Sebastian shook his head. “That was a stupid thought, though. It was quickly apparent to everyone that she had a connection with Andrian the rest of us would never understand—even if they had denied it to themselves. But…”
He was right in front of her now, their bodies separated by inches. Leather and pine filled her senses as he crowded her space, bracing an arm on the wall over her head.
“A part of me couldn’t help but feel…jealous. Because unless an Armature was the Queen’s Consort, they were likely in for a long and lonely life. Even if someone did come along, anything that bloomed would always be tainted by the knowledge that my life would long outlast theirs. So, I told myself, why even bother?”
Sebastian’s free hand gripped her chin. “But then you stormed into my life,” he murmured, and there was something pained in the breathless way he spoke. “All sunshine and brightness hiding a terrifyingly strong heart. Though we started as friends, you were the only one that made me wish for a touch of happiness of my own. No matter how fleeting it might be.”
Was she breathing? Did she remember how? Pressure clogged Ciana’s throat, her eyes burning with an emotion that bubbled and popped and fizzed in her chest.
“I’m scared,” she whispered, as loud as she was able.
She didn’t need to say what of. He knew her well enough to know it all already.
Sebastian’s hand dropped from the wall, fingers pushing into the thick curls at the base of her skull. “I know,” he said hoarsely. His eyes danced between hers, dropping once to her lips. “But sometimes, a little fear is worth it. Especially…” He sucked in a deep breath. “Especially for those we love.”
Sebastian’s kiss caught her choked sob.
They came together like they were coming home. Because that’s what it felt like; not like a journey into the unknown, but a return to safety and comfort. Something she hadn’t known since she was a girl mourning a kind father who’d died too soon and left her to survive with monsters.
Finally, after all these years, she’d somehow managed to find it again.
Ciana’s fingers tangled in his hair. His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She broke away for a moment, gasping for air, finding his hazel eyes shining and bright and blazing.
“I love you, too. Because you make me feel safe.”
Sebastian’s expression melted. A happiness she’d never seen on him before bloomed in his smile, reflected in his eyes, lit up every radiant corner of his face.
“Soul bond or not,” he murmured, “loving you and keeping you safe is my purpose in life, Ciana Visseau.”
Ciana wasn’t sure when the tears sprang from her eyes. Only that she felt the roll of moisture down her face, dripping from her chin.
That wouldn’t do. She was too happy for tears.
And too much warmth was pooling low in her core, in places she’d been afraid of for far too long, to be crying at this moment.
Maybe Sebastian read all of that on her. Before she could blink, his lips were back on hers. Her back again met the wall, this time because he’d gently pushed her into it. His hand dropped from her chin to her hip, thumb sweeping across her stomach.
At that touch, Ciana decided she was tired of being afraid.
“You promised me something the other day,” she murmured against his lips. He pulled back, her toes curling.
He was flushed and hungry and rumpled, and it was all fromher.
“I did,” he said, the corner of his mouth tugging up. “And I meant every word.”
Ciana tightened her grip on the back of his neck. Her body vibrated with nerves and anticipation and an energy she’d never felt in her life. “Show me. Take the dark memories away.”
Sebastian froze. Some of his heat cooled, his stare intensifying. As if he were trying to read between her layers, to see anything she might be hiding beneath.
Once, she might’ve seen it as hesitation. She knew better now.
“Please,” she whispered. “I trust you. I trust you with this. I trust you withme.”
That must’ve been enough for him.
His devouring kiss emptied all the thoughts from her mind. His hands swept across her body, leaving trails of fire over her curves. He was so large and she was so small, and yet somehow she’d never felt safer.
Never felt more cherished.
