She determined at that moment to have Ryan show her the link between her, Trip, Shawn, Marc, and the man himself.
Before her very eyes, these three men became one.It was an astonishing sight to behold.One that filled her with pride because she was a part of it.This was her world.Her mates had introduced her into this batshit society, and slowly but surely, all the insanity would become very, very normal.
She smiled at the thought because her life, her sphere, which to many was insane suddenly wasn’t.
Truth was, she knew she’d never been safer than she was at this moment.That was a fact she would be endlessly grateful for, and one that would help her adjust to this strange, new world.
As the bonds coalesced, Ryan closed his eyes and that magical glimpse into a power that transcended everything she’d ever thought possible in this reality, disappeared.
“Angel, Dean, Robert, you are here today to prove the truth of your Triad bond.As Angel’s leader, I can see that you are no longer a single entity but a Triad unit.We are proud to welcome you, Dean and Robert, into this Pride, and we extend upon you all the rights of your maternal Pride in this one.”
A raucous cheer swelled among the crowd, and El smiled at the truth of the joy every single member of her new people felt at this Triad joining.It was almost like a marriage ceremony, but she knew how much that would piss off the guys.They did, after all, have a thing about being classed as gay.
Angel, Dean, and Robert shot Ryan respectful smiles, and almost as one, took a step back before being absorbed into the crowd.Ryan turned back to El, and said, “There, that’s all done.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” he said with a laugh.“It’s not the ceremony, not really, that counts.It’s just the guys being accepted into their Pride.Mostly, it’s about the party.”
She chuckled at his sheepish grin.“It’s always about the party.”Her chuckle deepened.“Where are the others?It feels really strange knowing they’re here and not having them around me.”
He shot her a surprised look.“Really?Already?”
“That surprises you… Why?”
He shrugged, and she had expected him, from his tone, to seem uneasy or disappointed by that.But that wasn’t the case.If anything, he looked relieved.Though the guys kept on astonishing her with the depth of their bond, and how little it concerned them having to share her, it was only at times like these she really could understand the peace they felt as a Triad.
Maybe, because she was human, she’d never truly be able to comprehend the depth of their link.Even having seen the Triad ceremony, it was still hard to get her head around, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t relieved too.It meant she could have her cake and she could eat it, after all.
Shawn would always be a concern.How couldn’t he be?He was human.And he would never be a part of the Triad bond.He would always be out in the cold.Even though she was mad at him, she couldn’t deny that the link between them was as strong as her link with the Triad.It made no sense.But it was the truth.Nonetheless.And the last thing she wanted was for him to feel isolated.
Ryan held out hand.“Come on, I have no desire to do it, but I guess I’d better introduce you to the Pride.I’ll get nothing but shit tomorrow if I don’t.”
She snorted.“With an offer like that, how could a girl refuse?”
He rolled his eyes.“You’ll understand shortly.”
“You forget, I’m my father’s daughter.Worse than that, I’m my grandfather’s granddaughter.I understand the need for introductions to the right people.”
He looked at her second, and shook his head.“You’re too cute, you know that?”
She frowned and shot him a puzzled smile.“Where did that come from?”
His eyes were loaded with warmth, a warmth that seemed to shoot through her body and heated her up from the inside out.She wasn’t sure if that was to do with his powers because there were no weird gold wavy lines shooting from them like something from a Marvel movie, or if it was just the love that he felt for her...Either way, it worked.
“It’s just, you really don’t see it, do you?You really don’t see that, in your own right, you’re more powerful than your father.Almost as powerful as your grandfather.If anything, if anyone could replace him, it’s you.He gave you that power.”
His words filled her with unease.She wasn’t stupid, but that didn’t mean she wanted to accept the truth of what he was saying.If anything, it was the last thing she wanted to hear.Her grandfather had gifted her prestige and power of the family mantle, sure.But El had always wanted a quiet life.He’d known that, and had ignored her wishes anyway because she was the only one he’d felt he could trust.
“If Grandfather knew what was happening now...Then he’d go ape shit.This wouldn’t exactly be his idea of respectability.”
“We’d just have to tell him the whole truth.”
“Can we tell my parents?”
He shook his head.“We might not have to.”
Before she could pounce on that strange phrasing, someone shouted his name.His head whipped around and he pinpointed the person who had called his name within a handful of seconds.
