Page 37 of Bonded

“We still want you more than we want to breathe.” Orion closes the space until I’m pressed between them both. “Sharing you is an issue if you have favourites.”

Reed kisses my neck, and my breath hitches. “Let us show you how much better we can be. Forget him.”

“Choose us.” Orion is so close to me now.

“He’s my mate.” They both go still. “He told me back in the Folkland, and he believes I am his mate. I believe it too. There’s a pull between us.” I hold Orion’s gaze. “It doesn’t change things. But if you’re demanding that I never see him again, I can’t do that.”

“Do you love him?” Orion asks, roughly cupping my chin. I don’t answer, but I’m sure my eyes do. His hand wraps around my throat, pulling me towards him and away from Reed, who has gone silent. “But you’re mine. You’ve been mine for a very long time. I don’t give a fuck if you have a mate.”

“Meredith, you’re ours,” Reed murmurs. “And apparently his too. I’ll take any version or you, mated or not. Do you want me on my knees? I’ll beg for you, little human.”

“You keep saying that.” I wrap my hand around Orion’s throat and dig in my black nails. His eyes darken as if he enjoys it, even as I draw blood. “I’m a little undecided. I haven’t decided if you’re mine yet. You both keep hurting me.”

“We both know you have decided but you’re trying so fucking hard to be a good person and not the person you want to be. You’re a little liar.” He slams his lips onto mine. I kiss him back, unable to stop myself. I don’t let go of his neck. He pulls me up, picking me up off the lily pad, laying me down on it even as his body covers mine. Something hard presses into me, and a tight moan escapes my throat.

Reed watches us, and he doesn’t blink. Orion turns my head to the side, kissing down my jaw. “Are you just going to watch or join in? Our princess tastes perfect.”

“I don’t think she’s ready for me to join.” Reed’s voice is thick with lust.

Orion just starts pulling my top down when fire blasts across the sky, across the lily pads on the lake, burning them to ash. My head goes straight under the water, and fire licks up my arms. I scream—only for a second—before Reed grabs me. He kisses me softly, the pain of the burns on my arms disappearing. A bubble of air appears around us, and I cough water out of my lungs. He holds me to him, his eyes looking around for danger. Fire keeps burning across the lake above. Fear keeps me locked in place as Reed wraps his arms tightly around me.

“Where is Orion?” I demand.

Reed kisses the top of my head. “Orion is fine and searching for whoever just did that. I’m going to take you back to the court through the river. Just hold on to me—I won’t let you drown.”

I wrap my arms around his shoulders, my legs around his waist, and close my eyes. I vaguely feel us moving through the water until I feel air—water dripping off me and a cold breeze blowing against my side. Reed carries me, heading straight towards my room, and before he puts me down, I grab his arm. “Don’t go.”

His eyes soften. “I need to go and help Orion find out what’s happened. Someone just tried to kill you—again. You’ll be safe here with Zyran.” He looks over my head at Zyran in my room. “Someone just tried to burn our woman.”

Zy meets my eyes as he steps to my side, his eyes running over me. “Someone just did what?”

“Stay with her. I need to go and investigate. Orion will be looking—fire is Blackfire’s speciality and he’ll know what to look for,” Reed commands Zyran. I give Reed a shaky nod. He kisses me on the forehead before leaving.

Zyran wraps a blanket around my shoulders before I notice we’re not alone. There’s a man standing on the balcony, half hidden. He is wearing a white coat with a green symbol of the Mother. He is older, much older for a shifter. He has all grey hair and soft green eyes.

Zyran holds me to his side. “I found the cook, Frank, that you wanted to speak to. If now’s not a good time⁠—”

“No, it’s fine. It’s a good distraction.” I walk over to the balcony. “Hi. I’m Meredith. Elizabeth asked me to find you.”

Frank’s shoulders drop in relief. “How is she? Please tell me they haven’t hurt her.”

“No, she is okay,” I tell him.

“Good. I know the trial’s coming up, but many of us suspect Alpha Gaia will kill her first. They will never let her free with what she knows.” He shakes his head.

“She’s okay but won’t tell me anything, won’t explain any of it because of a vow to her wolf. All we know is that she killed her father. That’s it.” I step closer. “I don’t get the impression he was hated in this court, and Heir Orion loved him. I’m confused and I need to know so I can help her. If there is any evidence it was deserved or in self-defence…”

“He wasn’t a good person.” Frank wrings his hands together. “Do you know, the most evil people in the world are usually those who are charming and smile and live normal lives in front of others? The one person you would never think of as evil? That’s what the king was like. He was doing things underground here, in the very palace. He was trying to breed a stronger wolf—experimenting on them.” He exhales. “That bastard needed to die. I can’t tell you any more than that, only that every servant in this palace who isn’t human and who bears that rune on their head prayed he would die. I don’t know what he did to Elizabeth, what made her snap in the end, but I do know that the alpha female knows. The knowledge Elizabeth has could destroy this court.” He looks at me gravely. “I don’t believe she’ll keep Elizabeth alive long enough for a trial. Even if there is one, she’ll never let her go free. Unless you fix it somehow. Elizabeth is kind and sweet.” He walks around me but pauses at the door. “Please help her. I must return before anyone notices.”

He bows his head and leaves. “Zyran.” I turn to him, my heart racing. “We have to break Elizabeth out. Orion’s not going to help me. He’ll never believe it if I told him any of that.”

“What happens when we do? You’ll be an enemy of this court,” he warns me. “Orion will be forced to hunt you for releasing her. Even if we take her to Void City, it means you won’t be safe ever again.”

“Then so be it. Let him hate me.” Something in my chest hurts. “But I won’t let her die…not for this. Not even for him.”

I look up at the brilliant glass dome and pray to anything left in the world that Orion’s heart doesn’t break when he finds out I didn’t choose him.

Chapter Twenty-One