Page 67 of Hell Gate

I sit in stunned silence for a beat, heat spreading through me. “You’re not mad?”

“No, baby. Trust me, if I wasn’t willing to share you with my brothers, I’d never let them see you. But they’re the only two I’ll ever let touch my mate. If anyone else dares to look at you, I’ll carve out their eyes with my claws.” He kisses my forehead when I shiver at his casual possessiveness. “I’m relieved you followed your heart. I was worried you’d deny yourself. Tell me this, did you want him?”

“I—yes.” My cheeks are inflamed. “I did. I…do.”

“Then that’s all that matters. Your happiness is what makes me happy.” I swallow the lump in my throat. He covers my heart with his hand. The bond reacts to his touch, emanating a soft glow. “You feel it? You belong to me. But you also belong to Alder, too.”

“How?” I breathe.

“The bond’s magic doesn’t allow us to look at anyone who isn’t our fated mate. If you didn’t feel it for him, he wouldn’t be able to seduce you away from me.”

His explanation opens a whole new world to me. Reawakens the hope I hardly allowed to take flight—that I could have more than one fated mate. The tugs I’ve felt in three directions aren’t trying to tear me apart. I didn’t betray the bond with my mate and he’s not casting me aside after finding out I was with Alder. The stress I’ve battled all day ebbs.

I cover his hand with mine, my lashes brushing my cheeks at the feel of our bond filling me. “That’s really possible? I could have more than one bond?”

“Of course, petal.” He frowns at me in concern. “We thought you knew once your bond with me took shape. I’m sorry. I would have explained it better to you instead of dropping hints.”

I shake my head. “It’s okay.”

“It’s rare. We’re as shocked by it as you are, but I told you we feel it, too. Your scent is what triggered the bond and helped it form. Outside of hellhounds, only powerful demon lines have more than one fated mate.”

Relief spreads through me. “I was so afraid you would hate me when I told you.”

“Never, Lily.” He cradles my jaw, tilting my face. His eyes gleam with affection. “You don’t have to choose between us. You’re our mate, and we’re yours.”

I shudder at those words. The truth in them echoes through me, my bond growing as I stop fighting my feelings out of fear of rejection.

Matthias kisses me deeply. Every brush of his lips and tongue feels like a promise to love me. The cracks that formed in my heart with my worries mend.

“Did you like your birthday dinner?” he asks when he ends the kiss.

“Wait, what?” My brows pinch. “You told me demons don’t celebrate birthdays. Besides, mine isn’t even real.”

“You grew up here. We wanted any excuse to celebrate you, Lils. Birthday girls get spoiled in the mortal realm and I want to spoil you forever, mate.”

I gasp against his mouth when he swoops down to give me another scorching kiss.

“It’s belated. I think the mortal’s Halloween was a week or two ago.” He pulls a face, then shrugs. “But we put this together for you. The day off, this dinner. The rest of tonight is up to you.”

My heart skips a beat. “We?”

“All of us.” He winks. “It was Vale’s idea and I ran with it. He saw you training so hard. He’ll be back later when Rainer relieves him from watch to guard us all tonight.”

For the longest time, I thought I’d spend my eighteenth birthday walking away backwards from the group home with both middle fingers raised. One finalfuck you, goodbyeto the system that screwed me over time and again.

Instead, I spent it on the run and forgot about it. Tonight has turned into the most perfect one I could imagine out of all the times I wished for someone to celebrate me growing up. My real age as a demon doesn’t matter right now. What does is that they did this for me. They gave me today—gave me permission to exist. It’s the greatest gift of all, the one I’ve longed for the most.

Tears of gratitude well in my eyes. The way the three of them meet my needs heals me from years of crushing abandonment.

“Thank you,” I whisper. “This is… No one’s ever done this for me. I’ve always spent my birthday alone.”

“You’ll never be alone again.” He traces the shape of my lips with his thumb. “For now, why don’t we go inside and find Alder?”

“Yes.” My breathless answer makes Matthias chuckle.

As soon as he suggests going to find my second mate, need arrows through me. I have to see him. Have to tell him how I feel.

We find him sitting on the first step, rugged arms braced on his thighs and his stare locked on the door as we come back inside. He sits up straighter and my heart gives a drumming beat when our eyes connect.

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