Page 45 of Wrapped in Their Arms

There was a bright flash of light and a sound like the world tearing in half.

And then?—

Silence…nothing.

Burn didn’t feel the pain.Hedidn’t feel the floor when his knees hit it.Allhe felt was the sudden emptiness.Thehollow echo in his chest.Likehis lungs wouldn’t fill.Likehe couldn’t breathe.

BecauseSpeaksWisdomwas gone.

Just…gone.

TheTwin-Bondthat had tied them together since the moment they’d shared a womb was severed and emptiness rushed in to fill its place.

Burn clutched his chest to scream again…but the sound never made it out of his throat.

“No… no, no, no…”Itwas barely a whisper.

He couldn’t move…he couldn’t even crawl.

Half his soul was gone…half his body was numb.

He lay there, shaking, his cheek pressed to the metal floor, as they tore his mother fromSpeaks’slifeless arms.

“Let me go!”she shrieked.“Letme stay with my sons!”

But the pirates only laughed and dragged her away.

Burn saw her fingers clawing the air.Herbeautiful face was a mask of agony as she mouthed his name

And he couldn’t do a damn thing to save her.

24

NOELLE

The cold metal floor of the cell was far from comfortable, but somehow it didn’t matter.Noellelay on her side, nestled between two massiveKindredwarriors, their warmth radiating into her on either side like living heaters.Burnwas at her back, a solid wall of heat and muscle, his breathing deep but not quite steady.Brightwas in front of her, his long legs tangling lightly with hers, one arm draped protectively over her hip.

The guards had called for lights out half an hour ago and now the cell block was shrouded in absolute darkness.Athick, velvety black that seemed to swallow everything.Noemergency exit signs glowing faintly.Noflicker of light beneath a door.Justpitch blackness, wrapping around them like a blanket.

Both big warriors had insisted she use their shirts—one to lie on, one to cover her.She’dtried to argue, of course, but neither of them would hear it.

“You’re much too delicate, my lady,”Brighthad said with a teasing grin as he spread the soft fabric over her as a makeshift blanket.

“And besides,Kindredrun hotter than humans,”Burnadded in that growly voice of his.“Wecan keep ourselves warm.”

And now, sandwiched between their shirtless bodies,Noellecould confirm that was absolutely true.Eventhrough the thin silk of her negligee and the thicker, satiny material of their uniform shirts, their combined heat wrapped around her, soothing and comforting.Sheshould have felt awkward sleeping between them with so little on—should have felt exposed.Butinstead, she felt…safe.

Safer thanI’vefelt in a long time,she admitted to herself, just before sleep pulled her under.

But rest didn’t bring peace.

The dream started gently at first—just flickers of light and movement.Thensound began bleeding in—the happy chatter of children…a woman’s laugh…the thrum of a shuttle in motion.

Noelle stood somewhere above the scene, as though perched on the ceiling, watching it unfold.Shesaw aKindredfamily of five—two tall warrior fathers, a beautiful dark-haired woman who must be their wife, and two young boys who looked so much alike she was sure they had to be twins.Theywere laughing and teasing each other.Thewoman ruffled one of the boy’s hair and he wrinkled his nose at her, grinning.

But their joy turned quickly to terror.

A horrible, screeching noise split the air—metal shearing against metal.Themother gasped.Oneof the fathers called something back in a voice thick with forced calm.Then—violence.