Imara rushed her and squeezed her so hard that, for a few seconds, Gemma couldn’t breathe. “Don’t you ever do that to us again,” Imara scolded lovingly.
Gemma hugged her back. “I won’t.”
Hawk and Lysa were next to embrace her, then Nadine held her and apologized for being such a “shit sister.” At last, Gemmahelped Christian to his feet. He still stared at her as if she might vanish when he blinked. Gemma slipped her hand into his.
“Would you guys mind if—” Gemma started to say.
Imara waved her toward her tent. “Go. We can talk more later.”
Gemma offered her friends a soft smile of thanks before leading Christian across the darkened camp, their path lit by the faint halo of her body. When they ducked inside their tent, the flap fell closed behind them, and the hush of the outside world gave way to something smaller, something that belonged only to the two of them.
Christian stopped just inside the space, his throat bobbing.
Gemma reached up and cupped his cheek again. Her face dropped into a frown. “I’m so sorry for hurting you.”
He let out a broken laugh, leaning his forehead against hers. His breath shook as his hands slid around her waist like he would never let go. She placed her palms on his chest, and for a long moment, silence reigned between them, thick with everything they couldn’t yet say.
Gemma swallowed hard. “I know this body isn’t the one you held yesterday. But it’s still me. I promise.” The tattoo that once covered just her forearm traveled across every inch of her skin now, save her face. She imagined it was hard to even look at her, to know—just by appearance—that she wasn’t human anymore.
For a long moment, he just stared, breath shallow, his jaw trembling. Then his hands cupped her face, and his thumb trembled against the edge of her jaw.
“I don’t care what body you wear,” he said, his voice rough but fierce. “You’re mine. And if this is who you were always meant to be, then thank the stars you’re finally here.”
The knot in her chest broke. Relief, sorrow, love—it all spilled out at once as she folded into him, her forehead pressed into the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped around her, strongand certain, anchoring her against the storm of what she had become.
For minutes they stood in embrace, unspoken words seeping deep into Gemma’s bones. Then Christian broke the silence.
“Did you steal this gown from Other-Gemma’s closet?”
Gemma laughed, every lingering strand of fear and sorrow evaporating. “Well, I couldn’t exactly come back naked.”
Leave it to him to always try to lighten the mood.
He loosened his hold on her just enough to see her face. “Stars, I love the sound of your laugh.”
She smiled, her gaze caught in his, sensing his every emotion, her body longing for his.
“What color are my eyes?” she asked.
“Purple.”
“And you don’t care?”
“Not one bit.”
She surged into him, kissing him with a force that left no space for air. His groan vibrated through her as his arms locked around her, hauling her against him. It wasn’t gentle; it was need, sharp and desperate. And she loved it.
His fingers skimmed down her sides, and a deep vibration arose from every inch he touched. But she was no longer afraid. This was who she was now, and he still loved her. And she wanted the first thing she did in this body to show him just how much she still loved him too.
A wail shattered the moment, an unearthly siren tearing through Tent City, rattling the metal scaffolds and reverberating through her chest.
She and Christian snapped apart, staring at the flap of their tent.
“Perimeter breach!” someone yelled on the other side. “Everybody get moving!”
“Fuck.” Christian snapped into action, grabbing his gear.
Adrenaline surged so hot that her tattoos flickered to life beneath her skin. Gemma changed quickly into regular clothes, her pulse hammering in rhythm with the screeched warning.
