Page 65 of Midnight of Ashes
Mate.
I released my hold on Cáel and twisted, biting down on Knox’s bicep. His hold on my hair tightened as he arched into me. “Mine,” he snarled.
And I felt the same. A fresh wave of sensation coursed through me. A belonging. A possession.
They were mine, and I was theirs. And I would fight to the death to protect that.
33
HAYDEN
A comforting heat wrapped around me like a cocoon. I let out a little moan as I burrowed deeper into it. A body pressed against me from behind, and another nuzzled my neck from the front.
Everything about the moment was pure bliss. I was happier than I could ever remember being, and it was then that I realized I wasn’t just feeling my own joy. I was feeling others’.
The emotions were like colors, each one carrying a different hue. Knox’s had a giddiness to it. As if he couldn’t believe that we had found each other and managed to cement the bond. Cáel’s had a grounded peacefulness. As if he was at ease for the first time since his attack.
And I could feel those emotions pouring into me and through me.
My eyes popped open, and Cáel pulled back, taking me in. “How do you feel?”
My mouth opened and closed a few times before I could get the words out. “I can feel you…”
Knox hardened against my backside. “Don’t go saying that first thing. I already have morning wood.”
A laugh bubbled out of me, and I smacked his arm. “I meant your emotions. I can feel how happy you are.”
Knox brushed my hair out of the way and pressed a kiss to his claiming mark. A heated shiver wracked my body.
“Never been so happy,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Me neither.”
I lifted a hand to Cáel’s bare chest, to the place where I’d bitten him. I traced it with my finger, and his gaze went silver.
“I wouldn’t do that for too long,” he growled. “I’ll want to take you again, and you have to be sore.”
There was a slight twinge between my legs and at my backside, but it just reminded me of what we’d all shared. “I’m not that sore.”
Cáel chuckled, and the sound wrapped around me like the warmest embrace.
I stilled as I took in a mark below the bite. It looked like an intricate gemstone tattooed on top of the ink that was already there.
“Your brand,” Knox explained. “We’ll carry it with us always. Just like you’ll carry ours.”
I glanced down at my chest. The guys had each bitten me at the juncture of my neck and shoulders. The bites themselves were healing already, but I was sure I’d have angry, red teeth marks for a while.
But below them were two unique marks. On the left, where Knox had bitten me, was a swirl inked into my skin. It was beautiful and hypnotic. On the right, where Cáel had claimed me, was a delicate snowflake that looked like a work of art.
I pushed up against the pillows, trying to get a better look. “What do they mean?”
Knox shoved up next to me. “We never know what our mark will be. It can be tied to any number of things.” He traced his swirl above my collarbone. “It looks like both of ours tie to our gifts.”
I frowned at him. “Gifts?”
Cáel nodded. “Shifters that are especially strong can have extra gifts.”
“I can control the air to a certain degree. It gives me extra speed when I’m flying,” Knox explained. “And Cáel can control the weather in short bursts.”
