Training the next day was brutal—six hours of channeling alliance-amplified hybrid magic while Morgana threw progressively more complicated scenarios at until I could maintain power flow while running and dodging and not accidentally killing the training dummies that were standing in for allies.
By hour five I was running on fus and stubbornness, my control fraying at the edges every ti I tried to push more power through, and when I finally vaporized a dummy that was supposed to represent a friendly vampire I had to stop before I killed soone real.
"Enough." Morgana’s voice was firm. "You’re done for today."
"I need to—" I didn’t finish because honestly I didn’t know what I needed beyond being better than I was.
"You need to rest." She packed up her crystals. "The demon attacks tomorrow. Exhausting yourself tonight won’t change that."
Tomorrow. The word sat in my chest like lead.
Tomorrow the demon ca back and we either won or everyone died and the alliance shattered and Draven ended up enslaved to Lysander and I got to watch it all happen through bonds I couldn’t close.
No pressure.
I made it back to the pack house and ran into Thorne in the hallway, and the way he looked at —assessing, concerned—made want to hide because I probably looked like death and also slled like training sweat and magical exhaustion.
"Shower." His voice was rough. "Then sleep."
"I need to—" What? What did I need to do beyond the impossible?
"Shower." He repeated. "I’ll wait."
Arguing with Thorne when he used that tone seed pointless so I just nodded and headed for the bathroom, and when hot water hit exhausted muscles I almost cried from relief because at least physical pain was simple.
Twenty minutes later I erged clean and dressed in sleep clothes I didn’t rember putting on, and Thorne was sitting on the bed waiting like he’d promised.
"Co here." He held out his hand.
I went because gravity worked different around him and also because fighting seed exhausting.
He pulled down beside him and his arms ca around solid and certain, and through our bond I felt his concern mixing with fierce protectiveness mixing with sothing darker that made my pulse kick.
"You’re healed." The observation ca out quieter than I ant. "Completely healed."
"Completely." His hand traced my spine. "No more poison. No more machines. Just ."
Just him. Just Thorne who’d nearly died saving and was now holding like I was sothing precious instead of the disaster I clearly was.
"I’m scared about tomorrow." The confession tore out before I could stop it. "I’m scared I won’t be strong enough. I’m scared I’ll watch you die through the bond. I’m scared—" My voice cracked.
"I know." His forehead pressed to mine. "I can feel it."
Right. The bond. Privacy was dead and I couldn’t even hide my terror properly.
"What if I fail?" The question I’d been avoiding. "What if the demon wins and everyone dies because I wasn’t good enough?"
"Then we die together." Simple. Direct. Brutal honesty. "But I don’t think we will."
"Why not?" Because I needed to understand where this certainty ca from when I had none.
"Because you don’t know how to quit." His hand cupped my face. "Because you’ll fight until there’s nothing left to fight with. Because you’re too stubborn to let the demon win."
The faith in his voice cracked sothing in my chest and I had to breathe through the tightness before I could speak.
"I don’t want to lose you." Raw and honest. "Any of you. The bonds make it—I can feel you all the ti and the thought of feeling one of you die—" I couldn’t finish.
"You won’t." His thumb traced my lower lip. "Because we’re not dying tomorrow."
I wanted to believe him. Wanted so badly to have that certainty.
Instead I kissed him.
Hard and desperate and honest in ways I couldn’t articulate, and when he kissed back it was slow and deliberate and absolutely claid .
"Selene." His voice had gone rough. "We don’t have to—"
"I want to." I pulled him closer. "I need—" I couldn’t finish because what I needed was complicated and ssy and probably selfish but I needed it anyway.
"Tell ." His hands were already sliding under my shirt. "Tell what you need."
"I need to feel alive before tomorrow tries to kill us." The truth tasted like desperation. "I need to know you’re here and whole and mine."
That snapped whatever leash he’d been holding.
His mouth found mine again and this ti the kiss was all teeth and possession, and when his hands traced patterns on my skin that made gasp he made a sound low in his throat that vibrated through both of us.
"Mine." The word ca out fierce. Certain. "You’re mine and I’m keeping you."
"Prove it." The challenge ca out breathless.
He did.
Slowly at first—mapping every inch of skin with his hands and mouth like he was morizing —then faster when I pulled at his clothes because patience was beyond and I needed more now.
Through the bond I opened our connection all the way and felt the other three respond—Kael’s sharp interest, Riven’s patient approval, Draven’s controlled desire—and pushed want at all of them so they’d know exactly what was happening.
Let them feel it. Let them share it. Let them know Thorne was whole and healed and claiming .
When he finally pushed into I shattered imdiately, coming apart on a sound that was half-sob half-moan while he held through it.
"That’s it." His voice was wrecked. "Let go. I’ve got you."
And he did. Through every wave of pleasure that crashed through , through the mont when it beca too much and I cried, through the aftermath when I collapsed boneless and spent.
His arms ca around and held while his heart hamred against mine, and through the bond I felt his satisfaction mixing with fierce possession mixing with the kind of love that didn’t need words.
"I love you." I whispered it against his neck.
"I know." His hand stroked through my hair. "I can feel it through the bond."
"Good." I pressed closer. "Because tomorrow—"
"Tomorrow we fight." He cut off. "Tonight we rest."
Rest sounded impossible when my brain was still cataloging all the ways tomorrow could go wrong, but my body was already shutting down and arguing seed exhausting.
Through all four bonds I felt them settling—satisfied and certain and absolutely convinced we’d survive this.
I wanted so badly to believe them.
Tomorrow the demon ca.
Tomorrow we either won or lost everything.
Tomorrow would decide if I was the Hybrid Queen the prophecy promised or just another hybrid who thought she could be sothing more.
But tonight I was safe and claid and surrounded by four bonds that thrumd steady and strong.
Tonight was enough.
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