Page 60 of Gael's Favorite

“You’ve already committed to each other in private moments between the three of you, but the communities of people that you each come from wish to witness your commitment in order to celebrate with you the bond you so clearly share.” Felix pauses a moment to make sure he has my full attention. “Phineas, will you allow your community of shifters to witness your bond to Gael and Sin?”

I take a deep breath and let it out with a loud, “I will.”

Felix turns to Sin next. “Sin, will you allow your community of humans to witness your bond to Gael and Phineas?”

Next to me, Sin briefly clenches my hand. “I will.”

Felix smiles affectionately at Gael. “Gael, will you allow your community of mare to witness your bond to Sin and Phineas?”

Gael smiles like the sun, blinding everyone who can see it. “I will.”

Felix’s smile broadens, and he puts his hands together in front of him. “I, Felix Ackermann, species leader for the sorcerers, hereby attest to the bond between these fated mates.”

Those words are magic, and the bond between the three of us ignites with magic, appearing as a line of magenta flame that swirls around the three of us like a mischievous sprite, dancing in my hair and beard, then swirling around Gael and through his chest only to appear around Sin, untying his bowtie.

We all laugh at the bond as it continues with its celebratory dance, circling the three of us until it settles into a joyful pattern that unites the three of us, heart-to-heart, in the presence of our witnesses.

It’s been a day full of tears, but the one’s staining my cheeks now are the manifestation of my happiness. Sin is the first to turn to me, pulling me down close and untying my bowtie. He undoes the first few buttons of my shirt until he can pull the collar aside, and then he bites me directly over the mate mark he left on me months ago. It doesn’t establish the bond so clearly on display for our witnesses, but his bite feels just as important as the first one. I sigh, relieved again to feel his teeth there and the bond sparking with joy.

When he releases me, he presses a cloth to my wound, which is already healing, and a kiss to my lips. “I love you,” he reminds me, rubbing my belly with his free hand to include our coming cubs.

Gael steps up beside Sin, pulling my collar aside as well. “I love you too,” he tells me before sinking his teeth in too.

The joy of the bite outweighs the neediness it causes me. We will celebrate without clothes later, and I’m looking forward to it, but it’s not the most important thing in this moment. I’ve belonged to these men for months already, but I needed this, too. I needed everyone to see how I belong to them and how happy I am.

Gael unbuttons the top of Sin’s shirt, smiling as he enthralls our mate so that his bite won’t hurt him, then he sinks his teeth into Sin’s neck for the second time. Sin lets out a slow, hissing breath, but it’s not pain that’s the problem, it’s horniness. When Gael releases him, he presses their foreheads together. “I love you, Sin.”

Sin smiles, and our bond dances with his happiness. “I love you, too.”

I lean down to lick his mark, until it closes again, and my mates and I share another kiss.

Gael takes both of our hands and leads us forward for our witnesses to see, and a roar of applause erupts from them. Our community not only bears witness, they approve, heartily, of our mating, and that makes this day absolutely perfect.