He guided me forward. “You won’t.”
We stopped a few feet from the quad. Reese stood off to the side, her smile encouraging as she gave me a thumbs-up.
Kade stepped forward first. “Mate of Lucan, you are accepted by this quad.” He held out a pocketknife that was silver with intricate swirls etched into it. “I offer you protection and something less likely to get you mugged.”
A laugh escaped before I could stop it, and Kade’s mouth twitched.
“Thank you, Kade.”
He gave me a single nod and stepped back.
Atlas came forward next, warmth radiating from him. He held a velvet pouch and tipped it into his palm, a gold pocket watch tumbling out. He clicked it open, revealing tiny painted wildflowers around the numbers.
“Time moves differently when you’re with the right people. I hope you feel that now.”
My throat tightened, and I took the watch carefully. “Atlas, this is beautiful.”
He stepped back, and Zarek moved forward.
The cavern seemed to grow quieter. Even the fire seemed to settle. Zarek’s eyes held mine with that same assessing intensity I’d felt the first time we met in the office, except now I understood what lived behind it.
He opened his palm to reveal a delicate silver hairpin with a sapphire at the tip that matched his eyes. “Something to hold you steady when life tries to pull you apart.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, unable to manage more without my voice cracking.
“Now it’s your turn to choose from the hoard.” Lucan’s eyes were sparkling. “Anything you want is yours.”
I blinked, looking past the men to the piles beyond them. My mouth went dry. “Anything?”
Lucan nodded, his hand at the small of my back, pushing me forward.
How could I possibly choose from all this? What would be meaningful enough to mark this moment?
I moved deeper into the cave with hesitant steps, the treasures stretching endlessly in every direction. As I walked, I felt a pull, like an invisible thread tugging at my chest, drawing me toward the back of the cave. I didn’t understand it, but I followed, trusting the feeling.
My feet guided me to a corner where the light barely reached. I knelt, my fingers brushing away dust from a small wooden box tucked between a silver helmet and a vase.
I opened the box, and nestled among jewels lay an antique silver bookmark with a bird perched on top. It was perfect.
“For all the new chapters ahead.” I ran my thumb over the bird.
I stood and turned around, discovering the cave had emptied except for Lucan, who stood watching me with an expression that made my chest tighten.
“I have something for you too.” He reached for my hand and slipped a simple band with tiny diamonds embedded around its circumference onto my finger. “When you’re ready, you can move it to your other hand.”
I didn’t hesitate to place it on my ring finger. “I’m yours. There's no need to hide it from the world.”
His fingers closed around mine. “My mate.” His voice dropped to a low rumble that vibrated through my entire body. “My treasure.Mine.”
The possessiveness in those words wrapped around me, and something fundamental shifted inside my chest. This was exactly where I belonged.
Chapter 30
Liz
Lucan led me to a corner of the cavern that had been transformed into something that belonged in a magazine spread for luxury camping. Blankets and pillows created a cozy little nest. The firelight reached just far enough to make the space feel warm without leaving it exposed.
Lucan took my items and placed them carefully on top of a closed trunk near the wall. I stood there, unsure what to do with my hands. Why did this feel like I was about to have sex for the first time?
