Page 87 of Claimed By Stone
“When I shattered the crystal, I shattered your cage.”
His words wrapped around me like a cloak, solidifying everything we had fought for. I wasn’t just a weapon or a tool for others. I washis. And together, we were unstoppable.
Without thinking, I stepped forward and placed my hand gently over one of the shards. The moment my skin made contact, a ripple of energy surged through me, connecting me to the fractured crystal and to the bond I shared with Thavros.
The elder’s mouth parted, then closed, and he stared at me with wide, shocked eyes. “Impossible,” he murmured, stepping back. “A godling cannot imbue a stone with magic.”
I reached out, trembling slightly, and touched one of the shards of the crystal.
The crystals pulsed in response, glowing in sync with the golden veins now swirling through my skin. They flickered to life like the stars in the sky, dancing to a rhythm only I could feel.
“I stand corrected,” the elder said quietly, looking at me with something akin to awe.
All at once, the crystals began to pulse in unison, their colors flashing and shifting. The flickering lights echoed the gold-veined glow of my skin. It was like the heart of the world had awakened beneath my fingertips.
The shards, once cold and lifeless, were now vibrating with a life of their own—alive with magic, alive withme. I could feel the warmth from the crystal flowing into me, but it wasn’t just the power of Aphrodite anymore. It wasours. My magic, his love, the bond we shared.
Thavros was at my side instantly, his gaze never leaving me. His pride was palpable as he looked at me, as if seeing me for the first time in a way that onlyhecould.
I couldn’t help but smile at him, a wave of warmth flooding my chest. We had made it through the storm. We had found our way, and now—now, everything was falling into place.
Chapter 38
Thavros
Ibarely heard a word being spoken around the table.
The fractured crystal pulsed softly at the center, hues shifting in and out like it hadn’t decided what it wanted to be yet. But my focus—my entirebeing—was tethered to the woman glowing beside me. Seraphina.
She radiated warmth, light, divinity. And she wasmine.
Her skin shimmered faintly, those golden marbled veins like living stardust. She was speaking, but the sound of her voice was the only thing I really absorbed. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
The bond between us hummed like a live wire under my skin. It pulled at me with each breath, each heartbeat. The post-mating rut had been stirring inside me since the moment I felt her magic pulse through our bond. But now it was clawing its way toward the surface with real urgency.
She was everything. My heart, my magic, my purpose. And I was starting to lose the will to pretend I could sit still much longer.
Khuldruk cleared his throat and leaned forward. “What of the crystal now? Its behavior has changed, shifting color, fractured, but stronger? We need to understand what it means.”
Frema nodded. “And the Westerly Clan won’t let this go. If they embedded Seraphina as a weapon and she failed, they would retaliate. We need a strategy. Information.”
“There is a man in the dungeon to be questioned,” I reminded her. My voice was rough.
I shifted in my seat, rolling my shoulders, my jaw tightening. The rational part of me knew they were right. We needed to plan. To analyze. That was usually my strength. But not now. Not with the scent of my mate lingering like fire, filling my lungs with the scent of her honey. Not when every second away from her skin felt like punishment.
I glanced at Seraphina. She caught my eye, lips curving into a knowing smile.
She knew.
And she wanted me just as much.
Gods help us, I was going to lose my mind if this meeting didn’t end soon.
Khuldruk’s voice was droning on, something about the crystal’s flux and whether its fragments were stable. Frema chimed in with talk of the Westerly Clan and missions to gather intel. Important, yes. But not now.
I shifted in my seat, fists clenched on my thighs, the pulse of the bond making it harder to focus with each passing second. I could feel her—Seraphina. Her warmth. Her scent. Her desire curled through the tether between us. It wasn’t just the post-mating rut. It wasours. Sacred. Demanding.
She was glowing, literally, golden and marble-skinned and mine, and all this talk was making my tusks ache.
