Page 49 of Bite for Sore Eyes

"Well, if it's someone internal, that narrows our search," Torren said, his voice carefully controlled. "But if it's someone external, someone who hacked into our systems... then who knows how big this threat is against our territory."

Rath felt his world tilting as the full scope of the danger became clear. This wasn't just about random technical failures anymore. Someone was actively working to undermine their security, to leave their territory vulnerable to attack or infiltration. And they'd been willing to send assassins after Lana to protect their secret.

Fifteen years of keeping our people safe, his bear snarled. Fifteen years of building something worth protecting, and someone is trying to tear it down.

The weight of leadership, temporarily forgotten during their peaceful meal, came crashing back down on his shoulders. Every life in Varkesh territory, every family he'd sworn to protect, could be at risk if their security infrastructure had been compromised.

But worse than that—they'd targeted Lana. His mate. The woman who'd already survived two years of her body trying to kill her, who'd finally found hope and happiness here with them. Someone had tried to murder her simply for being too intelligent, too capable, too dangerous to their plans.

"Torren and I don't have any known rivals," Rath said grimly, his mind racing through potential enemies.

"Well, now we can't rule out any possibility," Torren said, the tactical part of his brain clearly already working through scenarios.

Lana nodded, her own strategic mind obviously following the same dark paths. "Jace and I can tackle this, but..."

She paused, and something shifted in her expression—a determination that made the mate bond hum with anticipation.

"I have something else I need to address first," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "Something that can't wait."

Rath's breath caught, his bear going completely still as hope and fear warred in his chest.

This is it, he realized. She's going to tell us her decision about the mate bond completion.

NINETEEN

LANA

The weight of her decision settled over the terrace like the approaching dusk, and Lana felt her heart hammering as she cleared her throat. The sound seemed unnaturally loud in the peaceful afternoon air, cutting through the gentle rustle of purple leaves and the distant crash of pink waves against the shore.

"I'm ready."

The words emerged stronger than she'd expected, carrying a certainty that surprised even her. Both men went completely still—Rath's fork pausing halfway to his mouth, and Torren's hand freezing over his water glass. Neither needed clarification. The mate bond hummed between all three of them, recognizing the profound shift in her voice, and the finality of her choice.

This is it, she thought, watching their faces transform from cautious hope to something deeper and more primal. No going back now.

"After talking with my dad," she continued, her voice gaining momentum as the words poured out, "and cooking with you two, and all of the moments we've shared since I arrived on Nova Aurora—I'm ready to complete our triad mate bond."

Rath set down his fork with deliberate precision, his green eyes blazing with an intensity that made her breath hitch. Torren leaned forward, his large frame radiating barely contained energy.

"I choose you both fully," she said, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "And not because it might heal me, but because I cannot imagine my life without you two being in it every day. And I don't want to let another second go by where we aren't what we were always meant to be—together and fully bonded forever."

The last word hung in the air like a promise, like a vow spoken under the twin suns that were beginning their descent toward the horizon. For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Then both men were rising from their chairs with fluid, predatory grace that reminded her exactly what they were beneath their human forms—apex predators who had just heard their mate claim them completely.

They didn't speak. Didn't need to. Rath reached her first, his large hand warm and sure as it enveloped hers. Torren was there a breath later, his fingers interlacing with her free hand. The connection sent electricity shooting up both arms, the mate bond responding to their touch with a fierce intensity that made her gasp sharply.

Home, her soul whispered. Finally home.

Without a word of discussion, they guided her from the terrace back through the castle's stone archways. Lana caught glimpses of the familiar spaces they'd shown her—the impressive kitchen where she'd taught them to cook, the grand living area with its massive fireplace, the corridor that led to the front entrance. But everything felt different now, charged with anticipation and promise.

They reached the grand staircase, and she found herself sandwiched between their powerful bodies as they climbed. Rath's hand remained firmly clasped in hers while Torren's palm settled possessively on the small of her back, guiding her upward. The yellow sundress swirled around her legs with each step, and she could feel the heat radiating from both men.

At the second-floor landing, they passed her guest room without stopping. Lana glanced toward the door where she'd spent the past few nights, where they'd first been intimate together, where she'd made the phone call to her father that had changed everything. But they were moving past it, down the long corridor toward the far end.

As they approached an ornate wooden door she'd never seen opened, Rath finally spoke, his voice roughened with desire and something deeper. "This is Torren's private chambers. He has the best view in the castle and the biggest bed."

Despite the gravity of the moment, Lana couldn't help but laugh—a sound of pure joy that echoed off the stone walls. "Well, is this your way of saying this is our new bedroom?"

Torren's blue eyes crinkled with amusement as he reached for the door handle. "Yes, this will be our new bedroom—if you find it suitable."