9. Laramie

CHAPTER NINE

LARAMIE

T he stone was cold against my cheek as I lay there, panting and utterly spent. Kotos nuzzled the spot where he’d bitten me, each gentle brush of his lips sending aftershocks of pleasure rippling through me. His touch held none of the savage desperation from earlier—just tender reverence that made my heart flutter.

I craned my neck to look back at him. The madness had faded from his eyes, leaving them clear and warm as he gazed down at me.

“Welcome back,” I murmured, managing a small smile. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure if you’d ever recognize me again.”

He nuzzled closer, his breath warm against my skin. “I’ll always know you, Laramie. No matter what form I take.”

I turned in his arms, looping mine around his neck. My heartbeat finally slowed to normal as I traced lazy patterns across Kotos’ chest. His strong arms encircled me, holding me close like I might disappear at any moment.

“Where are we?” I asked, studying an intricate carving.

“I’ve never been in this chamber before,” Kotos murmured against my skin, his fingertips trailing along my spine. “The labyrinth must have been saving it.”

“Saving it?” I shifted in his arms to better see his face. His features had returned to normal, though his eyes still held an otherworldly gleam.

“For when I found my mate.” His palm splayed possessively across my lower back. Warmth flooded his tone as he added, “And I think I need to take notes.”

I twisted to look at the particularly obscene picture etched into the surface of the altar. My hand wandered across Kotos’ chest, feeling his heart thundering beneath my touch. “Your ancestors certainly knew how to celebrate finding their mates.”

He growled softly, nipping at my ear as his arms tightened around me. “They understood the sacred nature of the bond. They knew there was no greater gift than to spend a lifetime with the one who completes you.”

A lifetime that was threatened by Devlin. I followed the lines of the walls. Even the passageway that guided us into the chamber had disappeared, leaving us trapped. “Will that future even be possible?”

Kotos chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. He reached behind me and planted his hand flat against the altar. “Don’t worry,” he said against my lips, “the labyrinth knows its master.”

The chamber walls rippled like heat waves rising from summer asphalt. My stomach lurched as reality itself seemed to warp and contort, then stone and air gave way to warm water.

I sputtered and flailed to the surface. Blinking water from my eyes, I pushed wet strands of hair from my face.

The labyrinth’s stone walls had vanished, replaced by the familiar sight of Kotos’ private terrace at Elysia. We’d landed right in his infinity pool overlooking the sea.

The sun clung by a fingernail to the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant purples and pinks. Last I remembered, it had been mid-morning.

A shocked squeak made me whirl. A young woman in resort uniform stood frozen on the terrace, cleaning supplies scattered at her feet.

“I—I’m so sorry!” she stammered. “We thought—you’ve been gone for over a day. Mr. Vasilakis ordered the rooms turned over?—”

“A day?” Kotos’ eyebrows shot up. He glanced at me, then back to the flustered employee. “Would you mind fetching us some robes?”

She practically sprinted from the terrace.

As the woman scurried off, I turned to Kotos. “How is that possible? We were only in there for a few hours at most.”

“The labyrinth exists outside of normal time.” Kotos helped me to the pool’s edge. “Minutes here can be hours there, or vice versa. The magic bends reality to suit its needs.”

The staff member returned with plush robes, pointedly averting her eyes. “Your clothes are still in the rooms,” she said, backing toward the door. “Should I inform Mr. Vasilakis you’ve returned?”

“Not yet,” Kotos replied. “We’ll handle that ourselves.”

With a quick nod, the young woman disappeared. We climbed out and wrapped ourselves in the robes. My legs felt like jelly, and not just from the vigorous... exercise.

“So, what now?” I asked as he guided me toward the suite’s doors. “Devlin’s out there somewhere with the medallion, and?—”

Kotos’ nostrils flared. A low growl rumbled in his chest. “I can smell the rot and brine. She’s still here.”

Cold dread settled in my gut. “What do we do? Alert security?”

“I won’t risk her slaughtering innocents,” Kotos said grimly. “No, we’ll find her ourselves and get her alone. Then we’ll put an end to her games once and for all.”

The suite looked exactly as we’d left it. My dress, his jacket, my bag... everything was exactly where we’d abandoned them after returning from the Shadow Daddies event. As if we’d never even stepped foot into the labyrinth.

By the time we emerged fully dressed from our rooms, the sun had completely set. Kotos laced his fingers through mine as we walked along the winding paths back to the main resort.

Twinkling lights lined the path, but my eyes were glued on my mate. His jaw clenched, betraying the tension coiling inside him. He lifted his head every few steps, nostrils flaring as he tracked a scent I couldn’t detect.

Music and laughter spilled from the seaside amphitheater. The bleachers carved into the cliffs overlooked a natural lagoon where sirens danced through illuminated waters while sea creatures painted patterns of light beneath the surface.

“There.” Kotos’ voice rumbled in my ear.

I followed his gaze to where Devlin stood among Andreas’ team. She’d changed into an evening gown that shimmered like fish scales, the medallion prominently displayed at her throat. She laughed at something Andreas said, all innocence and charm.

Then her eyes landed on us.

For a split second, her carefully crafted mask slipped. Rage and jealousy warred across her features, lips pulling back in a snarl of needle-sharp teeth.

Then she turned and said something to Andreas before stalking away.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Kotos snarled, quickening his pace.

The holiday lights above us flickered, then began to sway. Tinsel writhed like silver snakes where it wound around railings and up columns. Ornaments rattled against their hooks as if buffeted by an invisible wind.

“Get Andreas and the guests out,” Kotos barked over his shoulder. “Now.”

Nervous whispers and glances rippled through the crowd as I shoved after him. “What about you?”

“I’ll handle her.” His voice dropped to a dangerous rumble that sent shivers down my spine. “No one threatens my mate and lives.”

I hesitated for a split second, torn between following his order and staying by his side. But as the first strand of lights snaked menacingly toward an oblivious couple, I knew I had to act.

I sprinted toward Andreas. Behind me, Devlin’s laughter echoed off the stone walls—high and sharp and utterly unhinged.

The sound of shattering glass filled the air as ornaments exploded over the crowd.

KOTOS

A six-foot nutcracker soldier shattered beneath my fist, splinters of painted wood exploding outward. Another lurched toward me, jaw clacking menacingly. I ripped its head clean off and hurled it at the next one advancing.

“You went too far, Devlin.” I batted away a volley of glass ornaments like annoying flies. “Sliming your way into the deal with Elysia is one thing, but you’re pathetic to target anyone’s mate.”

Devlin’s lips curled into a snarl. More holiday decor animated around her—garland snaking like metallic serpents, tinsel whipping through the air like razor wire.

“You chose her ?” she spat. “A human, Kotos? A human, over one of us?”

I smashed through another nutcracker, advancing steadily up the performance platforms toward her. “I didn’t choose her. The fates did.”

Something wrapped around my ankle. I looked down to find tinsel coiling up my leg like a python. With a growl of annoyance, I reached down and tore it free, ignoring the way it tried to bite with teeth made of wire hooks.

My voice dropped to a growl. “And you tried to have her killed.”

“Oh, please.” Devlin rolled her eyes, but I caught the tremor in her voice. “Humans die all the time. You would’ve gotten over her eventually.”

“Over her?” I snarled, dodging a string of razor-sharp icicle ornaments. “You understand nothing. Mates aren’t casual, Devlin. They aren’t toys to discard once they’ve served their purpose.”

Her face contorted with rage. Wreaths spun through the air like deadly chakrams. I caught one and snapped it in half.

I kept coming, advancing despite the torrent of attacks. “But how could you? You’ve never felt anything real in your life. Just cold ambition and spite.”

She shrieked and lashed out, a hurricane of holiday decor swirling around her. Ornaments burst like tiny grenades, showering me with broken glass. Tinsel snapped and sliced at my arms, drawing blood.

“I made you!” she screeched. “MythMatch was my idea! My algorithm! My?—”

“MythMatch works because it matches souls, not desperation. Not manipulation.” I stalked closer, crushing ornaments beneath my hooves. “Not blackmail and murder.”

With a final leap, I vaulted onto the platform where she stood. Glass crunched beneath my shoes as I advanced on her, barely flinching as tree needles shot from garlands like poison darts.

She faltered for a moment, uncertainty flickering across her features. Then her eyes hardened. “If I can’t have you...”

The first notes of her siren song filled the air. Sweet and seductive, promising everything I’d ever wanted. For a moment, my vision swam. My steps faltered.

Devlin’s lips curved into a triumphant smile as I swayed toward her. Her voice grew stronger, more alluring.

But beneath the magical compulsion, I felt something else. Something stronger. The mate bond thrummed in my chest, anchoring me to reality. To Laramie.

Images flashed through my mind—Laramie’s hands on her hips, unafraid to tell me to fuck off. Her body curled against mine in the pre-dawn hours. The way she’d look heavy with my child, continuing my bloodline. All the possibilities stretching before us like an endless horizon.

I wouldn’t let the sea witch take any of that from me.

I let Devlin think her song was working. Let her believe she’d won as I stumbled closer. Her eyes gleamed with victory as I reached for her.

“That’s it,” she crooned. “Come to me, my love. Forget that human. Forget?—”

My hand shot out, gripping the back of her neck. Her song cut off in a strangled gasp.

“I’m a mated man now,” I snarled in her ear. “Your tricks won’t work anymore.”

She thrashed in my grip as I yanked the medallion from her neck. With my other hand pressed to the stone, I called to the labyrinth. The ancient magic responded instantly, the stones shaking and groaning.

“You want to play games?” I shoved her toward the shimmering entrance. “Then the labyrinth will decide your fate.”

Her shriek of rage cut off as the portal sealed behind her. The medallion hummed warmly in my palm, recognizing its true master once more.

Silence fell over the amphitheater. The animated decorations crashed lifelessly to the ground. Below, I could see Laramie herding the last of the guests toward safety.

Andreas cautiously poked his head out from behind an overturned table. He stood, straightening his tie as he surveyed the destruction. Broken nutcrackers littered the ground. Shattered ornaments glittered like fallen stars. A mangled wreath tumbled past, carried by the sea breeze.

“Fascinating display!” he said, clapping sporadically. “Though perhaps not such… avant-garde for future events?”

My eyes found Laramie as she climbed the steps toward us. My mate. Whole. Safe. And mine.

“My deepest apologies, Andreas,” I said, bowing my head. If he wanted to think it was a deliberate—if disastrous—show, I’d be happy to play along. “This is what happens when one thinks they know more than the marketing team.”

His booming laughter echoed across the stage. “Now then.” Andreas clapped his hands together. “Shall we discuss the final details of our partnership over a nice bottle of ouzo?”

I wrapped an arm around Laramie’s waist, drawing her close. “I think we’ve all earned a drink.”

Her fingers found mine, squeezing gently. Tomorrow we’d deal with the fallout. Tonight was for celebrating new beginnings.

And perhaps exploring a few more of those carved suggestions from the labyrinth’s inner chamber.