There. I close my fingers around her palm.You’re mine. These hands are mine to kiss and love.
I flip her fingers over like pages of a book, inspecting them.
“He didn’t hurt me. He left. I crawled from the bed to the balcony. I needed air,” she whispers.
Night's sharp, crisp sense makes my senses remain heightened. The sunset’s pink and yellow hues reflect over her face. Even in a state of utter exhaustion, she is worthy of being a painter’s muse.
“What happened?” I ask; I begin to kiss her knuckles, one by one, then her fingertips.My mate! My mate! My mate!
It roars like a new heartbeat that possesses every other sense.
I’ve seen mated couples; there’s always something untamed in the man’s eyes. I imagined it would rival a dragon—possessive, consuming, touch-her-and-die, as Tristen stated. I feel it claw into my eyes.
I’ve seen happy couples torn apart by mating bonds. It’s awful for all sides. The mates can’t help it; it’s just fate. But since Galen has been a cruel, abusive, manipulative asshole, it makes our bond more special because it saved her. It set her free from the contracted marriage. The eyes of others won’t cast judgment; they all know bonds take precedence over peace treaties.Over everything.
I slide beside her and pull her into my lap. My chest is her pillow, my hands are sheets that cover her. Tristen stands guard halfway between the door and the balcony.
Selene tells us everything. “I missed my chance to kill Galen. I’m sorry. I know how you felt when I begged you not to kill him,” she admits in defeat. “I didn’t beg you to stand down because I thought you’d fail. I…” Her chest sinks. “I want to keep you safe just as badly as you wish to protect me.”
The time is now.
My fingers slide from her hair, and her eyes close in delight. “Galen will never touch you again. Do you understand? The dawn of the rising sun will be his last.”
“I don’t want his touch. I need yours.”
“Let me see your mark.”
“I’ll… wait outside,” Tristen suggests, but I stop him.
“Don’t go far. I need you to guard her. I’m leaving.” After I have just had a taste. One kiss to settle the bond.
Selene reaches out and grabs my face. “Where are you going?”
“I need to speak to someone; Tristen will stay here as you rest.”
“Titus… I…”
“I’m going to speak to Vice Admiral Adrian,” I confess.
She understands.
“It’s happening.”
“Yes.” I tell her what Tristen and I discussed. My prediction was that Sable would strike once Galen is dethroned and I learn how to communicate with Everett’s magic, everything.
She sucks in a sharp breath. “I love you. Not because you freed me from him, not because you’re helping my brother, or because of our bond. I love you because you always do what is best for others, not for your own heart, Titus. You and I could run away, but you know that’s not my nature, so you stand and fight by my side, and I love you for that, for not putting me in a cage but setting me free.”
Freedom has its own risk; instead of telling her that, I press my lips to hers.
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Titus
Our lips clash, two warriors running into battle, side by side, hand in hand. I hold nothing back. Fire, heat, passion —everything I pour into that kiss.
As she sighs, her lips part, accepting all I give. Every suck, bite, and pull of my tongue. She molds to me, melts, and coos. All her walls crumble into the palms of my hands.
