Chapter 33 Aniyah #3
Power burst from me in a single pulse, rippling through the room like a shockwave. There was no light, no sound, but I felt it wash over every body, every mind. All of them inhaled sharply, eyes sliding closed… and when they opened again, they wore that familiar dazed look.
“Alic,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Look at me.”
I didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, I stared into the double mirror behind him, watching, waiting, for the illusion to take hold. I wanted to see who I became in his eyes. What I turned into when stripped down to the truth only he could see.
A ripple coursed through me, my heart pounding so violently I swore it might burst. I was changing. Morphing. But into what? What did he want most in this world? What was I lacking that made me need to shift?
For a brief, panicked second, I regretted everything. This was reckless. I never should’ve done it. Should’ve left us all in this comfortable, chaotic limbo where I was prepared to let them go if a true mate ever surfaced.
“Open your eyes.” Alic’s voice cut through my spiral. I startled, realizing I had them screwed shut, too afraid to witness what I’d become, but he was right. I’d come this far. I couldn’t flinch now.
Slowly, I cracked them open and turned to the mirror. My body... it was still me. Same curves. Same hair. Same face, but I wasn’t wearing my dress anymore. Instead, I stood in a delicate white lingerie set, lace hugging my heavy breasts, soft fabric clinging to my hips.
I recognized it immediately.
“It was the second night you tried to get me to come inside,” his voice soft, filled with adoration. “You changed tactics. Wore this to tempt me. Remember?”
God, did I. The memory slammed into me like a sucker punch.
That night, I had pulled out all the stops.
After my charm and teasing didn’t work, I went for determination cloaked as seduction.
I stepped outside in this exact set and purred that I was cold and needed someone to warm me up.
I’d even baked cookies. If the sex appeal failed, maybe sugar would save me.
I blinked at my reflection again. That meant… he desired me most and not some fantasy version of me. Not pieces of me and pieces that weren't. Not some physical form of redemption from his past. Just me.
This time, I looked up at him.
Alic was smiling, grinning, really, wearing a boyish, lovesick expression that made my knees a little weak.
“That night,” he murmured, “I almost broke. I was so close. I could smell the sweetness on your skin, and my mouth literally watered.”
I nearly giggled, warmth crawling up my spine.
The magic around us began to unravel, leaving the air feeling lighter. I stepped toward him, guiding his hands to my waist and tugging him down until we met. I cupped his face, grounding us in the moment.
“Thank you for finally giving in,” I whispered.
When our lips met, I felt the bond flare to life inside me, my tentative golden thread reaching out from my soul. His magic answered it, winding around mine, and they twined together like they’d always belonged.
A soft moan escaped me as a fire lit along the base of my spine. The intoxicating sensation didn’t burn; it consumed. My knees went weak, my core clenched, and I knew we were bonded now.
I could feel his excitement, his determination for this to last forever through the bond, and I smiled against his mouth, pushing all of my heart back through the bond, hoping he could feel me just as I felt him.
When we finally broke apart, he exhaled like he’d just stepped into sunlight after far too long in the darkness. Our bodies still hummed with the afterglow.
He leaned in once more, brushing a kiss against my cheek.
“Thank you.”
Just two words, but they felt like a vow.
I held his face one last time, pressing my gratitude—my appreciation, my frustration, all of it—into my acknowledgment of him before I let go and turned to the next.
Van straightened the second I approached, posture rigid, eyes locked on mine like he was about to take a final exam. The tension radiating from him made my lips twitch. A laugh was threatening, but I smothered it.
“Relax,” I said gently. “Let the magic take over. Let it sink into your skin and show you.”
He nodded, jaw tight but gaze unwavering.
Another ripple of power washed over me, this one smoother, more precise. The transformation was instant.
Looking into the mirror behind him, gone was the lingerie.
I now wore a familiar work outfit. Not one I wore on stage, but one of my normal office ensembles.
A tight pencil skirt, sheer white blouse that clung to my push-up bra, and red heels that I knew would click against the floor.
My hair was a mess, thrown up into a chaotic bun with a pencil jabbed through it.
I blinked.
This is what he desires most?
Confusion hit me, but deeper down, something warm stirred.
“Do you remember the first time we pulled an all-nighter for an audit?” His voice was soft, dreamy, almost wistful. “That night, I watched you for hours, hunched over your desk, flipping through paperwork. I couldn’t look away. It was the first time I realized I loved you.”
His words made me look up, and I became caught in the pull of his deep jade-green eyes, eyes that always threatened to drown me if I stared too long.
Thinking back, it must not have been long after he started working for me. Which meant… he’d been carrying this for years.
This time, he was the one who pulled me closer, resting his forehead against mine as he murmured, “You were stunning, all disheveled and focused. I kept daydreaming about you looking that way under me.”
My breath caught. “B-but… all this time?”
He nodded, eyes unwavering. “All this time. I was too scared to say it then, but I’m saying it now. Will you accept me, my flame?”
His golden bond reached for mine, eager, trembling, aching for connection.
Images raced through my mind: stolen glances across conference tables, the quiet loyalty in his every action, the way he always seemed to know when I needed support without me asking. All those moments were laced with longing and unspoken hunger.
My bond unfurled in answer, and golden light trailed through my chest, weaving toward his like thread through a needle. When they touched, they fused, no hesitation, no question. As if this was always the inevitable end.
He gasped at the connection, mouth parting in overwhelmed relief, but I caught the sound with my lips, swallowing it greedily. That cry belonged to me.
The burn along my back flared, searing hot, but I barely noticed because his arms had wrapped around me, pulling me close, anchoring me. I felt... home. Safe. Wanted.
A pointed cough snapped the moment.
“Some of us still need our turn,” Lucus grumbled, arms crossed and one foot tapping like an impatient executive.
I turned, unable to hide my smirk. He looked like a scorned CEO waiting for his board meeting to begin, reminding me just how we met.
“All right, I’m coming,” I shot back, giving all the sass he deserved.
The wicked grin that broke across his face was entirely worth the wait.
Van looked down at me, his expression carved with pure joy.
“Go. That impatient vampire will only get worse,” he teased, his voice warm.
His lips trailed up my cheek and into my hair, breathing me in like he was trying to memorize my scent.
“We have forever now. You’re mine, Aniyah Glovefox. Now and always.”
I used his collar to tug him closer, my words brushing against his lips.
“You’ve got it all wrong. You’re mine now… and you haven’t seen what I’m like when I’m attached.”
His eyes fluttered closed, his body shivering against mine. A moan slipped out, unbidden and raw. I let him go with a smug little smirk, already planning how I'd make him fall apart again soon.
As I crossed the room to Lucus, I glanced back and threw Van a wink. His jade-green eyes flared neon. Power crackled through the air, buzzing down my spine and propelling me forward like a whispered promise.
I stopped in front of Lucus, hands on my hips, feeling light and lethal with both of them now tethered to me.
“All right, Mr. Kingsley,” I sassed, “you have my attention.”
He stepped in, toe-to-toe, his voice a low purr. “I like it when you say that. I think you should say it again when I’m balls deep inside you.”
Rolling my lips in to suppress my smile, I murmured, “We’ll see.”
He tilted his head, eyes gleaming. “Yes. You will.”
His gaze skimmed over me like fingertips, and I felt it, my magic responding to his desire, a ripple skating along my skin. I already knew I’d shifted, but with him so close, I couldn’t see my reflection.
Slipping under his arm, I turned just enough to catch sight of myself in the mirror and gasped.
There I was. Same dress, same heels, same hair as when we entered this room. My appearance seemed untouched.
His voice coiled around my ear as his pale arms wrapped around my waist.
“What can I say? I like what I like.”
Taking advantage of my stunned stillness, he lifted my chin and crushed his lips to mine. He demanded my full presence, and I gave it, meeting him beat for beat. My fingers dove into his soft golden hair, yanking his head down so I could take control of the kiss, even at an awkward angle.
He growled into my mouth, hands sweeping across my body like he needed to memorize every line. I didn’t even realize he’d moved to my neck until I felt his breath against my pulse.
“With this kiss,” he whispered against my skin, “we make the everlasting vow. Bound now, until forever.”
I jolted when his fangs pierced my flesh, but the pain was instantly swallowed by a wave of bliss. I gasped, clutching his hair as each draw of my blood made my knees buckle.
Like it knew it had received my permission, his golden bond slammed into me.
My own thread peeked out, hesitant, but his didn’t wait. It seized mine and twined them together, bold, unrelenting. Just like him.