In the blink of an eye, he’s between us, his body a wall of fury, his snarl vibrating the floorboards.“Say one more word,” he growls, claws sliding free, “and I’ll rip your fucking throat out.”
Gabriel sneers, but I see the flicker of fear he tries to hide.Still, he tries to hold his ground.“You can’t just claim her.I was her fated mate first.That bond...”
“The only bond she has,” Altero cuts him off, his voice low and deadly, “is with me.I marked her and she marked me back.She is mine for as long as she’ll have me.But know this, if you try to touch her,” his fangs snap together with a click, “you won’t leave this cabin alive.”
Silence falls between us, heavy and suffocating.
I step forward then, pressing my palm to Altero’s back, letting the bond hum through us both.He glances at me, the storm in his eyes softening for me alone.
Turning my gaze on Gabriel, I let every ounce of strength, of fire, of my new wholeness shine through.“You don’t get to come back now that you realize what you threw away.I’m not broken anymore.And I’m not yours.I never was.”
Gabriel’s face hardens, his pride crumbling into fury.“You’ll regret this,” he spits, before spinning on his heel and storming into the woods.
Altero watches him go, every muscle tight, ready to chase.
But I curl my fingers into his, tugging him back.“He’s not worth it,” I whisper.“You are.We are.”
His storm-grey eyes drop to mine, still burning with possessive fire.“If he comes back...”
“He won’t.”I press my forehead to his, the bond thrumming warm and whole inside me.“And even if he does, it won’t matter.I’ll never let him take me from you.”
His snarl fades into something softer, but no less fierce.His hands grip my waist, his voice a low vow against my lips.
“Forever, Thorne.You’re mine.Forever.”
And this time, there’s no doubt.No fear.No running.
Only us.
Unbreakable.
Epilogue
Forever Claimed
Thorne
