“But nothing, my warrior. I’ve already had this experience with Lex. Now, it is your turn. I will be here, watching and waiting, but will not intervene until you ask. It is special, sacred, and something that should be shared between a Mage and their chosen Vessel.”
“But you’re his Vessel, too,” she argued, flinging a hand at him. Hertone was sharp, and anyone else would see her words as venomous, but Ilyas and I knew better.
Folami was scared. Overwhelmed with emotion and trying to combat it all the only way she knew how—by fighting tooth and nail.
I soothed a palm up her back, and she jumped at my touch.
“Shh, Fo,” I whispered, tucking an errant braid behind her ear. “Ilyas is right. He is already Bonded to me. This—this part is between you and me. After . . . that is completely up to you.” My voice rasped with lust as I thought of all the ways we coulduseIlyas once we were fully Bonded. My Pleasure Vessel caught my tone, desire swimming in his ocean eyes as he not so subtly adjusted himself in his pants.
Folami hesitated, but nodded, turning back to the bed and climbing up after removing her shoes. Her toes twisted together, betraying her true feelings, as she sat and waited for me to join her.
I shucked my shirt, leaving it a mess on the floor, before toeing off my boots and joining her on the bed, our bare shoulders pressed together.
“Where would you like your Marks?” Fay asked, amusement glittering in her gaze.
“Here,” I said without hesitation, pointing to the spot above my heart. Fo reared back, surprised at my declaration. “So you always know that my heart chose you and not the Bond,” I whispered, lips dusting hers with a fleeting kiss.
Folami’s eyes betrayed nothing as she held my stare. “Can you make a Bonding Mark over a scar?”
Fay nodded solemnly. “Yes, Folami. I can do that.”
My future Bonded nodded her head once, finally pulling her intense gaze from mine to meet Fay’s stare.
“Then that is where I want mine as well,” she said, pulling off her cropped shirt to reveal bare skin and breasts beneath.
I sucked in an audible breath as Ilyas groaned loudly from the chair.
“That’s not fair,ayaba,” he rasped, palm covering the erection that was now most definitely tenting his pants.
Folami shrugged, breasts bobbing with the movement, pulling my gaze to her dark nipples, which were quickly hardening under our scrutiny.
“We will be getting naked soon anyway to complete the Bond. And it’s not like the Rune Master has never seen breasts before,” she snarked, but a faint blush covered her cheeks.
“I’ve seen more nipples than I care to admit,” Fay said seriously, causing Folami to finally crack a small smile.
Seemingly content with that response, the Rune Master turned back to hertable, selecting a sharp blade that glinted in the sun, the steel so pure it was nearly blue, and a few strips of binding cloth.
She worked quickly, not needing to preface the ceremony with any unnecessary words, considering we’d all been through the process once before. With quick slashes and confident strokes, Fay drew the Bond Mark on my chest with Fo’s blood before repeating the process on Folami’s chest with my blood.
Fay wiped the blade on her black pants before cutting her own arm, dipping her finger into the quickly welling blood to trace the lines already drawn on our chests.
The second her blood covered Folami’s, I felt a string flutter to life in my chest, pulling me toward the woman to my left. Fo sucked in a deep breath at the sensation, drawing my gaze to hers.
Endless wonder filled her eyes, and my gut clenched at the thought of her first Bonding feeling anything less than euphoric.
I wasn’t sure I truly wanted to know.
“This . . . this isincredible,” she said in awe, voice thick with emotion. Apparently, I was going to get the answer whether I asked for it or not.
“It should feel that way,” Fay admitted, quickly binding the cuts on each of our forearms. “I’m sorry it wasn’t as pleasurable the first time.”
Fo winced, but her expression cleared just as quickly as it darkened, lust now dominating her gaze.
“I don’t think I need to tell you how to seal the Bond,” Fay said wryly, standing quickly from the bed as my knuckles gently grazed Folami’s stomach and lower breasts.
Ilyas laughed lowly, the sound full of desire as he watched my finger coast up Fo’s chest to run teasingly over her nipple.
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Fay said wryly, placing her dagger in her belt before leaving our room, closing the door with athudon her way out.
