Page 88 of Devoted to the Dragon

I wince, the words falling out before I filter them. “I swear that I’m committed to her and this, but I gotta be honest, my track record sucks.”

The Viking’s lips twitch behind his mother of all beards. “Don’t worry. I’ll kick your ass if you fuck up, vamps.”

“Good. I’ll hold you to it.”

He pulls me in for a complicated bro-dude back-clap hug that rattles my bones. “Do your vampy shit and tether us.”

The edgesof the energy fray, and my serpent works them back, coaxing the strands together until the green and amber shimmer with my silver. My energy is fading, and the connection is unstable. In a pop of smoke, the connection breaks.

Gunnar growls in frustration, throwing his hands in the air. “I thought you knew what you were doing.”

Fennik reaches out a steadying hand, helping me stay upright. My cheeks heat, but I force myself to swallow my snarky retort. I’m a lust-eater. What the fuck do I know about soul bonds?

Gunnar gets up, pacing as I try to center myself enough to begin again. It doesn’t help that I can feel my dragon’s eyes on me, her whimpers getting louder. She needs us, and we’re running out of time.

My eyes close, and I visualize the forest, letting myself remember the sound of her tinkling call on the wind. Fennik purrs, and those deep vibrations help me find my breath.

“My wolf thinks we should give her this,” Gunnar’s gruff voice says as he shoves something in my hand.

It’s a glittering red gemstone. I recognize it as one of the memory stones I gave Randi.

“Where did you get this?” I ask, turning the smooth stone over in my hand. It holds the dream I had of the four of us together.

Gunnar shrugs. “It was on the floor right outside her nest.”

“She told me to get those just before her dragon took over after she built her nest. Maybe it’s a clue?” Fennik looks at me, face grave.

I could make a tether with a stone and embed a small essence of our energy in it. That isn’t the same as the coven tether I was trying to make, but it could work as a key, maybe? But, how?

“Okay. New plan,” I say.

I urge the wolves forward and direct them to touch the stone. I add my shadows, letting them bind their two hands. My shadows open, and the two wolves’ energies bursts into life around us in a dizzying show of green and amber.

I focus on plucking a single strand of energy from each wolf. Next, I braid those tiny strands with my silver smoke. It’s unwieldy and powerful, like riding a bucking bronco. The two wolves sense it and push back with their purrs, sending me a boost that melds the connections into a dizzying light strand. The stone’s heart opens, and the energy gets sucked in.

The moment the stone closes, it glows. Red energy pulses, traveling in a blinding burst that turns my vision white. My face tingles along the edges of my scar, then it burns hot and sharp. I can feel the connection between the claw mark and my chest.

The wolves look wide-eyed at each other. I follow their eyes to their brand-new glowing mate runes.

“Holy hash,” Gunnar squeaks. “Is that?—”

“Mating runes,” Fennik says on an awed whisper.

The ripe of their shirts, staring at their marks in wonder. Gunnar makes these hilarious faces but I can’t focus on that. All I see is that like mine, the runes look diseased, the edges around them dark with bruising. At least theirs glow. My rune is all darkness.

That’s when I realize I can feel them. It’s as if two new tethers are braided around my withering mate bond.Consciously or not, they send me light, feeding the bond. My connection to them isn’t a mate bond. It’s something different, like the pack bonds I’ve heard wolves share.

Their light is in my chest and mind, like a link connecting our souls. What I feel makes me realize how lucky I am that these are the men who will love her with me.

Their energy pokes and prods, even as I can feel them sending me strength and healing my body. I don’t hide. I show them my intentions, letting them feel how much I want to make it right.

Gunnar’s meaty fist beats against his chest, and a grin takes over his face. “Holy hash. That shit is wild.” He jumps to his feet, bouncing on his toes as he steps to the line. He’s feeding me energy, but he looks full of it. “We got this! Let’s crush this ice blaster and win our girl.”

He looks like the lead in a trashy sci-fi film, and it’s adorable.

My shadows perk up even though my chest smarts, the rune still looking rough. I feel better than I have since I woke up. Weak as fuck still, but better. Gunnar’s blinding hope and Fennik’s strength fuel that, and I’m grateful they’re here with me. It makes it easier to trust that I won’t keep fucking this up.

Fennik holds out his hand to me, pulling me to my feet. His big body wraps around mine, his voice tight with emotion as he murmurs his thanks in my ear.

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