The bond wasn't just open now—it wasalive, pulsing between us like a shared heartbeat. I could feel them everywhere: Torvyn's steady strength at my front, Kaedren's fierce heat at my side, Lyrin's gentle presence at my back, Vaelix's sharp focus threading through it all.
But I could feel myself, too. Still distinct. Still whole.
Just... more.
"Easy," Torvyn murmured against my temple, his voice low and grounding. "We have you."
I tilted my head back, meeting his golden eyes. They burned with controlled intensity, but beneath it—vulnerability. Hope. The same fear I'd carried:What if I'm not enough?
I reached up and cupped his face, feeling the scratch of stubble against my palm.
"I know," I whispered. "And I have you, too."
Something in his expression cracked open. Relief. Joy. Love so fierce it stole my breath.
I turned to Kaedren next, his hand still tangled in my hair. His scarred face was inches from mine, his breathing harsh. Through the bond, I felt what he couldn't say—the terror that I'd see the violence in him and flinch. That I'd realize what he was and run.
I pressed my forehead to his.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said quietly. "I never was."
His exhale shuddered through both of us. His free hand found my waist, gripping tight enough to leave marks.
"You should be," he rasped.
"Too late."
I felt Lyrin's laugh before I heard it—warm and full of relief, vibrating against my spine. I turned in their arms, and he was right there, hazel eyes soft and knowing.
"You're so brave," he said, his empathy wrapping around me like a blanket. "Do you know that? You're terrified and you're doing it anyway."
Tears pricked my eyes again. "I'm not—"
"You are." His thumb brushed my cheek, catching a tear before it fell. "And it's beautiful."
I kissed him. Not because I had to, but because Iwantedto—because he saw me, all of me, and didn't look away.
The bond flared, pleasure sparking along my nerves. I gasped against his mouth, and felt his smile.
"That's new," Vaelix murmured from behind me, his voice rough with something darker than curiosity.
I pulled back from Lyrin and found Vaelix watching me with those sharp, calculating eyes. But beneath the analysis, I felt what he was really thinking:She chose us. She actually chose us.
"Come here," I said.
He moved closer, deliberate and predatory, until we were chest to chest. I could feel his heartbeat against mine—rapid, unsteady, betraying the calm expression on his face.
"You don't have to pretend with me," I said softly. "Not anymore."
His mask slipped. Just for a moment. Just long enough for me to see the brilliant, desperate man beneath—the one who'd been alone in his own mind for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like to be understood.
"I know," he said, and kissed me like I was the answer to every question he'd ever asked.
The tether surged.
Not painful. Not overwhelming.
Right.
