“Together,” he says. Not a command. A vow.
Rhett’s hand lands on my shoulder. Jace crowds close on my other side. Gray adjusts his grip on Bree. Theo flanks us. Stellan brings up the rear. The familiars dissolve into shadow, pouring through the glass ahead of us.
Thane steps through first.
Then Rhett.
Then me.
The mirror takes me like water closing over my head. Cold but weightless, and disorienting. For one terrible moment I can’t breathe, can’t see, can’t feel anything except the pressure bearing down on my chest—
Then I stumble forward into warmth and light and sound.
My knees hit polished wood. My hands catch on something soft—carpet, thick and expensive. Music drifts from somewhere, elegant and unfamiliar, layered with laughter and the clink of glass.
I blink hard, trying to orient myself. We’re not in the Oath Chamber. We’re not in the sanctuary at all.
We’re in someone’s home.
A grand one. The kind that makes the sanctuary look like a ruin by comparison. Vaulted ceilings painted with murals of stars and moons. Chandeliers dripping with crystal. Furniture that looks like it costs more than most people earn in a lifetime.
And standing in the center of it all, wine glass in hand and a smile that could cut glass, is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.
He’s tall, close to Thane’s height, built like sin wrapped in silk. Golden skin and dark hair that falls in artful waves to his shoulders. He’s dressed in deep purple silk that shimmers when he moves, cut to show off a body that’s both elegant and dangerous. His eyes are amber, bright with amusement and something sharper.
Feeder.
The recognition hits me in a way I can’t describe. I can feel what he is the way I feel my own hunger—the pull of it, the shape of his magic curling through the air like smoke.
Incubus-class.
He takes a slow sip of his wine, utterly unbothered by the fact that seven armed, filthy strangers, a massive wolf, and an unconscious woman just fell out of his mirror.
His gaze lands on Bree immediately. The amusement drains from his face.
“Well,” he says, his voice rich but suddenly serious. “This is a surprise.” He sets his wine glass down with careful precision. “You’re early.”
Jace scrambles to his feet, blades already in hand. “Who the hell—”
“Ah-ah.” The man raises one finger, and Jace’s words die in his throat. Not magic, exactly. Just presence. Command wrapped invelvet. “Manners, darling. You’re in my home.” His amber eyes never leave Bree. “And you’ve brought her.”
Gray’s ears flatten back, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he shifts his body protectively over Bree.
“Oh, but you did.” The man’s voice has gone softer. “Though I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting you quite so soon. Or in this condition.” His gaze shifts past us, to where shadows pool in the corner. “Well done.”
The familiars pulse once.
Theo steps forward, his brown eyes already distant with whatever he’s Seeing. After a moment, his shoulders relax. “You’re not lying.”
“I rarely do.” The man smiles faintly. “Lying is so tedious. The truth is far more interesting.” His amber eyes sweep over Bree’s unconscious form again, and something that might be pain flickers across his face. “My god. What did they do to her?”
“Who are you?” Rhett’s voice is tight with barely leashed aggression.
“Lord Auren Vale,” he says with a shallow bow, tone dripping with practiced charm. He tears his gaze away from Bree with visible effort. “And you, my unexpected guests, are very far from where you meant to be.” His amber eyes sweep over us. “Though perhaps exactly where you need to be.”
Stellan moves to stand beside Thane, his gray eyes sharp. “You know who we are.”
“Of course I do.” Auren’s voice is still distracted, his attention drawn back to Bree. “Everyone knows who you are. The Source’s chosen. Her bonded.” His gaze lands on me, and I feel it like a touch. His eyebrows lift suggestively. “Her lovers.”
