Idris wants to take her from me.
Walking into the bedroom, I kick the door shut with a grunt. I might not be enough to save her, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to accept that.
“You can put me down, you know.” There’s a hint of teasing in Sheena’s voice, and it unlocks the worst of my tension.
“What if I don’t want to let you go?” I nibble on her earlobe, pleased to feel her shiver at my touch.
“You don’t have to,” she says, grinning. “But you do have to tell me why you got so annoyed with Idris.”
“Because this is serious,” I snap, remembering that smug fucker’s face. “I’m going to share blood with you because you’re sick, and that asshole thought now would be a good time to come on to you.”
Sheena laughs, but the sound is a little off.
“Callum...” She meets my eyes. “Idris doesn’t want me. There’s no way.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh.
“Of course he doesn’t, sweetheart,” I say sarcastically. “Like we weren’t both right there when he offered to come fuck you.”
She smacks the back of my head, and I carefully slide her down my body to sit on the edge of the bed. Stepping in between her legs, I smile when she immediately knots them around my waist.
“There’s no reason to worry about it,” I assure her, smoothing out the furrow between her eyes. That’s for me and Gideon to deal with—if he ever comes back from wherever he went to freak out. “Your only worry is staying strong until we find a talisman.” I force a smile, not wanting her to see how scared I am that we might fail. “If Idris wants you and that motivates him to help, that’s fine with me.”
Especially if it keeps her alive.
“I still think he was just trying to rile you up,” Sheena says, wrinkling her nose. “Now, about this blood thing. Are you just going to put it in a cup or something? Maybe add a straw? I’m assuming I have to drink it.”
“Yeah, but it won’t be as gross as you’re imagining.” I press a kiss to her forehead. “You’ll probably enjoy it. A lot.”
“Have you ever done this before?” Sheena asks me, two spots of color popping up on her cheeks.
I hope she never stops blushing because I plan to spend the next few decades riling her up.
“You’ll be my first,” I whisper, dropping a kiss to her full lips.
It was only meant to be a peck, but she’s so soft, so perfect. All my intentions go flying out the window. We kiss lazily, like we have all the time in the world, and each taste is better than the last. Her nails trail over my scalp, and I explore her face with my fingertips, eager to map out every dip and curve.
My determination to find a talisman bubbles up and threatens to choke me.Fuck the odds.The gods, nature, whatever powers are still around—they can’t take her from me. I won’t allow it.
As my thoughts get more possessive, our kiss changes. I’m clinging to her now, my grip on her chin tight as I plunge my tongue inside her mouth. Sheena meets me stroke for stroke, and I can taste her desperation.She feels it too—the fear that our time is running out.Her hands fist my hair so tightly it hurts, but I’m not going anywhere.
The taste of salt seeps into our kiss. It’s from a tear, but I’m not even sure who it belongs to. Our emotions are pulling me under, and I don’t fight them. If we can’t fix this, I want her to leave this life knowing how precious she was to me.
“I love you,” I gasp the words. “I love you so fucking much, Sheena.” My fear of saying it out loud is gone.
“I love you too, Callum,” Sheena says. Her voice is raw and anguished, and I know she’s not holding anything back. “I don’t want to go.” She sobs, her fingers and legs shaking as she holds me close. “I’m not ready to lose you.”
My heart breaks.
So I devour her, kissing this woman like I can erase her fear with my love—as if our passion has the power to change everything. For a while, maybe it does.
Her lust builds to a boiling point alongside mine. I can feel it threatening to set the whole room on fire. I’m dragged from the inferno when the door opens with a click behind us and Gideon shuffles in.
It’s about time.
He comes up behind me, and I reluctantly pull back from our never-ending kiss. Sheena reaches her hand out and Gideon takes it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles and wrapping his long arms around both of us.
“Are you okay?” Sheena hums, her glowing purple eyes brimming with compassion.
