Page 64 of All the Devils are Here

He sighed. “That was why I couldn’t get to her faster. You’re made of stone. It couldn’t hurt you.”

“Do you think she tried—” I stopped the words. Of course she tried. Meg was not only smart, but strong. She knew we would be coming for her and would have wanted to give herself as much time as possible. And itshockedher.

I was on my feet, having to pace to take the edge off the immediate flare of anger and protective instinct. She wasmineand no one would harm her.

“Can the bond fix it?” Ban asked. “The magic inside her?”

“I don’t think so,” Trin said with a sigh. “I wish it would. We’ll be bound to her, but the magic is entirely different.”

“You’re sure you can undo it?” I asked Ariel. “If he’s gone?”

“Sure? No. I think I can. But you know as well as I do that magic is delicate. I would be absolutely sure before I tried anything. Frankly, I think the island—whatever awareness it has—would be glad to have it back.”

I heard stirring from the bedroom. She wasn’t awake, just moving around. But I still had the urge to get back to her as quickly as possible.

“That bedroom?”

“Brand new,” Ariel said with a smirk. “Made it while you were checking her.”

Shaking my head, I turned back to the bedroom and stopped. “I know it’s not under the best of circumstances, but I’m glad to see all of you. And I’m sorry I abandoned you.”

Ariel was at my shoulder, and he placed a hand on it. “If any of us were to get out, it needed to be you. It limited the damage, and you brought us our mate.”

A smile broke through. “That’s going to be strange for a while.”

“Tell me about it.” He blew out a breath. “Never thought I was one for sharing.”

Ban laughed. “But?”

“But that was incredible,” Ariel said. “And as odd as it is, none of it felt strange.”

He was right. It felt natural. The four of us weren’t close anymore, but we were brothers. Brothers because we were all created of the same magic, and brothers because we shared a mate. Brothers in everything but name.

There wasn’t anything else that needed to be said, and I led the way back to our sleeping mate.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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MEGHAN

Iwas warm. That was the first sensation I felt as I surfaced. The second was that I was calm and normal. Trin’s venom had faded, and the effects had passed.

A heavy arm was draped over my body, and I was covered in a blanket. I opened my eyes slowly and found Ariel in front of me across the bed.

Ban was near my feet. I felt his fur brushing my toes. Which meant that Laurent was behind me if Trin was in the water.

I laid my palm on the back of his hand and curled my fingers between his. He shifted ever so slightly, breathing deeper, and lips brushed the nape of my neck.

“Good morning.” The softest whisper.

Turning, I spun, staying under his arm until I was facing him, and immediately tucked my head under his chin. He pulled me closer, that same arm wrapping around so he held me completely.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded. I was more than all right. How many times had I imagined waking up in his arms? So many times, and now I wasn’t only with him, I was with four of them. It felt like too much.

My body was sore, but not so sore I regretted anything. Last night had been gorgeous and perfect even if all of them hadn’t fucked me yet. The venom had allowed me to let go—I needed to thank Trin for that. If I hadn’t been so exhausted, it would have been a much longer night, and I wouldn’t have cared.

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