She made a sound, almost a sob, as she pressed into me. “Oh, thank the Goddess,” she whispered, face buried in my chest.
“You were never alone,” I said quietly. “I would never leave you. I kept my promise.”
The sound that came from her almost broke me. “I knew you would,” she replied. “I always believed you.”
I didn’t call her out on that obvious lie, though I could never blame her for it. She had every right not to trust me. I broke her heart and weakened our bond when I disappeared, and I only made it worse by not revealing myself to her as soon as she returned. If only I had told her, then maybe this would have all ended differently.
But I also couldn’t help but understand why it had to be done this way. Why I had to trust the Goddess and even the Seer. My mate was alive, and she was now safe.
“Do you like it?” I asked, pulling back. Tears brimmed her dark eyes, though they didn’t fall. “You’re at the manor, aren’t you?”
Ivy nodded as she took one of my hands. “We’re here,” she said, her eyes drifting past me towards the building itself. “You created this place.”
“Yes,” I murmured, cupping her cheek gently and bringing our faces together. “I thought if we were both trapped in prisons not of our own making, at least we could escape together somewhere peaceful.”
“Our home,” she whispered, eyes closing. “It’s so nice. Wet, though.” A smile formed on her lips, lips I so badly wished to kiss. “It’s been storming for days.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot help you with that,” I chuckled. “But have you found it to your liking? I know it isn’t finished, but?—”
“Orion,” she cut in, eyes opening once more, her expression soft. “It’s amazing. You did all of this on your own. Even Eliashad to admire all the work you’d done with the wards and protections. The place is a fortress. I had no idea you could completely renovate a house.”
“You used to tell me how badly you wanted to buy a fixer upper,” I replied, pulling back. “So, that’s what I did.”
Ivy pressed her lips together, the tears finally falling. “I didn’t think you’d remember that.”
“I remembered everything,” I whispered. “I remembereverything.”
Of course, there were things I wanted to remember better. But our nights under the stars formed in my mind almost perfectly; the sleeping bags she brought with her on the second night of me hiding in the old cabin, the sandwiches she offered me after telling me I was too skinny to be healthy. She’d been right, and her concern had been one of the reasons I’d trusted her immediately.
She was never scared of me, and I was never scared of her.
Ivy squeezed my fingers as she searched my face for something. “How do I help you wake up?” she asked. “They said your physical wounds were healed, but you’re still asleep.”
I brushed my thumb under her eye, capturing a tear. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “All I know is youhave to do it.”
Devastation crossed her features as she dropped my stare, eyes closing. “I don’t have my power. The collar is still around my neck, and my bonds?—”
“I don’t think you need either of those things, flower,” I said, tilting her face to mine. “I just need you.”
A frown pulled at her brows and lips for only a moment before I closed the distance between us and finally made all my dreams a reality.
The first kiss felt like finally returning to a life I’d long given up on. Like coming home after years at war, never allowing myself to find peace.
The second felt like coming to life.
Ivy pressed a hand to my racing heart but didn’t pull away, each swipe of her lips exploratory, gentle. My little mate was curious,not hesitant in the way her mouth opened to me, giving me entrance before I even had to beg.
I’d had every intention of falling to my knees and begging for her, but now that I was locked in this kiss, I would simply have to show her what I meant.
I pulled her tight against my body before I helped her to the ground. Cool, green grass tickled us as we went down, becoming a bed of moss once her head hit it. In that time, I didn’t break the kiss, couldn’t tear myself from her, not even if I wanted to. I’d gone years without being with her, with simply having her at a distance. And now…now I wouldn’t give up the chance to have my mate again.
Ivy made a sound in the back of her throat as I deepened the kiss. The hand on my chest went around my neck, fingers cupping the back of my head as I brought our joined hands above her head.
It took only a thought to have our clothes disappear. Ivy gasped against my mouth, but I melded our bodies together, pure ecstasy igniting within me at finally feeling her again.
The touch of her body had been a memory almost difficult to recall, but now, we fit together like forgotten puzzle pieces, finally being brought together again to make up a bigger piece. For the first time in years, I felt whole—right.
And knowing that it was her giving me this feeling only made it better.
