Týr pulled out and drove into her again, pounding harder and faster.
Kira arched up, moving with him. Her warmth seeped into him, her body opened to his as he moved inside her. She consumed his every thought—his heart and soul.Shebrought him back to life.
As he rocked into her, she moaned, her nails biting into his forearms. Balancing on one forearm, he stroked his thumb over her clit. Her inner muscles clamped harder around his sex, dragging his release down his spine. His balls tightened.
He tugged her tiny nub of pleasure, and she cried out, her back arching up as her orgasm hit, triggering his own release. An iridescent, white light shimmered through him.Heavens. He groaned. His head kicked back at the incredible pleasure sweeping through him, binding them together.
Spent, he simply rested his head on her shoulder to get his breath back. Her chest heaved, and puffs of her breath drifted over his skin. She held him quietly, her palms slowly sweeping over his back.
By the stars, every time he made love to her, something inside his soul eased, grew lighter.
After several seconds, he reluctantly eased away from her warm body and lay on his back, drawing her to him. She settled in the crook of his arm and sighed, but remained quiet.
Týr ran his palm down her spine and hips to gently squeeze her butt. No words were needed because, for the first time in his long life, he felt at peace. He did not fear closing his eyes to sleep.
* * *
What seemed like seconds later, Týr’s eyelids snapped open at the sheer power abrading his psyche. He quickly took stock of where he was, recognizing the high ceiling and black girders of his quarters.
At the warm body lying over his chest, a smile started as he recalled Kira sleeping on him like this at the cabin because her back was hurt.
Hell, he hated having to leave her. He wanted just one day with nothing to do but laze about with his mate. Better yet, for them to go to their cabin for some quiet time. But the Arc had projected too fucking loudly, and there was no way for him to ignore the call.
Unable to avoid the shitstorm about to erupt—and there would be one since he’d sort of gone AWOL—Týr eased away from Kira. She snuggled into his pillow. He sat up, his feet hitting the cold tiles.
Be down in ten,he mind-linked with Michael.
At the sight of the jambiya lying on the floor, he picked it up and slipped it free from its case to study the slightly curved blade. The weapon was a little smaller than his obsidian dagger. His jaw tightening, Týr sheathed it, then set the thing on the nightstand and made his way to the bathroom.
A quick shower later, he changed and walked out of the dressing room, only to stop and stare at the huge bed where his mate slept. His heart thumped painfully against his sternum, unable to believe that she was his. Finally. Hell, he’d let an entire year waste away. Guess when the torment of his past dominated his every breath, shit like that happened.
Running his fingers through his damp hair, he penned a quick note to her and forced himself to leave and make tracks for the ground floor.
A short while later, he rapped on the door and entered the Arc’s small study. A huge desk ruled in one corner of the room with an L-shape bookshelf set against the wall behind it. The two armchairs opposite the crackling flames in the hearth didn’t offer welcome right now. And the room’s only occupant stood at the open French doors, arms folded, staring out at the snow-covered grounds. Insipid, morning sunlight seeped between the dark storm clouds.
As he neared his leader, the archangel pivoted. His fist shot out, sending Týr several feet back. Pain erupting through his face and into his cranium as light exploded in a prism of brilliant colors.
“You deliberately disobeyed a direct fucking order, jumping into the Dark Realm!Alone!”
“Are you freakin’ kiddin’ me?” Týr snapped, not surprised by the punch. “It’s not like you didn’t know what I’d do. Wait…” A grin started, and then he grimaced, his face hurt too damn much to continue smirking.
“For heaven’s sake—” Michael tunneled his fingers through his fastened hair, disarraying the strands, his expression one of pissed fury. “We had no idea where in the Dark Realm you were. Why in the blazes didn’t you take Aethan with you?”
“You care. If only I’d known.”
“Don’t fucking go there.” His splintered blue irises burned in irritation.
Damn, Michael was really going hardass on him this time. With a shrug, Týr dropped the blasé facade. “I refused to have the mated warriors with me on this—”
“What the hell is Nik?”
“Screwed in the head.” The Arc looked ready to explode. Before his ass got benched for life, Týr said, “I had…backup.”
His face like a thundercloud, probably seconds from another punch, Michael growled and leaned against his desk, appearing to reel in his ire. “So, she is your destined?”
Týr pinned the Arc a cool stare. “Never cared about that shit. I love her. She’s mine.” Then, he tacked on with a smirk. “Man, I can’t wait to see what you do when you meet your mate—”
“I’m not like you hardheads. I was bred for war.”
