Jaded [The Moonlight Breed 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Gabrielle Evans (the read aloud family TXT) 📖

“Okay, so what exactly is going to happen in this non-creepy cemetery?” Getting the hint, Zuriel undressed as well, and crawled under the blankets to snuggle next to Spiro’s side without hesitation. “Gods, this is amazing.”

Spiro had to agree, though their luxurious feather mattress could have been a cot in the closet for all he cared. “It’s really not that big of a deal.” A yawn stretched his mouth open wide, and his eyes burned behind his closed eyelids. “We’ll go to the burial grounds after sunset. I’ll stand in the middle of a circle and repeat some words. One of my brothers will place a magical brand on my skin, and that’s that.”

“They’re going to burn you?” His mate’s soft hand landed on his chest and stroked lightly. “Will it hurt?”

“I’m really not sure, but I doubt it will be too painful. At any rate, it’s better than death if I don’t go through with the rite.” The magic had long been set in place to ensure a ruler of their people. Should he not complete the ritual before the set of the full moon, his life was forfeit, and the tradition would start over with the next born.

“True,” Zuriel mused sleepily. “That’s it? You just repeat some words, get branded like cattle, and then you’re king?”

“Well…” He hadn’t brought up the part that came next because it really wasn’t important. Family tradition meant little to him, and it wouldn’t change anything. “Once I become king, I will experience something similar to a mating heat. It lasts for three days, and I’ll warn you now. From what I understand, you’re going to be seeing a lot of action.”

His mate chuckled under his breath and stretched up to kiss the underside of Spiro’s chin. “I look forward to it.”

Spiro wished he could just leave it at that, but knowing how interfering his mother could be, it was bound to come up sooner rather than later. “Traditionally, three rwalaerea, women of breeding age, will be presented after the ceremony since the mating heat is to ensure the king procreates to provide heirs to the line. These women will become his wives and bear his children, but they do not live in the palace or raise their young.”

As expected, Zuriel stiffened beside him and pushed away, rising slowly to a sitting position with murder in his eyes. “I don’t give a fuck where they live, because it’s not going to happen. Maybe you should have told me this before I decided to move my happy ass halfway around the world, because I don’t share.”

While a bit dramatic, the reaction had been just what he’d hoped for, proving that Zuriel’s feelings for him ran deeper than just physical attraction.

“Shh, lirimaer. You don’t have to share me.” Spiro wasn’t interested in seeing his mate with anyone else, either, but he figured that went without saying. “I’m telling you this because I’m sure my mother has already chosen women she deems suitable for a king.”

“You can just send their suitable hussy asses right back to where they came from.”

Levering up on one elbow, Spiro reached out, cupped the back of Zuriel’s neck, and pulled him forward for a long, heated kiss. “I don’t want anyone else, baby. You have nothing to worry about.”

Zuriel was a little rigid at first when Spiro tried to pull him back down to the mattress, but he soon relaxed, heaving a heavy sigh and nuzzling against Spiro’s chest. “I’ll keep you so busy you won’t even have time to think about those twatwaffles.”

“Twatwaffles?” Tightening his arms around his mate, Spiro laughed right from his belly at his mate’s phrasing. “Oh, you are something special, Zuriel, something very special indeed.”

Chapter Seven

Spiro stood in the moonlight atop his father’s grave dressed in white and gold robes that flowed down to his ankles. Zuriel didn’t understand the words he spoke, but he could feel the slight charge to the air, hear the crackle on the wind.

“Am I the only one who finds this slightly creepy?” Jacobi asked, wrapping his arms around his midsection and huddling closer to their small group.

“More than slightly,” Mihail agreed.

“I don’t know,” Aspen added with his usual perkiness. “I think it’s kind of cool.”

Zuriel was inclined to agree with Aspen, but he was still freaking out more than a little. If something went wrong, there was a good chance that he’d be returning to Wyoming sooner than planned—sans one mate. “How do we know if it works?” he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure Spiro will. I mean, he is part elf, right?”

Aspen had a point. Sadly, Zuriel couldn’t get behind his positivity, not until after the full moon when he was sure everything would be okay. Hell, he wouldn’t even chance shifting if he didn’t absolutely have to, but since they hadn’t been able to get the Inhibitors through Customs, he didn’t have a choice.

Rissian stepped forward, holding a small, glowing disk in his hand. More words were spoken that Zuriel didn’t understand, but he got the sense that Spiro was reciting some type of oath. When he was finished and the last words had drifted away on the breeze, Rissian pressed the silver disk to Spiro’s chest, singeing the smooth skin just over his pectoral.

Cheers rose from the kneeling crowd gathered amongst the tombstones, but Spiro paid no attention to the onlookers. His eyes bored into Zuriel, picking him out easily amongst the masses, and he lifted one hand to crook his finger.

As though reeled forward on an invisible line, Zuriel practically floated across the distance until he was standing directly in front of his mate. “Congratulations.” He wasn’t sure if that was the appropriate sentiment, but it sounded as good as any.

Strong hands cupped both of his cheeks, and those dazzling green eyes pierced him right down to his soul. “The mating heat