The sight of her accepting me.
Choosingme.
My mouth crashed onto hers, feral and desperate, blood and heat and madness tangling us into an inescapable war.
I kissed her like a dead man.
A man clawing to survive—
Her cold surged into me, slamming with violent waves, ice and snow, frost and sleet.
I kissed her harder—rewarded with another blizzard. A blizzard that bought me a few more minutes.
Maybe she could stop this.
Perhaps she was the final key to saving me.
“Make it stop,” I groaned. “Ineed youto make it stop. I don’t want to die. Not yet.”
She kissed me back, her fingers digging into my lower back and pulling me deeper between her spread legs.
I lost myself for a moment. Drowning in her taste, living in a fantasy where I wouldn’t die if I just kept kissing her.
And if kissing could buy me time, perhaps other things would cure me completely.
My right hand strayed to her breast, squeezing her soft flesh and running my thumb over her nipple.
She moaned and arched into my hold, a polar wind erupting from her.
I tore my mouth from hers. “Remember what I said when we escaped Cinderkeep?”
She trembled, her breath hitching as I continued to fondle.
“If I don’t want you to die, you won’t die.” I pressed a kiss to the tip of her arctic nose.
Her eyes widened, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks. “I remember.”
“I will never let you die, Rook, because I will never stop wanting you.”
Tears poured faster as she winced with pain. “Lucien—”
“But you have to make a choice. Right now.”
“W-What choice?”
“Whether or notyouwantme.” I rubbed away the chilled droplets leaking down her cheeks. “Because if you want me, Rook...don’t let me die.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
I GROANED AS HE KISSED ME AGAIN.
I wanted to help him.
God, I wanted to help him so, so badly.
If only I could.
If only I was better, stronger—
