I stilled at the voice.
I knew that voice, but I did not want to turn and realize that my mind was playing tricks on me. Closing my eyes, I prayed to anything that would listen to me to let it be her. When I turned, Della stood on the porch where I had just walked from. I dropped to my knees, and her eyes fell to the ground where I landed.
“Storm,” I choked out. I glanced around for any indication that I was dead or dreaming.
“Haden.” She smiled brightly. She looked…normal. Her bronze skin glowed slightly, and her black hair tumbled in waves over her shoulder. Her pretty starlight eyes were finally open and shining at me. She was still wearing my tunic, and her bare thighs didn’t escape my notice.
My greedy eyes soaked in everything about her. Della didn’t look like she’d been lying in bed, unmoving, for weeks. Gods, she was breathtaking, as if she had not been sleeping at all.
“Please do not wake me from this dream,” I begged.
Della stepped forward slowly as if I would bolt. My senses kicked in, and I rushed to her, gripping her in my arms and hugging her to me. Her familiar scent of flowers and heavens filled my lungs.
“You are really here,” I said in disbelief. “Please tell me you are really here, awake.”
“I am really here.” Her arms wrapped around my neck and held me close to her. I did not let go. My face was buried in her neck, and I cried.
Della pulled back and wiped the tears from my eyes.
“I thought I would have to wait hundreds of years for you to wake up, and I was already falling apart,” I confessed.
Her hand came up and brushed the side of my face before pulling me to her and kissing me.
“How do you feel? Do I need to get a healer? Do you need food?” My gaze bounced back and forth between her eyes. “Tell me what you need, Storm, and it will be yours.”
Her eyes softened when she looked at me. Her fingers traced over my cheek before her gaze met mine.
“I do not need anything.” She looked over my face slowly. “It feels like I took a small nap.”
“It’s been weeks,” I whispered. “I was so fucking scared you wouldn’t wake up. But your brother said old gods are nearly impossible to kill for good.”
“Which brother?” Her eyes glanced over my face, looking carefully at my reaction.
“The one who is very upset you made him a small troll.” I chuckled softly, and Della threw her head back and laughed so loudly that it made my heart sing. “He is very upset about that and that you made his name something that you and Mikel call him to be brats.”
“Abram is too serious all the time. Besides, it’s always good to humble him and make sure he stays levelheaded.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You could have told me all of this. That you are an old god—the Goddess of Creation, and Brim was your brother.”
Her hand brushed my hair from my forehead. “No, I couldn’t. We both know you would have intervened, just like you didn’t tell me you were going to die all those years ago. Our emotions and love would have destroyed the realm because we would never allow one another to do whatneededto be done.”
“I guess you’re right.” I stared at her. An overwhelming sense of love filled me. I would never understand why I got to have her, but I would spend our life making sure she knew I was grateful for it. Della would want for nothing. Anything she desired, shecould have. I was here to make her happy; that was my only purpose.
She lifted my hand and glanced at the two stars I wore on my finger. “Can I have my star back?”
“Yes.” I immediately slid the ring off my finger and onto hers. “I’m so happy it was you, Storm. You are everything to me, and I hope that every day you look at me, you see a man worthy of you. Everything was worth it if it meant I could keep you forever. I am completely in love with you. Nothing will keep me from you again. I will defy fate, I will travel to Hell, and I will destroy the heavens for you. There is nothing strong enough to keep us apart. I vow to you that I will always rip apart the realm for you—for us.”
“Haden…” She was crying, but I leaned in and kissed her softly.
“I love you more, and I’m always all in on you,” I whispered, brushing the hair from her face. “You are my soul, my heart, my entire reason for breathing.”
“I love you, and I am all in,” Della whispered as she pulled me to her and kissed me roughly. Her hands yanked me to her. “I need you,” she said with a smile when I exhaled.
“You have been bedridden for weeks; are you sure?”
“You just said I could have anything. You're all I need, Haden. I feel great; I don't feel like I was in bed for weeks. There is a lot of power and energy swarming inside of me. Unless you don’t want me…”
I gripped her hair and pulled her closer to me when she smiled.
