Page 40 of Called By Fate

Dante sighs. "We didn't want to scare you, Angel. Or freak you out and make you think you were being forced to bond to us."

"Yeah, you found out about a hell of a lot really fast and took it very well all things considered. Not to mention our accidental bonding, that I wouldn't trade anything for, but you did freak out about it there for a while," Kaos says.

I should probably be mad they kept this from me, but I’m not. Not really. They’re right. I did react badly at first.

"Point taken. Thank you for taking my feelings into account and for always thinking of me first. I lov—I appreciate you for it." I pause, eyes widening as my hand comes up to my mouth. I was totally about to tell them both I love them.

I take a moment to ponder my feelings. Is that really how I feel?

Do I love these men?

The warm fuzzies in my heart and stomach tell me yes.

Ah, to hell with it. If I've learned anything these past few months, it's that life is short. Too fucking short. I'm in love with these men, both equally. And it's about damn time I tell them how I feel.

Thankfully, they're both super patient, sensing I need a moment to gather my thoughts. Dante reaches out to play with a strand of my hair while Kaos grabs my wrist and turns it over, caressing our mate mark. A shiver runs down my spine from the tingly feeling their touch provokes. "You two keep doing that and this is heading in a totally different direction."

Dante's smile is devious. "What were you going to say, Angel?"

"I love you," I blurt before I can think about it any harder and talk myself out of putting myself out there like that. It's hard for me to be vulnerable. "I love you, Dante King. I've loved you from the moment you didn't let me leave after Savannah showed her ass. And, Kaos, I love you. I have since I saw the devotion in your eyes when we bonded. I love both of you so fucking much."

Broad smiles crest both of their faces, pure joy etched across their features. “You told me you loved me first,” Dante boasts and preens like a peacock stretching his feathers. He and Kaos look at each other and pounce. Dante reaches my lips first, searing them in a bruising kiss, giving me all his fiery passion. When he lets go, he whispers against my lips, "I love you too, Angel."

Then Kaos is shoving his ass out of the way and yanking me into his lap. He kisses me all over. From my cheeks, to my lips, to my forehead, peppering me with his love and that same devotion. It makes me laugh, and I’ve never felt more carefree, despite all the bullshit happening around us and everything that still needs to be done. "And I love you, Sadie Sinclair. The fates sure knew what they were doing when they gave you to us. I thank the Goddess for you every single day."

Their words strike a deep chord inside of me, one I thought I’d locked away after everything I’ve been through. I wipe a stray tear from my eye, one of pure happiness, and dive in for a hug. Dante's heat at my back lets me know he's not going to be left out and I wouldn't want it any other way than to be wrapped in their arms.

Kaos clears his throat and puts me into Dante's arms so he can look at me fully. Why the hell does he look so sheepish?

"My parents are here and can’t wait to meet you, Little Flame. I explained your situation when we dropped off their invite, and I think my mom might wring my neck if I don’t introduce you to her and my dads. Would you be all right meeting them?”

My eyes widen and a spike of fear shoots through me. I'm loud and boisterous, way too opinionated, and totally not the kind of girl a guy brings home to their parents.

Or am I?

I've come a long way from the girl I was at the festival.

I can do this... right?

“I can see the gears turning in your head from here, Little Flame. You don't have to, but I want you to know that it would mean a lot to me if you would. I know they won’t replace the family you’ve lost but I’m hoping this can be the start of a new, slightly larger one.”

The understanding and hope in his eyes are enough to make me agree.Turn over a new leaf, Sadie. You got this.

I already met with a whole faction of Light Weavers who were technically supposed to be our enemies, and that seemed to go well. Meeting parents should be a walk in the park compared to that, shouldn’t it?

How hard can it be?

* * *

Not hard at all apparently. Kaos'mom, Viola, was ecstatic to meet me. Seriously, she threw me straight into a bear hug when she saw me, and the rest was history. We've been gushing about little Kaos, Dante, and Elian for at least an hour now.

Yep, much to my mates’ chagrin, she brought her entire arsenal of Kaos' baby pictures and some of the others after they bonded as a Circle. And let me tell you... they are pure gold. Part of me is sad that my mates will never know my parents like this, but the other is glad I'm not being tortured with baby pictures like they are.

"This was when Elian first learned to harness his fear magic," Viola says, handing me a picture of them sitting on the floor.

Kaos has healing magic in his hand while Dante has flames in his. Elian on the other hand has a bright smile on his face, one I've never seen him make, while Kaos' dad, Gerrard, has a horrified expression in the background. He looks seconds away from peeing his pants. But I'm barely able to focus on the photo. Viola's words about Elian's fear magic are swirling around and around in my brain.

It makes so much sense—why he's so afraid to get close to anyone. Combine that with what I've been able to deduce about his father and... I think I'm finally starting to understand the man behind the icy mask.

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