Riven cupped Thane’s face. Their foreheads touched. For a moment, they just breathed each other in.
Then Thane kissed him.
It wasn’t the brutal kiss of the beast Thane so often played. It was open and slow, full of tongues and breath and the subtle tremble of restraint. A kiss that said,I’m still here.A kiss that asked,Are you?
When Thane began to ride him again, the pace wasn’t cruel, but it was intense—each thrust a communion, a brutal declaration ofthis is real, this is now.The slick press of their bodies added to the rhythm, Thane’s cock sliding wetly between their stomachs, and Riven stroked him in time with the motion, feeling him throb in his hand.
Thane moaned—openly, unashamedly.
It was a sound Riven would never forget, not even in death.
He kissed him again, one arm curled tightly around Thane’s back, the other stroking him faster. His body was wound tight, his release barreling toward him with reckless inevitability—but it wasn’t just that. It was everything. Thane’s heat, the way their bodies fit, the ache in his chest that told him he would die for this man.
Thane came first—back arching, a groan ripped from his throat, eyes squeezed shut. His cock pulsed between them, coating them in warm release.
The squeeze of him around Riven was too much.
Riven came with a cry, clinging to Thane as the world narrowed to breath and heartbeats. His orgasm shuddered through him, stealing all air and thought, leaving only sensation—and Thane.
They stayed like that for a long moment, breathing hard into each other’s skin.
Then Thane pulled away just enough to press a kiss to Riven’s jaw and said hoarsely, “Come here.”
He didn’t wait for an answer.
Rising on unsteady legs, he tugged Riven to his feet. They stripped what little clothing remained between them as they stumbled toward the bed.
Thane tangled their limbs, chest to chest, their bodies slick with sweat and come. He kissed Riven again, slowly, hands stroking up and down his back like he didn’t know how to let go.
Riven kissed him back, fingers threading through Thane’s hair, holding him gently. They kissed until the trembling subsided. Until the adrenaline faded.
Until Thane’s breath evened out and his eyes fluttered closed.
He fell asleep with his face buried against Riven’s neck, the way people do when they finally allow themselves to stop fighting.
But Riven could not sleep.
He lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, his hand stroking slowly up and down the curve of Thane’s spine. Every breath that ghosted over his collarbone burned.
He knew what this was now.
Not just lust. Not just obsession.
Love.
It settled over him, the truth he’d been circling for weeks without daring to name. He loved Thane.
Chapter 53
Thane was gone most of the next day, leaving Riven firm instructions to rest. It gave Riven ample time to mull over the heady and horrifying realization he’d come to the night before.
Thane returned just as Riven was finishing the last few bites of dinner—a bowl of something hearty and rich with meat and spices that clung to his ribs. Aeris had insisted he eat every bite and watched with a glare until he obeyed. The food helped. The world no longer swayed when he sat up, and the throbbing in his leg had settled to a dull ache.
Maris was perched in the chair beside his bed, legs crossed, braid coiled over one shoulder like a snake. She’d brought a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels and was midway through teasing Riven about how absolutely feral Thane had been upon his return.
“I’m not saying he threatened to incinerate the entire security team,” she said, “but the man did walk through the main hall with murder in his eyes. Even Luca looked nervous.”
Riven chuckled weakly, leaning back against the pillows. “You’re making that up.”
