Page 57

She was His

“ Y ou don’t want me?” River’s whispered question was a dagger to Nikhail’s heart.

At that moment, he realized he’d fucked up. He should’ve chosen his words more carefully, should’ve made sure she knew how much he desired her.

“What? No.” Gods, that was not the case at all. He wanted her so badly he could barely breathe. Gathering River in his arms, he held her close. “Princess, we can’t sleep together tonight .”

Her mouth fell open, her eyes sweeping over his. “Nik?—”

“We’ve both had a bit to drink, and there won’t be any question about consent when I finally claim what’s mine.”

When he had her, they would both be clearheaded. Then, and only then, would they spend hours enjoying each other’s bodies to the fullest. He wouldn’t take her now, when it was late and he’d be unable to worship her the way she deserved.

River’s eyes swept over his for the longest moment before she sighed. “But you want to, right? ”

“Do I want to?” He stared at her incredulously.

“Is the sky blue? Do the stars glisten in the night sky? Yes, I want to.” His gaze ran appreciatively over her, and his cock twitched, already ready to go again.

“By the Black Sands, little storm, it’s taking every ounce of my resolve to stop myself from sinking into your pussy and making it mine right now, bad decisions be damned. ”

She shivered, and he kissed those beautiful, plump lips.

“I want you more than you could ever imagine,” he whispered against her mouth. More than he’d ever thought possible. “And I promise, I won’t let you go to sleep wanting.”

He would never be so cruel. Running his hand down the length of her dress, he stopped at the hem. “Can I take this off?”

“Yes,” she breathed without a moment’s hesitation.

He helped her out of her garment, tossing it behind them. Her bra followed, leaving her in a pair of red lace panties that had his cock standing at full attention once more.

He’d been right that first day, when he’d called her a goddess. She was clearly made by the gods, designed especially for him.

If he were a poet, he’d fill rooms with notebooks, marvelling at her beauty. If he were an artist, he’d paint her every day. If he were a musician, he’d compose an infinite number of sonnets in her name. He was none of those things, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate her.

“Fuck, River. You are absolutely magnificent,” he groaned.

He couldn’t keep his hands off her any longer. He bent, capturing her rosy nipple in his mouth and rolling her other breast through his hand.

River arched into his touch and moaned. The sound was everything , and Nikhail’s soul rejoiced at the fact that she was making it for him.

He licked her nipples and played with her breasts until she was a moaning, whimpering, needy mess beneath him.

Only then did he kiss his way down her stomach, memorizing each moan, each inhale, and each gasp.

He reached her center and ran his knuckles over her soaked panties.

“Can I take these off?” His voice was a rasp.

“Yes,” she breathed, wriggling beneath him.

He tugged off her underwear, leaving her bare before him. Exquisite. That’s what she was. Beyond compare, he had never seen such a beautiful woman.

Nikhail reverently ran a hand through her wet folds.

“Gods, little storm, is this for me?” His fingers were glistening. When she nodded, he groaned and licked his fingers clean. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

He propped her legs over his shoulders, spreading her folds and admiring the view.

“Please,” she moaned, shifting closer to him. “I need you.”

How could he deny her? How could he leave her wanting? He’d sooner deny himself pleasure a million times over than refuse to give her what she needed.

Like a man starved, Nikhail dipped his head and ate . He lost himself in River. The sounds that came from her as he sucked her clit into his mouth were the best ones he’d ever heard, and they were seared into his mind.

When she writhed against him, begging for more, he smiled against her center and doubled his efforts to make her come. When she tangled her hands in his hair, moving him exactly where she wanted him, he slipped a finger inside her soaked core.

She was so fucking tight. He groaned against her, adding another finger and moving them in a come-here motion.

“Nik…” His name was a babbled mess from her lips, and he’d been wrong before because that was the best sound he’d ever heard.

The stream of words that came from her became increasingly loud and incoherent as he brought her closer and closer to the edge. Making her fall apart became his sole focus in life.

If River would let him, he would never leave, forever worshipping at the altar between her legs. There was nothing else he wanted, nothing that would ever come close to this.

And when he added a third finger and moved them just so, when she screamed his name and her walls fluttered as she came around him, he realized that no matter what happened next, this night would live in his mind for the rest of his life.

Nikhail would never forget the way River collapsed on the bed, panting. Never forget the way she tried to squirm away from him when he returned his lips to her center. Never forget the cries that tore from her throat as he pulled another orgasm out of her.

Only then did he press a kiss to her inner thigh and slip away to the bathroom, wetting a washcloth with warm water.

He cleaned her, careful not to jostle her too much, before turning off the lights and climbing into bed behind her.

She sighed, the swell of her perfect ass pressing against him as he held her close.

“Sleep, River,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “I’ve got you.”

A phone was ringing nearby, and Nikhail was filled with the urge to find whoever was on the other end of the line and kill them.

Didn’t they know his goddess was trying to sleep? She was the little spoon to his big one, her body perfectly curled against his, and she needed her rest after last night. Who dared to try and disturb her?

Opening his eyes as the obnoxious ringing continued, Nikhail extricated himself from River as best he could. Her lips were parted, and her eyes were shut as she slumbered, her brown hair spread across the pillow. He’d combed his fingers through it last night as she’d fallen asleep in his arms.

She looked like an angel, curled up in the middle of the bed, and he could stare at her all day long. Or he would, if that damned phone would stop ringing.

He dug through his pants where he’d abandoned them yesterday, pulling out the infernal device. River shifted on the bed, a small whimper slipping from her lips as she buried her face in the pillow, and he hurried to the bathroom, pressing the phone against his ear.

“Hello?” he whispered, shutting the door behind him.

A low voice met him on the other end of the line, and a pit grew in his stomach the longer they spoke. By the time he hung up, Nikhail was fully awake.

Putting the phone on the counter, he showered as quietly as possible, trying to buy River a few more minutes of sleep. He dried off, wrapping a white towel around his waist and stepping out of the bathroom.

He stopped short, his lips creaking into a smile despite the news he’d just received.

River was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed they’d shared, the comforter wrapped around her. She looked beautiful, even though she was barely awake, and he wished he could stay with her all day. Fuck duties and jobs and everyone else that required their attention.

“Morning, princess.” He strode forward and kissed her, because asking him to keep his hands off her was like asking him to carve his beating heart from his chest. “How did you sleep?”

“Well, thank you.” Her fingers fiddled with the edge of the blanket as she gazed up at him. “Who was calling? I heard you talking in the bathroom.”

He supposed it had been foolish to hope that she would’ve been able to sleep through that, with her fae hearing. He sat next to her, the mattress dipping from his weight, and she slid into him.

“Nik?” she asked, shifting to look him in the eyes. “What happened?”

“I’ve been called in to work early.” He hated that this was happening now, hated that today was starting on such a bad foot. Last night had been so incredible, he wished it could have lasted forever.

“It’s not good, is it?”

He shook his head, raking his hands through his damp hair. “No. There’s been an attack at Hydrangea House.”

“The Chancellor’s residence?” River’s eyes widened.

“Yeah.” He grimaced. “There are multiple casualties.”

River sucked in a sharp breath. “Chancellor Rose?”

“I don’t know,” Nikhail said. “But I’ve been summoned, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.”

Everyone in the Central Region was being called in. Vacation time was cancelled, trips annulled, days off were over.

“Do they need any doctors?” River asked.

Gods, his water fae had such a beautiful heart. He loved that she was so quick to offer her help. Wrapping his arms around her, he brushed a kiss across her lips.

Was it too early to tell her the depth of his feelings? Probably, but that didn’t make it easier to keep the words inside.

“There will be military healers and witches on-site, but I’ll call you if we need more.” He was certain he could get her temporary clearance if needed, considering her familial connections.

“Thank you, Nik.” Her lips brushed the bare skin above his heart. “Be safe, okay?” She peered up at him through lowered lashes. “When you get off, I’d like to talk about what comes next for us.”

He’d never heard better words. “Absolutely, little storm. I’d love that.”

They traded kisses and soft touches as they got dressed. Neither of them seemed to be able to keep their hands off each other for long, which made parting even harder.

Too soon, they were both ready. River was returning to her parents’ house, since she’d left her things there, and there was a ride waiting for Nikhail outside.

Knowing that someone was expecting him didn’t stop Nikhail from caging River in by the hotel room door, bracing one arm above her head while his hand trailed down her chin.

“I’ll miss you, River.” He bent, capturing her mouth with his. This kiss was soft and sweet. A promise that what they’d started the night before wasn’t over. A vow that even when he was gone, he’d be thinking about her. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

Even if he couldn’t pick up right away, he’d keep an eye on his messages.

He waited for her to nod before stepping back and opening the door. They went down to the lobby. It was snowing lightly, and he adjusted River’s scarf before she climbed into the yellow taxi. Only then did he get into the waiting black military SUV.

Commander Root sat in the front passenger seat, next to a driver Nikhail didn’t recognize.

“Galebringer.” Commander Root met Nikhail’s gaze in the rearview mirror and dipped his chin as the engine purred to life. “Good to see you.”

Nikhail buckled in. “You, as well. Is there any news on the attack?”

“It’s too early to know for sure, but all signs point to the Black Night.”

That wasn’t a surprise. The vampire they’d captured at Castle Sanguis had been willing to talk after some… encouragement. The woman mostly spewed hatred, but between her vile words and curses were nuggets of information.

Between her and the intel they’d gathered, it appeared the rebels were focused on removing Chancellor Rose from her position. They seemed to believe that by doing this, they’d be able to dismantle the government from the top down.

The military had increased security around the head of state, but evidently, something had slipped through the cracks.

Nikhail’s phone was blowing up with emails and messages about tightening security around the country.

There had already been talks about putting stricter laws in place, and now, they would certainly be pushed through.

Gods, this was a fucking disaster. As much as Nikhail believed the Representatives were unjustly powerful, the rebels weren’t trying to bring about change in the right way at all.

Didn’t they understand that their methods would merely lead to more injustice and bloodshed?

Any hope Nikhail had of returning to River’s side vanished when they pulled up in front of what was left of Hydrangea House.

The once-white building was now a burned husk, and the gardens that gave the residence its name were completely destroyed. Smoke billowed out of what had been the roof, and the thin layer of snow that had fallen overnight was covered in ash.

Crews of water and air fae fought alongside firefighters, battling the remnants of the fire. Yellow police tape surrounded the gated residence, and hundreds of military personnel and police were inside the perimeter.

Nikhail’s mouth dried as bodies in black bags were wheeled out of the residence, while a circle of ambulances helped the injured. No matter how many times he dealt with death, it never got easier. Not really.

“The Chancellor was hosting a private meeting with two dozen Representatives last night,” Root said grimly from the front seat. “It was supposed to be a secret, but…”

“Someone found out.” The driver finished the commander’s sentence.

“We lost several Representatives in the attack, as well as many of their aides,” Root added.

Nikhail cursed. “What about the Chancellor?”

Commander Root glanced at his phone, which beeped twice. “She’s in critical condition, en route to the Rose Medical Center. They’re not sure if she’ll make it.”

His words settled upon Nikhail like a cloud, and he knew that the next few hours would be chaotic. Root opened his door, signaling that, for now, the time for conversation was over.

They stepped out into absolute mayhem. Nikhail slipped into his role with ease, finding his team, but even then, he couldn’t stop thinking about River.

What if she had been here? What if, after attacking the Representatives, the rebels turned towards their families? His blood chilled at the thought. No. He would never let that happen.

River Waterborn was his, and he would protect her until his last dying breath. No one would ever be able to take her from him.