He wrapped her hair around his fist and kept his bite firm and still so he wouldn’t hurt her in any way. His lion roared, scratching at him, wanting out so he could have their mate in their arms.
The bond between them snapped into place, a thread of pure joy, promise, and heat. He let his fangs slide out of her skin and threw back his head, letting out a roar that spoke of his line, his duty, and his mate.
Eliana’s grip on his arm tightened and he lowered his head so he could kiss her, taking her as his.
Only he couldn’t.
Instead, her eyes widened and her body glowed a fiery red and gold. She let out a silent scream and clutched her stomach with her free hand.
“Eliana!”
Flames skittered around her body but didn’t burn him; instead, the warmth calmed his cat and he tried to figure out what to do next. His mate was changing…her body becoming who she truly was rather than the woman she thought she had to be.
And she was his.
He just prayed this wasn’t the end.
Chapter Five
Eliana wasn’t dying, but damn if it didn’t feel close to it. Her fingers burned, her chest burned, her legs burned, and if she thought about it, her hair burned. She threw her head back and screamed, begging the goddess or whoever was out there to make the pain stop.
The others told her it had hurt for a few moments when they’d first changed into their paranormal selves, and that they’d sparkled a bit before passing out or ending up with wings.
For some reason, Eliana didn’t think either of those things was happening to her.
Instead, she was on fire.
Maybe she was a dragon like Dante. That would be kind of cool because he was kickass, but she wasn’t sure she could deal with the unknowing for much longer. She put her hand on her belly once more, praying the baby would be okay. What had she been thinking risking this when she was pregnant? If the baby got hurt because of hers and Malik’s actions, she’d never forgive herself.
Then, as suddenly as the flames had appeared, they faded away and she fell against Malik’s chest, trying to catch her breath. His hands roamed her body as if checking for wounds, but she didn’t think he’d find them. The fire hadn’t been normal, and while he’d touched her when she’d burned, he hadn’t been in pain.
The fire hadn’t harmed them even though it had practically consumed her.
“Eliana? Are you okay? The baby? What do you need?” His voice got rougher with each word, and she figured it was the cat coming closer to the surface. The same thing happened with Hunter whenever he got emotional or agitated over Becca and the baby.
She let herself lean on Malik a bit longer, his scent and hard muscles a comfort. When she pushed at his chest slightly, he tightened his grip on her for a moment before letting her go.
“I’m okay,” she rasped. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. The baby kicked and seemed content. She sighed. “And the baby’s okay.” She met Malik’s gaze. “We’re okay.”
Malik cupped her face and brought his lips to hers in a gentle caress before pulling away only to lean his forehead on hers. “You scared the life out of me.”
“Good thing cats have nine lives, then,” she teased. If she didn’t laugh, didn’t try to make things okay, she’d start to freak out. She hadn’t looked down at herself yet to try and see if she could figure out what she’d turned into. Maybe she wouldn’t recognize herself, or maybe she’d be something that would scare her to death. She’d known transforming would be a possible side effect of the bite, but she’d been so wrapped up in the thought of forever with Malik that she’d gone into it without truly thinking.
She’d wanted to believe in him and herself, so she’d taken the leap.
And now, she and the baby would have to deal with the consequences.
“What am I?” she asked after Malik had snorted at her comment.
“You are mine,” he answered roughly, his forehead still on hers.
She closed her eyes, wanting to roll around in those words for a lifetime. “Malik.” Her voice was soft, pleading.
“You are a phoenix, Eliana. A beautiful, unique, and rare phoenix.”
She pulled away, her eyes wide. “Seriously? A phoenix? That’s a thing?”
He gave her a half-smile, worry evident in his gaze. “Yes, beauty, it’s a thing. A rare one, like I said, but not unheard of. I’ve only met one phoenix in my life, in fact, as they tend to stay within their own realm, but you carry the markings and scent of one.”
She blinked. “Scent?”
“Like burnt amber over spun sugar,” he explained. “The sweetness is all your own, but the amber is that of the phoenix. Other species can carry something similar, but nothing is as pure as that of a phoenix.”
She couldn’t quite process what it all meant and what would come, but she would. “Why do you seem so worried?”
He cupped her face before putting the other hand on her belly. “Because you can die, my love.”