The sky hit me like a blessing, and I pulled in all the air I could.
I climbed higher on instinct, wings beating hard, shedding droplets of boiling water. The sea below hissed where my fire had kissed the surface. Wind rushed through my feathers, ringing in my ears.
Through the bond, Rune’s shock, horror, and relief rushed at me in a tidal wave.
I angled my wings and dove back down toward her.
She stood at the water’s edge as I ascended, pretty golden eyes wide.
When I came close enough, I let the fire fade, my phoenix form collapsing in on itself mid-air.
I hit the sand in my regular body, but I was naked.
The matebond flooded with a messy tangle of emotions: lingering horror, shaky relief, and an amused disbelief.
Rune stared at me, eyes flicking down my body once, then again, catching on the one thing that hadn’t burned away.
The gold chain around my neck.
She giggled, the sound breaking on a breath that sounded like it might’ve been a sob. “Fates, Koa…” She stepped closer, lifted two fingers, and hooked them through the chain, pulling me toward her by the necklace. “How come you lose your clothes, but never the slutty golden chain?”
“It’s enchanted,” I told her, my voice faintly hoarse. “My dad gave it to me.”
“Oh,” she murmured. Her hand slid down from the chain to my chest, fingers tracing the lines of my abs, trailing heat in their wake, until she wrapped her hand around my cock.
It throbbed in her hand, and I hissed out a breath. “Rune, we’re in public.”
“Do you really care about that?” she teased, mischief sparking in her golden eyes.
A flush crawled up my neck. My self-control wobbled. “I—yes? Maybe? Sometimes?” I cleared my throat. “Also, I’m still technically recovering from being shark food.”
“So, itwasa shark?” She laughed, finally letting me go, and stepped back toward the bag we’d dropped on drier sand earlier. “Relax, reboot. I came prepared.”
She dug into the bag and pulled out a folded pair of shorts and a T-shirt.
I blinked. “You packed extra clothes for me?”
“You always die, Koa,” she said, amusement dancing across her face. “I’d be a bad mate if I didn’t plan for that.”
I chuckled, taking the clothes from her and stepping into the shorts. “This is not exactly how I wanted to start our date,” I admitted, pulling the shirt over my head.
“Maybe not,” she giggled. “But it’s very on-brand for you. Now, do you want to make love to me in the sand or not?”
“I very much do,” I blurted, but both our phones chimed at the same time.
The sound was sharp and too familiar.
It was a mission alert.
I pulled mine from the bag. A notification glowed across the screen.
Jesper Wyvernheart
Report to Supernatural Council HQ. Urgent briefing. ASAP.
Rune’s screen showed the same message.
I let out a long sigh, tilting my head back toward the sky. “This isnothow I wanted to end our date. I’d much rather end the date inside of you.”
