Chapter Thirteen
The scent of healing tea and burnt sage filled Ursula’s living room, thick enough to make Lennox’s nose twitch even in human form. He leaned back against the arm of the couch, a mug clutched in his massive hands, watching the chaos settle into something that almost resembled peace.
Saffie sat with Nolan and Isaac on the loveseat, her legs draped over Nolan’s lap while Isaac absently traced a rune over the back of her hand.
Willow lounged on the couch opposite them, tucked between Jacob and Liam, the three of them looking far too relaxed for people who’d fought off a horde of demons only hours ago.
Their easy laughter filled the room, softening the edges of exhaustion.
Saffie, perched forward slightly, crossed her arms and leveled them with a smirk. “You three owe us for the outdoor furniture. Bears were not meant to fight on rooftop terraces.”
Lennox groaned. “Hey, in our defense, the demons started it.”
Hunter raised his mug. “And we finished it. Dramatically.”
Jacob snorted. “Dramatically? You flattened a six-hundred-dollar daybed. I’d call that a full-contact redecorating project.”
Liam chuckled and added, “And broke the railing. Twice.”
Brielle, sitting cross-legged on the rug between them, rolled her eyes. “You crushed a chaise lounge and a glass-top table, boys. That’s not dramatic. That’s expensive.”
Isaac lifted his tea in salute. “Worth every penny. The view when Brielle went full lioness? Chef’s kiss.”
Across the room, Cole and Brayden slept—actually slept, not unconscious this time—on Ursula’s long couches, both looking pale but breathing steadily.
Ursula and Willow had done what they could, their hands still faintly glowing from the healing spells.
Landon sat nearby, head tipped back against the wall, exhaustion written all over him.
Willow smiled softly at them all. “You know, it’s kind of nice seeing everyone alive and still giving each other crap. I was getting worried we’d have to start lighting candles for half the coven.”
Jacob leaned closer and murmured, “We’d light them for you, sweetheart.”
She elbowed him, but her grin said she didn’t mind.
The conversation drifted from one ridiculous detail of the battle to another, laughter weaving through the room as the adrenaline ebbed. Talk of the rooftop fight gave way to Brielle’s lioness form, and every eye turned her way.
“Goddess,” Saffie said, shaking her head, “you were kickass up there. I thought Caleb was about to wet himself before you gutted him.”
Nolan laughed, glancing at Lennox. “Man, I thought she was going to eat him alive. No offense, but your mate’s terrifying.”
Lennox grinned into his tea. “Can’t argue with that. She’s terrifying in the best way.”
Isaac nodded solemnly. “Remind me never to piss off a lioness with magic.”
Brielle blushed, but the spark in her golden eyes gave her away. “It was instinct. She—my lioness—just ... took over.”
Saffie leaned forward, wicked curiosity lighting her face. “So ... the claiming. Everything okay? You realize you’re basically married now, right?”
Brielle blinked. “We’re what now?” She looked between Lennox and Hunter. “You guys knew that, right?”
Saffie snorted. “Not quite. You’re handfasted. The claiming’s the supernatural version of a blood vow.” She pointed to her own faint bond mark. “We’re not fully claimed yet. That part’s ... a whole other ceremony.”
Willow piped up from the couch, looking way too innocent. “So technically, she’s still single.”
Jacob’s head snapped up, and he growled low. Liam and Nolan joined him, the sound rumbling through the room. The answering growls from Lennox and Hunter made the air vibrate with warning energy.
Willow laughed and lifted her mug like a toast. “Oh, that’s about to be fixed.”
Saffie smirked. “And on that note, I think we’ll leave before the growling turns into redecorating.”
Isaac stretched, tugging Saffie to her feet. “Come on, love. Let’s go before your mouth gets us in trouble again.”
Jacob stood, pulling Willow against his chest as Liam slung an arm around them both. “We’ll check in tomorrow. Assuming anyone can walk.”
The room erupted in laughter as mated pairs slipped out one by one, teasing echoing through the hall. Lennox’s chest tightened with the familiar ache of wanting Brielle close again, safe and warm after everything they’d survived.
As they stood to go, Brielle turned to Ursula. “You going to be okay here?”
Ursula waved a hand, but before she could answer, Landon spoke, his tone soft but firm. “We’ll stay on the couches tonight. Please don’t send us away yet.”
Ursula hesitated, then nodded once. “Fine. But tomorrow, you’re out. I need to clean up the energy in here before it eats someone.” She stalked toward her room, muttering about stubborn men and destructive bears.
Brielle smiled. “Charlie and his grandmother moved south to be with family. Their apartment’s empty. You mentioned you were looking for a place for you and your brothers. You should take it.”
Landon’s eyes softened with gratitude. “We’ll take it.”
With that, Lennox took Brielle’s hand, Hunter close behind, the three of them stepping out into the quiet night. The city hummed around them, but for once, Lennox didn’t care about the noise or the mess waiting tomorrow.
Tonight, they’d go home.
Together.
****
The door to their apartment closed behind them with a soft click, and silence settled like a warm blanket.
For the first time since the battle, Brielle let herself breathe.
The bond that pulsed between her and her mates was still raw, new, and alive—thrumming beneath her skin like a second heartbeat.
The city outside murmured faintly, a reminder that the world was still turning, but in here, everything slowed to the rhythm of their hearts.
Hunter brushed a strand of hair from her face, his eyes full of heat and remorse. “About before ... we didn’t get to do this the way we should have. You deserved better than a rooftop and a war.” His voice cracked on the last word, as if guilt still clung to him like soot.
Lennox moved closer, his presence steady and grounding.
“We’ve loved you for years, Brielle. Waiting for the right moment, the right sign.
Turns out fate doesn’t give warnings, huh?
” He smiled softly, a little rueful, and ran his thumb along the mark on her shoulder—the bond that glowed faintly gold.
Her heart clenched at the sincerity in their voices.
She stepped closer, sliding her hands over their chests, feeling the steady thrum of their hearts beneath her palms. “You think I care about the where or how? You’re mine.
Both of you. My mates.” She smiled, soft and fierce. “And no one else will ever come close.”
Hunter caught her chin and kissed her, slow and deep.
The kind of kiss that erased everything but the now.
His tongue brushed hers, tasting of heat and apology, and she leaned into it, sighing softly.
Lennox came up behind her, his warmth pressing into her back, his hands sliding down her sides with reverent certainty.
His breath ghosted over her ear. “We’ll make it right tonight.
Every second we lost, every word we didn’t say. ”
Her breath hitched. “Then stop talking and show me.”
There was no rush this time—no urgency, no chaos.
Just the three of them, breathing each other in, taking their time.
Hunter’s mouth trailed from her lips to her throat, leaving a line of warmth that made her shiver.
Lennox’s hands found her hips, steady and sure, his voice a low rumble.
“We’ll make you remember this night for the rest of your life. ”
They moved toward the bedroom, each step guided by touch and breath.
The moonlight slanted through the curtains, painting silver across their skin.
Clothes fell away slowly, deliberately, until skin met skin.
Every touch felt like a promise kept—every sigh a wordless confession.
Hunter kissed her collarbone while Lennox knelt behind her, his lips mapping her spine, his breath hot and tender.
“Beautiful,” Lennox murmured. “You’re so damn beautiful.”
Brielle’s laugh was breathless, trembling. “I feel ... alive. You make me feel alive.”
Hunter drew her closer, his voice thick. “You’ve always been life to us.”
When they eased her down onto the bed, their movements were slow and unhurried, each motion an unspoken vow.
Hunter’s hands traced the curve of her waist, while Lennox’s fingers brushed her thigh, featherlight, teasing.
She arched between them, caught between the dual sensations—the fire and the calm.
Lennox bent to kiss her shoulder, whispering, “Tell us what you need, sweetheart.”
Her reply came out as a breathy plea. “You. Both of you. All of you.”
Hunter’s mouth curved against her neck. “That, we can do.”
They worshiped her with hands and mouths, tracing every inch of her body as if learning it anew.
Hunter kissed her collarbone while Lennox’s lips traveled lower, tasting the soft tremble of her skin, his tongue drawing slow circles that made her gasp.
Their magic pulsed, bright and alive, humming beneath the surface of every touch.
She felt it in her bones, in the air around them, weaving them closer.
Hunter’s lips found hers again as Lennox’s hands guided her hips, their rhythm patient, deliberate. The heat built slowly, the kind that coiled deep and steady rather than wild and desperate. She opened to them, trusting, their names a prayer on her lips.
“Hunter...” Her whisper broke on a moan as he moved against her, tender and sure.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over her cheek, eyes burning with devotion.
Lennox pressed behind her, his chest a wall of warmth. “Look at us, love. Look at how perfect this is.”
Her gaze met his over her shoulder, and something inside her broke wide open.
The bond pulsed bright, gold light spilling across their skin as they moved together, slow and deep.
Each movement was deliberate, each thrust a rhythm of unity and devotion.
Her body trembled between them, pleasure and love melding until she couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began.
Hunter’s voice was low, reverent. “We’ll never let you go again. Not for anything.”
Lennox reached around to cradle her jaw, pressing his forehead to hers. “Never again. You’re ours, Brielle.”
Tears welled, but they were happy ones. “You’re mine,” she whispered, voice trembling. “My mates. My heart. I understand now what it means—to belong, to be whole.”
Their rhythm quickened, heat curling into something exquisite.
The pleasure rose like a tide, unstoppable and pure.
Brielle’s back arched, her breath catching on a sob of joy as her body clenched around them both.
Magic flared gold and wild, filling the room with shimmering light.
Hunter groaned her name, Lennox cursed softly in awe, and together they came undone—three souls bound in one pulse.
When the pleasure crested, it wasn’t just physical—it was spiritual. Light and power surged through them, sealing their connection in a blaze of gold. Her cries mingled with their growls and gasps, filling the room with the sound of something eternal.
Afterward, tangled together in the quiet glow of dawn, Brielle rested her head against Lennox’s chest, Hunter’s hand stroking her hair. The golden light still shimmered faintly on their skin, proof of what they’d become. Peace, for the first time, settled deep in her bones.
Hunter broke the silence first, voice rough. “You’re our heart, Brielle. Always have been.”
She smiled sleepily. “Good. Because you’re mine.”
Lennox pressed a kiss to her temple. “Forever sounds about right.”
She laughed softly, exhaustion pulling at her. “I hope Ursula finds this,” she murmured. “Her forever. Her mates beside her. Her peace.”
Hunter kissed her forehead. “She will.”
Lennox smiled against her hair. “If anyone can, it’s her.”
Brielle closed her eyes, feeling the bond hum steady and sure between them. Whatever came next, they’d face it together.
And for once, that was enough.