There's a beat of silence in my head.
Oh. OH.A pause.Right. Yes. Privacy. I'll just… be over here. Doing literally anything else.
"Thank you," I say, fighting a smile.
Though for the record, I've been very good about not commenting on?—
"Nightmare," Eryx growls.
Fine, fine. I'm gone. Pretend I don't exist.
And then—silence. Real silence. Just me and Eryx and the bond humming softly between us.
He pulls back to look at me, and something in his expression makes my breath catch. It's not hunger. It's deeper than that.
"Hi," I whisper.
His mouth quirks. "Hi."
Then he kisses me, and it's not desperate or frantic like it used to be. It's sure. Steady. Like he has all the time in the world to learn the shape of my mouth.
I arch into him, and his hand slides under my shirt, palms warm against my skin. The bond flares—not painful, not overwhelming.
Magic coils between us, and I feel his shadows respond to my light. They don't clash. They dance.
"Chelsea," he breathes against my neck.
My fingers find the buttons of his shirt, and I work them open one by one. His chest is warm under my hands, muscles shifting as he helps me pull the fabric away.
I trace the line of his collarbone, down his sternum, and the bond thrums louder. I can feel his heartbeat like it's my own.
"Your turn," he murmurs, tugging at my shirt.
I lift my arms, and he pulls it over my head.
His fingers trace my ribs, featherlight. "You're beautiful."
My magic flares in response, and before I can stop it, my claws manifest—gold and black threading across my fingers.
I freeze. "Sorry, I?—"
"Don't." He catches my wrist, brings my clawed hand to his face. Presses a kiss to my palm. "I love them."
The bond hums so loud I feel it in my teeth.
He lowers me back onto the bed, his body covering mine. The weight of him grounds me, steadies me. His mouth finds my neck, my collarbone, lower.
I gasp when his hand slides between my thighs, and the bond surges—magic braiding together, his and mine, inseparable.
"Eryx—"
"I've got you," he murmurs.
And he does. He always has.
His fingers move with purpose, and my back arches off the bed. The shadows ripple around us, responding to every gasp, every sigh.
When he finally moves over me, when he presses into me, the bond doesn't hurt. It sings.
