"Shh," Thyros whispered, his thumb catching a tear as it rolled toward my temple. "I've got you. I'm here."
"I know," I managed, while sobs cracked my voice. I'd never been a crier in my life, but with him, I could finally let loose the last of my defensive walls and be me. "I know, and I can't—I can't believe?—"
He shifted, rolling us until I lay cradled against his chest, my head tucked beneath his chin. His heartbeat thudded steady and strong beneath my ear. His hand stroked my back in long, slow sweeps, tracing calming patterns on my sweat-dampened skin.
"Believe it," he said softly. "You're mine. My bonded. My heart. Nothing will ever separate us again."
The bond pulsed between us, weaving us even tighter together, stronger. I felt him through it completely, his devotion, his fierce protectiveness, the way his soul seemed to wrap around mine and hold on tight. I cried harder. Soft, helpless sobs that shook my shoulders and wet his chest. He didn't try to stop them. He simply held me, while his fingers continued their gentle path up and down my spine, his lips pressed occasional kisses to my hair.
"Let it out," he coaxed. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
His cock slipped from my pussy, leaving me feeling strangely bereft. And yet as I felt our combined release trickle down my thigh, I couldn't help a satisfied moan.
He reached for something soft—a cloth, maybe—and cleaned me with exquisite care. The gesture was so intimate, so tender, that fresh tears spilled over.
"Thyros—" "Hush." His palm cupped my face, tilting my head back until our eyes met. Golden warmth stared back at me, fierce and gentle all at once.
"You don't have to say anything. You don't have to be strong right now. Just let me love you."
A broken sound escaped my throat. I pressed my face against his chest again, clutching at his shoulders as if he might disappear. As if this were another dream I'd wake from alone. But he was solid. Real. His arms tightened around me, his body was warm and present, and his heart beat steadily beneath my palm.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," I tried to laugh, but I sounded more like a drowning animal.
"I love you," I whispered. "Beyond the stars. Beyond the war. Beyond everything."
Never in my life had I thought I would ever feel this way or have those feelings returned to me. I always thought I would die during a battle, and I was fine with it. Until I met this impossibleman. He had turned everything I believed in upside down and me inside out.
His smile was devastating. Soft and genuine and so full of emotion that it stole my breath. "And I love you."
He kissed me again, slow, deep, thorough. Not a kiss of passion, but of promise. Of forever. His tongue swept through my mouth with reverent tenderness, tasting every corner as if memorizing me. I melted against him completely, every last tension draining from my body.
My limbs felt heavy. My mind drifted in golden haze. Safe. Cherished. Complete. His hands never stopped moving, tracing my spine, brushing my hip, tangling in my hair. Constant, grounding touches that reminded me I wasn't alone. Would never be alone again.
"Rest now," he murmured against my lips. "I'll watch over you."
"Don't let go," I whispered.
"Never." His arms tightened around me, his body warm and solid beneath my cheek. The bond glowed steady and bright between us, two souls finally woven together as destiny intended. I closed my eyes and let myself drift, held safe in the arms of the male who owned my heart.
We were late.Very late. In my defense, Naeris had discovered the upper waterfall gardens shortly after waking beside me, and once she stepped beneath the silver cascades wearing absolutely nothing but my marks, all productive thought had ceased entirely.
Bathing in the secluded pools carved into the cliffs beneath my palace had seemed like an excellent idea at the time. Especially when Naeris laughed after I dragged her beneath the water with me. Especially when she wrapped her legs around my waist and kissed me like she intended to ruin me permanently. And especially when one particularly unfortunate aquatic creature surfaced briefly beneath the glowing waters, caught sight of us, and immediately disappeared back into the depths with what I swore looked like alarm.
Naeris had laughed herself breathless over that.
“We traumatized the local wildlife,” she informed me very seriously afterward.
“They should be honored,” I replied.
She nearly drowned laughing. Worth it. Entirely worth it. Unfortunately, it also meant we arrived at the Hall of Seven embarrassingly late.
The massive celestial doors slid open as we entered the chamber hand in hand. Every head immediately turned toward us. Ella looked entirely too smug. Nadine attempted—and failed—to hide a knowing expression behind her palmtop. Dravok merely looked exhausted by all of us. Zapharos took one glance at my face and smirked like the traitor he was.
“We were beginning to wonder if you’d fallen into another cosmic anomaly,” he drawled.
Naeris' cheeks turned pink instantly. I grinned without remorse. “Something like that.”
The Hall itself was magnificent in a completely different way from my palace. Ancient and sacred.
