The Magic of Eternity (Emerald Lakes #5)

by Britt Andrews

“I’m here now and I’m never leaving your side again. We’re going to get out of here, I swear it. Stay with me, K. Please, please, stay with me, Alpha.”

“Bravery doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid. Bravery means you accept that fear and let it fuel your purpose. It’s okay to be scared. You just can’t let that fear rule you, brother. Let it fucking guide you to achieve your goals.”

Was the hero of this story really a black mouse with the soul of Napoleon Bonaparte? It was looking more and more like yes, yes he was the fucking hero.

Napoleon scurried down the bed toward my feet. “Mon dieu, I was so excited to see you that I nearly forgot. Daddy of Thunder, please lift me to that vent.” “Daddy. Of. Thunder?” Cam choked out. If I had the strength, I would have been crying tears of laughter.

“Cam, shove that in my ass right now!” I barked, excitement and adrenaline mixing with the fever, causing me to feel like I was on a serious drug trip. Something cool and wet brushed over a small area of skin on my right butt cheek. “Definitely not what I thought I’d be doing the first time I heard you say those words to me...”

“In the darkness, you’re my sunshine. You’re the sun at dawn, chasing the shadows from my wicked soul. I love you, and I’m so sorry, kitten.”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because I launched myself at him. I slapped his dick and pulled his boxers back up over it, then shoved a finger in his face. “This is mine. No other female will be seeing it in this lifetime or the next. Understand?” His pupils dilated and glowed orange as we stared at each other. “Did you just slap my dick? That really happened just now?”

“That’s fucked up,” one of the men mused, this one wearing a gas mask. “I like it.”

“Listen to me, you fancy-dicked, knotted-up, breeder stallion sons of bitches!”

“It feels like I’m swimming in a sea of sadness without a life jacket. Like, I’m trying very hard to stay above water… but sometimes it would be easier to stop kicking because I’m just so tired. But I’m scared to sink.”

“You might feel like you need to sink or swim. That’s black or white thinking. You’re forgetting you have a third option.” I looked back at my shifter, confused. “What do you mean?” Kai leaned in and wiped my wet cheek, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Float. There’s nothing wrong with biding your time and resting. Just float for a while, Cub. You can do this for yourself—you’re strong enough, you’re capable. You don’t always have to, though. Some days, everything will feel like it’s too much. But if your head ever dips below the surface, I will drag you back up. We all will. We’re your damn life jackets.”