Page 75 of Claimed By the Depths

As if sensing my attention, his golden irises flicked to me. The smile that caressed his lips was lazy, but delicious in a way I wished to memorize.

Everything about him had been the same, learning his mind, body, and soul an addiction I would never get over. Beauty barely described him, and I couldn’t extend enough thanks to the gods for molding him as my missing piece. We completed one another in a way I never imagined possible, and there was no one else I wished to spend this life with.

All parts of me burned for all that was him.

Slowly pulling his stare from mine, Ace finally answered Rohen. “It seems so. As Lorelie stated…” He cocked a brow. “Where is she anyway?”

Taking a bite of the apple she munched on, the Daughter of the Sea offered him a pointed look. “With Sapphira. Are you surprised?”

“Not really. Though I figured she would want to be around for a discussion as pertinent as this.”

“Well,” Rohen flattened her hands on the table, “I am not waiting for her. If she wishes to wet her cunt with her partner’s tongue, then so be it. We are discussing the steps we are going to take to ensure our lands and those imprisoned by the evil that suffocates them are set free. With or without them.”

“What of Parran and Ignis?” Syoran prompted, his hand casually moving to settle on Kael’s shoulder. “Both of them are involved in this just as much⁠—”

“You can inform Ignis, and Alastair can enlighten Parran.” Inhaling deeply, her nails carved into the wood beneath them. “As has been stated numerous times, we are running on slipping seconds. Time is not a currency we are rich in, and I refuse to postpone anything else when far too many lives are on the line.”

When Caspian is on the line.

She did not need to state the words, not when her body betrayed any emotion she wished to claim false. Whenever discussions about the captain of the Bloodmarked took place, her truth carved through the sharp lines of her features and the tautness of her frame. What had once been loathing had transformed into something deeper, a longing that transcended realms.

“Understandable and heard,” Alastair said as he combed a hand through his hair. “Though is it unfair of me to request that we reconvene to discuss things in the morning? When we are all far more well-rested and level-headed?”

Silence filled the galley as Rohen considered his request. Lips pressed in a tight line, she ran her tongue along her teeth before she dipped her chin once. “I suppose that is a fair request, Captain.”

Grinning with a lightness I hadn’t witnessed in a long time, Alastair gestured toward the door. “I have men to check on, and I am sure Syoran does too. You are more than welcome to join me if you would like to keep your hands busy with something other than tracing incomprehensible shapes on Caspian’s⁠—”

Rohen moved so swiftly that I nearly missed her slide across the table before planting herself in front of the man who held my heart. Knuckles driving into his shoulder, the scowl she wore was overridden with something akin to joy.

“Okay, asshole, show me the way. There is nothing I enjoy more than commanding men to do as I say.”

Failing to suppress my snide grin, I pushed myself up from where I sat. “Then you’ll want to stick beside me, Ro. Alastair has a soft spot for his men.”

Treasure-filled irises found me, Alastair’s brows furrowing in a mix of shock at my utterance and an influx of playfulness. “You'd better get to running, little fang, because when I catch you, I will certainly take my time reminding you why I am the captain of this ship and why every single man walking its decks will bow to you if you so much as command.”

Moonlight slipped through the large windows, scarlet curtains drawn back to allow night to cloak our intimacy. Darkness clung to every corner of the room, shadows watching as I trailed my fingers through Ace’s damp hair. Still nude, I savored his warmth and all that was him, devouring his scent of vanilla bourbon and ginger.

Pressing a soft kiss to the crown of his head, he hummed and nestled further into my chest. “Mmm. I love you, Lani.”

“I love you too, Ace,” I said with a smile. “You’re a blessing, not only to this crew but to me as well. I hope you know that.”

“I do. You grace me with such knowledge every day.” He shifted slightly, reaching up to grab my hand and lace his fingers with mine. As he drew my arm tighter around him, a sigh slipped from his lips. “Do you have the bandwidth to listen to my concerns? For me to⁠—?”

“Always,” I whispered. “I will always have time for you to disclose whatever you need, baby. Your thoughts, struggles, doubts, and achievements are all things I will hold space for, no matter what.”

“By the gods, what did I do to deserve a woman like you?”

“The true question is what did you not do? And, as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing you have done not to deserve me. You’re just as much of a blessing to me as I am to you, Ace, and I do not speak that with fallacy.”

A gentle quiet followed, one that clung to intimate moments. I relished it, grateful for the calamity it brought and all it meant to sit with him without obligation, without expectation. Being with him was enough, loving him was an honor, and any minute we shared of such simplicity was something I treasured more than the sun cherished the sky.

Our breaths mingled a handful of times before Alastair finally elected to speak. “I’m scared.”

“Why?” Tightening my hold on him, my lips caressed his skin. “You can tell me why.”

“Because we are on the brink of a war that we aren’t even confident we will be able to win.” He kissed between my breasts before settling his head there. “Sure, Rohen, Caspian, and I have learned of our lineage, but if we are unable to tap into it, if we fail to determine the final two Divari, as well as find the artifacts, everything will fall apart. The maliciousness that slithers through the veins of the Capital will spread, and that infection will pollute all we have ever come to know and love.

“For fuck’s sake, I’ve spent my entire life running, attempting to understand the clear line between living and surviving. But I have it now—with you—and there is nothing that terrifies me more than losing all I’ve come to love.” Adjusting himself, he propped himself up on his elbow, the knuckles of his free hand resting under his cheek. “I have fought for this, Lani, tooth and nail. Our men, this found family we have built, every touch we’ve exchanged has become my purpose. A willingness to continue fighting for the betterment of our future that Sorva could steal without so much as batting an eye.”