“You always do, Andrik,”she sniffles.
“I can’t claim you yet,”I say, my voice breaking, “but I'll make it bearable. I'll ease this... even if I can’t end it yet.”
She nods,barely, but it’s enough.
“At this point...I’ll try anything. It hurts,” she cries.
I summona slow curl of frost from my marrow—the ancient, biting cold of the thrûn’vael. (The frozen heart.) I let it flow into my fingertips until they are as pale as moonlight and cold as death. When I finally touch the scalding skin of her inner wrist, steam rises where we join. She lets out a broken sob at the relief, her hips shift instinctively, searching for me.
“I have you,soulbond. I will hold the fire until it burns us both to ash.” I rasp.
I slidemy freezing hands over the curve of her ribs, down the hollow of her waist, before they settle at the pulse point at her throat. Her body arches, a breathless moan slips free.
I grit my teeth.Focus. Just get through tonight. You can find him tomorrow, and this will all be over.
Her scent is everywhere.She buries her head in the pillow and chants my name under her breath. “Andrik. Andrik. Andrik.”
I’mon the verge of ripping off her towel and letting Rhûven rut into her until she‘s marked inside and out—Gods be damned.
No.
No.
I tearmyself away from her before I do something that can’t be undone. My hands shake as I press them flat to my thighs, claws digging into my skin to keep from touching her.
“Andrik?”Her voice is full of confusion. “Why did you?—”
“Rhûven is getting tougherto control. I’m trying so hard, Lumi.”
She blinks up at me,searching my eyes.
“Then let him out.”
“Lumi,I can’t. Not like this?—”
“I need you—”
“And I needyou to trust me!” I snarl.
She flinches,and guilt chokes the air from my lungs.
I sink backto my knees beside the bed and force myself to breathe—to think of any way I can give her what she needs.
Forcing my voice to soften,I murmur, “Come with me.”
Before she can answer,I scoop her into my arms. She’s hotter than any human ever should be.
The bond is devouring her.I carry her back to the bathroom, kicking the door open. The tub still has water in it from earlier. I set her on the edge and pull the plug, watching as the old water swirls down the drain. I turn on the tap, and fresh water floods the basin.
“What are you doing?We were just in here,” she whispers.
“This isthe only thing I can think of.”
I leta spiral of magic curl into the water until ice crystals form and the surface turns into slush.
“Get in,”I say softly.
She hesitates.
