"How?" she asked, her eyes dazed, her pupils blown wide.
"We make a circle," Elias said. His voice was trembling. He was standing right behind me. "Physical contact. Continuous loop. We pour everything into her, and she directs it."
"No," Kaelen said.
I spun around, ready to fight him.
"No circle," Kaelen said. He was stripping off his ruined tunic, revealing the hard planes of his chest, the scars, the dragon scale patterns rippling under his skin in golden waves. "A circle is passive. This needs to be active."
He walked toward us, naked from the waist up, looking like a god of war who had just decided to stop playing nice. He stopped in front of Aria, his eyes burning with a terrifying intensity.
"We don't just hold hands," Kaelen said, his voice a low growl that vibrated the floor. "We mark her. We claim her. We flood the system."
He reached out and tore the front of her tunic.
The sound of ripping wool was loud in the silence. The fabric fell away, exposing her pale skin, the curve of her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. The golden veins were faint, pulsing weakly.
Aria gasped, crossing her arms over her chest instinctively.
"Don't hide," Kaelen commanded softly. He pulled her arms away. "Let us see you."
He leaned down and pressed his mouth to the hollow of her throat.
Aria’s head fell back, a ragged sound tearing from her throat.
For a second, I just watched. The sight of the Dragon Prince claiming her, his dark head against her pale skin, his hands spanning her waist... It was almost too much. The jealousy was there, sharp and acidic, but it was drowned out by something else.
The Bond.
It flared to life, blindingly bright. I felt Kaelen’s sensation as if it were my own, the softness of her skin, the frantic beat of her pulse against his lips, the taste of her salt and sweat.
He bit her.
Not deep enough to draw serious blood, but enough to mark. Enough to trigger the magic.
Aria screamed, her back arching.
Golden light exploded from the bite mark. It raced across her skin, revitalizing the fading patterns. The cavern lit up as if a sun had been born in the crush.
"Flynn," Kaelen said, lifting his head. His mouth was wet, his eyes wild. "Thane. Elias. Now."
I didn't need to be told twice.
I moved in behind her. I pulled her back against my chest, my hands sliding over her hips, finding the heated skin beneath the rags. I lowered my head to the slope of her shoulder, finding the spot where neck met muscle.
I let my teeth graze the skin.
Mine.
I bit down.
The surge of power was euphoric. It wasn't draining me; it was completing me. It was a circuit closing. I poured my strength, my speed, my hunger into her.
Aria sobbed, her knees giving out.
Thane was there. He dropped to his knees in front of her, catching her as she sagged. He buried his face in her stomach, his massive arms wrapping around her hips, anchoring her to the earth.
"Hold her," Kaelen ordered.
