Page 106 of Shrine of Fire

Nova squealed in response to my reaction to Hashir and rocked up against me. “He gets so hard for you, alpha.”

“That a fact?” Hashir pulled the sheath on and coated my entrance with oil warm from his hand. I shuddered as he slowly worked my hole, pressing a finger inside.

I gasped as he added another, and then as he opened his fingers, scissoring them inside me. There was a spot deep inside which his fingers hit that made me see stars.

Hashir pulled me into a kiss, and I kissed him back, helplessly thrusting into Nova. Hashir pressed inside me, and I groaned, plunging hard into Nova. I whimpered, leaning my weight on Nova as Hashir slowly thrust in and out of me. My body was a riot of pleasure, and Nova arching her hips up to meet my thrusts sent me spiraling.

Hashir and Nova exchanged a look, and then leaned forward. Nova bit my forearm at the same time Hashir bit my shoulder, the same place he’d marked her, and pure bliss snapped an orgasm out of me. Omegas couldn’t bond with bites, but that didn’t stop Nova from chomping down whenever her orgasm was close.

Hashir kept biting, kept thrusting inside me as Nova worked herself against me. They were working together, and I came apart again, pleasure spiraling out of me. Nova cried out, her release coating me as Hashir grunted, coming inside me.

I collapsed. Hashir licked the bondmark he’d made, his tongue sending a cascade of lust through me. I shifted my hips, rocking inside Nova again, my cock getting hard almost immediately.

“Oh, yes, again.” She moaned, shifted her hips up. “Stefan.”

Love and affection poured in from the bond. It had all been overwhelming and easier to bury myself in their bodies until I made sense of things. Feeling her love for me, Hashir’s love for me, was the greatest gift in the entire world.

As we lay tangled together in each other’s arms, I resolved I would do anything for them. Hella Mora’s grief, my father’s wrath, none of that would stand against the love for my pack.

Afew hours later, we were forced to get out of bed and get ready to meet the Rannoian fleet. After Hashir bonded Stefan, I’d wanted the rest of the pack with us, so we managed to fit Kalahar, Aki, and Cuan on the bed.

I had one more suitor to meet, and then we could return to Ember Island and seal Hella Mora away. Maybe then, my happiness wouldn’t feel so tenuous.

We sailed down a channel formed by hundreds of ships, their masts towering above us like trees in a forest. Their sails were white, with red, white, and green striped pennant flags blowing from the masts.

The ships were painted white, floating in the water. On deck, sailors milled around, engaged in their tasks, but only a few of them seemed to be paying any attention to our ship. I watched Captain Lin closely, but she didn’t look any more irate than usual.

We waited on deck, Vincente standing with us, even though he wouldn’t board the ship, taking notes. He seemed to be coping by taking many notes of his journey. It took the better part of two hours to sail to the biggest ship in the center, the Imperial Navy’sIndomitable.

Our ship pulled up alongside theIndomitableand pushed out a plank.

It was gigantic, wide enough for three or four people to walk abreast, but I didn’t know what else to call it other than a plank.

Stefan and I embarked first, with Aki and Hashir at our back. Cuan and Kalahar brought up the rear. We wore our finest robes, and I felt that we needed that additional boost, because, with hundreds of eyes on us, I had never felt more on display.

Lord Baylin and the ladies-in-waiting came with us, along with Captain Lin.

Hashir’s calm assurance came through our bond. It was strong, like it had always been there. And then I felt Stefan, his cool calmness. I was shocked to find out that was the secret behind his court face. He wasn’t pretending to be calm; he just was. I held the connections inside me, reveling in feeling close with them.

And maybe that’s what bonding really was. Opening up connections that were already there.

As we crossed to the other ship, men in uniforms stood in a line next to the wooden staircase that allowed us to step down to theIndomitable’s deck. There was a sea of serious faces, and I straightened my spine even more. The weight of those stares fell on me, and it was all I could do not to shift and fidget.

Lord Baylin stepped forward and gave the ranking officers in front of us a short bow. There were five of them lined up, all with rows and rows of medals and ribbons on their uniforms. They were crisp green with red and white accents, and I struggled to make sense of the faces in front of me.

“Greetings Admiral Xilas. I am Lord Chamberlain Baylin.” He gestured at Captain Lin. “Our ship’s Captain, Annalisa Lin.”

Baylin had told us introducing the captain first was custom. He then gestured at me and Stefan, introducing us in what was becoming the usual fashion.

One of the officers stepped forward. He had a golden crest on his shoulders, and his face was stern. Smooth light skin, piercing blue eyes, and a wide brimmed hat completed his master of the world persona.

“I am Admiral Xilas. You have safe passage aboard the Imperial Navy’sIndomitable. Follow me to the Captain’s quarters.”

And with that, he turned on his heel and headed to the middle of the ship.

I blinked, recovered my composure, and followed the Admiral. Lord Baylin took the lead, and I was happy for once to have an intermediary.

We followed the Admiral to a large captain’s cabin. The interior was set up as an office, complete with a heavy teakwood desk, maps of the seven seas and nine continents, and a large liquor cabinet.

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