Page 613 of Shadowblood Souls
I whirl between them, swaying with Griffin, dipping with Andreas, letting Zian spin me around. Sweat forms beneath my shirt, and my breath gets short with the exertion, but I couldn’t feel more alive.
When we pause to take a quick break and grab some water, I survey the younger shadowbloods and our ‘monstrous’ allies enjoying themselves throughout the crowd. Smiles flash, and laughter peals through the air. Hair swishes while feet tap with the rhythm.
This is our family. Our blood. And we’re finally truly free. What we’re doing here doesn’t just have the feeling of a party—it’s outright rejoicing.
We’ve built something together in the past year. Something that’s by us and for us, exactly the way it should be.
At the end of the week, the six of us Firsts clamber back onto the jet. As soon as it’s in the air, I pull out the book on sound engineering that one of the shadowkind found for me.
Maybe it’d be interesting to get in on the behind-the-scenes part of musical experiences. Or maybe not. Either way, I’m going to find out.
As the whir of the engine carries softly through the cabin, Andreas, Griffin, and Zian launch into a series of card games. Jacob brings up a TV episode on his phone. And Dominic is gazing intently at his tablet, with the periodic flick of the screen that tells me he’s reading.
Abruptly, he bursts into laughter.
All our heads jerk around. It’s pretty rare for Dom to have such a strong reaction.
I reach across the aisle to prod his arm. “What’s so funny?”
“Oh, this book.” He chuckles a little more and then grins at me. “I think the heroine is going to end up like you, with more men than she knows what to do with.”
I mock-glower at him. “Hey, I am perfectly capable of handling all five of you.”
“Yes, you are, Tink!” Andreas contributes in a playful tone.
My curiosity is piqued all the same. “You’re really reading a story where a woman ends up with more than one guy?”
Dominic glances back at his tablet. “Well, it hasn’t gotten there yet. But she definitelywantsmore than one, and I feel like it’s heading in that direction rather than a love triangle. Or… quadrangle, or whatever it’d be with four men. Of course, there’s also the problem of her having a ghost stuck in her head being sassy and trying to boss her around, and the fact that she can’tlet any of the men know about her magic skills because she’d be executed…”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Sounds almost as complicated as our lives.”
“Maybe that’s why I like it so much.” He catches my hand to give it a quick squeeze. “I’ll let you know how it turns out.”
Jacob sets aside his phone. “You know, you can read about imaginary people maybe getting a relationship like ours. I think I’d like to enjoy the one we actually have.”
He leans close and nips my jaw before murmuring just loud enough for the other guys to hear, “Do you think it’s time we joined the mile-high club, Wildcat?”
A flush spreads over my entire body at his touch and his suggestion. “Um… I think I could be convinced.”
Zian gets up from his seat, his gaze heated. “Better find a spot where there’s room for all of us, then.”
He scoops me up and carries me to the sofa area behind the regular plane-style seats. As the rest of my guys gather around us, I reach out to each of them, drinking in every bit of adoration and passion they’re offering.
As I lose myself in the bliss of their kisses and caresses, a headier joy sparks in my chest.
There are a lot of waysourstory could have turned out. A lot of horrible outcomes we only narrowly escaped.
But I know without a doubt that this is exactly the happy ending we were fighting so hard to reach. And now it’s ours to keep.
* * *
Thank you so much for sticking with Riva and her men through all their struggles to their happily ever after! I hope it was as sweet for you as it was for them.
If you want to read more about Sorsha and her men or Rollick and his associates, you can check out the other series in the shadowkind world: Flirting with Monsters and The Heart of a Monster.
Were you intrigued by the book Dominic mentioned reading about a woman with forbidden magic and a ghost stuck in her head? Good news! It’s my next series. You can join my Robin-Hood-like thief in her epic adventure—and romance—in the Rites of Possession series…
Rites of Possession brings you more hot, damaged men and a rebellious heroine grappling with her brutal power. Read about the first book, Thief of Silver and Souls, below:
