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“Again, I don’t know the details, just that there’s like some type of ceremony involved.” I hesitated, unsure how she’d respond to what I had to say next, but I wouldn’t lie to her about this. “And sex.”

“Sex? You mean we just…”

“Partially. We’re not fully bonded yet.” I bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. “I would assume that’s why we feel this new clarity between us.”

“And our magic…”

I nodded. “Yes, my magic feels different, too. More powerful and energized by yours.”

Gray dropped her gaze to a tattooed Elemental mark wrapping up my neck, her lips pursed as she thought about the new development while I continued to gently stroke her hair. At last, she leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on my chest. And the broken pieces of my soul seemed to find their way back together again.

I awoke in the comfort of my bed, warm and content—at peace. Behind my eyelids, I could tell the soft morning rays indicated dawn. My mattress shifted, dipping from the movement of another body at my side. I peeked a drowsy eye open to find Gray curled into my side, nestled into me with her arm draped over my torso and leg thrown over mine. And as my mind caught up to last night’s events, I took note of her essence, of how it was basically merged with mine.

I smiled. My heart felt so full it could burst at the sight of seeing the woman who’d rarely been treated with kindness or respect trust me in this way. To sleep beside me in her most vulnerable state. A man she’d once vowed to kill.

I was honored to see her like this. I felt how much of herself she hid away from those around her, even though she wanted to show it. After being rejected for the majority of her life, who could blame her?

Brushing the hair blanketing her face, the scent of vanilla and lavender settled in my senses as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. She angled her head back to meet my eyes with her sleepy gaze.

“Hi,” she breathed, her voice airy and husky.

Still grinning like a fool, I stroked my thumb down her cheekbone. “Hi.”

After we returned to the lodge last night, we forewent any activities the others tried to entice us into. No one commented on our close proximity or my possessive hold around her waist, but I saw their knowing looks as they bit back smiles as if they knew what had happened. We simply went to my room, where we fucked hard, gently, and everything in between for hours, just soaking in one another’s presence, letting every restrained breath free. No walls. No barriers in our bond.

No fears crept into our night together. Between the rounds, we laughed together. And I loved pulling that husky sound from her throat. And that smile…

As I stroked her hair with my fingers, she looked up at me with that smile again, turning me into a lovesick fool as tears filled my eyes.

This woman brought me back to life. She gave me back to myself whether she meant to or not. If she asked me to, I’d level the fucking world for her. I’d do anything. I loved every shattered piece of her. If I had to sweep each jagged shard up with my bare fingers for her so she could piece herself back together, I’d do it without a second thought. I didn’t care if it shredded my skin in the process. Hell, I’d search the winds for the lost pieces.

That smile would be my undoing.

I dipped my head, placing the softest of kisses on her lips. I groaned, feeling her arousal. My dick reacted immediately. I teased her jaw, then her neck. She arched her back. “Don’t we have…” she asked, breathless.

“No,” I mumbled against her neck. “We stay here all day.”

Gray giggled, further hardening my dick. “No, we can’t.”

“The fuck we can’t. We’re kinda in charge of the place.” I licked the protruding vein on her neck. Chill bumps raised on her body. I smiled against her smooth, gilded skin.

“We have stuff to do. Important things and shit,” she mumbled, her voice thick.

“This is important.”

Again, she laughed but threaded her fingers through my hair. She jerked my head back, pulling my mouth away from her neck. I met her amused gaze. “Focus.”

“I’m focusing.”

“Training. We gotta check and see how that’s going. Talk to Orion about the book…”

I lifted a finger and brushed it over her lips. “We’ll get it done, Rainbow,” I said. “But first, we’re going to enjoy me being inside you.” An unbridled fear rose to my chest. What if this might be the last chance we ever get? It was ridiculous, I knew. But I’d waited for her since I was ten. Sixteen years of waiting. The fear of losing something so precious, beautiful, and special scared me worse than turning Endarkened had been. Because without her, life felt hollow.

My eyes must’ve reflected my anxiety because Gray’s face softened. She slid a hand to hold my face in her hands, searching my gaze. She nodded. “Okay,” she whispered before leaning in to take my bottom lip in her mouth.

I shifted to where I hovered above her, kissing down her chest erratically, trying to chase away my panic and reassure myself that she was here. That she would stay.

“I’m here, Chrome,” she said, her voice a rushed whisper. “I’m here.” Her fingers tugged my hair.