Page 50 of Bite for Sore Eyes

The door swung open to reveal a space that took her breath away. Where her guest room had been impressive, this was magnificent. The chamber was easily twice the size, with soaring ceilings and rich tapestries covering stone walls. But it was unmistakably Torren's—comfortable leather furniture arranged around a massive fireplace, bookshelves lined with well-worn volumes, and personal touches that spoke of a man who valued both strength and beauty.

But the windows drew her like a magnet. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels stretched across the far wall, offering an unobstructed view of the landscape beyond. Lana crossed the room as if in a trance, her hands pressing against the cool glass as she took in the vista spread before her.

The pink ocean stretched endlessly to the horizon, its surface painted gold and crimson by the setting twin suns. The smaller red-orange sun was already touching the water's edge while the larger yellow sun hung suspended above it, creating a double sunset that belonged in dreams rather than reality. In the distance, the blue mountains caught the light and seemed to glow from within, while the purple forest canopy swayed in the evening breeze.

"It's absolutely breathtaking," she whispered.

She felt Rath and Torren move up behind her, their presence warming her back as they stood close enough to touch without quite making contact. The three of them stood in comfortable silence, watching the twin suns sink lower toward the horizon, painting the sky in impossible shades of rose and gold and violet.

"I've been thinking more about what Kelly and Emry said," Lana said softly. "And it makes perfect sense. It's like I was a flower."

"What do you mean?" Torren asked, his voice gentle with curiosity.

She turned from the windows to face them both, her back against the glass, and felt her heart swell with the rightness of this moment—these two magnificent men, this incredible view, this choice she was finally brave enough to make.

"I realize that I spent two years believing my body was failing me when, in reality, it had been trying to lead me toward the life I was meant to live. Like a flower." The words came easier now, flowing from some deep well of understanding she hadn't known existed. "Earth was never a mistake—it was the soil where I first took root. My education, experience, career, resilience, relationships... they became the roots that allowed me to grow strong."

Rath's green eyes never left her face, drinking in every word like he was memorizing this moment.

"Eventually, though, the pot became too small," she continued. "Not because it was bad. Because I had grown beyond it. Nova Aurora became the larger garden where I could finally continue growing."

She reached out, taking both their hands in hers, feeling the strength that had fought for her, protected her, and cherished her.

"And you two, you are the sunlight and water that nourish the flower once it has finally been planted where it belongs."

Torren's breath caught audibly, and she saw something flicker in his expression—wonder and love and a kind of reverence that made her chest tighten.

"I no longer see myself as a woman whose body betrayed her," she said, her voice growing stronger with each word. "I see myself as someone who was always becoming. And I'm not choosing you two in hopes of saving my life. I choose you two because I finally understand that you both are part of the life my soul has been growing toward all along." The last words came out in a rush of certainty that left no room for doubt. "Because with you two, my life makes perfect sense."

For a heartbeat, the only sound was their synchronized breathing. Then Rath was moving, his hand cupping her cheek as he leaned down to press his lips to the sensitive curve of her neck. At the same moment, Torren captured her mouth in a kiss that tasted of promise and forever and coming home.

The mate bond exploded between all three of them—not the gentle hum she'd grown accustomed to, but a roaring fire that seemed to light up every nerve ending in her body. Her soul felt like it was expanding, reaching out to encompass not just herself but these two men who had somehow always been meant to be hers.

This is right, she thought as Rath's lips moved against her throat and Torren's tongue swept across hers. This is exactly what I was always meant to become.

The twin suns continued their descent beyond the windows, painting the room in shades of gold and rose, but Lana barely noticed. She was exactly where she belonged—caught between her two mates, her soul finally aligned with her purpose, ready to step fully into the life she'd been growing toward all along.

Lana's hands came up to frame Torren's face, deepening their kiss, while her body arched into Rath's attentions. The yellow sundress, a symbol of the joyful, feminine self she'd rediscovered here, became the next thing to shed. Torren's fingers found the small buttons at her back, his movements deft and unhurried despite the urgency humming through all three of them. The soft fabric whispered over her skin as he eased it from her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet on the polished stone floor. Rath's large hands smoothed over her bare shoulders, down her spine, as he continued to worship the column of her neck with lips and tongue.

She stepped out of the puddle of yellow silk, and then Rath's hands were at her hips, his thumbs hooking into the lace of her panties. He drew them down her legs in one slow, deliberate motion, leaving her gloriously bare before them, bathed in the dying golden light of the two suns.

This is it, she thought, a dizzying wave of rightness washing over her. No more waiting. No more holding back.

She felt more alive, more whole in this moment—emotionally healed and fiercely loved—than she had in the last two years of her life. If this bond gave her only days with them, it was enough. But the fierce, secret hope that Kelly and Emry were right, that this could mean years, decades, a lifetime… that hope was a bright, burning star in her chest.

She watched as her mates made quick work of their own clothes. Fabric rustled, buckles clicked, and then they stood before her, two towering testaments to primal strength and masculine beauty. The sight of them, fully aroused and completely focused on her, sent a fresh wave of heat cascading through her body.

"Can you share me at the same time again?" Lana's voice was husky, thick with desire and certainty. "Mark me at the same time."

Torren's blue eyes darkened. "Of course. I believe that may be the most powerful way to complete the triad bond."

Rath nodded, his green gaze blazing. "Yes. It will synchronize the connection, allow it to settle into all three of us at once."

Without another word, she turned from the windows and moved toward the massive four-poster bed that dominated the far side of Torren's—now their—chamber.

She pointed a finger at Rath. "Lie down."

A ghost of a smile touched his lips at her command, but he obeyed instantly, climbing onto the vast expanse of blankets and cushions and settling back, his powerful body a feast for her eyes. She followed, climbing over him and straddling his hips.