Page 199 of Fated to the Hunters
Palm up, he cut rather thin lines into his skin. Scarlett furrowed her brow, until Ezra handed the dagger over, making his intentions clear. “What if I do it wrong?”
“You won’t.” The certainty and trust in his words made her take the knife. With a hand holding his wrist she slowly traced the rune in his palm. “Oh, princess, don’t be so shy. Make me bleed.” When she added more pressure, and the blood started dripping he purred like a proud lion. “Perfect, little princess.”
Once she’d traced all his lines, she passed the weapon to Vince and looked back up at Ezra. “I love you.”
“And yet you can deny me this and I would still fall to my knees to worship you for the rest of our lives.”
“I want this. I wantyou.”
He pinched her chin between his fingers, forcing her gaze higher and searching for any sign of a lie. “Your wish is my command.”
Then he did as the others, placing his palm over her cut and wrapped his thumb around her throat. Ezra’s mind wasn’t a smooth transition like the others. No, a tsunami of emotions flooded into her, nearly drowning her with waves of love and hate as he fought with the dooming fear of never being enough. There was not one kind thought towards himself, not one ounce of pride for his own accomplishments. And the moment he felt her crumble, under his mind he regretted bonding with her.
Scarlett wobbled on her feet, struggling to remember to breathe. Something strong held her up and somewhere from far away a voice tried to break through.
‘You love her. Unconditionally you are hers. Focus on her. How her touch always sparks joy in your heart. How her eyes glimmer with pride when she watches you fight. Try to feel the smile she brings to your lips every time she teases you.’
With each of Mateo’s words, the tides turned and she broke through the surface, warmed by the light of his love. How, even though he didn’t understand it, she was his everything. His rainbow after a storm, the sun peeking through the dark clouds. But just as she thought it had calmed and she could breathe,Ezra’s hate swelled again.Hewas doing this to her, and he regretted ever agreeing to this. He wished he had never stepped foot into that mall, never burned her with his presence.
‘Scarlett, love,’Mateo called from somewhere behind the deafening emotions.‘It’s a waterfall and you need to step back from it. Don’t focus on its small details, look at the bigger picture.’
She felt her hand being lifted and a moment later, Ezra’s jaw pressed against her palm.
‘Breathe, Scarlett,’Vince hummed.
Scarlett did, focusing on the sparks Ezra’s touch gave her. She tried to take a step back—metaphorically. Instead of standing within the storm, she wanted to look down upon it. With each breath, she stepped further out of the downpour until the bigger picture came into view.
‘Good,’Mateo’s voice was so much clearer, and it was as if she couldseehis mind beside Ezra’s and Vince’s.‘You’re doing so well.’
She opened her eyes and looked at her final mate. Give him his due, he managed a tough façade but as he swallowed hard, a single tear broke free and ran down his cheek.‘I thought you said you wouldn’t cry? How am I supposed to do the same?’
‘You love me,’he hushed, the truth of her feelings towards him like a punch to the gut.‘You love me like you love them.’
‘I do.’
Crowd be damned, his lips crashed down on hers, his mind threatening to overtake hers again. She focused on his lips, trying not to absorb every single emotion he fought and listened into her other two bonds. It was so loud, so full in her mind that she wasn’t sure how she would survive the evening with her family.
‘You are not alone, love,’Mateo reassured.‘We are right by your side.’
She stepped back and tried to zero in on her own thoughts. And when she did, the love that wrapped around her broke the dam, letting her tears fall. “Oh no,” she coaxed, but Vince was already swiping them away just as fast as they could fall. “Thank you.”
“You would never forgive us if we let you ruin your makeup,” Mateo chuckled.
Scarlett tipped her head back and looked up into the fairy lights, blinking away the tears. “You’d never hear the end of it.”
Once she’d collected herself, she turned. Ezra wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her steady as bright smiles from their family warmed her heart. There were hugs and congratulations from all sides, the rest of the night passing in a blur.
Chapter- Sixty-Three
Mateo
“You are doing wonderfully,” Mateo whispered against Scarlett’s ear with a kiss.
“I feel like a wreck,” Scarlett admitted, even her mind feeling the exhaustion.
“Would it comfort you if I told you how beautiful you look?”
“Yes,” she admitted with a quiet laugh.
