22. Kian
KIAN
White-hot agony swept through my veins. It felt as if some vicious snake had injected its venom into my bloodstream. I struggled to keep breathing as my fangs pressed against my gums.
I caught movement out of the corner of my eye: Rhys stumbling, too, grabbing at his neck. Because that was where the pain was the worst.
My fingers covered the spot on my own pulse point. The skin was hot, blistering in a way I knew meant it would scar. But from what?
I forced my gaze up, finally taking her in.
My Rae.
One look at her, and I couldn’t breathe. My lungs seized as my fangs lengthened. The scent of her blood filled the air.
Her sliced palm still bled, her life force spilling out onto the white marble floor. I’d never wanted to drink more than I did in that moment. It was like seeing everything about her from a whole new vantage point, like the veil between us had finally been lifted.
Rae.
Butterfly.
Even bleeding and in shock, she was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. My entire body reacted. Saliva pooled in my mouth, my fangs ached with need, and my dick hardened.
My breaths came in ragged pants as I willed myself to regain control, my brain finally putting the pieces together.
Rae was my fated. The one I was destined for. A bond deeper than any other.
Her gray eyes swirled with molten silver as she looked at Rhys and me in shock. Some part of me heard the head Fate mutter something about four mates.
Four?
It couldn’t be. There had to be some mistake. Throughout history, there had been only a handful of tales where someone had three mates. Even two was incredibly rare. Just having one meant the bearer of the original mark held incredible power.
But four? What did that mean for Rae? How much power coursed through her even now?
Because, along with tales of multiple mates, there had been stories of both Luminaries and Nocturnae who descended into madness because the gifts that lived within them became too much.
Fear and protectiveness surged inside me in equal measure.
My gaze flicked to Calloway. It was only once I took him in, free of pain, that I realized he was not one of her fated. A different sort of pain coursed through me then—a guilt that felt like the weight of the world.
“I’m sorry,” I croaked.
He took a step back, a look of disgust sweeping over his face. More pain washed through me. Cal had never liked it when evidence of my nature showed. And my fangs were out in full view now. There was nothing I could do to stop it.
It was then that I realized I had always tried to hide those pieces from him. As if it would make me more acceptable to him. But it meant nothing if someone accepted you for being anything other than your true self.
The pain that came with that knowledge wounded me on a soul-deep level. It also whispered a fear that Rae would be the same. She was a Luminary, after all.
“This is wrong. Some sort of manipulation,” Calloway said.
Lyra arched a brow. “You would question the gods?”
“Of course not,” he said quickly. “But what if magic has tricked them?” He glared in Rhys’s direction. “You know that monster would do anything to hurt our people. This would be the ultimate insult. Our future Queen bound to bloodsuckers.”
It was a cruel slap of syllables. The truth finally making itself known.
My hand dropped from my neck, my shoulders squaring should battle ensue. Because I would never let Rae go. Even if it cost me my best friend. Even if it cost me my godsdamned life.
Rae frowned at Calloway. “I don’t think that’s very kind.”
Ayden barked out a laugh from where he stood at the back of the sanctuary. “The little witch is standing up for us. How adorable.”
Her eyes narrowed at him. “Not you, sourpuss. They can call you a bloodsucker all they want.”
It was Pax’s turn to choke on a laugh.
But me? I was in awe of her. Even with all she was enduring at the moment, she hadn’t lost her fight. She’d always had a justice switch, even when we were little. No one could be bullied or talked down to in her presence. She wouldn’t stand for it.
It appeared some things didn’t change. And that was a comfort.
Lyra waved a hand in front of herself. “The gods do not make mistakes. They cannot be tricked or magicked. And they do not change their minds.”
That last one was a warning.
Rae raised a hand, and I couldn’t help the curve of my lips at her damned adorableness. Rhys groaned, and Ayden snickered.
“You don’t need to raise a hand, dearest Rae. You may speak freely,” Lyra assured her.
Her hand dropped immediately, and she toyed with the hem of her pajama top. “What does, um, what does a mate mean, exactly? I think I must have misunderstood if I have four of them.”
Oh shit.
She definitely hadn’t misunderstood. But in the human realm, this sort of thing wasn’t widely understood—or openly embraced.
Serene stepped forward. “They are your life partners.”
The third Fate, Perrine, moved toward Rae, as well. “They balance you, as you will do for them.”
Lyra smiled encouragingly. “The fact that you have four means you are incredibly strong.”
“W-wait. Like, I’m going to marry four people?” Rae’s cheeks flamed. “Be in…relationships with four people?”
“You will. Your magic is so strong, it needs multiple souls to balance it. And going by the first two, we know the others will be incredibly strong, as well,” Lyra explained.
Rae’s gaze danced back and forth between Rhys and me. “They’re my…mates?”
“Your fated, yes,” Lyra said.
I moved then, unable to stop myself. I couldn’t assuage all her fears, but I could do this.
Dropping to one knee, I rested a closed fist over my heart. “I swear to honor you, serve you, and protect you. I will give you all I have to offer and walk with you for the rest of my days.” I dipped my head, but not before seeing the shock in Rae’s eyes.
I waited for Rhys. Nothing but silence greeted me.
Finally, I tilted my head just enough to get a look at him.
A muscle fluttered in his cheek as he glared at Rae. Hatred burned in his gold eyes. But there was something else there, too—need. And it only fed the hatred.
“I will honor you,” he ground out. “I will protect you. But I will never bow to you.”