Page 99 of Shrine of Fire

“There you are. I got you.” My alpha licked the bondmark. I clutched him against me, overwhelmed by the pure love pouring into me from the bond. I’d been so used to being alone, to being adrift in the sea of my own feelings, I’d forgotten what it was like to have someone else with me.

Forever.

“I love you,” I sniffled.

“I know, pet,” he whispered, holding me close. “I love you too.”

I closed my eyes and floated on the tenderness of his love.

Eventually his knot deflated, and he pulled out of me. We arranged ourselves more comfortably, everyone snuggled against each other, and I was blissfully happy for the first time since my pack died.

After almost five days of marathon amazing sex, eating food even though we didn’t really need it, and sleeping with my pack for hours on end, my heat finally broke.

Kalahar assured us time moved faster for us in the spirit world, but I still hoped we hadn’t caused an international incident. Aki also explained what he’d found about the Shadow of the Spirit, but since we didn’t know how to use it, the Seal of Souls still seemed like our better choice.

We emerged into the mortal realm as one group.

Vicente was halfway on the stone bridge. Startled, he turned around. “Did it not work?”

“Of course, it did.” Hashir grinned, and his mirth seeped through the bond. It was addictive, feeling all of Hashir’s joy bubbling inside me. I put my hand on his forearm.

“Time passes differently in the oasis,” Kalahar said. “But it seems even less time in the mortal realm passed than I thought.”

My phoenix looked ashen in the mortal realm again. I wouldn’t have noticed it as much, but he had been radiant in the oasis. Now that we returned, he looked again on the brink of collapse.

I pulled him against my side, and he smiled down at me. “Hello.”

“Hi.” I smiled at him. “What’s next?”

“We need the Seal of Souls,” Kalahar told Vicente.

The other omega paled. “We can’t actually let you take it out of the Library.”

“There’s a spirit,” I started. I’d already made up my mind to bring him with us. He needed to be trained. Better for him to find out about Hella Mora now.

I told him about the spirit of undying grief, and our plan to use the Seal of Souls to amplify the magic from the mortal into the spirit realm.

His golden skin went greenish. “I’ve dreamt about her.” His voice was barely a whisper, a boy being told the boogeyman is alive and out to get you.

“We have to get back to the Shrine of Everlasting Fire.” Aki looked at the omega. “You’re coming with us, so you can verify we won’t sell it off, and return it when we’re finished.”

“You won’t mind?” The other omega looked at me.

With my heat gone, and a bond in place, I wasn’t nearly as territorial around him. “I want you to come. Zara can help you.”

Vicente nodded, and we followed him back up the long winding stone staircase.

The bond was strong inside me, and now that I had Hashir connected to me, I wanted the rest of my pack. Aki. Stefan. Cuan. Kalahar. They were mine and I wanted them connected to me.

Vicente led us up a long winding staircase and back into the main library. There was a maze of hallways wrapping around the mountain, all the rooms filled with books.

He gave us one last look, and then led us to another small room filled with books. Rather than stopping to show us what we were after, he walked to one of the center shelves and pulled a book out. A door swung open.

I squealed. “A secret library.”

“You’re not allowed to be here normally, but…” Vicente shrugged. “I would enjoy not being drowned in a wave of grief.”

“Good call.” Hashir clapped him on the back.

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