Page 83 of Bite Me

“I want to see you, Jada. I want nothing more than for you to let me in. I promise to keep you and your soul sacred.”

“I know. I'm here. I can't promise that I will be perfect.” Jada squeezed his hand tighter when Ky shook his head. “But I promise to keep you and your soul sacred too. You are mine, Ky Puru. And I am yours, fully, completely, and openly. Forever.”

Blue light from underneath Ky's hand sparkled and filled the cavern. While everyone else stood watching, Jada and Ky’s souls rose from their bodies in brilliant blue swirls and danced together, intermingling, becoming one. The new life in that act of magic settled on them like a warm rain. Ky grabbed Jada up in his arms and brought his mouth down to hers.

It didn't matter that they were standing in a literal hell, she was going to kiss this man of hers and savor him.

Their kiss was gentle but filled with so much passion. They tasted each other, lips brushing and dancing together just as the souls had.

Someone cleared their throat, actually several someones, and Jada reluctantly broke the kiss. She whispered against Ky's lips, “I love you.”

“I know.” He smiled and stole one more quick kiss. “I love you too.”

“Right, now that these two have made us all a little horny. Let's get out of here, so I can get my mate to spread her legs for me.”

Ciara giggled. “Yeah, like you're gonna have to try really hard to make that happen.”

Match groaned. “Great. Now we need another ring.”

The only ones not saying anything were Jett and Portia.

Portia still held the yellow soul shard, dangling it from its cord, so it didn't touch her. She looked at it with anger. “If I give this to one of you, will you return it to Cage? Tell him I'm sorry I fooled him into giving it to me. It's obviously intended for his true mate, and that's not me.”

Jakob and Ky both moved to take the shard from her, but Jett stepped between them. “I'm sorry, Portia.”

For the first time Jada thought she saw some affection on Jett's face for Portia. But it wasn't love.

“What are you sorry for? It's not your fault that you don't have a soul shard of your own. Geshtianna told me that taking this one would make everything better.”

Jett shook his head and frowned. “I'm sorry that you have been taken advantage of and led astray, and that I let that happen.”

Portia's eyes went wide and she stepped back. “What you mean?”

Jett let his hand dropped to his side and clenched his jaw. “Geshtianna is not a friend to either of us. She's lied to both you and me. But it's my fault for allowing the charade to go on so long. You are not my mate.”

Portia wrapped her arms around herself, but the shard touched her skin and she yelped. She was on the verge of tears. She thrust her fist out and away from herself with the shard dangling as far away from her as she could get it. “Someone take this from me, now.”

Jett grabbed her fist in his own hands. “No. It cannot go back to Cage now. Not once it has found his mate.”

Both Ky and Jett's eyes turned to Azynsa. She had been silent during most of the exchange.

But now that they took notice of her again, she took a deep breath and stood tall. She walked toward Portia, and with each step the shard grew brighter. Its light illuminated scales on Azynsa's skin that Jada hadn't noticed before now. They were almost translucent, but in the glow from the shard’s light they were a pearlescent gold.

Azynsa reached out for the shard.

“A shard can only be given, not taken. You must offer it to her, freely and willingly,” Jett said.

Portia nodded, and took the two ends of the cord in either of her hands. “Here.”

Azynsa bowed her head and Portia tied the cord around her neck. The second the shard hit Azynsa's skin a golden light grabbed her body, lifting her into the air. It shot from her eyes, mouth, and fingertips, bowing her back. Her dark skin shimmered as the light settled all along it.

She slowly floated back to the ground. She looked around at each of them, a new light shining from her eyes, like sunshine had been captured in her irises. They were no longer brown, but shiny gold.

The surge of power faded and settled to the spot where the shard lay between her breasts. Before any of the rest of them could even blink, Azynsa turned and disappeared into a tunnel.

The dragons moved to follow her, but Jett blocked their way. “She's gone. I don't know where, but she's no longer in those caverns and tunnels. I can feel every being down here and she's not one of them.”

Neither Jakob nor Ky liked that answer.

---