As my lips met his, time seemed to stand still, the world around us fading into insignificance. Damon was stiff against my hold, but in a mere milliseconds, something clicked within him and he simply melted into the kiss. His hands moved to cup the back of my head, deepening our kiss, while the other hand rested against the small of my back, pulling me in closer.

The burn of Damon’s mark on my shoulder seemed to increase. It felt as though there was a fire searing through my flesh, but rather than pain, it was an intoxicating sensation. I gasped against his lips, which he captured quickly, disallowing me even a short second of reprieve, and I surrendered myself to this magical kiss.

And that was when I felt it― the rush of emotions that poured through every fiber of my body as though they were my own. They collided against the walls of my heart, bouncing off against every cell I had in me. There was relief, there was confusion, and there was guilt that melded into a tornado of emotions.

But most jarringly obvious of them all, I felt the rush of love that flowed within me.

Those weren’t my own emotions, but those of Damon’s.

It seemed like I wasn’t the only one who had noticed it. When we finally broke apart, Damon rested his forehead against mine as we both panted for air. His eyes fluttered open, a frosty blue like a frozen lake, but still brightly warm like the summer sky. In that fleeting moment, every doubt and fear melted away, replaced by a warmth that spread through my entire being.

"I can feel you," he murmured, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. "Your mark... It’s as though you never left."

"Quite the contrary," I said. "I’ve missed you. But not because of the stupid mark, and not because of the fated bond."

Pulling apart, I kept my hand on his, firmly grabbing his hand and refusing to let him pull away for even a fraction of a second.

"Damon, I love you," I confessed. "One of the last things my mother asked me was if my feelings for you were because of the bond. She didn’t believe it was a blessing, but rather, a curse. I thought it was at first, but now, I see it differently."

I continued, "It was a blessing. Entirely, wholly, truly. I don’t need a fated bond with you or Blaise to know that."

At the mention of Blaise, however, I cowered. I had two mates, unlike every other werewolf I had ever known. They may be brothers, but could they accept this? Their actions had never caused any doubt that either of them would disapprove― in fact, it was quite the opposite. Damon had stressed that it was entirely Blaise’s decision, and likewise, Blaise had seemingly embraced my relationship with Damon.

Nevertheless, it didn’t help the unsettling feeling that nestled in my heart.

As though it was all planned, I heard Blaise’s voice inside my head, pulling me out of my reverie.

’Harper?’ he called out through the bond. ’Could you bring Damon back to House Sirius? We need to talk.’

Damon, most likely having felt the anxiety that ran through me, rubbed circles with his thumb on the back of my hand.

"Was that Blaise?" Damon asked, to which I nodded. "We should go back and meet with him then."

I nodded again, choosing to remain silent. Blaise must’ve felt what happened― there was nothing I could hide from him, and nothing I wanted to. This relationship between us was more than just my own decision. I needed my mates — both of them — and it was time to get rid of these doubts inside my head once and for all.

***

Blaise was in his room by the time we returned to House Sirius.

When we stepped in, he had just emerged from the bath, his hair still wet with his towel slung across his shoulder as he dried his hair with one hand. Freshly out of the bathroom, he wore nothing but a pair of shorts, water still trickling down the expanse of his broad chest and abs.

Once he realized that Damon and I stood at the door, he paused in his movements, smiling.

"I see you’ve finally caught him," he said, his lips quirking into a grin as he gestured at his older brother, who merely responded with a roll of his eyes. "Any particular reason why you’ve been avoiding us?"

"Do you two coordinate the things you intend to pester me with?" Damon playfully jabbed back, no heat in his words.

"How was the conference?" I asked, stepping forward to greet Blaise with an embrace.

His hands immediately wrapped around me, pulling me into his hold as I sighed in relief. Just by being in his warmth, I felt all my nerves leave me, melting away the wintry cold that had seeped into my skin just by being outside for so long.

"Good now that it’s over and I am back home with you," Blaise cheekily replied.

"What is it that you want to talk about then?" I asked, biting my lip when Blaise gave me a pointed look.

He raised an eyebrow. "Your bond with Damon―" He cut himself short, scanning his brother up and down. "―It’s back, isn’t it?"

I nodded once, firmly holding his gaze before eventually tearing apart to meet Damon’s eyes. He stared at us from across the room, and slowly, I made my way over.

"Blaise, Damon," I said, "I... You’re both my mates."

"Yes," Blaise said with a nod. Damon was silent, but he mimicked his brother’s action.

"And I know it’s selfish of me to ask this of both of you," I continued, biting down on my bottom lip. "But I love you both. I can’t make a choice between you two. I understand if this bothers either or both of you, but I think it’s only fair to make things clear. I should’ve done this earlier."

Blaise and Damon exchanged a look before both of them turned back to me, grinning in synchronization.