Page 298 of Psycho Gods

The heat disappeared, and the room became a blur of movement as men scrambled to get dressed. At some point, the demons must have returned.

I sat up. Outside the window, the blizzard gusted in the darkness of early morning.

John pulled me to my feet. Luka handed me a pile of my folded battle clothes.

I sighed. I was getting awfully tired of going into battle.

Sirens flashed brightly.

Speakers repeated the directive with increasing urgency.

“How are you feeling?” Malum asked as he knelt at my feet and laced up my combat boots while I zipped up my coat.

“I feel good. How about you?” I stretched, leaning side to side. “Do you think the mating worked?”

Standing up, he said, “Maybe. I’m not sur—”

His lips parted with surprise as he stared down at me.

“What?” I asked as I rubbed at my face, wondering if I had something on it.

He hollered, “Everyone look at Arabella!”

The men paused getting ready, and one by one, their eyes widened with shock.

“What?” I repeated impatiently, but none of them said anything. Rolling my eyes, I stomped over to the destroyed bathroom.

I stared at my distorted reflection in the cracked mirror.

Sirens flashed.

Speakers wailed.

My fingers shook as I brought them up to my neck. The skin was uncomfortably cold to the touch, and I pulled my fingers away because they burned.

Shine refracted across the mirror.

A three-dimensional ice skull was tattooed across my throat. That wasn’t all. Just like Orion’s cherry blossoms, flakes of blue-white sparkling snow drifted across my skin.

Gold gleamed on the top of my ears and formed pointy caps that resembled fae ears.

Pinpricks of chill drifted down my throat and the snow danced along my collarbone as if it was carried on a wintery breeze.

“What in the holy sun god,” I whispered, and my breath was a frosty puff.

I’d actually done it.

I’d accepted the kings as my mates.

“We’re mated.” Malum’s baritone voice vibrated behind me, and I whirled around. Scorpius and Orion stood beside him.

All three of them were beaming.

For the first time since I’d met them, they appeared young and happy. Carefree.

“Do you feel any pain?” I asked as I looked over their healthy complexions, searching for a sign they were concealing discomfort.

White teeth flashed, and Malum said, “I feel amazing.” His mates—no, our mates—nodded in agreement.