Page 97 of Mated Exile

I am Kieran Salt, four years ago I made a terrible mistake, and now, today, I have to live with it.

My father's voice—thealpha'svoice, from this point of view—rings out over us. "You have come together tonight to join yourselves together as a bonded mate pair. The pack flame approves of your union. The magic is strong."

A noise of approval goes up among the waiting members of the pack, who stand at the edges of the circle, near the strong stone columns. I look to my left, seeing my best friend Roarke. He nods his head at me, once, but I don't feel reassured.

"To facilitate this bond, you must open yourselves up to each other, body and soul." The alpha motions towards us. "Tara Skye, come forward."

Shooting me a giddy smile, Tara turns and walks towards the alpha, who stands at the base of the flame's cauldron. William puts out his hand, placing it at the base of her throat. She closes her eyes as strong magic flows into her, peeling open the borders of her spirit, making room for another's soul to connect.

Silver threads spill out of her but find no home, waiting for the bond to be completed as they wiggle across the tiles at our feet. One or two reach for me, but they twine around me weakly. I swallow with unease, ignoring the urge to shake them off. Tara and I have spent countless afternoons and evenings together, trying to make the threads grow. But for some reason I can't shake the feeling that it'swrong.

Still, I know what is expected of me. "Kieran Salt, come forward."

My feet obey the command. Looking up into the eyes of the man I've followed all my life, whose mate is my favorite aunt, whose home was my shelter when I needed to get away, I take a deep breath and place my trust in him. His hand is warm against my chest as he opens up the edges of my spirit as well.

It feels like peeling back at an open wound and poking around inside it. I inhale sharply, breath hissing between my teeth. William nods in approval, and I swallow my pain, glad to see the pride shining in his eyes. I'd give anything to have my father look at me like that, but getting that expression from the alpha of my pack is just as good, maybe better.

When I turn towards Tara, there are tears in her eyes. We take two steps towards each other, and the silver threads pooling out of us surge towards each other. I feel a shock to my system as each one meets, glinting and alive in the air between us. Warmth spreads across my skin even as my pulse races, and each step I take to her is dreadful, until we reach out to clasp hands.

Her tears spill down her cheeks as the silver winds around our arms and settles across our skin. This is all she's wanted, I know. I keep my lips tightly closed as the alpha speaks his approval over me. Even though I want to run, I know there's nowhere to go—that much is certain.

Wherever Delilah is, I have no doubt that I'm the last person she'd want to see, and that's a good thing. Because if I found her, I would never come home, and it would doom us both. Last night, William told me that she's safe. He said he was proud of me for my strength. I have to believe there's a reason for all this.

Fate wouldn't doom me forever.

So I lean forward, and press my lips against Tara's mouth. They part to my touch. She inhales sharply, making a low, moaning noise. That seems a bit much—we're barely kissing—but I push forward, drawing her to me, feeling it as the pack fades away.

Even now our families will be turning, walking down the trail, giving us privacy. The rest of the pack will trail off as well. A few elders will stay, maybe the alpha and his second, long enough to make sure the relationship is properly consummated. Then they'll leave, too, and it'll be the two of us. A pair. Forever, for as long as that lasts.

Tara's moan grows. She jerks beneath my touch, fingers digging into my arm. Salt splashes across my tongue, and I pull away from her, shocked and confused.

The blue flame lights the side of her face as she stumbles back from me, blood pouring from her mouth. I draw back, shocked and confused.

Her long, flowing dress is splashed with blood across the front. It drips down her legs and splashes the tile at our feet. Eyes wide and frightened, she looks up at me as tears of blood slip down her cheeks, crying out, "Kieran, what—what's happening?"

An alarmed murmur goes up in the crowd. William jumps off the cauldron's raised dais and approaches us. Time seems to slow as he does so, each step taking an eternity.

Between one breath and the next, Tara doubles over. The drip of blood down her legs grows into a river.

I leap towards her, gathering her in my arms. Her legs fold and she slips in her own blood as she goes down.

Face frightened, she looks up at me, and says my name again. It's gurgled from the blood that chokes her mouth, spilling down its corners, splashing red across her chin and neck. Red streams from her nose, her ears, even her eyes.

The tiles hit my knees as I cradle her close. Thousands upon thousands of silver threads run between us, connecting our souls. They writhe around her wrist as she reaches up to dig her fingertips into my collarbones.

Spitting out blood, she tells me in a small, frightened voice, "I think I'm dying."

Then, quieter, "I don't want to die."

I gather her close and hold her tight. Gaze jerking up, I look around for help, even as the pack withdraws from the circle, concern and fear in their voices. William is standing over us now, his brows drawn together. He does nothing.

By the time I look back down at Tara again, the light has gone from her eyes.

A silver thread that stretches between us breaks in the middle.

Then another. And another. A hundred sever all at once—then a thousand, and more, until I hear a scream in the air.

It takes a long moment to realize that the scream ismine. My hands slide from Tara's body, and I slip to the ground, back arching in a spasm of pain. Blood slips across the tiles at my back, stains my fingers, and paints my hair. The sky disappears as my eyes slip closed and my entire being spasms in pain.

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