Page 118 of Shrine of Fire

Hashir pushed the shoulder of my tunic aside, and I tilted my head. He sank his teeth into my shoulder, and hot liquid lust poured over me. I gasped, digging my hands into Hashir’s forearms.

“Oh, yes, alpha, alpha.” Lust and love and pleasure and pain mingled through the connection Hashir started between us, but it wasn’t finished.

Hashir groped down the front of my pants, trying to get to my cock straining against the cloth. Stefan reached over, helping Hashir, and Aki reached around. Hands were on my cock as Hashir licked and kissed the bondmark, and I twisted in my seat, my back arching up.

The bonds snapped into place as I came with a hoarse shout. Nova’s bond was cold and distant.

“Nova,” I panted.

“Yes.” Hashir nodded. “Go on, start your trance with Kalahar.”

I let the warm feeling of my arousal wash over me. Stefan’s weariness and soft love was there, Hashir’s hot satisfaction at bringing us into the pack buoyed me as I focused on the world around me.

The expansive feeling in my chest rose, like a bubble about to burst. Hashir murmured things at Aki, but I let the words wash over me.

We were all here, between the land and the sky, between wood and water. Between the mortal world and the spirit realm. I touched Kalahar’s hand.

Between pack and person. I was still myself, but now the threads of the pack wrapped around me, like strings to play on the guitar, different notes of the same beautiful ballad.

I anchored myself in Stefan, a fellow beta, in Hashir, my alpha, and Nova, the woman who brought us all together, united in our love for her.

And then Aki was there, a strong cable to keep us safe.

Love resonated through the bonds, and with that last bit of resistance gone, I fell into the spirit world.

Cuan’s body stiffened and relaxed as the bond flowed from Hashir. It connected him to Nova in a circle, layering her pack around her like a web.

I gritted my teeth. I wouldn’t let Nova go through this without me.

Hashir looked at me, heat burning in his eyes. “You don’t have to.”

I looked down. “I don’t want to drag her down with me.”

“You won’t.” Hashir put a hand on my shoulder. Cuan relaxed, his spirit leaving his body save for the tether of the pack. “It’s been the two of us for so long.”

“It has.” If it had been anyone else, I wasn’t sure I could have relaxed enough. But this was Hashir. And Nova.

I looked across at Stefan, steadfastly watching us affectionately. His hands were on Cuan and Nova, and he was still too pale.

If I’d had packbonds, I would have felt it like Hashir did, the minute something started going wrong with Admiral Xilas. Being a pack would only make me stronger, better.

“Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to maintain your reputation for being aloof and brooding,” Stefan said with a wink.

“I don’t brood.” I muttered. “Let’s do this.”

“Say it.” Hashir smirked.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but warmth bubbled up inside me. Suddenly I was glad this bonding wasn’t during sex but was reminding me of the connections I’d made. The progress from who I was when I’d crawled out of that cave after being a prisoner of war to the man here, sitting on a bed.

Besides, I knew how to play Hashir’s game. I looked into his eyes and gave him my best smolder. “Bond me, alpha.”

“Oh damn.” Stefan whispered.

Hashir growled and pulled me into a kiss. He broke it off quickly and licked down my neck. I shivered, putting one hand on Hashir’s shoulder and the other on Nova’s arm. Cuan flinched between us.

“Don’t have a lot of time. You can fuck me senseless later.”

“Only if you say please.” Hashir bit my shoulder, in the same spot as the rest of the pack.

---