A hungry look flashed in Kade’s eyes, and he shifted, rolling on top of me before leaning me back onto the bed. Taking a moment to readjust himself, he pushed a strand of hair that fell across my face behind my ear.
“Whether in this world or the next, Little Rebel, you will always be mine.”
This time when he leaned down to kiss me, our tongues swirled in a bewitching harmony I knew I’d never come back from.
He propped himself up with his hand next to my head as he began moving with slow and steady strokes inside of me. Our gazes locked on each other, memorizing every second of our time together.
Tears formed in my eyes, as neither of us looked away. Seconds turned to minutes, and any concept of time erased itself from the room altogether. Moonlight shone across the bed,illuminating Kade’s body in all of its warrior glory. I ran my hands along the lines of his tattoos, along the scars of his chest. I closed my eyes as the pleasure slowly built inside of me again. A deep crescendo of love and desire, waiting to be set free.
I let out a small cry as my body teetered on the edge of something more than anything we’d crashed through before. Emotions ravaged me as Kade’s breathing shallowed. When the tears formed in his eyes too, I lost every shred of my own control.
“Together,” he rasped. “Together.”
“Kade, I’m so close.”
“I know, love, just a little bit longer.”
Biting my lip, I held on for as long as I could, but with two more beautifully deep, sensual thrusts, he threw me over the edge and there was no coming back. My entire body convulsed in the most mind-altering orgasm I’d ever had. I cried out, watching him, feeling him everywhere. My mind and heart completely connected to this man before me as the bond in my chest broke and reforged into something unfathomable. Kade found his release, and together we rode out our orgasms in bliss.
All the broken pieces of self-doubt, of ever feeling not good enough, thoughts of not being worthy of love were shattered by this man. There was no part of me that remained untouched, that remained less than. Not just because of him, but because his love gave me the space to also love myself.
Kade grabbed a small cloth from the bedside table and meticulously wiped away all evidence of our time together, placing kisses on different places of my body as he did.
A few minutes later, we lay curled up under the blankets while he stroked my hair with my head nestled on his chest. “Lana, we need to talk about the prophecy and what it might mean.”
I stopped breathing, the high of what we’d just experienced together crashing around me as panic set in. “No. No, it is not an option I’m willing to consider.”
Kade pulled my chin up to look straight into his eyes. “We have to consider it. The Fates have foretold the darkness has to be gone for Thames to be destroyed. We can’t dismiss it. We need to prepare for what happens if we meet him and the darkness is still with me.”
“I refuse,” I said more firmly. “Losing you is not an option I will entertain ever. I will not spend our last night discussing it.” I placed my head back on his chest and scooted my body as close to him as possible, wrapping around him like just that action alone could somehow keep me here.
Kade sighed, “We can’t escape this forever. We’re out of time.”
“Forever can start tomorrow.” A tear threatened to escape, but I refused to let it fall. I would not give it voice or allow it to take hold. This would be something that presented itself tomorrow. After all, we still had to figure out how to get the darkness out of half this world. Whatever we did would work on Kade too.
I would not let fear destroy the most amazing night I’d ever had. The intimate connection between us wasn’t common, it was otherworldly, and that had to mean something. This bond between us was unbreakable, and I wouldn’t ruin this perfect moment by talking about any prophecy, much less one that could be interpreted as taking Kade away from this world.
Kade must have realized he’d lost this battle, because he wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me in closer, and said, “Sleep, Illiana. Replenish your magic.” He kissed the top of my head. “You will need every ounce of energy you have to win this war.”
“I will win this war with you by my side, Kade,” I said, allowing his presence to soothe me as I drifted to sleep. I closed my eyes and prayed to the Fates they were wrong.
Chapter 38
Kade
The void gaped open between our two kingdoms as if it might swallow both sides whole.
I stared out at the dead land I’d crossed over so many times in the past few years, standing empty, fulfilling its name more now than it ever had before.
We’d arrived only a few hours ago after a hard ride, stopping only once on our way to the border. The morale among our army was better than I thought it would be, especially with an army of strox bringing up the rear. Those with us consisted of more untrained Fae than warriors, and still they rode confidently toward this battle.
We’d allowed for an extra day of rest once we arrived here. At least, we hoped, based on our estimates as to when Thames would arrive. We’d have to start scouting frequently to find a more exact timeline for when to expect Thames. Cassandra could only tell us it would be soon.
The breeze blew gently around me, swirling through the camp and alleviating the blistering heat we’d traveled through all day. The wind stirred my shadows, and I couldn’t help the dry huff of laughter escaping my lips. I’d swear Lana was a goddess,not a mere Fae from the way nature responded to her and the people she loved.
“Fates, I hope you’re with us,” I whispered to the breeze as it wrapped around me once before it flitted away.
Onyx nudged me with his wet nose, and I reached up absentmindedly to brush my hand over his mane. “It all comes down to this, old friend.”
