Gods, she was beautiful, as peaceful as the lake. The moonlight lit her face, rippled over her rich brown hair. Her thin, tight tank top stretched over her full breasts in a way that dried his mouth.
He couldn’t imagine a time when her body didn’t send lust right through him. Or when her presence didn’t fill him with happiness.
She saw them approaching, and the flash of pleasure in her eyes lifted his heart. Then worry tensed her face. Why would she worry?
No, he knew why she was worried. She didn’t believe they wanted her, so she’d be bracing herself to keep to the Gathering traditions. No jealousy or being territorial.
It was good they could remove that worry for her.
If she said yes.
Surely, she’d say yes.
As they reached her, Donal breathed in her light floral scent, then took a knee in front of her. Tynan followed suit. Their shoulders rubbed as they looked up at their female. Ours.
Her eyes widened. “What are you…”
Tynan took the bracelets from his pocket and handed one to Donal.
Donal set the bracelet in his palm and held it up so the silver moon discs, from crescent to full to crescent, gleamed in the moonlight. He could feel the Mother’s blessing that Gawain, the blademage, had called down upon the bracelets.
Tynan smiled and opened his palm, displaying his bracelet there.
Margery stopped breathing.
Hands over her chest, Margery could feel her heart pounding as she tried to breathe, as love swept over her, overwhelmed her.
Donal and Tynan were kneeling in front of her. Holding lifemating bracelets.
Here. In front of everyone.
Tynan smiled slowly, as strong and stable as the mountain behind him. “Margery Lavelle, we are here to tell you that we love you and would have you as our lifemate in this life and all our lives to come.”
“We love you, Margery Lavelle. And we know you love us. We belong together.” Donal’s smile flashed, quicksilver as his personality. “Banfasa, healer, cop—we’re perfect for one another. Be our lifemate.” His dark brows drew together. “Don’t even think about refusing.”
Tynan’s amused snort was her undoing, and she burst into laughter—as did everyone around them.
Then, as she’d come to expect, the entire clan jumped in to offer advice.
“Say yes, banfasa.”
“Take the bracelets, Margery. Say yes.” Was that Bree?
“They need you, girl.” That was Angie’s voice.
“Don’t make them wait, or the healer will get his tail in a twist.”
“Yes, yes, yes. That’s the right answer.”
The voices around her faded as she fell into the love in her males’ eyes. Her own eyes filled with tears.
Because this was every dream she’d ever had and was coming true all at once.
“Yes.” Her voice wobbled, and she made it firm. “I love you both so much.”
Pulling in a breath, she added the ritual words that would please Tynan’s tradition-loving heart. “We will be lifemates in this life and all our lives to come.”
Because she couldn’t imagine being without them. Ever.
As the clan broke into gleeful shouts, Donal and Tynan rose.
Tynan slid the bracelet on her wrist, and pulled her into his arms for a long, thorough kiss. “I love you, mo chridhe,” he whispered into her hair and handed her to his brother.
Donal added his bracelet beside his littermate’s, pulled her in and whirled her around before kissing her. She could feel the joy bubbling inside him.
Then he stopped and frowned. “Wait. We get bracelets.”
Tynan laughed and opened his other hand to show two masculine bracelets that matched her smaller ones. “Mark us, Meggie, so all will know we’re yours.”
Happy tears trickled down her cheeks as she put a lifemating bracelet on Tynan’s corded wrist and pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you, Tynan, for this lifetime and into the next and the next…”
His growl of agreement made her heart happy.
She put the other bracelet on Donal’s lean muscular wrist. “I love you, Donal, so very much, in this lifetime and all the rest to come.”
He purred as he kissed her.
Tracing the lifemating bracelets on their wrists, she smiled. “My mates.”
“Yours,” Donal agreed.
“Ours,” Tynan said.
Whistles and cheers rolled over the forest and echoed off the mountains of the Gods.
Epilogue
Cold Creek, North Cascades Territory – end of summer
Why doesn’t she wake up?
In the chair beside Meggie’s bed, Tynan held her limp hand in both of his. And waited.
Waited.
Waited.
Her breathing was slow. Too slow? No, Donal had assured him—several times—that the rate was to be expected.
Her face was pale. Because she’d lost blood before Donal had gotten it stopped.