GREY
Ididn’t expect pain to follow me into the afterlife, but everything hurt. I expected my soul to burn, but not the physical pain.
I rubbed my chest and was surprised to find the skin scarred and rigid.
The world came into view, and her presence filled my mind.Lyra.
I tried to speak, but my throat felt like sandpaper. I looked over to see the familiar pool of dark hair near my fingertips. I reached out to touch the silkiness. Maybe I’d accidentally ended up in heaven if such a place existed.
How was I here right now?
Death had claimed me. Maybe I was stuck in the middle between life and death. Wherever the fuck I was, I hoped I could stay just a little longer, but my eyes were too heavy to keep open, and darkness beckoned me forward. I fought to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle. I took one final glance at Lyra, asleep beside me, and burned her into my memory, locking the memory of her beauty deep within myself.
The next time I woke, it could have been hours, days, or even years. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but jasmine andlavender tickled my nose, and it smelled like home. The tension in my chest eased as I pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of her dark hair.
“You’re awake.” Relief flooded her voice.
She was still with me.
My eyes shot open. And I swore one of the Jonas Brothers was staring back at me.Okay, maybe I was in hell.My vision cleared and boy band posters littered every available space on the walls. A sleeping Lyra snuggled into my chest, pulling the sheets tighter around herself.
“What did you do, little witch?” She must’ve done something incredibly fucking stupid because I wasn’t supposed to be here.
She hesitated, shifting deeper under the covers.
“Tell me,” I murmured against her lips, coaxing her mouth open with my tongue, needing to taste her.
She gripped my hair tight, giving it a slight tug, as if making sure I was really here. “I saw you die,” she whispered the words quietly, like if she spoke too loudly, the world would take me away from her again. “I didn’t have any other option.”
“What did you do?” My stomach dropped while I waited for an answer. But honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
She didn’t speak. Instead, she rested her head on my mutilated chest. Her fingers traced over the scars.
I repeated the question. “What did you do, Lyra?”
She tensed. “I went beyond the veil and brought you back.”
My hands gripped tightly around her thighs, and she winced. A bandage was wrapped around one of them. “How is that even possible?”
“I was the shepherd of lost souls. The afterlife owed me a debt.”
“What was the cost?” Magic like this would have required a steep price.
“Please don’t be mad, but I didn’t have any other choice.” Tears welled in her beautiful hazel eyes.
“Lyra, what did it cost?” I asked again.
“Our lives are bound together.” She hooked a finger into the collar of her shirt, pulling it down. My eyes widened at the binding symbol.
My hand flew to my chest. I found a matching symbol carved in the same spot.
“Bound?” The word rattled around in my brain.
Lyra was mine, and I was hers. And I was about to take what was fucking mine.
“Say it,” I commanded, pulling her on top of me. I couldn’t look away from the interconnected lines marking her perfect skin.
“I’m yours. Every part of me belongs to you.” I bucked upward at her words.
