Page 68

“This isn’t just a suppressant, okay, brother? It’s a promise we’re making to you.” He took my right hand and held it between us, softly stroking my fingers. “That you’ll never have to choose between who you are and where you belong again.” He kissed my fingers and studied me. “Do you understand?”

I sniffled and only just managed to get out an affirmative, “Yes.”

I was so overcome that it took me some time to realize that Kai was holding out the ring to me.

“This… it became possible because of our bond, the four of us coming together. When it was just you and me, Kai, it couldn’t be done, there were missing elements.” I looked out at all of them in turn. “Missing elements in ways beyond the creation of this ring. But now look at us, look at what we’ve built, what we have together.” I took the ring and slid it onto my finger. A warmth imbued my whole body for several moments and I let out a groan as I briefly felt a surge of all of them rolling through me, before it settled quickly. I gazed down at the ring. “I can’t believe this. It’s going to change so much for me.”

“You deserve it,” Kai said. “Be at peace in yourself now.”

When he kissed my cheek, but then went to ease back all too soon, I reacted on instinct and rapidly rising need, the elation and utter relief colliding, and I snagged his nape and pulled him to me.

Our lips collided and I took him in a deep, explosive kiss.

He sank into it quickly.

But before we could get lost in it, I felt it—something changed.

Something I’d never felt before with him.

I broke the kiss and eyed him incredulously.

“It feels different,” I breathed against him.

There was no weight bearing down on him.

There was no push against me.

We could finally be in the moment without any barriers between us.

I couldn’t believe it.

It all took me over, and the next thing I knew, I was lunging at Kai.

12

~Kai~

It did feel different.

Lighter.

Truer.

Uninhibited.

It tasted like freedom.

It sung like deliverance.

Raw, open, honest.

No barriers between us.

Being able to experience that with him now, and Ari because she’d gotten a much stronger hold on her power, was miraculous.

And V? He was right there with me.

In fact, as I caught a glimpse of him as Nyx ran me into the wall of the building, I saw his golden eyes flaming like embers, noting the fact that he wasn’t trying to fight it off or even tamper it down.