My eyes searched his. “I don’t need to claim you. Nor mark you. It’s not your body that’s mine. It’s your heart, it’s your soul. Just as my heart, body, and soul are yours. In this life, in every life. Forever.Rakame.”
He was breathing heavily then, emitting an emotional sigh of relief. And then our bodies were coming together, pressing closer to match our auras. His eyes were hooded now, darkening and hungry with desire.
I ran my fingers through his hair. And suddenly nothing else seemed to matter. Not Kane. Not Amalthea. Not the Emperor’s death, or anyone else here. Not even the threat of me usingRakashonim.Just me and Rhyan for these next few stolen hours. They were ours. Just ours. And I was going to take them.
His father’s orders wouldn’t touch me here, there was no blood compulsion pulling me away, telling me to stop. I was free. Here, alone with Rhyan, at last, I was free. Free to do this with him. And I wasn’t going to waste a single second.
I pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips, the way he’d done to me, and lightly tugged at the curls at the nape of his neck, drawing his mouth closer, slanting it across mine.
“It’s you,” I said, my lips moving against his. “You need to take your power back.” I stepped away from him, reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head, tossing it into the corner. His eyes watched hungrily, taking in my bare breasts, gazing intently as they rose and fell with each of my quickened breaths.
His eyes only shifted when he realized my hands had moved to the waistband of my pants. His gaze was searing, burning through me as they carefully followed my movements, watching as the material slid down to my ankles and I kicked them aside. I was left in nothing but my underwear, tied at my hips.
Then I sat back on the bed, my legs spreading wide. “Rhyan,” I breathed. “Claim me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
RHYAN
Rawness clung to my body, to my soul. I’d never been more naked or exposed, even though I was fully clothed. Even with my armor secured around my body.
But, finally, finally, I’d done it. I’d told her everything. My every last secret, my every last shame. And she hadn’t run. Hadn’t balked at my truths. At the things that made meme. At the things that made me hate myself. Doubt myself. Doubt that I deserved her.
But telling them to Lyriana, watching her accept my words, accept me … something had shifted inside. Permanently. The past didn’t feel as heavy as it had. It still stung. Still fucking hurt. And yet, it felt lighter. Like Lyr had taken some of it on. Had burned through the pain. Had healed me, transformed me with the fires innate in her. This wasn’t fromRakashonim. Not from any magic or piece of light. It was her. Just her.
My soulmate.
But all thoughts of my confession subsided as I took her in then, nearly naked, sitting on the bed. Her skin was gleaming in the light. I couldn’t take my eyes off the tantalizing length of her legs wide open for me. Her breasts—Gods, her breasts. I never tired of the sight of them. Or any part of her.
For a moment, her cheeks reddened, and she looked almost shy. I recalled the one night I’d been able to properly see her naked, to simply stare at her entire body, and know it was on display just for me. The first night we’d been together. It had been too long. Too Godsdamned long since that night. Since the last time we’d lain together. Since the last time I’d been inside her. A month.
I was so fucking hard, straining against my pants. My belt felt too constrictive, and my breath was already heavy.
I started forward, barely holding myself back from pouncing on her. Had I been naked I would have. But I was still in my formal attire. I had no weapons on me, but the harsh leathers and metals of my soturion uniform were everywhere.
So I paused, standing before her and reached for her thighs, my hands sliding up and up her smooth, silky skin, all the way to the curve of her hips. I drew my eyes down between her legs, feeling myself somehow harden further. Her gaze followed mine with a stifled gasp escaping her lips. Her stomach rose and fell, her breathing intensifying as I continued to look at my fill, scenting her arousal.
A growl rumbled, low in my throat as I lifted my gaze back to hers. My hands started to slide toward her inner thighs. But then I reached beneath her, cupping her ass, and in one swift movement, I lifted her up. She made a startled sound of surprise as her body connected to mine, her legs wrapping instinctively around my waist, her ankles locked behind my back. I squeezed her ass, while simultaneously pulling her closer.
“You’re mine,” I whispered, almost too overcome to speak. “Mine.”
“I’m yours,” she said.
“No one else’s,” I commanded.
“No one else’s,” she repeated.
“Take off my armor,” I said, my lips seeking her neck. My tongue darted out, licking and suckling, before I bit down. Her thighs squeezed around me in response, her hips lifting, trying to rub herself against me. I bit down again, feeling once again something primal and ancient brewing between us.
“Take it off,” I said, my voice guttural. I felt her hands moving quickly to my shoulders, deftly unbuckling and undoing each clasp as I continued to lick and kiss her neck, determined to cover every inch of the delicate skin. When I felt my armor loosen, I held her with only one hand, and helped her push what remained of the leathers from my body, letting them fall. Together, we began to unwrap my cloak from my shoulders, until we reached for my waist at the same time. We both attacked the buckles and clasps of my belt until it too fell to the ground with a thud, and at last only my pants and shirt were between us.
Then we were kissing, my lips hot against hers. I couldn’t wait, couldn’t take it slow. I’d missed her mouth, been denied this too long, and already my tongue was seeking hers. Her mouth opened to mine, and she returned my kisses with just as much fervor and passion. I sucked her tongue into my mouth, desperate for all of her, delighting in the way she moaned against me. But I needed more of her, more contact.
I turned so the backs of my legs lined up with the bed and sat back without breaking our kiss. And then both of my hands were on her breasts, cupping and squeezing, greedy to feel them after so much deprivation.
Lyr gasped in pleasure, her chest rising and falling, her breaths coming heavier as I fondled her, kneading the swell of her curves, feeling their weight in my palms, before stroking her already sensitive nipples. I never tired of the way they felt, the way they hardened to my touch. The way they tasted.
Only then did I break the kiss.
