Well, if that wasn’t enough to make a girl feel…loved.
I returned my gaze to the stars, still not really sure what was out there. It was clearly a power beyond anything I comprehended, a magic of universes, and the delicate balance of it was on the verge of destruction thanks to Dannie.
“You can’t use this in our battle against Dannie, either, can you?”
Shadow’s breath released slowly, pushing against me as he sighed. “This is the sort of power that the sunburst stone contains, but if I were to utilize it in a way that could defeat Dannie, I would risk all of the Solaris System, and the worlds, since I decided to connect them into this energy. And there’s also a risk that I might lose myself, just as Dannie did.”
He had started to call her “Dannie” instead of “Mother,” and it felt a lot like he was distancing himself from her already. Preparing for the inevitable.
I ran my hands up his arms, savoring in the touch of our skin together. “You already feel so much more powerful with your full energy of the realm. Will you be able to keep this power if you are no longer planning on being the Supreme Being?”
His expression was hard to read, but I didn’t miss the flash of grief in his eyes. “I will have to pass the mantle on at some point. They’ll have their own stone, though, since it’s unique to the being it chooses. So, no, I won’t lose my powers.”
“You didn’t really need the boost,” I said, my eyes closing briefly as exhaustion pressed into me. “But how will you choose the right one to pass it onto?”
“It will be difficult,” he said. “If they’re not worthy, then that could be as catastrophic to the realm as what Dannie is attempting to do. As we discovered with Ixana.”
It was a lot of pressure for him. Generally, the realm chose, but in this case, it might have to be Shadow himself who selected the next Supreme Being and if he chose wrong, he could condemn his people to being ruled by someone who might use the stone against them.
“Don’t worry about it tonight,” he said, sliding his hands into the long strands of my hair. He tightened his grip, pulling me up to meet his lips. I went willingly, letting out a soft breath when we kissed.
Our kiss deepened, as always happened, and without thought, my body twisted into a more comfortable position. I straddled Shadow, my already wet center pressing into him. His fire filled my core first, and then he entered me in one hard thrust. There was resistance. There was always resistance with someone Shadow’s size, but no lie, that was almost my favorite part. That first burning stretch.
Kissing like our lives depended on it, I let my body move on instinct against him, going with what felt good. In this position, it basically all felt good, and even though there wasn’t a huge range of movement, I got into a rocking rhythm. Shadow’s hands cupped my breasts, his thumbs playing with the hard peaks of my nipples, stroking over and over, sending shivers through my already over-aroused body.
I rocked harder, moaned louder, and relished in the pleasure of this moment with him. When he’d had enough of letting me lead the pace, he released my nipples and placed his hands on my hips, lifting and holding me in place so he could slam up into me.
“Shadow, fucking fuck,” I cried, my body starting to quiver as the first thrums of a heady orgasm made itself known. We’d had sex not that long ago, but somehow, with Shadow, it always felt like the first time.
“Hold on, Sunshine,” he growled, and he spun me in a heartbeat, his fucking magic once again doing the impossible of keeping him buried deep inside even while we shifted positions.
We were now in a modified reverse cowgirl, so I felt every thrust of his length, almost instantly losing my battle to draw out the orgasm any longer. I came hard, my body vibrating and jerking against him, and as my muscles relaxed, Shadow pushed even deeper until I swore to fuck I could taste that dick in my mouth. Dude was rearranging reproductive organs down there, but that was cool. I’d heal whatever he threw my way.
When the stars finally faded out from my vision, orgasm two was building, and as my over-sensitized pussy clenched around his length, he was the one to groan, his pace picking up at the same time.
“You were made for me,” he said in his deep brogue. “There’s no other, Sunshine. Not now, not ever.”
His words were a love poem, delivered Shadow-style, and it made me love him even more. If that were possible. “True mates,” I whispered, my throat tight with both emotions and an impending orgasm. “Through this world and the next. For eternity.”
We both came then, like eternity had been a trigger word, and no lie, my heart was literally hurting. I loved him so much that I could feel it in my chest, like a tangible thing. A tangible thing that we had to protect no matter the cost.
39
We stopped by Shadow’s room to clean up, and after, I dressed in perfect-fitting jeans, a white tank, red hoodie—Shadow’s color, of course—and some comfy slides. The quality of the clothing was second to none, and I took a real moment to give thanks for my mate.
This beast had style.
“Come on. You need to eat,” he said when I stepped out of the bathroom, my hair brushed and braided, the thick rope falling almost to my ass.
“I need a haircut,” I said, flicking the length over my shoulder. “I have no idea how the hell it got so long, but it’s not the most manageable style when we’re on the run and going to war.”
“You’re born of the Nexus,” he told me. “Your energy is that of a creation goddess. Sure, it’s a little muddied by Dannie’s meddling, and I know you’re not at your full potential, but it’s enough that you will find new changes within yourself constantly.”
I shrugged. “The hair isn’t really a big deal. I can always cut it.” Now that Torin wasn’t making the decision, there was no reason to keep trying to grow it to my ankles.
Shadow’s lips tipped up in a sexy smile, and I was trying really hard to remember what the hell the conversation was about. “There’s a decent chance that if you cut it off, it will grow back instantly.”
Of course there was. My hair was as stubborn as I was. “Might just leave it in a braid,” I said with a sigh.
