His face crumpled at the sight, his hand reaching for me. “Baby, please?—”
I pulled the door open and stepped through, slamming it shut behind me with enough force to echo through the hallway. Through our bond, I felt his despair crash against my mental walls like a tsunami, followed by the others’ panic as they realized what had happened.
I strode back toward the main ballroom, wiping away the evidence of my momentary weakness from my cheek. Myparents were waiting by the entrance, concern etched across their faces.
“Jupiter?” My mother reached for me, holding Noodle. “What happened? You look?—”
“I want to go,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “Now. Please.”
My father nodded, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders without asking questions. As we made our way toward the exit, I caught sight of Percy pushing through the crowd, his dark eyes frantic as they searched for me. Draco and Eris were converging from different directions, their expressions identical masks of panic.
I turned away, letting my parents guide me outside where the night air hit my flushed skin like a slap.
“The car’s this way,” my father murmured, leading me down the steps.
Behind us, I heard shouting. Percy’s voice, calling my name. I didn’t look back.
In the car, I finally allowed myself to shake, violent tremors wracking my body as I curled against my mother’s side like I was a child again. She stroked my hair, murmuring soothing nonsense while my father instructed the driver to take us to their hotel.
“It’s going to be okay,” my mother whispered. “London is going to be a fresh start. You’ll see.”
I nodded against her shoulder, too exhausted to speak. My phone buzzed incessantly in my clutch, messages from all four of them. I turned it off without reading a single one.
Later, in the quiet sanctuary of my parents’ hotel suite, I stood under the shower until the water ran cold, trying to wash away Aiden’s touch, his scent, the memory of how perfectly we fit together. I scrubbed until my skin was raw and pink, but I could still feel him. Could still feel them all through our bond.
I wrapped myself in one of the hotel’s plush robes and padded out to the living area where my parents had ordered room service. My mother took one look at my face and opened her arms. I collapsed into her embrace, finally letting the tears come.
“I hate them,” I sobbed against her shoulder. “I hate them so much.”
“I know, baby,” she soothed, rocking me gently. “I know.”
“But I love them too,” I admitted in a broken whisper. “And I don’t know how to make it stop.”
My father’s hand came to rest on my back, warm and steady. “Time,” he said simply. “And distance.”
I nodded, wanting desperately to believe him. But as I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally claiming me, I couldn’t help but wonder if any amount of distance would ever be enough to break the bond that tied me to four men who had shattered my heart and still held the pieces.
EPILOGUE
Rowan
The plane jerked with turbulence,but I barely noticed. My mind was consumed with silver eyes, and a power that hummed beneath skin like a living current.
“You’re brooding again,” James said from across the aisle, not bothering to look up from his book.
I didn’t deny it. What was the point? Jupiter Black had crawled under my skin in a matter of hours, and I couldn’t shake her if I tried. The memory of her in my arms as we danced kept replaying. The perfect weight of her hand in mine, the subtle floral scent of her hair, the way her eyes had widened when I’d pulled her just a fraction closer than propriety allowed.
“We all feel it, mate,” Theo said quietly from beside me. “It’s not just you.”
I glanced at Lucas in the seat ahead, his knuckles white where he gripped the armrest. Our shield leader hadn’t spoken more than ten words since we’d left the gala. After two years of watching him keep every woman at arm’s length, the sight of him so thoroughly rattled was unsettling.
“She’s already bonded,” Phoenix reminded us, though the strain in his voice suggested he was trying to convince himself as much as us. “To four warriors who looked ready to tear us apart just for breathing near her.”
I closed my eyes, remembering the murderous glare from that Aries zodiac—Percy—when I’d whispered in Jupiter’s ear. The possessiveness radiating from him had been violent.
“They don’t deserve her,” I snapped.
The cabin fell silent. Even James looked up from his book.
