I could see it now, the red and black moving, dancing across my skin. The entire mark seemed to have shifted at least three inches lower. The rest of the quads gathered around me, shaking their heads as they stared.
The mark eventually stopped its weird little dance and I dropped my shirt back down. The five of us turned to the island, which was as captivating as the water, possessing a beauty beyond compare – golden sands, greenery that was so bright it looked unnatural, sparkling waterfalls, picturesque ponds, the lightest of breezes and the sweetest of animal sounds.
Take every clichéd image of a tropical paradise, mesh them all together, polish it off with some magical dust and throw sparkles into the air … you had this island.
Tyson lifted his face, tawny skin glowing in the soft light. “I sort of think we should just forget about the king and live here. We’ll get the rest of our people and just chill here in the land of shiny shit forever.”
I had to chuckle. He sounded half serious, and I couldn’t blame him.
Maximus slapped his brother on the shoulder. “What have I always told you about pretty things? Often they hide the most darkness inside. That’s why I said you couldn’t trust beautiful women, they’re treacherous.” He gave me a wink. “Except for our Jessa babe. But then again, she can be a little evil if you interrupt her sleep or steal her food.”
I groaned then, my hands instinctively clutching at my stomach. “Gods, don’t mention food. I’m so hungry.”
A faint nausea was fighting for control of my stomach. I was starving, but the actual thought of eating anything made me feel queasy. It had been too long between decent meals. Rose’s sad little – possibly magically tainted – sandwich most definitely did not count.
“We’ll find you some cake soon,” Braxton promised, and I actually bounced a little on the spot.
“I love you,” I pretty much squealed. “You’re the best mate ever.”
Braxton’s blue eyes were piercing then. They locked me into place, and all of a sudden it was hard to breathe.
“I love you too, Jess. I always have.” His words were low and serious as he stepped closer. Hot flashes started rocking through me. I wanted him so badly it was painful. “I’ll find you an entire cake. A goddamn truck filled to the brim with cakes.”
The moment between us was intense. He’d just told me he loved me – not in the normal way we’d always said it – and I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover. None of the other Compasses blinked an eye at our emotional leakage. They all looked really happy for us, like any true pack members would be. I wondered if Braxton could feel the epic scale of my emotions right now. They were vast and strong. Way fucking strong. I wasn’t even sure I had the capability to process them.
I had never been in love before – I loved the Compasses with every cell in my body, and knew I couldn’t live in a world without them in it – but in love was totally different. Braxton just had to go and up my emotions by a few million steps.
Damn him and his damn dimples. Not to mention that unwavering loyalty. He had waited a long time for me to wake up to our inevitability. I had no idea what I’d done right to deserve Braxton as my true mate.
The dragon shifter’s eyes twinkled then. “As long as we’re clear that I’m the alpha ninety percent of the time, I’ll try my best not to challenge you for the other ten percent.”
All of my loved-up emotions morphed into the urge to punch him in his smug face. “Dream on, buddy. We’re just going to have to share alpha. I ain’t giving that up for anybody, not even the Braxton Compass.”
The twinkle deepened. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Jess.” He yanked me hard into his body and wrapped his arms around me. Against my better judgement I sank into him. The boy already possessed the ability to totally enchant my mind and body. I was in trouble.
“Anytime today, lovebirds. Don’t you think we should get our ass– ”
Braxton’s growl interrupted Jacob mid-sentence.
“Never mind,” the fey mumbled, and took a long step backwards.
I patted my dragon shifter on his chest a few times. It took nothing for him to morph into that possessive dragon mode. “He’s got a point, Brax. Time to get this all-inclusive Isle-of-the-Gods-tour started.”
Focus descended across the quads in an instant. It was odd seeing it happen, almost like the fun-loving side of them got tucked away behind the warrior. And their warrior sides were quite scary. They took point around me, two on either side, and together we started to move further into this beautiful land with its undercurrents of scary.
The boys fell in sync, walking with the same long strides, doing their quad thing, which reminded me of the time they joined their powers in the sanctuary. My eyes flicked between them.
“Has anything changed between you four since you received your calling?”
I hadn’t fully shrugged off the worry that I would lose them, their individual traits bleeding together. The original Four were total freaks, identical looks, identical creeptastic asshole tendencies – like locking away babies and shit. For now my boys still seemed the same as ever, but I needed to stay on top of that. I worried that the more time they spent joined, the worse it would get.
Maximus answered me. “We’re more tuned into each other. I can sense them in my head, even though we don’t really share thoughts unless we’re actually joined. The calling does run through us, wanting us to join, to go back to Larkspur and finish what Braxton started, but we’re strong enough to resist it.”