The second Lukagot back to Izzy, he knew he’d made a mistake by leaving her. She looked completely spent. Dark rings bruised beneath her eyes. Even her scales seemed faded where they flickered over her pulse. And, almost more concerning, she’d withdrawn into herself.
Izzy answered questions. She said the right things at the right times. She promised Ryland that she was okay and asked him to check on the boy from the market. She told Shane—as his drake paced restlessly—that she would clean up at home and then report in at the castle to speak with the queen that afternoon. She didn’t even try to suggest that she should attempt shifting, and she climbed quietly into Luka’s claws and let him fly her carefully out from the cave. But the joyful, laughing woman of the morning was gone.
He settled her gently onto the street outside her home and watched as she unlocked the door and let herself inside before lumbering down to the side alley and shifting. His beast went willingly, both of them needed to get inside, closer to Izzy, but he was exhausted, and the pain of cracking bones and contracting sinews left him breathless.
He also had no clothes or weapons—Shane had promised to bring everything back for him—and he ignored the shocked faces of shoppers and passersby as he strode, completely naked, into the market. He let himself into Izzy’s shop and locked the door before making his way up the back stairs.
She’d left the door to her personal quarters ajar, and he pushed his way quietly inside and climbed the narrow stairs. Her bedroom was cold. Days without a fire had left the air damp and chilled.
Izzy was busy laying out another set of Rayan’s clothes. She reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a shirt to go with the trousers she’d already laid on the bed. “You can take these for now.” She didn’t meet his eyes as she strode across to a narrow dresser and tidied the small collection of toiletries to make space around a washbowl. “I’m sorry, the water’s cold, but there is some in the jug if you want to wash your face.” She paused in her busyness and let out a frustrated breath. “Gods, what am I doing?”
“Iz?” He stepped closer.
She lifted her hands to her head as if it hurt. “This doesn’t even make any sense.”
“What doesn’t make any sense?”
“This.” She gestured, taking in the clothes, wardrobe, and dresser. “It would be much quicker for you to fly back to the castle. All your uniforms are there… and at least the water’s warm.”
He took another careful step closer. “I don’t want to fly back to the castle.”
“Oh.” A flurry of scales fluttered over her throat. “Okay. Then you might want these. It’s just… I don’t have any more boots. Maybe some thick socks….” She turned back to the wardrobe and peered inside.
Luka took the chance to step up beside her. “Izzy?”
She turned toward him, blinking as if her eyes were stinging, and he did what he should have done the first time he was here. He kissed her.
He stroked his hands up her arms and over her shoulders to cradle her face as he tasted her lips, falling into her scent. Her spine was stiff, her shoulders tense, but she didn’t pull away, so he kissed her again.
He kissed her mouth, her cheek, her forehead. He pressed his lips to her smooth throat and inhaled the scent of her skin. His beast purred loudly, delighted, and Izzy began to soften. Her arms came up, her hands resting on his shoulders. She winced as she moved, and he laid his hand over her wounded side, holding it, wishing he could take the pain himself.
Luka lifted Izzy into his arms and walked backward until his legs touched the bed. Then he sank down, holding her in his lap. He soothed his hands down her curves, his touch lingering on her silky skin. He nibbled at her lips and smiled against her mouth when she drew in a shaky breath, but mostly he held her in his arms. He surrounded her with his body and held her tight; then he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “I’m not leaving.”
She swallowed heavily, her eyes locked on his. “Luka, you know that I love you?—”
“And I love you.” He pressed another kiss to her lips, elated when her mouth twitched into a tiny smile, and then bereaved when it fell away.
“You don’t want this,” she continued. “But I… I want it all. I don’t just want one night. Ineverwanted that, and I can’t….” She let out a shaking breath. “I can’t spend the rest of my life watching you walk away.”
Scales flickered up his chest in agitated waves. “I’m not walking away. You’re my mate. I told you that in front of the gods, and I meant it.”
Izzy leaned back and pressed her hand to his cheek. “You thought I was going to die. We’d just lived through something horrific. The words you said down there don’t have to define the rest of your life.”
Luka held her eyes and forced himself to stay relaxed. The urge to get defensive—or worse, to run—was strong. But if he did either of those now, he would lose her forever. “I understand why you think that.” He kissed the side of her mouth. “But I promise you—Ipromiseyou—you’re everything I want.”
She shook her head, just a tiny movement, but enough to show her doubt—her fear—and he didn’t blame her.
Luka’s eyes prickled, but he held himself together so he could say the words he should have said long ago. “I’m sorry, Izzy.” He sifted his hands through her hair, letting the softness soothe him as he opened his heart and let himself be utterly, completely vulnerable. “I pushed you away, and I’m so very sorry. But it wasn’t because of you; it was because of me. I was terrified. I thought that if we were mates, when you left me, it would break me.” He pressed another kiss to her forehead. “But then I realized it didn’t matter either way. You’re my mate wherever you are. Nothing is more important to me than you.” His beast rumbled, and the vibrations passed through him to her. “You’re not my mate because of some strange quirk of fate or random act of the gods. You’re my mate because I chose you. Because I love you. Because you’re the missing part of my soul. You’re my mate because when we’re together, we can do anything.”
Izzy bit her lip. “But… my shop… your responsibilities…. You said it was just for one night. How?—”
He cut her off, rescuing her soft lip with a kiss. “Last night, I stayed awake and watched you sleep. I thought about my life and everything I’ve done and all the regrets I’ve carried. Being with you is the one thing that I am entirely, completely grateful for.” He pulled her closer and pressed his face into her neck. “Iwant to be with you. I want to find a way… if you’ll have me.” He swallowed. “Please, Izzy, have me.”
This time she kissed him. Her hands settled on the sides of his face, lifting him up so she could meet his lips, and her kiss was no longer subdued or hesitant. It was full of hope and rising joy. “Really?”
“Yes.” There was no doubt in him. No doubt in his voice. “I don’t know the answers, but we’ll figure them out together.”
Her eyes searched his for long moments, and he held himself still, letting her look into his soul.
