Page 126 of All the Devils are Here

I looked at Laurent. He’d faded into his human form during everything, but now he wasn’t. Wings sprouted from his back and formed, claws on his feet scraping the stone beneath us.

The arms around me hardened, and my mate grew taller, staring down at me with the eyes of a monster.

My monster.

“Ready?” He asked.

There wasn’t time to warm me up. My body wouldn’t last that long. But with all the power in me, I didn’t think it would hurt.

I nodded.

Laurent kissed my forehead and guided my head to the side, baring my neck. Opposite from where Ban had marked me.

“I love you,” he whispered, and bit me.

Everything I’d thought was wrong. The pain was so much worse. Like my body was shredding itself into little pieces. But even this wasn’t the worst I’d felt.

Now I knew what the worst would be.

Losing them.

My soul was swept away and replaced with Laurent’s piece, and all of my mates were with me now.

I wilted, no strength left, and he kept me upright. The magic was gone. Torn out of me with the last bite, and despite my weakness I felt incredible. I felt whole and complete…

Just like I’d always wanted.

Laurent’s eyes searched me, looking for the source of what had made me melt, and my other mates too. But he was also looking at me like he wanted to devour me. I felt just how much. The frenzy underneath his concern.

I wanted him to rip my clothes off and take me right here on this rock. Hard enough that my back scraped and I could feel it for days.

The purr that rose was all I could hear other than the beat of my my heart.

“Thank you.”

The voice was completely new, and alien.

We all turned in unison.

A shape of a woman stood in front of us. She was lined in light, almost like an apparition. Her voice was no longer doubled, but I knew it like I knew my own name.

“Four pieces of life?” I asked.

“You gave me each, and for that, I will always be grateful to you.” She came toward me, and all my mates tensed.

The island laughed.

“Sorry,” Ban said.

“Do not apologize for protecting what is precious. Your protection and care is what saved everything.” She looked at me. “Do not take it for granted.”

Then she put her hand directly on my chest.

My body lit up like a fucking firework. My skin was bright with light, blazing higher than what was left of the sunset. So much energy I felt like I could fly. And something deep within meshifted.

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this good. Years, if ever. Like I’d gotten to sleep for a week straight and was in the best shape of my life.

She pulled back, and the light faded. The wind off the ocean blew my hair around my head. My purple hair. Deep within me, lower than where my mating bonds rested, there was a core of light. It flickered and glowed like a flame.

---