Waiting was hard, harder than anything I’ve ever done. There’s only a few more minutes now.
Evander takes up the rest of the chant. “Bring us together if it’s in your grace, oh fates. We demand you show us your answer.”
My eyes snap to Evander’s face. Demand is not part of the ceremony.We request, by the graces, you reveal in time your answeris how it’s normally phrased. But my dragon roars in agreement with Evander. My shoulders fly back, and smoke pours from my nose.
I stop in front of Raine. She’s shaking. In a minute, I’ll be able to hold her hand to comfort her.
Roark steps behind her and reaches down, removing herhood. Her dark hair cascades out to fall in front of her. His fingers slide down her arms, and he takes her hand in his.
Evander steps up to her, and she holds her hand out to him.
“And then we are . . .” they say together.
I cup her face with both hands.
Zaps and zings jolt through me. The marking down my spine burns, burns as much as when I had my own lightning.
Her blue eyes dilate, and her lips part in a gasp. “Kieren.” She holds her hands up, Roark’s and Evander’s hands with hers. Her eyes flick to them as if she doesn’t recognize they are her own.
We’ve done this more times than I want to think about. Never has my mark even itched. I want the robe off, but I can’t take my eyes off her. Removing my fingers from her skin isn’t something I want to do either. Fuck.
Her arms drop to her sides, and she drops the guys’ hands.
Roark’s close behind her. Ready to catch her. When the three of us had our lightning, we all passed out. Evander’s braced too.
“How do you feel, Duchess?” Roark’s voice isn’t much more than a deep whisper.
“On fire. My leg burns. My...” She shakes her head. “Something’s happening.” She turns to the portal.
“I’ll close the portal,” Roark says, pulling on the cords.
The energy from our realm vanishes, but there’s something new. A connection I’ve never felt before. I laugh. I can’t help it.
The pads of my fingers skim around her jawline, to her neck. “Raine.” A smile on my lips, I lean in. Will she let me kiss her? She rises up onto her toes, and her eyes close. I’movercome with the knowledge that this moment will be with me forever.
The pads of her silken lips press against mine, leaving me dizzy. I can hear my thunder mates’ voices in the back of my head, but I have no idea what they’re saying. My eyes close.
One hand grips tightly on her hip, while the other moves to the top of her spine. My thumb presses on one side, and my fingers grasp the other, controlling our kiss, deepening it, tasting every bit of her.
This is definitely not like anything I’ve ever experienced. This is new.
My cock hardens.
Raine’s hands wrap around my waist, and I’ve never wanted somebody as much as I want her. The fact that she hasn’t fallen to the ground with the lightning is more than shocking, but I won’t let it change the importance of this moment. She’s not our thunder mate yet, but she will be. I feel it in my soul.
When our kiss ends, I don’t know if it’s been a year or a moment. Her eyes, so blue like the sky over the mountain behind Crest Wing Castle at home, search mine. I know she wants answers, answers I don’t have.
Until her, I didn’t believe in the prophecy. Now that I have her in my arms, how could I have ever doubted it? She hasn’t had the lightning, but it will come. I know it will.
“Raine,” I say, “I’ve never...It’s never been like this. I’ve never known anyone like you.” My hand moves to her hair. “You’re more than beautiful. You’re smart and clever and disarmingly good. So good that it overwhelms me.”
She brings her body flush against mine, pulling me into a tight hug. I feel her vibrations against my chest.
“Are you crying?” I ask, my gut twisting at the thought of causing her tears.
“I am,” she says, “but not because I’m sad. I was wrong. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I do now. I want this. I want all three of you.”
She reaches out a hand to both Evander and Roark, and there’s nothing I can do to stop her. She hasn’t had the lightning, but she’s our mate. There’s no way we can’t touch her together.
