I think about the way she trembled when my tentacles wrapped around her legs.The way her pupils dilated when I told her I wanted everything.
She’s fighting it.Fighting herself.But she’ll lose.The pull between us is too strong.The bond waiting to snap into place runs too deep.She’ll come back to me.And when she does—
The door opens.My head snaps up; every sense immediately focused on the entrance.
And there she is.
Lilith steps into The Undertow, her purple hair catching the light.She’s wearing jeans and a dark hoodie; her hands shoved in her pockets.She looks nervous and uncertain, and her eyes scan the bar until they find me.
The moment our gazes lock, relief and hunger crash through me simultaneously.I set my glass down and stand, every tentacle coiled tight with the effort of not crossing the room in three strides and claiming her right here.
She came back for me.She chose me.She realizes we’re destined to be together.
Her lips part slightly.I can see the desire in her eyes; the need that mirrors my own.Slowly, deliberately, I extend my hand toward her.She takes a shaky breath, then walks toward me.
And I know with absolute certainty that I’m never letting her go.
Chapter Seven
Lilith
I’m trembling as I cross the bar toward him.
Every eye in the room tracks my movement, but I don’t care.All I see is Theron, standing by the bar with his hand extended, his dark eyes burning with hunger.
When I reach him, he doesn’t speak.He just takes my hand and threads his fingers through mine, the touch sending electricity racing up my arm.
“You came back,” he states.
“I couldn’t stay away.”The admission feels vulnerable, but it’s the truth.I tried.God, I tried.But not being near him was unbearable.
His grip tightens on my hand.“Come with me.”
He leads me through the bar, past curious glances and knowing smiles, to a door in the back I hadn’t noticed before.It opens onto a narrow and dimly lit staircase.We climb in silence, the air growing warmer and heavier with each step.At the top, he pushes open another door.
The room beyond is simple but beautiful.A large bed dominates the space, covered in dark sheets that look impossibly soft.Candles flicker on every surface, casting warm golden light across the walls.A window overlooks the ocean, or what looks like the ocean, though something about it feels different.More alive.And it’s not even possible.The ocean is five blocks away from this bar.
“What is this?”I ask.
“A pocket of my realm,” Theron says, closing the door behind us.“It exists between your world and mine.It’s private and safe.Ours.”
Ours.
The word settles over me like a claim, and I shudder.Not from fear, but from anticipation.Ishouldbe scared.Maybe I am a little.But the fear is nothing compared to the want burning through me.
“Okay.This is nice,” I whisper.
“Then come here.”
I move toward him, closing the distance between us.My heart is hammering so hard I’m sure he can hear it.When I’m close enough, he reaches out and cups my face in both hands, his thumbs brushing over my cheekbones.The touch is gentle and reverent, like I’m something precious to him.
“I’ve waited so long for you,” he murmurs.“Longer than you can imagine.”
“I’ve waited too,” I breathe.“My whole life.”
His eyes darken.Then he leans down and kisses me.
It’s not gentle.His mouth claims mine hungrily.His tongue slides against mine in a rhythm that makes my knees weak.I grab his shoulders to steady myself, feeling the hard muscle beneath my hands, the barely contained power of his true form.
