Page 25 of Tempting Her Dragons (Embracing The Bond #10)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kingston

T he voices whispering outside the house wake me. They are trying to be quiet but are failing. I push up to my elbow and look down to see Saphira rolling toward me.

“King, would you kill whoever is out there?” she asks, her voice serious. She is not a morning person, and I would rather sleep beside her for a few more hours.

“I will, Firefly,” I say, pushing the covers away.

“I’ll stay here while you do that,” Maverick mumbles, sliding his arm around her waist.

“Asshole,” I grumble and drop to the floor. I know who it is, and I can’t hurt them. Stepping into my jeans, I reluctantly leave the bedroom. I glare at the front door before I unlock and open it, my hand curved around it and the fingers of my free hand pressed to my hip.

“Oh, shit, did we wake you?” Mom says, smiling.

“We were going to wait out here until you got up,” Sally adds.

“We said we would call,” I remind them.

“They had a special at this fantastic diner,” Mom says, motioning to the pans of food scattered around the porch. I look at all the dishes, back to Sally and Mom, and then to the group gathered across the driveway.

“Someone said food,” River says.

“Of course, you couldn’t resist,” Bash says dryly.

“I came to see someone else getting the brunt of the interference,” Ryker says, twirling a knife in his palm. Serenity smacks him on the chest with her arm that isn’t holding their daughter.

“She’s our sister,” Laken simply says. Bishop nods.

“They hardly let me out without an argument,” Penny grumbles. “I’m just enjoying the fresh air.”

“Harmony insisted we come along,” Blue says, and Harmony’s eyes pop wide.

“Blue, really,” she says, her daughter’s legs bouncing off her hip.

“It’s true,” Jax mutters.

“I’m with the wolf,” James says. “I can always eat.”

“I remember this happening to me,” Micah says. “It’s becoming a tradition.” He smirks.

“Micah,” Daisy scolds. “I wanted to check on Saphira.”

“I was going to offer to dig into Rach’s background,” Quinn says. “I was going to wait until later, but Sally insisted we were invited.” He glares at Sally, and Stephanie squeezes his arm.

“There seem to be people missing,” I say, straight-faced.

“Ava and Kerian are having special time with Revel,” River says as if I really wanted an answer. “We take turns having special days.”

“That’s so sweet,” Mom says.

“Elijah slammed the door in my face,” Sally says. “He’s hogging Saylor.” She crosses her arms.

“Heath,” Quinn shrugs. “Is Heath.”

“There are a handful of others that were busy that you haven’t met yet,” River mentions.

“Breeane hung up on me,” Stephanie says. “She’s not a morning person.”

“Uh-huh,” I sigh.

“Son,” Mom calls, and I slide my gaze to her. “Maybe you should put a shirt on.”

“Yeah,” I spit, step back, and slam the door. I brush my hands through my hair and walk back into the bedroom.

“You didn’t hurt them,” Saphira says. I tilt my head as her leg tangles with Maverick’s.

“No.” I grab my shirt off the floor. “You have minutes until they burst in here, or River eats all the food.”

“They brought food?” she asks.

I shake my head in amusement when she almost knees Maverick in the crotch jumping off the bed. She kisses me as she speeds past and disappears into the bathroom.

“Do you still like them?” I ask Mav when he sits up, holding his hand over his cock.

It’s true that I’ve always wanted a big, loving family, but a family who knows when to get the fuck out.

We ate all the food, and everyone talked nonstop. Maverick sat beside me, watching them with interest and a bit of awe. Instead of holding his lighter, Saphira’s hand is in his. We didn’t have to contribute to the conversation. Once in a while, I grunted an answer to a pointed question when I had no choice. I was more impressed with how much food River can consume. The remaining dish with scraps of food in it is sitting on his lap.

As much as their appearance annoyed me, I couldn’t help finding a little comfort in the group of shifters and vampires who now call each other family. All of them are very different, but the one thing they all have in common is their respect in the bond and the willingness to protect what they built. I lock eyes with my mom. She is in her element. Years ago, she chose to be our mom. She respects anyone who would choose to be together despite blood. Her eyes smile at me, and I nod and smile back. She wants this for us. Her family is dead, so it was her and us against the world. As I got older, I would ask if she regretted it. She told me that we were her reward from the universe after they took her family too soon.

That’s the way she has treated us, as a reward.

Sally leans heavily against Mom’s side, her laughter bursting through the room when Penny says something. The actual words are lost to me, but I’m grateful Mom found a friend. Sally is the life of the party, but I recognize the loneliness she hides behind the humor.

Every available space is occupied, and I can feel my chest tightening. It’s going to take time to get used to being in the mix of this crew.

I swing my attention to Saphira as she jumps up. “I love you all,” she says, holding her arms wide. “But you need to get the fuck out.” She retracts her arms and claps her hands.

Many of the guys laugh. Mom’s lips twitch as she stands.

“Yes, Saphy,” she says, strolling toward her. “Thank you for letting us invade, but it’s time to leave.” She kisses her on both cheeks. “Come on, everyone out,” she demands. Sally smirks and waves as she follows Mom.

I stand and offer my hand to the men, getting soft smiles from the women. After the door shuts, we stand in silence. My ears ring from the suddenness of it. I hear the cars starting and lingering laughter as they leave. I exhale, and the ball in my chest expands.

“Firefly—”

“I want to complete the bond,” she says, cutting me off, and we turn to her. “It was a shit day yesterday. I didn’t enjoy being in a cage again. Having a collar around my neck again wasn’t ideal, but at least she didn’t make it electric. It was actually a horrible experience. I had no idea Rach was hiding such a huge secret, and it hurts that she pretended to be a friend. I’m glad I didn’t spend much time with her because it would have gutted me to learn about her deception. I don’t have any friends outside our group, and it reinforces the fact that I have enough. My family are my friends.” She twists her hands together. “I thought they were all I needed, even though I held myself apart sometimes. I realized I need you. I want to be yours. All I could think about while Rach was trying to justify her actions was your fear. I knew the kidnapping would bring back so many awful memories, and I had to get back to you.” She stops, her breathing heavy.

“Are you sure?” Mav asks gruffly.

“Yes.” She cups his jaw. “I love you.” He turns his head and kisses her palm.

“I love you, too. I can’t live without you,” he rasps, and they share a soft smile. She looks at me, and I stare into her eyes for a moment.

“Come here,” I demand, holding out my hand. Once her hand is in mine, I pull her into the bedroom. “Don’t move.” I leave her standing by the bed and crouch over my bag. As I’m digging through it, I say, “You know about the rope I wear?”

“Yes,” she responds.

“I’ve never taken it off. I used my fire to glue the ends together. Mom was upset when I wouldn’t take it off after we were safe. She didn’t like it, but she understood. I know she wanted me to get rid of it then and every day since.” I pull the remaining rope out of my bag and stand, looking down at it. “She admitted to me years later that she kept the rest. She also wanted the reminder of how far her sons have come. I asked her to give it to me, and she willingly did.” I hold up my wrist and use my breath to singe the edges I glued together. “I didn’t think I would ever take it off, not for any reason.” The rope unravels and falls to my hand that holds the other. I study my bare skin, and a burden releases in my soul. “I wasn’t expecting this feeling,” I whisper and then clear my throat. I look into Saphira’s watery eyes. “Mav kept me alive. He gave me a purpose and a will to survive. Mom gave us a home, but I never let it go. All the painful memories and shame. I was looking at the rope in the wrong way.” I shake my head and walk to her. “Yes, it held us captive. We couldn’t escape it or the life we were forced to live after our parents’ death. It also held us together. It tied me to Maverick, in blood, in brotherhood, and family.

“Can I have your wrist?” I ask. She doesn’t question, holding it out. I hand Maverick the rope Mom gave me and start to wind mine around her wrist. “This holds our blood, fears, tears, anger, and bond. It contains everything that made us who we are.” I gently blow, and it is secured on her right wrist. I hold my left hand against hers and melt the other half onto me, leaving a small section between us. “Today, I am giving it all to you. I trust in you. I love you desperately, and will live every day basking in the beauty of your soul. You were born to be my mate. You have shown me your strength, vulnerability, loyalty, love, and kindness. I want to live forever in your many colors.” I lift my hand, hers follows, and I kiss her hand. “I want to complete the bond, but from the first night, I have been yours. My brand on your body, and yours on mine, will bind us in a way that won’t be able to be untied.” Her tears roll down her cheeks, and Maverick bows his head to hide his emotion. “Maverick.” His jaw flexes.

“King has always been my hero,” he says roughly. “Mom was my salvation.” He burns a piece from the rope. “I’ve never felt seen by anyone else. My quirks are extreme, and I have been quick to anger. I don’t like people whether they are shifters or humans. Emotion had become something I avoided at all costs. I didn’t get involved with anyone but the two of them. It took years to trust Mom. I only relied on Kingston. He’s right: he is my brother, my soul mate. We bled for years, just not on the outside. I’ve been bleeding from my heart and my soul. The images of our parents burned into it, black and oozing pain. Mom tried to heal us, and she did her best. She succeeded, but only partially.” He wraps her left wrist. “Your light is blinding to my tired soul.” Saphira gasps, her body shaking. “It was waiting for you to come out of the dark.” He attaches the threads to his right wrist. “You calm the beast living in my heart and have filled the empty, bleeding space. Every damaged, bruised inch of me is yours. The completion of the bond is just a formality because I am dedicated to you. You are what has been missing. This place, filled with family, is where I want to be for the rest of my time on earth. I will protect you, love you, and encourage you to always burn bright. I trust in us. After this day, we will burn these bindings, but we will always be tied to you. I love you, and I want to complete the bond. You are my savior.”

She inhales shakily. “I pretended to love traveling the world, but I was hiding. It seems like I have been hiding my true self my whole life. I love Micah and the life he gave me when I needed someone stable. He gave me Maddy and experiences not many people get the opportunity for. My brothers tried to make up for the years they missed, and I know they love me. I was happy to live here so close to them and the extended family they found. It was the first time I had a real home, stable and supportive. I found a purpose here. I am lucky. Even though I lost my parents, I have had plenty of others that love me. I thought I was fine. I worked past my trauma, never forgetting, but living with it and not letting it rule my life. I channeled it in a different direction. Using my power to punish abusers saved me in many ways. Having an outlet helped me move on from the past, but my heart was just beating because I was alive, not from joy or excitement.” She looks at our tied hands. “I am honored that you both trust me to bare everything. Being tied to you doesn’t confine me, but sets me free. I’ve had this constant habit of shoving every bad emotion deep inside, fearing to burden others with my feelings. The smile on my face was permanent, and it was exhausting. Rach said something that was a revelation. She didn’t act on her plan because I looked miserable. Yesterday, it prompted her anger when she learned I had two mates, and I was happy. Maybe she was right. She saw through the mask I wore, and she saw the difference when I met you. My smile was genuine.

“I didn’t think I had an option to be weak. You allow me to embrace every side of me. My thoughts matter. Showing you my strength didn’t cause you to run away—you accepted it, even celebrate it. I didn’t want a man for protection; I can do that for myself. My mates don’t need to stand in front of me, shielding me from the evils of the world. They need to stand beside me, be my team, and attack them together. You treat me as an equal, and that let me trust you and the bond.

“I’ve never needed a man.” She brings our joined hands to her chest. “I promised myself that I would fall gratefully in the right man’s arms, and I would know it was right when I could trust. Two men found me and stirred my heart; you made it jump and hope. I didn’t know if my future included love and the ability to trust that love.” She drops her hands, and I feel her skin heat. “Maverick, I love your willingness to open your heart to me and the pain you have felt. Your loyalty for Kingston and your mom is admirable and makes me love you even more. You have every right to feel angry, but I love your quirks and your quick defense of me. I know you would die for me and your brother.” She looks at me. “Kingston, you have held a heavyweight, and I want to be the soft place for you to unburden everything. You have been tied to the memories of the pain, and I understand. You can always come to me with all of it. I love your sincerity, loyalty, and dedication to your family.

“I want to live here with you both and build a family.” Fire flutters over her skin. The flame would melt the skin from a human, but only caused ours to react and want to join. “I’m ready to burn my brand on your skin.”

We watch in amazement as she disintegrates her clothes, leaving her completely bare.