I cupped her face with my free hand, my thumb brushing away her tears. “Look at what you just did, baby.”
She let out a shaky sob, but her hands stayed pressed to my side. The worst of the void burns had already faded to angry red lines, the bleeding only the barest trickle. She leaned into me, resting her forehead against mine.
“I was so scared,” she whispered. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“You won’t.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek, tasting salt from her tears. “Not when you can do this.”
She let out a small, broken laugh that sounded half like a sob, but she didn’t move away. Her hands stayed on me, her aura still gently soothing the last echoes of pain.
And I would spend the rest of my life proving to her that she was safe to let her powers shine.
13
ISOLDE
Only a few hours had passed since I discovered my aura had the power to heal Kastiel, but it felt so much longer.
Lirael had returned to the training suite after the chaos and spent the rest of the afternoon gently guiding me through what had happened. She was fascinated by how my aura had instinctively flowed into Kastiel’s wounds.
I had been stunned to learn from her that this kind of targeted healing was rare for a succubus, especially for mates who weren’t fully bonded yet. Most succubi could only share pleasure while absorbing energy.
We’d also filled Adan in on the larger entity and the way our powers had worked together. He hadn’t been concerned by the sealed rift scar on the floor. Instead, he’d been almost as pleased as I was that I could heal Kastiel. And satisfied that we were strong enough together that we could strengthen the security of The Abyss even more.
Now the suite was quiet again, and Kastiel and I were alone. The memory of my hands on his bleeding side kept replaying in my mind. I could still feel the way my power had poured intohim, and my surprise when I realized it was actually healing his wounds.
The mate bond hummed between us stronger than ever, and a longing for him made my skin feel too tight.
I sat on the edge of the couch in his living room, my fingers twisting in the soft fabric of my robe. Kastiel stood a few feet away, watching me with an intensity that made me wonder if he could sense what I was thinking. How close to the edge I was teetering.
My heart pounded as the words I’d been turning over for hours finally came out. “I think I’m ready to try. Feeding. Not because Lirael says I should, but because I want to. With you.”
The moment the words left my mouth, heat rushed to my cheeks. I felt exposed and vulnerable, but also strangely relieved that I’d finally made the decision we’d both been yearning for.
“Damn fucking straight it’d be with me.”
His possessive grumble made me giggle, something I wouldn’t have thought possible in a charged moment like this.
Kastiel’s expression softened, and he moved close enough to cup my face in both hands, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones. “But only if you’re sure, little spark. This is your choice.”
“It should be partially yours too.” I smiled up at him. “We’re a team, right?”
“Fuck, I love the sound of that.” He dipped his head to capture my mouth in a kiss that left me breathless. “As far as I’m concerned, your succubus side is welcome to feed from me whenever you want. I’m entirely yours, and I want you exactly as you are. All of you.”
I leaned into his touch, trembling. “After what I was able to do this morning, it doesn’t make any sense, but I’m still terrified I’ll hurt you. Or lose control. But the memory of healing you keeps playing in my head. And the bond is pulling me towardyou, not away. So I’m choosing to listen to that instead of my fear.”
“Then we go slow,” he murmured. “You set the pace. We stop the second you need to. You hold the power. I’m yours to take from, or not. Whatever feels right.”
“I know.” I rose onto my toes to brush my lips against his. “That’s a big part of why I’m ready. You’ve shown me I can trust you with every part of me. You never pushed. Protected me when my power was unstable. And believed in me when I didn’t have any faith in myself. I have no doubt every part of me is safe in your hands.”
The air between us shifted, nervous energy giving way to something charged with anticipation. Kastiel offered me his hand, helping me stand. Then he tugged me gently toward the bedroom.
My pulse raced, but it was from want more than fear.
I wrapped my hands around his wrists and led him over to the bed. His dark eyes heated with desire when I let a thread of my aura shift my robe into a sheer black nightie that clung to every curve.
“You’re so damn gorgeous, little spark.” He trailed a finger down the thin strap on my right shoulder. “But you didn’t need to bother with this when I’m already dying to get my hands on you.”
I pressed my breast into his palm as his hand drifted lower to cup the rounded globe. “I beg to differ.”
