Page 37 of Eternal Mate

Prickles went up my back as I walked along. Everything was sounding farther and farther away with every step I took, a toneless ringing taking their place.

I’d been expecting to feel relieved or vindicated, or… something from Azazel’s death. But all I felt was numb.

I couldn’t even say why.

Hey, Sariel?

Aria’s voice cut through the fog. Only then did I realize that her worried face was right in front of me.

She could definitely sense how strange I felt right now, but she didn’t comment on it. She just took my hand and pulled me along.

“Barimuz is going to warp us all back,” she said softly. Her voice felt like cotton in my ears. “It’s over. Let’s go home and get some rest, okay?”

I nodded stiffly.

Us getting back to the compound was a dull blur to me. When we were back in our studio, Aria sat me down on the bed.

Sariel, she whispered down the bond, you don’t have to explain why you feel like you do. All you need to do is let it out.

And, just like that, the dam broke.

When she pulled me into her arms, I hugged her back, clinging to her like my life depended on it.

A quiet, tearless sob came out of my throat as she ran her fingers through my hair in comfort.

“It’s okay,” she said soothingly. “It’ll all be okay.”

14

THE POWER EXCHANGE

ARIA

As the days unfolded, tension hung heavier and heavier in the air like a fog, threatening to suffocate us all.

Azazel’s death had left a sense of relief, but it also stirred up buried conflicts and unsettled emotions, leaving us in a state of unease. After his swift recovery from his injury, Ashe and I had actually ended up spending a lot of time together lately, sort of third-wheeling our mates while they decided to bond through training or flying—neither of which I was willing to participate in.

The two of us had met up in the hallway and were headed in the same direction on the hunt for them, only to come up empty-handed when we wandered outside.

Auren must have spotted us before we could find them, and I let out an undignified squeak when he swooped down from the sky, landing gracefully in front of us.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he said, his voice laced with a playful amusement that I wasn't used to hearing from him. "Has Ashe revealed the rest of his dark secrets yet?"

I glanced at Ashe. I was a bit baffled by Auren’s perky personality change, but I felt a smile forming on my face anyway.

"Careful, buddy," he retorted, his voice equally playful. "You never know what secrets I might reveal about you."

Laughter erupted from the youngest Ambrose, and it was infectious. I found it hard to stifle my own giggle.

My own mate chose this exact moment to land beside him, wings snapping out and kicking up dust from the gravel road. I beamed when he immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into a hug and squeezing me tight.

"Had a good flight?" I teased, and the brothers shared a look.

Ashe rolled his eyes, hands going to his hips as he glanced down the road. "We're supposed to be getting together with everyone for a debrief," the other hybrid reminded us all. "We should hurry up before the others start getting antsy."

"You're right," Auren said, his voice now infused with a touch of seriousness. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting. They're probably anxious to hear the news."

I had to wonder what news he was talking about. I would find out soon, I supposed.

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