“Yours. I’m yours.” I whisper back, my voice unsteady but sure.
I bury my face in his chest, inhaling the scent of him, and let the tears fall—quiet at first, then unrestrained. They soak into his skin, warm trails running over his chest, and he doesn’t say a word.
One of his hands slides up, cradling the back of my head, fingers stroking gently through my hair as if to soothe the ache I’ve carried for so long.
Because this isn’t just sex.
This is more.
This is love, raw and whole and unafraid.
And it saves me.
* * *
Dorian
I shift slightly, rolling us onto our sides so I can wrap her fully in my arms. My palm glides slowly up and down her spine, grounding both of us, as if the rhythm of my touch can soothe the storm that still lingers behind her eyes.
She’s soft and warm against me, her cheek resting over my heart, and for the first time in years, I feel whole. Like everything I’ve lost somehow found its way back to me.
She shifts slightly, her lips brushing my collarbone as she murmurs, “Me, too.”
I pull back just enough to see her face, brow furrowed.
She lifts her head, and our eyes meet—and the words that leave her lips nearly stop my heart.
“I love you, too” she says softly, but it lands in my chest like a lightning strike.
For a moment, I can’t speak. Can’t breathe. I just look at her, the rush of emotion threatening to undo me completely. Then I cradle her face in my hands and press my forehead to hers, closing my eyes, needing her to feel what’s breaking open inside me.
“God, Della…” I murmur, my voice rough, fraying. “I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you what you mean to me—so you never have to question it again.”
I press my lips to the top of her head, breathing her in.
She smiles—a small, fragile thing that makes my heart pound harder. Her lips brush mine as she whispers.
“I accept.”
I kiss her. Slow at first, then deeper, as though I could pour every ounce of love I have into her. There’s no rush, no desperation—just the certainty that we belong exactly here.
One touch becomes another, a gentle brush of my hands along her sides, her fingers threading through my hair. She clings to me, laughter soft against my throat, and I swear I’ll never forget that sound.
The world falls away as we come together again. Tender. Fierce. Healing. Every sigh, every movement seals us closer, stitching together the cracks left behind by the years apart. Our bodies and hearts find their rhythm in a way that feels like the purest form of home.
After, I hold her against my chest, her breath warm and steady over my heart. My hand lingers on her hip, anchoring her to me.
I close my eyes, letting the weight of her words sink in—the truth I’ve prayed to hear again but never dared to hope for.
She’s here. In my arms. Mine.
And I swear—on every breath I have left—nothing will ever come between us again. I’ll never doubt her. Orus.
I’ll hunt down every shadow that touches her, burn every nightmare to ash, and replace them with dreams of the life she deserves.
Her happiness will be my mission. Her smile, my reward.
Chapter 17
