Page 87 of Tangled Hearts

I let my fangs lengthen, letting them drag along her neck. Her breathing hitched as she tilted her head away to give me more access and I gave her what she wanted. I sunk my teeth into her and she cried out as she fell over the edge. She tightened around me, igniting my own release as I drank her sweet blood. Once I had my fill, I licked her wound, seeing it close up quickly.

“Are you ok, Blondie?” I kissed her neck.

“Perfect,” she sighed sleepily.

I cleaned her up as much as I could from the mess we had made. Max helped me get her dressed, she was barely awake as he placed her on his lap.

“I love you guys,” she murmured sleepily.

I smiled, feeling her warmth in my chest.

“Love you too, Blondie.”

“Love you more, Sol.”

“Love you most, Sunshine.”

I tensed wondering if Ryder was going to say anything.

“Love you, forever,” he said, surprising me.

I leaned back in my seat enjoying the love in the air. Didn’t think I’d ever be a man who said things like that, but I was glad that I got to say it with my friends and my mate.

25

ORIA

The drive to Ryder’s pack was long. Even though I slept most of the way, it felt like we had been in the car for days instead of just ten hours. We stopped twice and each time they took turns cuddling with me. After the impromptu sex, I felt drained and all I wanted was snuggles. It was if my bond demanded I stayed close to a mate.

Gray held me in the backseat as we drove through some mountains. The landscape was changing from desert to lush green forest. It soothed something in me that we were close to the mountains. A part of me missed my home and the monotony of doing chores. Now I was on the run from the person who said she would keep me safe. A person who I thought was family, but I didn’t even have that anymore.

“What are you thinking about, Sunshine?” Gray rubbed his hand up and down my back.

“How I don’t have a family anymore,” I said. Hearing it out loud made it hurt more. “That the one person I thought was family, was a cruel woman who took me because she needed me and pretended like she cared.”

“Families are sometimes overrated and the only ones that matter are the ones you choose in life whether they are blood or not,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“You sound like you are talking from experience,” I said, pulling back to look at him.

He clenched his jaw looking out the window.

“I’m sorry, you?—”

“Soren and I come from a very prominent family,” he said, interrupting me. “My family is all about looks and how everyone perceives us. I was the son who was quiet, a little awkward, and I just wasn’t as charismatic as my siblings. I studied, read a lot instead of putting myself out there. Our family valued connections, power, secrets and what other people could do for us. We ran an enormous organization that required us to be aware of everything that surrounded us and our business. I was grumpy and quiet, so they paid more attention to Soren. He was groomed to take over our family business, while they left me behind the scenes.”

“Oh Gray,” I said, cupping his cheek.

“I spent most of my life at home hoping for things to change until I realized nothing was going to change unless I made the change.” He looked at me, the hurt swirling in his beautiful eyes. “So, when Ryder came to steal something from our family vault. I helped him and soon after that, Soren followed.”

He took a deep breath, covering my hand on his cheek. His emotions were a thunderstorm of hurt and disappointment.

“So, the moral of the story is, even though your chosen family might not be blood, sometimes that bond is stronger than your own blood.” He cleared his throat. “I never in a million years expected to have my own little family. You might be my mate, but at the end of the day, I choose you, Oria, and I think that’s more powerful than any blood relations.”

“I choose you too, Gray, and I will always choose you in every lifetime,” I said, kissing him.

He opened my mouth with his tongue, sensually kissing me like a promise, like he chose me. I kissed him softly before leaning back.

“I don’t mean to pry, but have you seen them since you left?” I ran my hands through his hair.

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