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Anora huffs in frustration, then looks over to me.

Her expression falls, regret washing over her features.

I can see she wants to apologize for the things she said, the hurt she caused, but the words don’t come.

And that’s okay—I don’t want an apology from her because I understand.

Being a queen, a leader, means making hard choices.

It means being tired and frustrated and still going on.

Anora looks to Damon, who simply bows his head to her, still acknowledging her as his queen despite everything that’s just happened. Then she teleports away, her form fading until she’s completely gone.

My legs give out, and I drop to my knees, exhaustion hitting me like a tidal wave. The battle—twice over—took too much out of me, but I’m free. The veil is lifted, and finally, finally, I can feel the one thing that kept me fighting.

The mate bond.

The pull to Amari that felt like my heart was being ripped out every time I thought I was going to lose him. The sickening dread when I saw him wounded. And to finally feel my mate—it breaks me.

It’s like a missing limb has been reattached. Like a blind person suddenly seeing color. Like taking a full breath after years of suffocating. I can feel him—not just physically, but emotionally. I can sense his relief, his joy, his love for me pouring through the connection.

I dissolve into sobs, my whole body shaking with the force of my emotions.

Immediately, Amari flashes over to me, helping me up from the ground.

I cling to his bloodied suit, pressing my hand against his beating heart.

He’s healed, just barely, but his heart is beating steady—beating just for me.

The sound of it fills me completely, the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.

Amari holds me close, his arms steady around me, letting me sob. “You did good, my queen,” he murmurs into my hair, his lips brushing my temple. “I’m so proud of you.”

I pull back and look into his eyes, those golden depths that have become my home. “If it weren’t for you, I would have had to send Anora to limbo. It would have destroyed me.”

Amari cups my face in his hands, pressing his forehead against mine. “Thank Fate, not me,” he says softly. “I’ve been feeding on you the past three days, and a good portion of your power transferred over—enough for me to break the web now that the veil is lifted.”

His thumbs gently wipe away my tears. “I’m so proud of you. You were so strong today. My brave Spider Queen.”

I sag against him, my energy completely spent. “I’m so tired.”

“That’s okay,” he says, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I’ll take you home and take care of you.”

I start searching his chest for the wound that’s nearly closed, my fingers trembling against the torn fabric of his shirt. “You need to feed.”

Amari cups my face again, his golden eyes warm with affection. “Don’t worry about that, baby.”

Across the street, Leah teleports in front of Kade, who’s holding her forehead and wincing. Leah throws her arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’m fine, baby. Chill, chill,” Kade mumbles, but Leah isn’t having it.

“Shut the hell up,” she snaps, slapping Kade’s arm. “Don’t tell me to chill.”

Kade groans and embraces her mate, letting Leah sob against her. She looks my way and mouths a silent “thank you.” I give her a quiet nod, then focus my attention back on Amari.

Damon sighs heavily. “I’ll get started with the cleanup.”

Bobby steps out of the sheriff station, surveying the damage. “Don’t worry,” he says with a grin. “I’ll help.”

Amari and I share a smile, then a light laugh together. The worst is over, and we’re still standing. I run my hands over him—his arms, his face—still not quite believing that we made it through.

“I can feel it,” I whisper, wonder coloring my voice.

Amari tilts his head. “Feel what, baby?”

“The mate bond.” My voice cracks with emotion. “I can feel it. I can feel the pull to you.” I press my hand over his heart again, relishing the steady thump beneath my palm. “I want to go home so I can claim my mate.”

Amari smiles at that, the expression transforming his face, making him even more beautiful.

He pulls back and grabs my hand. “Let’s go home.”

I stop him, a smile spreading across my face as I remember Angie’s words.

She was right—I can feel my magic almost as if it’s natural to me.

I’ll need to go back to her for better training, but I know this much.

I raise my palm and open a portal to the patrol cabin, the magic flowing from me effortlessly now.

Amari looks at me with so much pride that it almost brings fresh tears to my eyes.

“Don’t worry about a cloak,” I tell him, remembering how other supernaturals feel about teleportation. But since he has some of my magic now...

Amari doesn’t hesitate. He pulls me forward, stepping through the portal and drawing me through after him. The world shifts and blurs around us, and then we’re standing in front of the patrol cabin, the portal closing behind us with a soft whoosh of magic.

Amari pulls me close, his hands sliding up to frame my face as he draws me into a passionate kiss.

His lips are cool against mine, but they warm quickly as our mouths move together.

This kiss is different from all our others—deeper, more meaningful now that I can feel the mate bond humming between us.

My entire body responds to his touch, coming alive in ways I never thought possible.

Where his fingers brush my skin, it’s like tiny sparks of electricity follow in their wake.

The world around us fades away—the trees, the cabin, the distant sounds of the forest—until there’s nothing but Amari and me and this perfect moment suspended in time.

His tongue traces the seam of my lips, asking for entrance, and I open to him gladly. The taste of him—mint and something darker, richer, uniquely Amari—fills my senses. It’s intoxicating, addictive. I could drown in this kiss and die happy.

One of his hands slides into my hair, cradling the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my curls with a gentleness.

His other hand moves to the small of my back, pressing me closer to him until there’s no space left between us.

I can feel every hard plane of his body against mine, fitting together perfectly as if we were made for each other—which, according to Fate, we were.

The mate bond sings between us, amplifying every sensation.

It’s like a golden thread connecting us, pulsing with energy and emotion.

I can feel his heartbeat as if it’s my own, can sense his emotions—his relief, his joy, his love—washing over me in waves.

There’s a depth to this connection that I never could have imagined, something sacred and profound that transcends physical attraction or even emotional attachment.

This is a soul-deep recognition, a coming home.

Tears spring to my eyes again, and this time, they’re tears of happiness, of completion. They slide down my cheeks, mingling with our kiss, salt and sweetness together.

Amari breaks away for a moment, his forehead resting against mine.

His eyes, so close to mine, are filled with an emotion so intense it takes my breath away.

“Don’t cry, baby,” he whispers, his breath fanning across my face.

“I know it’s intense, but hold on. Let me lead, guide you. You’re safe with me.”

His thumbs gently wipe away my tears, the gesture so tender it makes my heart ache. His gentleness, knowing the power he possesses—the same power that tore through enemies to protect me—makes me love him even more.

I’m panting, overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through me, rising and falling rapidly. My skin feels too tight, too sensitive, every nerve ending firing at once. The mate bond pulses between us, stronger with each passing moment, as if making up for lost time.

Amari just smiles—that slow, confident smile that never fails to make my heart skip a beat—and kisses me again.

This time it’s slower, deeper, more controlled, but no less passionate.

He takes his time, exploring my mouth as if it’s the first time, yet with the familiarity of a lover who knows exactly what I need.

His hands grip my legs, lifting me into his arms without breaking the kiss. I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively, my arms encircling his neck, fingers threading through his short hair. He carries me up the steps and into the cabin with effortless strength, his lips never leaving mine.

The door shuts behind us in the quiet cabin.

Amari presses me against the wall in the entryway, his body pinning mine in place as he deepens the kiss even further.

I moan into his mouth, the sound swallowed by his kiss.

My entire body is on fire, every inch of me hyper-aware of his touch, his taste, his scent.

“First a shower,” he says against my lips, his voice hoarse with restraint. “Then we relax and just process things.”

I start to pout—I want more, want everything now that I can finally feel him through our bond. The need is almost painful, a hunger that claws at me from the inside. “But I want?—”

Amari shakes his head, silencing me with a gentle kiss.

His self-control is maddening, especially when I can feel through our bond how much he wants me too.

“Rest first,” he says firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument despite its softness.

“Then you can claim me as much as you want.” His golden eyes lock with mine, intense.

“I already belong to you. You made sure of that when you told me that you loved me without feeling the mate bond.”

The reminder of that moment—when I chose him with my whole heart, without Fate’s guidance—brings fresh tears to my eyes. That was real love, not dictated by magic or destiny but by choice. And now, with the mate bond between us, that love is only magnified, not replaced.

My heart swells at his words, and I let my head fall on his shoulder, my body relaxing into his embrace. His arms tighten around me, secure and protective. I press my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent, letting it calm me.