Page 73 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Although he didn’t open his eyes again, he turned his head toward me. I ran my nose across his before I kissed his lips softly. They parted with a breathy sigh.

“I’d appreciate it if you stopped being lazy and woke up. Don’t think getting stabbed excuses you from our date tonight,” I said, doing my best to keep my voice light.

Again, his long lashes fluttered.

“I expect you to romance the hell out of me,” I said, ignoring the chuckle from either Leah or one of the other healers. “I’m talking candles, music, dancing. I wouldn’t be opposed to some chocolate too.”

Elias’s hand flexed in mine, and I brought the tips of his fingers to my lips.

“Should I invite George to our date to sing for us?” His voice came out gravelly and thick.

“If you want me to enjoy the company of another male, who am I to argue?” I smirked at his frown .

“Even in death, you tease me,” he grumbled.

My heart stuttered before it slammed hard against my chest. “As if two little dagger wounds and some burns could kill you.”

“You are merciless.”

“I am yours.”

When he edged up to prop his elbows on the couch, Leah leaned back with a grimace. The other healers followed suit.

“Your Majesty, you need?—”

“I need my mate.”

He cupped the back of my head and drew me to him for a biting kiss. It was demanding and needy, and each kiss and nip stripped another piece of my soul that only he could fit back together. I inched back, and with his hand still palming the back of my head, he kissed my forehead.

“Can anyone bend space to take us home?” he asked, his attention solely on my lips.

“I can, Your Majesty,” one of the healers said timidly.

“Elias,” I scolded, but it came out needy. “Let them finish healing you. Then we’ll go home.”

“I’m well enough.” His voice was dark and sultry.

When he stood from the couch, his hands landed on my waist, and he leaned down to press his lips against my throat.

“Elias.” I swatted his thigh but smiled when he let out this deep, rumbling laugh.

He was well, and I couldn’t have asked for more. If he wanted to lose himself to me, I’d happily oblige him.

“Go home.” Leah smiled. “Drink from your mate, and I’ll be by later this evening to check on you. There are still many areas that need to be mended.”

With Leah’s permission, we went to the female who’d take us home. It took a few attempts before she was able to bend space and take us to our front yard, but before I could thank her, she disappeared, probably wanting to get away from us as quickly as possible.

Just as Nalari landed in our yard, Elias scooped me up, cradling me to his chest.

“Absolutely not,” I said, trying to wiggle from his hold, which only made him tighten his arms around me. “You were just stabbed, Elias. Put me down. I’ll walk on my own.”

His reply was a kiss to my cheek.

Even after almost a year together and witnessing firsthand how quickly fae could recover, I didn’t completely understand it. Without his healing magic, the blood loss he’d suffered should’ve killed him. The injuries he’d sustained should’ve kept him immobile in bed.

Here he was, though, carrying me as if nothing had happened. But something had happened. Something terrible that could’ve ripped him from existence.

“The stab wounds,” I said, trying to wiggle out of his hold again. “You’re going to tear open what Leah and the others healed.”

His chuckle was deep and throaty. “That’s not how healing works. Once Leah heals a wound, it can only reopen if someone slices me open again. You don’t have a blade on you, do you?”

I frowned at his tease. “Your burn marks. Elias, you can’t carry me like this when you’re still so badly injured.”

He nuzzled against my throat. “I’m in pain, Teddy.

Of course I’m in pain, but more than that, I need you.

I need to lose myself in you. I need to find release in you.

I need that reminder that we’re whole and here and together.

My injuries . . . they don’t matter nearly as much as what I need from you. ”

I understood what he meant and felt that same instinctive need to bury myself in Elias.

“Are you sure you won’t injure yourself further?” But already I felt myself surrendering to our shared need.

“I promise.”

When he reached our two front steps that led to our patio, he winced. I raised my brows in concern, but all he did was chuckle.

“I think I understand Hee-haw’s aversion to these steps,” he said.

Inside, Hee-haw greeted us with an annoyed snort before he turned back to the girls’ shared room, which was thankfully empty. Not that I didn’t want them around. I did, but tonight, I wanted to focus on Elias.

In our bedroom, he placed me on the bed with such delicacy that it stole my breath. I helped him remove my shirt, shivering when his fingers grazed my back to unlace my bra.

“Lie down.” His eyes roved over me, taking their fill.

I squirmed in anticipation. He touched his lips to that tender spot where my shoulder and neck met. My heart pounded so loud it was all I could hear while Elias’s mouth tilted at the corners.

His hand curved at the bottom of my neck, and then he trailed his hand across my collarbone.

He teased the side of my breast, then moved slowly down my stomach, where he placed two gentle kisses.

He took his time caressing the baby bump I’d started showing, whispering sweet words to our boys.

With a devilish smile, he ran his lips down until he reached my hips.

Surprisingly deft fingers worked on the button of my jeans, and once he unfastened them, I lifted my hips so he could drag my pants down.

He pressed long kisses over my underwear, down to my heat, where he nipped at me through the thin fabric.

He eased the slight sting with his mouth pressed against me and took in a deep inhale, nuzzling his nose against the wet slits and purring as he kissed me through my underwear again.

I needed him to take my underwear off, though. I needed to feel his fingers, his tongue.

“You smell . . . like sin,” he rumbled.

I opened my mouth to say his name, but nothing came out when he pulled my underwear to the side and slid two fingers inside me.

“So wet,” he murmured. “Already, so wet for me.”

He brought those two fingers to his mouth, and the sounds that escaped me were nothing short of feral.

“Guardians, I love that pretty pussy.”

It was the first time he’d spoken to me like that, and my core tightened at his words.

After taking off my underwear, I held my legs open for him, trembling as he lowered himself to me, his eyes so dark I was certain they rivaled even the darkest pit. His tongue slid across my inner thigh as he made his way to my pussy that he just called pretty.

“You are a marvel,” he said, his heated breath on my skin. “I’m in awe of your bravery.” A searing kiss that left me squirming for more. “The way you took command . . .” Another kiss had me reaching for him. “You saved us, mo elma. ”

With his tongue, he parted me, and I whimpered when his tongue swept and flicked over my sensitive clit.

Wanting more pressure, I pulled him closer to me, not feeling the least bit embarrassed when I started riding his face.

The air between us thickened with desperate energy as he went down on me with an animalistic drive.

This time, when I wriggled, he held me in place.

“Don’t move.” His order came out deep and growly.

A throaty groan came from him as he licked and sucked, thrusting his tongue between my folds.

Each caress sent me soaring higher and higher.

Then he dragged his length over my leg, where I felt it caged behind the fabric of his leather pants.

When he did it again, he groaned, his tongue and fingers torturing and pleasing me.

I panted, noting the way his cheeks flushed and his muscles tensed in anticipation.

The vibration of his purr spurred me even higher, and when his fingers rubbed against my clit, I shattered, screaming his name as if it were all I knew and all that mattered.

Goosebumps rose across my heated flesh, and I shivered, a sweet reminder that this man and this life were exactly what I wanted.

My hips twitched when he continued his onslaught, making my heart pound faster.

“Elias.” I tugged on the strands of his hair. “I can’t . . . no more.”

He didn’t immediately reply, and I thought my desperate whisper had been lost in the haze of our mounting need. Then his smile turned feral as he crawled to me, his glistening lips inches away from mine.

“Kiss me.”

I leaned up, my hands cradling his face as I crashed my mouth against his. He pulled away too quickly, and I inched up to claim his mouth again. He let me, but only for a few seconds .

He captured my bottom lip with two fingers when I grumbled in complaint.

“Let’s take a shower.” He stood off the bed and offered me his hand.

Yes, a shower sounded heavenly. I ran my eyes slowly over his well-built body.

“You’re looking at me like that again.” He growled the words at me, his eyes turning black again.

When I walked past him, I decided to tease him with a careful brush of the side of my breast across his arm. At the bathroom door, I turned to smile at him.

“What are you going to do about it?” I asked.

He prowled toward me, his hands encasing me against his chest where I felt his chest vibrate with another growl. I grinned wider, eager to feel all the ways my mate intended to ravage me.