Before he could answer, Oren rose from the table and started pacing the floor with his nose stuck in one of the books.
“I knew it!” He went over to the couch and sat on the coffee table, laying the book beside him.
“What do you know?” Jet asked as we all gathered closer.
I was surprised he hadn’t left after what had occurred between him and Oren. Maybe Jet stayed because he knew he deserved what Oren had done… and perhaps he didn’t want to be away from Reverie. The big dumbass better get with the program because I had a feeling we were going to need all of us to protect this amazing creature.
“I thought Reverie had gained a new ability until she marked Zeke and Zane. I was wrong.” Oren lovingly ran a hand downReverie’s face with an expression of awe, “It’s more of a lost trait than an ability. Most Aurathions scholars consider it a myth. Now her unique Nexus mark makes complete sense.”
“I’ve never seen anything like her mark. I knew she’d have one since she bonded Pantar, but it looks nothing like the ones in any textbooks we’ve studied.” I looked at Oren, hoping that he had answers.
We all drew as close to Reverie as we could, feeling the need to protect our Nexus when she was this vulnerable.
“I thought the same until I witnessed it with my own eyes,” He muttered, ignoring my comment. “This, combined with her mark, confirms it.” Oren was obviously thrown by everything that had happened.
This concerned me more than anything. I’d never seen Oren behave anything but confidently in any situation he was involved in.
“What is it?” I spoke in a whisper, feeling the weight of the moment.
“It's called Amalgamate,” he said reverently.
“Amalgamate,” Jet repeated in his deep voice, then moved even closer to Reverie, edging me out the slightest bit.
I growled low and felt a strange pressure building in my throat. Before I could unleash it, Oren distracted me, continuing his explanation. Reverie was more important than Jet’s serial-killer-want-to-be-ass, so I pushed my rage down and tuned back in.
“Yes, it’s the power to unite or combine a group into a single unit… or a Faction.” Oren put his head in his hands.
“Without a ritual or blood exchange?” I asked in disbelief, my voice sounding huskier than it usually did.
Oren raised his head, “Yes.”
The look in his eyes was starting to worry me.
“How much danger is she in if this gets out?” Nathan narrowed his eyes, asking the question we all had on our minds.
“More than you can conceive," Oren said, locking eyes with each of us, seemingly assessing our capability to safeguard our Nexus.
Jet snarled, standing up and positioning himself in front of the door as if someone were going to burst in at any moment. I understood how he felt. The need to rip and tear to protect her was riding me hard.
“It’ll take all five of us and our abilities to protect her.” He leaned over and gently kissed her lips. “And even then, it might not be enough. The Council and the Dark Factions would love nothing better than to get their hands on her.”
No one spoke after that statement.
From the first instant I met her, I instinctively sensed that she was extraordinary. At this moment, I vowed to dedicate myself to honing the new skills my treasure had bestowed upon me, to protect her, and to defend her against anyone who made the grave mistake of threatening her.
I didn’t know what the rest of my Faction brothers were thinking, but as for me, I knew that my heart now lived outside my body, and I would burn the world down to keep it safe.
Chapter 19
Reverie
Iwoke up slowly, hearing the soft murmur of the guys' voices close by. I reluctantly opened my eyes and stretched, feeling incredibly well-rested.
Realizing I wasn’t in my bed, I panicked before remembering what had occurred earlier. Sitting up abruptly, I raised my shirt.
Except for one, every empty place on my mark was filled. It wasn’t a dream, it really did happen.
How in the hell did I bond with the twins without a blood exchange?
