Later, as I sat down to breakfast with Bastien and Carina, my mates entered the dining room. I met their eyes, hoping they had accepted my decision. But their expressions were still stormy and tense as they took their seats around the table.

“We still think this is too dangerous. But we’re not going to let you face Edelnar alone,” Gabriel said, his blue eyes flicking to mine before he looked away.

“Bastien and Carina think I should go to the Council,” I said, trying to keep my voice firm, though my heart sank at my mates’ continued tension. “I think that’s a good idea. I can tell them a false story about how I regret mating with you. I’ll let the Council take me in—like they wanted to do before.”

“How is that a good idea?” Xavier asked.

“It serves two purposes. It’ll weed out the traitor—or traitors—and lure Edelnar to Liana. We believe the traitor will get word to Edelnar,” Carina said.

“That’s when we’ll strike,” Bastien added. “We’ll send him a message to Elijah on the Council informing him of our plans. He’ll alert the few Council members he trusts what’s really going on. When Edelnar comes for Liana, the traitor and Edelnar will be arrested.”

“That’s if everything works out perfectly,” Gabriel said, frowning as he turned to me. “And how do you know the Council will believe you? How do you know Edelnar won’t snatch you as soon as you get to the capital?”

“I don’t,” I said, trying to keep my voice firm, though fear flooded me at the thought. “But it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Gabriel set his mouth in a hard line while my other mates looked mutinous. Noel broke the tense silence.

“If you’ve made up your mind to do this—” he began.

“I have.”

“Then we have no choice but to help you. When do we leave for the capital?” Noel asked grudgingly.

“Tomorrow at first light,” Carina said.

“I should use my remaining time here practicing my magic,” I said, avoiding my mates’ gazes as I stood. I needed to be prepared to fight Edelnar if it came to it; I didn’t have the time to keep reassuring my stubborn vampires.

I felt their eyes on me as I left the room. Nya was eager to help, but my frustration with my mates distracted me. Didn’t they understand that it was only a matter of time before Edelnar tracked us down again? It was time to go after him.

I took breaks from practicing to eat a midday meal and dinner. My mates weren’t at either meal, and my frustration grew to anger.

Fed up, I excused myself to Bastien and Carina, who gave my sympathetic looks as I stalked out of the dining room. I went upstairs to our guest room where I found my mates in a heated discussion. They fell silent at my entrance.

“I’ve had enough of your group tantrum,” I said, crossing my arms and glaring at them. “I’m your equal, not some damsel for you to protect. If—if you’re going to treat me like some weakling . . .” I trailed off, tears stinging my eyes. What was I going to say? I wasn’t going to leave them, my feelings ran too deep, and I’d already committed myself to them by sealing the bond. But how could we proceed in our relationship if they didn’t consider me as an equal partner, with equal say?

“Liana . . . ” Adrian was before me in a flash, his hands cupping my face as he tilted it up to meet his. “It’s not that we don’t believe in you. It’s just that we’re frightened. We’ve waited and dreamt of you for years. And now that you’re with us, our bonded mate—”

“The thought of harm coming to you is devastating,” Xavier said, stepping forward.

“We’d give our lives for you, cherie,” Noel said.

My heart clenched, and I reached up to touch Noel’s face as he joined the others.

“There will be no giving your lives for me—I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. This plan is the best chance we have of ending Edelnar. We won’t have a proper life together until he’s destroyed,” I said. “I need to know that you’re all with me on this.”

They exchanged glances as if coming to some silent agreement.

“We’re with you,” Gabriel said, turning back to face me. “Always.”

Relief coursed through me. I stepped forward to kiss Gabriel, and he swung me up into his arms. Our kiss deepened, and desire flowed through me. I needed this; to reconnect with them. I could tell Gabriel felt the same, he carried me to the bed, his lips never leaving mine.

The others joined us, crawling into bed and disrobing as Gabriel undressed me, his eyes pinned on me. He again pressed his lips to mine as he sank into me, and I moaned. He moved within me for what seemed like an eternity until we cried out our release together.

Adrian took me next, rolling me from beneath him so that I straddled him. His eyes locked with mine as we rocked together, and he whispered his love for me as he came. I was still breathless with desire as Noel seized my breasts with his mouth, lifting me into his arms. We sank together to the bed as he entered me, our eyes locked. By the time Xavier sunk into me my limbs were like jello, spirals of desire and electricity shot through my body as we cried out together.

I drifted back down to earth as my vampires snuggled into bed around me, stroking my hair, peppering kisses all over my body, whispering words of love.

“I love you,” I whispered, reaching out to touch their faces. “All of you. So much. It’s why I have to—”

“We know,” Xavier said, kissing me. “We know you are strong . . . we believe in you.”

“But if we feel your life is in danger—we will intervene. Do not ask us not to,” Gabriel said.

“I won’t,” I promised, though I prayed I wouldn’t have to; I knew that Edelnar would happily kill them.

Nestling into Adrian’s arms as Gabriel stroked my hair, my eyes lingered on each of my mates. I wanted to hold on to this moment forever, but all I could think about were the dangers we were going to face the next day.