Burning Dawn (Angels of the Dark #3)(96)
Author: Gena Showalter

They are my family. Now and always.

These men were a gift. Thane had told her she was the light to his dark, but that wasn’t true. These men weren’t dark. Okay, so they were kind of darkish. But. For once, she loved the word. And they were healing. With a little help from her, they’d go all the way.

Step one, helping Bjorn with his much-needed divorce.

Step two, finding a date for Xerxes.

“What are you thinking, kulta?” Thane asked.

“Just that I love you,” she replied. “And I’m going to make you and our two little boys happy. I know it.”

Bjorn and Xerxes snorted.

“Hey, Zerk,” she said. “Did I ever tell you about the girl I met at one of my dodge-boulder games? She—”

“No.” He shook his head. “Never. You aren’t playing matchmaker.”

“He already has a woman.” Bjorn wiggled his brows. “Her name is Cario, and she—”

“Isn’t mine,” Xerxes said, cutting him off.

Elin clapped. “Ohhh, I’m intrigued. Tell me more.”

Xerxes dragged Bjorn away, the two men arguing.

“I’ll find out, and give her a call,” she bellowed after them. “Maybe we can double-date. Yes? Great. I’m taking your silence as a yes.”

Thane grinned down at her slowly, sweetly. “A double date will be interesting, that’s for sure.”

“Why?”

“Because Xerxes would like to kill Cario.”

“Oh. Well, not every relationship can be as healthy as ours.”

“True. We’ll just have to be an example to others for the rest of eternity.”

She rubbed her nose against his. “Slight problem, Mr. Three. I’m not sure that’s going to be long enough.”

EPILOGUE

“TAKE THAT, BIATCHES,” Elin shouted as she flipped the bird.

She’d just come in from the edge of the court and knocked out the Erections’ second-to-last player. Yes. The Erections. That was their team name. And their motto? We Play Hard So You Can Suck It!

“Elin the Side Swiper rocks and socks it,” someone in the crowd shouted.

Thane had given her the new moniker—he claimed she’d sneaked up on him and stolen his heart—and it had stuck.

Maybe because Multiple Scorgasms had made it all the way to the finals. And this, this was the championship match, and all their players were still in the game. No one had been knocked out.

Because they were fierce. They were determined.

This was for Chanel.

Thane, Bjorn and Xerxes watched from the stands, cheering just like everyone else. Well, except for those stupid enough to be fans of the Erections. Okay, that hadn’t come out the way she’d meant. Anyway. Those people were booing.

They must not have heard what Thane, Bjorn and Xerxes did to the last crowd to boo her. In essence, the stakes had seen another round of play. Short play, of course—they hadn’t wanted to upset Zacharel—but enough to get their point across.

Gotta love my man.

On the Erections’ team were Kaia, her sisters Bianka and Gwen, and Anya. They were quick on the speed trigger—ha-ha—but not quick enough. They were strong, but not strong enough.

Maybe because they were a bit distracted. Even though a couple of Sent Ones were helping to track them down, two of their people were still missing. Torin and Cameo.

Maybe there’s something I can do. I’m kind of extra amazing now.

When Bellorie tossed a boulder with all of her might, the remaining player, Kaia, caught it—crap, spoke too soon!—knocking Bellorie out, and bringing in another player from the Erections. Kaia then darted in the air, the tiny wings on her back allowing her to hover as she selected her target. Elin. Of course.

She was without a boulder.

Kaia tossed the one she held. It was angled too low to catch…unless she dived headfirst, risking serious injury. But if she failed to dive, she would be tapped out. The game would be over, and her team would lose.

Whatever. I’ll heal.

Elin dived.

The crowd went quiet with anticipation. The boulder slammed into her—into her face. Crack. Blood filled her mouth, but she was grinning as she stood with the boulder clutched in her hands and tossed it at Anya, nailing her in the ankle.

“Out!” she screamed with glee. She stuck her tongue out at both women. “You’re both out.”

And that meant…drumroll, please…the Scorgasms had done it. They’d won!

Her girls dog-piled her.

“Bonka Donk in the house!”

“We’re the champs, and everyone else is a loser!”

“We’re unstoppable!”

“Unbeatable!”

“And a little hideous,” Bellorie said, no longer jumping up and down, but eyeing Elin with concern. “I hate to say it, but your face has been taken over by an alien life force.”

“Thane will kiss me and make me better.” Elin pulled from the pack and raced toward the crowd.

Her man had already pushed his way through the masses. He met her in the middle of the court and gathered her close.

“So proud of you, kulta,” he said.

“Even though I had to cream your friends last week to get here?”

“Especially because you creamed my friends.” He tenderly cupped her face. “Let’s get you some Water.”

“Nope.” They had filled their vials while they swam in the River, but Bjorn needed every drop they had. His queen was summoning him more frequently now. They were looking for ways to break the bond between the two, but so far, they’d found nothing. “It may take a few days, but I’ll heal on my own.” It was one of the benefits of being fully immortal.

They were still trying to learn all she could do. Her strengths…her weaknesses. But Thane took everything in stride, helping her every step of the way.

He smiled at her. “There’s a problem with your plan. I need your mouth for other things. Namely, my next tongue-lashing.”

“Nothing could stop me,” she promised, and she meant it. “Nothing.”