Page 79 of Heartless

“Yes.” I didn’t feel like teasing. Not when I missed him so much it hurt.

He set me on my feet well before I was ready to let go. Which would be never.

“My lady.”

I took a step back. That tone. Why? What was he about to tell me? What was wrong?

He dropped to one knee before me and held out his hand.

Three mating collars rested in his palm.

“Willow Baylor of Earth, I love you with everything I am, every part of me. Heart. Mind. Soul. I am yours. My body is yours. I wish to claim you as my mate. Will you accept my claim? Will you give yourself to me and my second freely, or do you wish to choose another primary male?”

The formal words, modified from the official Prillon mating ritual, wrecked me.

“Yes. I love you. I love you, so much.”

I expected him to stand, but he did not. “I am a monster, Willow. You have seen the truth, watched me kill. Are you sure? Because if you say yes, I will never let you go.”

“You are not a monster. You are brave and strong and exactly what I need.”

He shuddered and closed his eyes, leaned forward to press his forehead to my abdomen like he was at prayer. I stroked his hair and waited for him to lift his face and look up at me. “Willow. I am yours.”

“I love you. Every part of you. But I don’t understand. You don’t have a second.”

He stood and reached for me. Before I knew it, I had a mating collar around my neck. His collar, back where it should be.

I reached for him, pulled his head down so I could kiss him. And kiss him.

With a chuckle—and a hard cock, yes, I’m naughty, I looked—he pulled away and took my hand. “My lady, my love, I would like you to meet your second, should you approve.”

I turned, every part of me sparkling with hope.

Oberon.

Please, please, be Oberon.

A warrior emerged from the entrance. Tall. Strong. Handsome. Brown skin, rich brown hair. Golden eyes.

Mine.

“Oberon.”

He stepped forward and knelt before me as Zarren had. “I pledged my life to you once. I do so again, and ask if you will accept me as your second mate. I vow to love you, protect you, and care for you in all ways until my dying breath.”

“I love you.” I leaned over, barely—even kneeling, these warriors were almost as tall as I was—and kissed him. I stood up and reached for Zarren. Pulled his lips to mine. “You two are sure about this? Last I checked, you hated each other.”

“Hate is a strong emotion, mate.” Zarren studied Oberon for a moment. “More like, frustration.”

Oberon grinned. “Don’t let him fool you. He admires everything about me.”

Zarren frowned. “That may, perhaps, be true.”

I took Oberon’s hand and tugged to make sure I had his attention. “He tortured you.”

“I was being foolish. And I told you, love, his methods were weak.”

“Weak?” Zarren sounded outraged at the mere suggestion.