Mine, I thought at him. You’re mine.
Vox
Claire had kissed me before, but not like this, not with complete abandonment of her other elements. She might as well have dropped all her clothes for the impact it had on me, leaving me stunned.
Titus and Sol both stiffened at the sudden change, but they didn’t interfere. Instead, they encouraged her, their touches soft against her back as she embraced magic that sang only for me.
Her melody whispered through my senses, singing a song of the ancients that called to my element and made me ache for her.
Her magic knocked at my soul, and this time, I let her in as I gave in to the need to taste her. I would have been a fool not to graze my tongue across hers and indulge in the song she played so sweetly just for me.
“You’re mine, Vox,” she whispered, tangling her fingers into my hair as she pulled me down to her again. “You. No other Air Fae, Vox. You are who I trust and who I want. I choose you.”
My lips hovered over hers as her breath mingled with mine, but she didn’t close the gap. Instead, she waited for my move.
I chose to explore what she offered. This was a true mate bond, one unlike anything I’d felt in all my years. I’d come across a handful of fae who’d tried to tempt me, who might have guessed at the raw power I hid from the world, but the truth was that I didn’t trust anyone enough to set it free. I had royal blood in my veins, and that made me dangerous. I stayed in control because I kept that power in check, but what Claire offered me was a life without restraint.
Freedom.
Her air flirted with mine as her fingers went to my school robes, coaxing them past my shoulders with a breeze that had my skin pebbling.
“You’re not the only one who’s afraid,” she murmured, the blues of her irises darkening. She was allowing her affinity for air to come out and dominate her, pushing her fae half to the surface. The element felt hungry, starved even, and was entirely focused on me.
A gust of wind lifted her golden hair, sending the curls sweeping away to reveal her nape before lashing out to rattle the walls with warning. Titus glanced at me, but the power wasn’t mine, and I was afraid to add more of my element to her reserves. While she craved it, I recognized the same lack of control I’d seen in Sol. I’d always treated that as a weakness, something to be contained and monitored.
Reaching around her, I gripped Titus by the wrist and brought him closer, placing his hand on her hip. I did the same with Sol and watched her visibly relax as their touch worked magic into her, grounding her with balance.
This was how ultimate power was meant to be controlled—not contained, but sated.
“I’ve been wrong all this time,” I marveled, reevaluating all my previous notions. “Power isn’t meant to be suppressed.”
“It’s meant to be set free,” Claire finished for me, smiling as her fingers swept loving touches over my face.
“What do you want to do, sweetheart?” Titus whispered, his fire roaming over the thin fabric of her tank top.
“I…” She swallowed, her gaze holding mine. “This is new for me.”
“Us, too,” Sol replied, a chuckle in his voice. “I mean, not the female part. The, uh, group part.”
His slight hesitation seemed to put her at ease, because her eyes twinkled. “I like the way you all make me feel,” she admitted, glancing around before refocusing on me. “I want to explore more.” Her fingers returned to my face as she kissed me again, her nails sliding to the back of my neck to hold me as if she thought I might let her go.
Not that I ever could.
Not with her tongue stroking mine like that.
But she was right.
I wanted more, too.
I deepened our embrace, allowing her to feel my yearning, and smiled as Titus’s fire slowly tracked down her spine—singeing the fabric in his wake.
Claire didn’t shy away from it, or perhaps didn’t notice it. And when Sol gripped the loose strap on one shoulder, she didn’t stop him. Titus took the other, and together they unveiled her perfect breasts to my view.
I exhaled slowly, feathering my breath across her skin to swirl around her dusky nipples.
“Vox,” she whispered, the word a plea.
This time, I obeyed.