I wanthimfor as long as I can have him. Maybe that’s only an hour, or a day, but I want whatever I can get. I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to lose this feeling of wholeness.
My hands slide down his arms, and a deep rumble vibrates his chest. He tastes like my undoing. Like aching lust and hidden violence. I should want to take this slow, but I can’t. Not when I have no idea how much time we have.
Whatever’s happening between us is pure magic, and I can’t die before I’ve gotten a chance to sink into him and this overwhelming feeling of rightness. As much as I wanted to deny it, now that I’m here, in his arms, it’s clear I can’t go back. I can’t ever be without this. Withouthim. In his grip, I feel freer than I have in years. Free and safe.
Iknowthis is where I’m supposed to be.
I want this.
I press a hand to his chest, feeling the quick thud ofmyheart beneath his skin. We’re already so deeply entwined. Threaded together in a way that shouldn’t be possible.
What he called a “tether” isn’t a tether at all, it’s a thread. It’s not a trap, it’s a connection. It’s not binding, it’s … freeing. And as strange as that sounds, it’s exactly how this feels.
A singular word plays on repeat in my mind, “Yes,” and a surge of some indescribable sensation overtakes me. I gasp. Emotions bubble up in its wake. Unfamiliar and beautiful. They’rehisemotions,but they’re stronger now, clearer.Like bright pops of color in a landscape of gray. And beneath the gratitude and excitement, there’s something raw and powerful. Like the air before a storm. Crackling with potential energy. And it feels good. So. Fucking. Good.
I open my eyes and realize I’ve been crying. I didn’t even notice.
I move to wipe the tears away, but Vexar catches my hand.
“Leave them,” he says, “they are the messengers of fate.”With a look of pure reverence, he kisses the pads of my fingers before pressing his lips back to mine.
The thread of our connection flourishes and grows until he’s spilling into me. I feel him deeply. His confidence is like a salve to my fear. The clenching tightness in my chest loosens, the lingering headache dissipates, and I feel hope.
Maybe we can survive this.
Iwantto survive this.
I run my fingers along the contours of his jaw, over the coarse stubble of his beard, feeling the way his muscles move beneath his skin.
“I am so glad I found you,” he whispers before nudging my nose with his own. He grabs my hips and lifts me easily, guiding my legs until I’m straddling his lap. It feels so natural to let him pick me up—to give him control of my body like this. Everything right now feels second-nature. No fumbling limbs or awkward movements, just grace and certainty.
“You’re going to tear your stitches,” I say, running a thumb down the side of his neck, over a long scar that runs from the base of his ear to the top of his shoulder. He has so many scars, and each one sparks a new curiosity. He may have never killed before today, but it’s clear he’s experienced enough violence to last a lifetime.
“The stitches are fine,” he says, dragging his calloused hands over my bare thighs. “The pain is nearly gone. Besides, I needed to see your face.”
Sitting in his lap has brought me almost eye-level with him. Almost.
I hum. “You are freakishly tall.”
“Maybe you are just very short.”
Rude.“I’m above average height.”
“For a goblin.”
My eyes nearly burst out of my skull. “How do you even know what a gob?—”
He silences me with a kiss, and by the time he pulls back, I’ve forgotten everything I was going to say.
“Gods, you are beautiful,” he says, gripping my chin and studying me as if he can read every tick of my face like words on a page. “The past few hours have been impossible. Every time your fingers brushed my skin—” He sucks in a breath. “I think I have found my greatest weakness.”
The past few hours?“How long have you known about this?”
He pushes my hair over my shoulder and stares curiously at my neck before dragging a finger down the side of it. “From the moment I dug my claws into my chest.”
“That’s why you did that?”
Still focused on my neck, he says, “It was a surprising experience, having a second heart suddenly beating in my chest.”
