Page 55 of Tethered Magick

“Sweetheart,” I whispered brokenly, though it had nothing to do with their nearness and everything to do with the fact that something was going on that I wasn’t privy to.

“You’re okay. Hold onto me and take a deep breath. Scent each one of them. They’re yours. Do you sense it?” Dason murmured encouragingly.

Lorn nodded, but her eyes shut and she whimpered.

“It’s just a visceral reaction. You’re sated. You don’t need any more right now.”

“More of what?” I didn’t understand what was going on.

Dason’s gaze flicked to mine, trying to communicate something I couldn’t quite grasp without the mental connection we used to share.

“Lorn’s been through a lot.” Dason’s thumbs stroked over her cheeks as Lorn took deep, steady breaths. Seeing them so familiar with each other was comforting and yet foreign.

“Axel.” Jolon came up beside me and gripped my shoulder hard. “Lorn was kidnapped by vampires.”

The blood drained from my face at his insinuation.

You’re not serious, I exclaimed just between the two of us.

Keep your shit together. Don’t you see how scared she is?Jolon reprimanded.

Fuck.I took a deep breath and swallowed the curses that wanted to fly from my tongue. How? Why? What had she been through? I wanted to hold her and promise her I’d never let anything bad happen to her again. That none of this changed our relationship.

I was in love with Lorn. Head over fucking heels. I think I had been from the moment I saw her, and nothing would change that. Mate bond or no, shadow touched, vampire, witch, or some crazy mix, Lorn was my mate, and that would always be true. I didn’t need fate’s call to know that girl was mine.

My heart had already decided.

“Sweetheart,” I crooned, taking slow steps forward like I was approaching a timid animal. My hands were down by my sides, held in a peaceful, nonintimidating fashion.

Lorn’s eyes popped open. Everything about my mate was flawless, nearly porcelain. Her wide blue eyes locked on mine, full of a vulnerability I hadn’t seen since the very first day I met her.

Jolon and Kota were hesitant about what Lorn needed, while Chayton and Syler both longed to rush to her, scoop her up in their arms, and erase that vulnerability. They held back, though, allowing me to go to her first.

“I could hurt you, Axel,” she murmured, her eyes darkening as I drew closer. Her gaze, which had been on mine, slowly slid to the side of my neck.

“You’re not going to hurt me. And even if you did, I come with perks,” I teased as lightheartedly as I could. “My twin is the pack healer, remember?”

“Like she could forget the better-looking twin,” Kota scoffed, and I lifted my hand to flip him off.

Lorn’s lips twitched, the tension of the moment easing some.

God, I live to make her smile.

The broken asphalt shifted under my shoes before I stopped in front of her. I took her hand and intertwined our fingers. Dason moved back a step, still well within reach in case Lorn needed him, but giving her enough space to test her resolve.

“You smell good,” she admitted with a wince.

“So do you.”

“No.” Lorn shook her head. “You smell good enough to—” She swallowed.

“Eat?” My lips quirked to the side.

I swore a rosy hue mantled Lorn’s cheeks. It was a dusting, but it made her look more vibrant under the moonlight that reflected off her black hair, the strands so dark they almost gleamed purple and blue in the night.

“I’m not going to eat you,” Lorn promised.

“Shame.” I smiled, flashing my teeth. “Just understand” —I leaned in conspiratorially, and I saw her stiffen before she relaxed— “I can’t make you the same promises.”

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