THIRTY-THREE
Wren
Thickmetallicbloodcoatedmy mouth as I yanked my canines from Kian’s soft flesh and licked my lips.
Wonder and excitement swirled in his bright green irises as his emotions shot down our bond.
Kian was my mate, and our bond had actually snapped into place. His gaze darted to my lips that were covered in his blood, and our magic pulsated through the air again.
My cheeks felt flushed as my breathing came in soft pants. We had both reached a release by simply kissing, and I’d never experienced that level of a soul bond without sex being part of it. I ran my tongue over the mark on my inner cheek and felt a raised symbol.
He reached up and brushed his thumb over the cheek that held his mark. “I magically branded you with a symbol, the Cortse family emblem.”
“What’s that mean?” My heart thumped hard as I nuzzled my cheek against his hand, feeling a warmth spread through my bones.
Pink blossomed over his cheeks as he smiled. “It means that’s my mate mark on you.”
I bit down on my lip and let my fingertips glide over the bloodiness of my mark on the part where his neck and shoulder met. “I shouldn’t have bit so hard.”
“It didn’t hurt.” He pressed his tongue to the side of his cheek and trembled. “It, ah, felt really good.”
I glanced down and noticed the wetness of his release on his clothes, and my face heated again. “I don’t know what happened when that bond snapped, but don’t be embarrassed. I, um, did that too. Mine is just less noticeable, but any being with a heightened sense of smell could tell what our bond snapping into place did to me.”
“Wren,” he rasped, and desire glazed over his eyes.
‘Damn, Kian, get it,’a squeaky voice said from Kian’s shoulder.
I gasped, pulling back before looking into the squirrel’s green eyes. “Shade?”
‘You can hear me?’he squeaked, and tilted his head.
“It must be because the matebond between us fully formed.” Kian ran a hand through his hair and let out a strained laugh. “At least now you can see Nightshade’s true colors. I’m pretty sure if you knew firsthand, you wouldn’t have let him in the tub with you.”
”Is he that bad?”
‘I’ve already seen you naked.’Shade did an equivalent of a scoff.‘Kian’s a lucky warlock, that’s for sure.’
I gasped. “Shade!”
“Told you,” Kian muttered.
I had no idea how witches and warlocks talked to their familiars, but however they did it, Shade could speak with me through a formed bond the same way he could Kian.
‘What?’Shade threw up his arms.‘You’re practically my master, the same as Kian now that you’ve bonded. I’m your familiar too now.’
“Really?” I glanced at Kian, who shrugged.
“We’re parts of a soul, Wren. It makes sense to me that our souls bonding extended my familiar bond to you as well.” Kian’s head snapped to the side.
I heard a crinkle of paper and turned to look down the hallway.
Lachlan stood with a letter clutched in his hands and tears streaming down his face. My heart lurched, and I rushed down the hall toward him. The floorboards creaked with each step.
“What happened?” I gently grabbed his wrists.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “I’m sorry for ruining the moment between you two again.”
“You didn’t ruin anything. What happened?”
