Page 118 of Bitten By Bloodmoon
“Fall apart, love,” he gently coaxes me.
His body, on the other hand, is doing nothing gently. He’s hammering into me now, hurdling us both toward that end point that is either a dream or a nightmare.
“Only if you go with me,” I pant back.
“Always, my love, always,” he rasps.
I fall, disintegrating into a million pieces that only he can put back together as I come. My voice is wrecked as I scream out his name and lose myself completely to him.
His strained voice barely cuts through the air, but I hear it.
Mate.
I heard it in the dark. With the snow falling. The wind howling. Lightning striking. Darkness engulfing us.
I heard it.
He can’t take it back.
I wouldn’t want him to.
Because he’s my mate. I loved Ambrose, but he broke me. Maybe it was unfair since he couldn’t love me back. Maybe the universe always intended Ambrose to be my one true mate, but something went wrong or right, because there is no doubt in my mind that Nyx is also my mate. He mended me when Ambrose broke me. Brought me back to life when I felt like there was no reason left to live. Nyx is the only reason I’m alive now.
I love him.
He’s my mate. For better or worse. Whatever tomorrow brings. He’s the one I choose. The problem is I don’t get a choice. And in the aftershocks, Nyx let his guard down; I slipped into his mind. I know exactly what secret he’s hiding. I know what I have to do. I don’t have a choice.
Chapter 35
Lumi
Arandom location was chosen at the last minute, hoping that it would make it safer and ensure the other packs, covens, and vampires wouldn’t be able to find us until after the full moon was over. But we are all on alert—we all know the likelihood that we will be found before the ceremony can be completed. Everyone will hunt us tonight. It’s the full moon—the only night that we can complete the marking ceremony. This is the only night when the curse can be broken. And everyone will want to find us, to ensure that we break the curse for them.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Sylara, Riven, Brax, Talonis, and Kael are on security duty. Everyone keeps their eyes peeled as we wait for Ambrose to arrive.
I’m wearing a simple black dress with matching boots and loose curls in my hair. Nyx is in a suit. We chose formal attire to match the mood, but the clothes won’t change anything about tonight.
I’ve run through my plans a million times. I’m ready. Even for the idiotic plan, I know Nyx and Ambrose have most likely planned to try and “protect” me. But I don’t need to be protected or saved. This is my destiny. I’m not afraid to face it anymore. Even if it kills me, I know what I have to do next.
“He’s here,” I say to Nyx.
Nyx shifts next to me, trying to drop my hand, but I don’t let him. I keep our fingers interlocked. I don’t care if Ambrose sees us together.
Ambrose starts walking toward us through the tree line to the clearing where Nyx and I stand. He’s flanked on either side. Emeric is on his right, and a woman I don’t recognize is on his left.
He nods at both of us in greeting. Even in this somber mood, Emeric flashes me a smile that’s so infectious, it has me grinning right back.
“This is Florence. She’s a Moonfire witch that I trust,” Ambrose says.
Nyx eyes her suspiciously, but says nothing.
“Thank you for coming,” I say.
She nods. “Of course. I think it’s silly that everyone is fighting over who your mate is and who you can or can’t break the curse for. You are both shifters. It makes sense that you break the curse for the shifters. Plus, I need to see how exactly you break this curse in the hopes it helps me figure out how to break the witches’ curse later.”
“Well, I appreciate the risk you’re taking by being here,” I say.
“It’s no risk at all. I’ll just wait over there until you’re ready to start,” she says to me.
