Page 64 of Shadows Rising

I don't deserve it. I'm not worthy of it.

I am.

We're shaking—together, unraveling. The magic builds. The bond pulses. Time vanishes.

And then it shatters.

Not just climax—though that crashes through us both. The bond itself fractures, splintering into a thousand pieces before reconstructing in a heartbeat. The sensation is so intense I cry out—part pleasure, part pain, part something I have no name for.

"Aspen," she gasps, body tightening around mine. Her shadows flare wild and bright, plunging us into darkness for three heartbeats.

When sight returns, everything is sharper. Her eyes. Her skin. The gold and silver threads of magic binding us together.

The shadows around us pulse with her pleasure. Mouse's eyes glow brighter. Even Walter spins in lazy circles above us.

"I feel you—everywhere—" she breathes.

"I know. I feel you too."

The sensation crests again—pleasure spiraling into something transcendent. I feel the fall, losing the last threads of control—but there's no fear now. No need to hold back.

Because as I fall into her, she falls into me. As I claim her, she claims me. Equal. Complete.

The moment crashes over us, and I surrender—not to darkness, but to her. The bond blazes, blinding and brilliant, weaving us together in ways that can never be broken.

Except—there's still something missing. Not between us, but beyond us. A hollow space. A bond left open. A presence yet to arrive.

I don't have time to question it before aftershocks claim us both.

We lie tangled afterward, skin damp, hearts racing. I shift to pull her against my side, unwilling to let go. Her shadows settle around us like a warm blanket.

"The bond," I murmur, tracing patterns on her skin. "It's different now."

She nods, eyes heavy but clear. "Stronger."

"Steadier." The berserker inside me has calmed like a storm finally passing. Not gone, but no longer fighting to break free. No longer something to fear.

She brushes her fingers along my jaw. "You feel... settled."

"I am." The truth surprises me. I press my lips to her forehead. "You were right."

"About?"

"About being what I need."

She smiles—slow, a little smug. "Does that mean you'll stop hiding from me?"

"I wasn't hiding," I protest weakly.

Kaia raises an eyebrow.

"Fine. I was hiding. But no more."

She nestles deeper into my embrace, fingers tracing idle patterns over my heart. "Good. Because we need you." A pause. "I need you."

Words rise in my throat—words I'm not ready to say but feel with every fiber of my being. Instead, I press them into her skin with my lips. Against her temple. Her cheek. The corner of her mouth.

Mouse appears at the edge of our makeshift bed, keeping watch. The other shadows form protective circles around us, guarding this moment of peace.