Page 9 of Bite for Sore Eyes

Time stretched and contracted around her like elastic pulled in impossible directions, and every nerve ending in her body sang with sensation that had nothing to do with her illness. This felt welcoming and restorative, as if the portal itself were washing away two years of accumulated exhaustion and fear. The chronic tension she'd carried in her shoulders since her diagnosis simply evaporated, and for the first time in months, her body felt purely her own again, unmarked by symptoms or uncertainty.

Suddenly, her feet found solid ground on the other side, and she stood beneath twin suns that felt absolutely perfect. But more than that, the air here carried undertones of something crisp and clean that made her lungs expand more fully than they had in years.

"How was it?" Gerri called from ahead, her voice bright with anticipation.

"Incredible." Lana's response came without thought. "Like the best ride of my life."

Gerri beamed and began walking along a stone pathway that wound through gardens more beautiful than anything Lana had ever imagined. Lana followed willingly, wheeling her suitcase over stones worn smooth by countless footsteps, her attention divided between the matchmaker ahead and the wonders unfolding around them.

But she still couldn't get her mind off the air quality. The air here felt different in ways that went beyond scent or temperature. Each breath seemed to carry more oxygen, more life, more possibility than Earth's atmosphere had ever provided. She didn't dare hope this world might cure her illness—hope had disappointed her too many times—but she couldn't deny that every symptom she'd been managing had simply vanished.

Adrenaline, she told herself firmly. Just adrenaline overriding everything else.

But as they walked deeper into Varkesh Hollow, past bear shifters who moved with predatory grace and nodded politely at their passage, Lana allowed herself to wonder if perhaps some miracles were simply science she hadn't learned to understand yet.

Within minutes, the castle that rose before them defied every architectural principle she'd ever studied. Massive stone walls seemed to grow directly from the living mountain behind them, creating a structure that looked both ancient and timelessly modern. Towers spiraled toward the twin suns, and windows gleamed like jewels set in granite faces carved by masters who understood that beauty and strength could coexist perfectly.

"Varkesh Castle," Gerri announced. "Home to your mates."

Mates.

The word still felt foreign on her tongue, but something deep in her chest responded to it with recognition.

They soon climbed stone steps worn smooth by generations of feet, Gerri making the ascent look effortless while Lana wrestled her suitcase up each level. Finally, they reached massive wooden doors that could have defended against armies, and Gerri knocked with the sheer confidence of someone who knew she was expected.

Not even a heartbeat later, the door opened and two men filled the doorway, and Lana felt her jaw drop. Every romance novel she'd ever read had failed to prepare her for the reality of seeing her fated mates for the first time.

The man on the left stood slightly forward, his green eyes intense and assessing. Dark hair framed features that could have been carved from the same stone as his castle, all sharp angles and controlled strength. Everything about him suggested command, from his confident posture to the way he naturally drew attention without demanding it.

The man on the right carried himself with equal authority but different energy. Where the first man seemed coiled for action, this man radiated calm competence, and his blue eyes held a warmth beneath their intensity.

But both men stared at her with a burning focus that made her skin flush and her heart race.

These two gorgeous men are my mates, she thought, and the reality of it hit her like lightning.

For one suspended moment, the rest of the world seemed to disappear until there was only the three of them.

FOUR

TORREN

Torren stood frozen beside Rath in the castle's doorway, his entire world narrowing to the beautiful woman standing on their stone steps. Every instinct he possessed screamed recognition as Lana's scent—wildflowers and citrus with an underlying warmth that spoke directly to his bear—wrapped around him like a physical caress.

Mine.

His bear's roar echoed through his consciousness with such ferocity that Torren had to grip the doorframe to steady himself.

Two hours.

They'd known about Lana for exactly two hours, and now she stood before them in flesh and blood, more perfect than any fantasy his mind could have conjured. Her long black hair caught the light from Nova Aurora's twin suns, and those warm brown eyes held intelligence and curiosity that made his chest tighten with want.

But the reality crashed over him like ice water. She wasn't just his mate. She belonged to Rath too. The handshake they'd shared upstairs, their agreement to work together—it had all seemed so civilized, so manageable. Now, with every fiber of his being demanding he claim her, Torren realized how naive they'd both been.

How the hell are we supposed to share her?

The thought sent his bear into restless pacing, and Torren could practically feel Rath's similar struggle radiating from beside him. They'd never competed over anything—not territory, not leadership, not women. But this wasn't just any woman.

This was their fated mate.