Page 112 of Alastair

“Alastair.” He took my face in both his hands, and the warmth of his palms only worsened the ache in my chest. Because I knew our time, our touches, everything we had in this moment was limited. “Tell me—”

“You’re a warrior,” I said, hating the frailty in my voice. “It’s all you’ve known. It’s how you trained me and my brothers to be. Follow orders and put personal feelings aside. Don’t let emotion get in the way of the mission. But.” My throat tightened. “What if, to save the world, we had to make the ultimate sacrifice?”

His breath faltered.

“What would you tell me then, Laz?” A tear escaped the corner of my eye. “Because I’m so lost right now. Torn between duty and the selfish desires of my heart. Torn between saving the world and wanting to watch it burn, if only to have another moment here with you.”

“What are you saying?” Lazarus rolled me to my back and pinned me to the bed. His hand slid to the side of my neck, and although his firm gaze was piercing, that hand shook. A second passed, then another. He searched my face for the answer I couldn’t give him. “What will happen when you kill Lucifer? Answer me!”

“Just kiss me,” I pleaded. “I’ll tell you everything. I promise. But right now, I just need you to kiss me. Please.”

I needed him to make me forget. At least for tonight.

“Such a stubborn boy.” He grabbed my jaw and crushed our lips together, settling between my legs.

“But I’m your stubborn boy,”I told him as we kissed.“Only yours.”

For as long as I lived and long after, I would belong to him. No one else. If only we had more time to—No. Don’t think about it.

Lazarus kissed down my chest as he removed my pants. I was still stretched from when we’d had sex earlier, so after slicking his cock, he positioned it at my opening and eased inside. I stared up at him, loving how a section of his white hair fell forward as he hovered above me.

“Youwilltell me.” He grabbed both my wrists with one hand and tugged my arms above my head as he penetrated deeper, grazing his teeth up my neck as his hard cock filled me.

“Yes. I will.” I tilted my head back against the pillow, lifting my hips to meet his slow thrusts. “But not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” he agreed. “Tonight, we fly.”

He was dominant yet tender. Possessive yet giving. He kissed me deeply as his hips rocked back and forth. My back arched, and I tested the hold on my wrists, trying to break free. I felt him smile against my lips.

“Let me touch you,” I said.

Another soft smile. “I didn’t hear you say please.”

“Do it now,” I told him instead. Pride stirred in my chest, and I imagined him cutting his eyes at our mate.

“As I’ve told you many times before…” Lazarus pulled nearly all the way out before slamming back into me, grunting under his breath. “I don’t take orders from you, Pride.”

It had become our thing. Me trying to boss him around, and him putting me back in my place. Secretly, I loved it. I enjoyed giving him control. I enjoyed pressing his buttons too. But I was too needy right then.

“Please.” I sucked in a breath as he nipped at the sensitive place below my ear. “I want to touch you.”

Lazarus released my wrists and caressed my brow, my cheek, then my lips as his hand trailed back down. The gentle touches contrasted with his hard exterior. His soft kisses did too. They said he treasured me.

I treasured him too.

My hands landed on his sides, and I moved my fingertips along the grooves of hard muscle as he rocked into me. Our bodies moved as one, joined physically and also on a soul-deep level. I felt all the delicious sensations he elicited as he pumped into me, but I also felthim. His pleasure. His love.

The mark I’d placed on his neck told the world he was mine, but gods, I was his too.

“Fly with me, Alastair,” he murmured, resting his cheek on mine. “And if you fall, let me fall with you.”

It wasn’t until afterward, when we were basking in our postorgasm glow, that his words truly sunk in. If I died, he wanted to follow me in death. But my fate was grimmer than that.

I burrowed in closer to Lazarus, settling into my favorite place between his arm and side and pressing my face to his neck. His scent both comforted me and caused a lump to form in my throat. The first icy breath of winter. Crisp apples.

“I haven’t forgotten,” he whispered against my temple. “I expect an explanation in the morning.”

“I know.” I squeezed my eyes shut.