admitted. “She said she’d be in touch, but I haven’t heard back since her last text and that was hours ago. She might have info on Roan and Maddie. But, I also have the evidence on Kingdom of Chaos that I need to get to the other shamans. And Callon, Lola, Gage, Katy, and thatwhole crew are waiting on news. Those girls won’t wait much longer before they take matters into their own hands.”
Akira listened intently, her eyes never leaving his face. Then, she took a deep breath and seemed to take her time processing the information. “Why don’t you contact Callon and that group first? Just tell him what you’ve told me. Let them decide for themselves what to do about Roan and Maddie. Maybe they’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone in regards to Lyric. Then, contact whoever you need to about the information you and Raphael gathered.” She said it so simply, as if the path had been clear the whole time.
“You’re the calm to my chaos,” he said without thinking. The words just poured out of him. “I know we haven’t addressed the elephant in the room, not because I haven’t wanted to. I’ve left you hanging, and I apologize. It’s just, I never expected you.”
Akira’s lips turned up, a gentle smile gracing her lovely face. “Well, that goes both ways. I certainly never expected to be, um, well, mated to a supernatural being. And you’re right, we have a lot to talk about. But now isn’t the time. There are people depending on you. I’m not going anywhere.” She placed her hand on his arm, her skin was soft as silk.
Nico chuckled. “It’s a good thing. I kind of decided I would kidnap you if you tried to leave.”
