Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
"Nessa. I'm serious. When I saw you in my bed these past few days, all I've been able to think about is what I'd do if I lost you. And… it's not something I can stand to think about. You have to protect yourself. No matter what. I've already made sure your friends understand."
"Wait… what does that mean?"
"I warned them I'd hold them responsible if anything happened to you."
"Raith. You can't threaten my friends."
"I already did."
"I like him," Typhon rumbles in my mind.
"Not now, Typhon."
I'm about to continue the argument, but Raith leans in and kisses me.
His lips are firm against mine, nothing hesitant in the way he claims my mouth. Unlike our previous kisses, there's an urgency here, a desperation that makes my knees weak. I press closer, my hands finding his shoulders for balance as liquid heat floods through me.
The kiss deepens, but I can feel the rigid control he's maintaining—holding back, mindful of my weakened state even as his hands frame my face with a possessiveness that makes my pulse race. His heartbeat thunders through the tether between us, matching the frantic pace of my own.
I even feel whispers of desire, arousal, relief, and excitement. I can hardly say which of those are my own emotions and which are his.
"This is all I've thought about since the last time," he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough with barely contained desire.
"What took you so long?" I breathe, my fingers curling into the fabric of his uniform.
He pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, his thumb tracing the line of my cheekbone. "You know exactly why."
And I do. He's been protecting me—from himself, from his secrets, from whatever darkness haunts him. But now that I've tethered myself to him, those barriers are crumbling, piece by piece.
"This doesn't mean I'm not still angry about you threatening my friends," I say, even as I lean into his touch.
His lips quirk in the ghost of a smile. "Angry is fine. As long as you're alive."
"And this doesn't solve anything," I add, my tone serious now. "There's still a siphon hunting you. And… maybe I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you, either. So you had better make sure you stay alive, too."
"That's the plan. I can't keep you alive if I'm dead. I can't protect my fires if I'm dead."
"Forget about that. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not because I'm worried I'll lose a protector. Because I'd be losing you. I'm sure the fires feel the same way."
I sigh, reluctantly putting a few inches of space between us. My body protests the distance, craving the warmth and strength I felt in his arms, but my mind knows we need to focus.
"One hour of training," I remind him, steadying myself. "Then I'll get some more rest."
Despite my words, rest is the last thing on my mind. Training, too.
I'm thinking about the kiss and the fragments of what I felt through the tether. I want him in bed with me. I want him stripping off my clothes. I want him touching me like I'm not fragile or about to break. Gods. I want him. So. Fucking. Badly.
Raith's lips curve upward. "You may need to find a way to keep your thoughts quieter if we're going to be tethered… I may have picked up on some of that."
"Oh gods," I say, covering my face with both hands as my cheeks burn yet again.
Through our tether, I sense his restraint, his desire carefully banked like embers waiting to ignite.
"For the sake of all that is elemental, just mate with the fire human and be done with it," Typhon grumbles in my mind. "The tension between you two is giving me a headache."
"It's not just about sex, Typhon. Sometimes, sex is just the cherry on top."
There's a moment of silence, and then, surprisingly: "I've seen many bonds in my time, angry human. Few as... intriguing as this one." He sounds almost uncomfortable with the admission, quickly adding, "Not that I care one way or another about your mating habits. Your mortal attachments are fleeting and mostly ridiculous."
But I catch it—that rare glimpse of genuine interest beneath his usual arrogance. It's gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving me wondering if I imagined it.
I glance at Raith, at the rigid set of his shoulders and the intensity in his eyes as we walk. Whatever this is between us—whatever it's becoming—it's far more dangerous and far more precious than either of us realized.
"When you're recovered," Raith says suddenly, his voice low enough that only I can hear. "When you're back at full strength..." He pauses, his eyes meeting mine with a heat that sends electricity down my spine. "I want you in my bed again, but not for healing."
The bluntness of his words makes my breath catch, a flush spreading across my cheeks that has nothing to do with the void corruption still leaving my system.