I felt the walls I'd built around myself—the ones that kept people at arm's length, that protected me from being hurt, from being seen as weak, crumble. Not violently. Not catastrophically.
Willingly.
I let them fall.
And in their place, the bond rushed in, filling every empty space, every hollow I'd carved out to keep myself safe. It didn't erase me. It didn't drown me.
Itexpandedme.
I was still Kira. Still a scientist. Still stubborn and driven and occasionally too clever for my own good.
But now I was alsotheirs. And they were mine.
The tether aligned fully, clicking into place like a lock finding its key. I felt it settle deep in my chest. It wasn’t a leash or a cage, but a foundation.
Home.
"There," Torvyn breathed, wonder in his voice. "There you are."
I turned back to him, and the look on his face nearly undid me. Like I was something precious. Something worth protecting. Worthchoosing.
"I'm here," I said. "I'm not going anywhere."
His control was finally shattered.
He kissed me—deep and hungry and reverent all at once—and I melted into him. His hands found my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I felt the exact moment the bond shifted from emotional to physical. Heat flooded through me, pooling low in my belly, and I gasped against his mouth.
Through the tether, I felt their response—four distinct flavors of need crashing into me at once.
Kaedren's hands found my hips from behind, steadying me, grounding me. Lyrin's fingers traced up my bare arm, light as a whisper. Vaelix pressed against my side, his breath hot against my neck.
"Kira." Torvyn's voice was rough, barely controlled. "If you need us to stop—"
"Don't you dare," I said.
I felt his smile against my lips. "As you wish."
They moved together, practiced and unhurried, lowering me onto the furs and soft fabrics that covered the floor. The galaxy dress shimmered beneath me, constellations scattering and reforming with every shift of my body.
Torvyn's fingers found the hidden fastening at my shoulder. The dress loosened, and cool air kissed my heated skin as the fabric slipped away. I didn't feel exposed. I felt powerful.
Four pairs of eyes tracked the movement, full of want.
"Beautiful," Kaedren breathed.
Torvyn knelt beside me, his golden eyes searching mine. "Are you sure?"
I reached up and pulled him down to me. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
The tether sang between us—anticipation and trust and love andwantall tangled together until I couldn't tell where one feeling ended and another began.
Kaedren's hand found mine, lacing our fingers together. Lyrin's palm pressed against my heart, feeling it race. Vaelix's lips brushed my temple, my jaw, then lingered at the pulse in my throat. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin there, and I gasped. Through the bond, I felt his satisfaction at the sound.
And Torvyn—steady, controlled Torvyn—finally let himself break.
"You're ours now," he murmured against my mouth.
"And you're mine," I answered.
