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“Landers,” I breathed, my voice trembling, cracking with the weight of everything I felt for him. “I love you so much.”

His answering smile was heartbreakingly beautiful, full of relief and a tenderness that made my own heart ache. “I know,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss the tears from my cheeks. “It was always you. From the first moment, even when I fought it, it was always you, Hyacinth.”

Slowly, deliberately, he pushed forward, stretching me, filling me. It wasn’t a taking, but a homecoming. I gasped as my body welcomed him, yielded to him, sheathing him inch by beautiful inch. My breath hitched, my eyes closing briefly as I savored the feeling of him sinking into me, deeper and deeper, until he seated himself fully, burying himself to the hilt within me. He paused, letting me adjust, his eyes locked with mine, searching my face.

“All right?” he asked, his voice husky.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat, my fingers tightening on his shoulders. We stayed like that for a long moment, simply breathing together, connected in the most elemental way. His forehead fell to rest against mine, his eyes closed now, a look of utter peace smoothing his features. I could feel the steady beat of his heart against my chest, a rhythm that matched my own. My hands slid up his sculpted, scarred back, tracing the lines of muscle, feeling the heat radiating from his skin.

He felt solid, real,mine.

“Mine,” I whispered, echoing the thought that had pulsed through me when he’d worshiped me moments before.

His eyes snapped open, the green irises blazing with an answering possessiveness.

“Always,” he vowed as he captured my lips in another searing kiss, sealing our reunion, our promise, our love, as he began to move.

The world narrowed to the space between us, to the feel of him moving within me, a slow, languid rhythm that spoke of devotion, of adoration. Every subtle shift of his hips, every deliberate thrust, sent ripples of sensation through me, grounding me even as my soul felt like it was soaring. He withdrew almost completely before easing back in, the friction exquisite, the connection absolute.

He moved his hips, just a fraction, a slow, deliberate withdrawal before sinking back into me again just as slowly. A low groan escaped my lips, a sound of pure pleasure. This was right.

This was us, finally, truly us.

“I love you,” he said quietly, the words beating in the air as if they had a heart of their own. “More than I know how to bear.”

His hands slid down my sides, settling on my hips, guiding the rocking motion, anchoring me to him as he moved withinme. His gaze never left mine, holding me captive, baring his soul as he took me, loved me. He watched as pleasure painted soft lines around my eyes, my lips parting on a silent gasp as he pushed into me with more force.

My legs wrapped around his waist and tightened, locking him against me, pulling him even closer, wanting all of him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, the sound vibrating through me where our bodies met. His hands tightened on my hips, tilting me just so, finding an angle that made me cry out, the sound swallowed by his devouring kiss. The pace quickened, his movements becoming relentless, driving deep, withdrawing only to plunge back into me with a force that stole my breath and shattered my thoughts into a million glittering fragments of sensation.

He buried himself inside me again and again, stretching me, filling me until there was no separation, no beginning or end to where I stopped and he began.

“Hyacinth,” he groaned against my mouth, the name a rough prayer torn from his throat as he drove into me harder, faster.

My head thrashed against the pillows, my fingers digging into the hard muscle of his shoulders as the pressure inside me began to build again, coiling tight and hot, demanding release. He felt it, knew it, his eyes darkening, his rhythm becoming punishing and perfect, pushing me toward that edge, holding me there, suspended in exquisite agony.

His breath came in harsh pants that mingled with my own ragged gasps.

He lifted his lips from mine for only a second, his eyes blazing into mine one last time, a universe of feeling passing between us in that silent glance before the world dissolved into blinding light. His lips crashed back against mine, muffling my cry as pleasure, bright and shattering, ripped through me. Almost simultaneously, I felt him tense, his body shuddering ashe found his own release deep within me, his groan vibrating against my mouth.

We collapsed together, slick with sweat, hearts pounding in frantic unison. He rolled slightly to the side, taking his weight off me but keeping me gathered close, his arm tight around my waist, my head pillowed on his chest. I could feel the heavy thud of his heartbeat beneath my ear, a steady, reassuring rhythm that slowly lulled the frantic pace of my own.

The early morning light painted stripes across his skin, illuminating the contentment on his face, the lingering tenderness in his eyes as he looked down at me.

There were no more words needed, not now. So instead, I stared at him, drank in his scent as the certainty solidified in my chest that in his arms,by his side, was exactly where I belonged.

“Letmebeextremelyclear; I do not care that you are a God, I do not care that you are a king, you listen to everything I say until we get to the passage,” Dukovich stated, looking between Landers and I as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

“Once we get to the passage and I no longer have to glamour you, you are free to do whatever you wish.”

I rolled my eyes in his direction as I tightened the knives across my chest. I’ll truly never understand why men need to cling to power like it is their life’s breath.

“Now,” Dukovich started again, “where is your dragon?”

My eyes flickered to Landers. “She is staying behind to help Asrai and Elric get supplies to Ithia.”

“I thought we needed dragon fire to wake them?” Wren asked, his brows furrowing alongside the question.

A grin slithered onto Dukovich’s face as he looked to Landers. “I see you finally told her what you are. I wondered how long you would leave her in the dark.”