but with the completion of final stage, our bond and our fates are sealed."
She blinked. "Our bond and our fates are sealed? What does that mean?" Even as she asked it, chills ran down her spine. It sounded too ominous and relentless, things that weren't her cup of tea even on a good day.
"The Calydon destiny is to bond with his mate," Ian explained, tracing the shape of his brand on her arm with his fingers, as if he could manifest it by sheer will. She started to pull away, and then stopped at the flash of tension on his face. "The moment the Calydon completes the bond, he will become so consumed by his woman that her breath becomes the only thing that fills his soul. He's then destined to lose her, and the moment he does, he will snap and go rogue."
Alice instinctively looked over at Ry, who was treading close to rogue already. She'd heard about rogue Calydons, and the swath of destruction they always left behind. "Ian, I don't believe—"
He caught her arm, his eyes blazing with intensity "He will destroy everyone and everything that matters to them. They will both lose that which they hold most dear. The only one who will be able to stop him is his soul mate, who will kill him. Once he dies, she will be so devastated by the loss, that she will kill herself. Everyone dies. No one wins."
Alice stared at him, at the absolute conviction in his face. "That can't be true—"
"It is. Lucky you. Lucky me. Love kills and all that fun jazz. I'm not one of the stable few who will be able to will himself to victory and stave off destiny, so I'll be going down for sure." His voice softened, and his grip on her arm softened to a caress as he rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist. "But the ride...the ride is incredible. Love. Passion. The knowledge that you have a partner who will defend you to the death, at all costs, no matter what. It's addicting. Intoxicating. Irresistible." He leaned forward, his mouth a mere breath from hers, tempting her like the devil himself. "Worth every minute, from what I hear."
Her heart began to pound, and it felt like heat was rising from her skin. "Like how you make me feel when you kiss me?"
He grinned at her admission that she was affected by his kisses. "Yeah, exactly like that, only a thousand times more."
"More?" she echoed faintly. She wasn't sure she'd survive more.
"Hell, yeah." His jaw hardened as he resumed tracing the shape of his mace over her forearm. "You don't carry my brand." He tapped her arm. "There's nothing there, Alice. Not a damn thing."
"Of course there isn't," she said, her voice more throaty than she liked. She knew she should be terrified of his little story, but there was something about the way he'd spoken about the soul mates that called to her. The intimacy. The connection. The knowledge that there was someone there for her, always, no matter what. "I'm not your soul mate." She managed a weak laugh. "My soul is already busy with other stuff, you know? No split loyalties. It's against the rules. I'm like a nun."
He snorted. "No nun makes love like you do." He met her gaze. "You are my sheva. We satisfied one of the bonding stages when we made love, so you should be marked."
Alice swallowed, her skin suddenly hot. She wasn't sure which to respond to first, his statement that they really had made love, or his continued claim that she was his mate. He’d already ignored her repeated assertion that she wasn't his, and as for the making love…she really didn't want to get into that debate. Instead, she simply raised her arm, showing him the unmarked skin. "No brand. Not yours." End of story. Please? Yeah, the whole intimacy of the bond was appealing, but the doomed fate? Not so much. She had enough on her plate, thanks so much.
"You are mine—"
"You still haven't marked her." Ry strode toward them, his eyes as turbulent as they'd been before. Alice instinctively stepped behind Ian, using him as a buffer to protect her from Ry. The warrior's eyes flashed with darkness as he recognized her retreat. "Trust me, Alice, if you are what I think you are, I'm the one you can count on, not the one who will kill you."
She stiffened. "What do you think