Good times ahead.
“We are just making a pit stop,” Salem replies from beside me, stroking the scar on his cheek—one of his many battle wounds. His eyes narrow when they land on Queen Pandora, the Witch Queen. “Fuck, she’s powerful.”
“And taken,” I remind him, hoping he doesn’t go all crazy on her again. We’re all a bit unhinged in this family, but Salem takes the fucking cake. “You told me you’d leave her alone. They are bonded now.”
“Rion wants our help,” Sage states, ignoring my rant. His tongue plays with his lip ring like he always does when he’s anxious. It’s a tell of his, one of the only ones you will find. His shoulder touches mine from my other side, with Silver at my back.
I’m the youngest of five siblings and the only girl.
I’ve been protected and spoiled my whole life, and the triplets are my very best friends. I haven’t seen my older brother, Shadow, in years, ever since he went missing.
My brothers and I have been looking for him ever since.
“Laurel told us to come here,” Silver adds, resting his chin on my head. Known for his accuracy with his throwing stars, Silver is badass and deadly. The magical moving runes on his neck show the world a glimpse of just how powerful he is. “For what, I don’t know. We shouldn’t get mixed up in this. We don’t want Rave, Soren, and their mates as our enemies.”
I whistle low. “Doesn’t look like much of a fair fight with the undead army.”
“You could even those odds.” Sage smirks, and he’s right.
I’m the strongest illusionist in all eight kingdoms. My magic might not seem threatening to some, but how people see things is important. I could make it seem like Rion’s army had an extra thousand warriors or make Rave think his mate has vanished. I control what people see and can distort it as I see fit. It makes me a powerful weapon that most people never see coming. I’m underestimated, and I love that.
The realm is lucky that I’m a good-fucking-person, or everyone would be in deep shit. In fact, I think I deserve a medal for my outstanding character and self-restraint.
Tapping my heels in agitation, I glance around when my eyes are drawn to a certain warrior. Dressed in black from head to toe, his magic calls to me instantly, pulling me in. He’s tall, and even from here, I can see his muscles straining against his tunic.His hard thighs are encased in leather. Tattoos and runes peak out from his clothing, trailing up his neck, stopping just below his face. And what a face it is—dark eyes framed in thick, dark lashes, sharp cheekbones, and full, kissable lips. He looks like he hasn’t shaved in a few days, and it suits him. His strong brow, along with all the tattoos, give him a slightly sinister look.
I like it.
I like it a little too much.
And fuck if I don’t know what that means.
This pull can only mean one thing.
My fated mate.
He’s a mixture of gorgeous and badass, and I don’t know how to react right now.
My vagina wants me to thank the fates and run toward him while my brain is telling me to run away.
I’ve been waiting to find my mate.
But the timing is all off.
I can’t deal with a possessive mate right now. I need to continue searching for my brother, and I can’t do that with six-foot-five of hard muscle watching my every move.
But those dark, calculating eyes? They are on me right now, and I know I don’t have long before he makes his move.
Thunder rumbles in the sky above us, followed by streaks of lightning.
“What’s wrong?” Silver asks, going on alert as he follows my line of sight.
I’m about to tell him when a deep gust of wind appears out of nowhere, pushing my brothers back while I stand unmoving. A second later, I’m thrown over a wide, hard shoulder and zipped to a bedroom. One, I’m guessing, ishis.
My mate just kidnapped me.
And I let him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snap, pinching his tight asswith my gloved fingers.