Page 48 of Bloodstained Chrome

Threatened.

I’ve never realized how badly I needed to hear it once more.

I press a kiss to the top of her head and wrap her more tightly against my chest.

"I’ve got you."

This time, I wasn’t ever letting her go.

She will never get away from me again . Blood will stain my hands at every turn if it means keeping her at my side.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Sibley

"Your fate has always been one of your own making."

At the sound of the voice behind me, I whirl around to face the woman whose voice sounds like whimsical music. I’ve heard it more times than I can count in my lifetime.

"What do you mean it’s always been one of my own making?" I ask, confused.

The woman laughs and pulls back the shawl concealing her face, drawing a gasp from my lips. "Mother," I whisper, using a long- dead language.

"Indeed." She smiles and steps forward. "As I told you long ago, before Orpheus ever changed you, my child, you are a creation of fate itself, bound to your brother’s life force at birth. Your fate is one you make."

"I don’t understand what you mean." I’m so confused right now that it’s making my head hurt.

"As you see, I’ve been here for you every step of the way in your life. One of the fates. I could not share this with you or your brother, but I wanted you both. I tied you together in many ways. Your life is his. His is yours. That is until you’ve both found your mates. You’ve both done so now, and you will live and breathe as you should as immortals. Something I can now grant you, though you had it and lost it with the bonding to your mate."

"Because we both found our mates." I nod, starting to understand.

"Exactly." She beams at me. "But fear not, my daughter. You and Primal will live together. Have children, even. Just as your brother will. And Orpheus. A line of hybrids will form because of you. But that isn’t for you to worry about now. It’s time to get back to your mate. He’s gone long enough without you and needs you at his side."

Primal.

I smile at the thought of him. I don’t want him to be without me any more than I want to be without him.

"Will I see you again?" I ask, looking at my mother as she pulls the shawl over her face.

"Of course, my child. I’ll always be here for you."

As the words leave her lips, darkness envelops me, and I find myself alone in the woods. I sit up and look around. I’m wearing only Primal’s shirt. But the last thing I remember is Kakos slitting my wrists, the blood draining from my body. He found a way to keep my wounds from healing instantly. I thought I’d die, but Primal found me.

Gods, where is he now?

As if summoned, I whirl around at the sound of a growling lion behind me.

"Hi, Kitty," I call out in greeting.

The lion comes toward me, eyes the same shade as Primal’s. As it gets close, the lion shifts into a man, and suddenly I’m in my mate’s arms, his mouth on mine.

After taking my breath away, Primal draws his lips away and meets my gaze. "You have a way of vanishing on me."

"I didn’t mean to." I pout, wanting him to kiss me again. Then I realize, yet again, where we are, and I smile. "It’s part of my vision."

"What?" he asks, his brows drawing together.

"In my vision, the one I kept having, it always ended with me alone in the woods, stuck, not moving, as a lion walked by. It was you. Always you. And now we’re both here."

Primal grins and lift me, leaving me no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist. "Wherever you are, I’ll find you, Sibley. You’re mine, and I’ll ride the pits of hell to find you."

"Even on your bike?" I giggle.

"I’d stain my bike’s chrome with blood if it means getting to you."

"Hmm, bloodstained chrome. I kind of like it."

"Of course you would," he says before kissing me again.

I don’t know what life has in store for us, but I look forward to finding out without looking ahead to see it before it happens. I just want to be Sibley, not a seer, though my powers remain intact and more powerful than ever. I don’t need them to know I’ll be happy so long as I’m in Primal’s arms.