Page 79 of Alastair

Sinfully good.

“Alastair,” I said with a groan and gripped his hips, not sure if I intended to stop his descent or yank him down harder. My fear from earlier returned. Everything was so overwhelming. The intensity caused a ball of panic to bundle up inside me. “I…”

“It’s okay.” He rubbed my chest and emitted a soft grunt as his body pulled me in deeper. “Just you and me. Remember? Get out of your head and stay in this moment with me.”

As I stared into his eyes right then, the panic began to fade. Nothing about this was sinful or wrong.Hewasn’t wrong. Our soul-deep bond coursed through me, elated by the joining of our bodies. I cupped his cheek, eyes stinging as the hollowness in my chest finally began to fill after so many years of being empty.

“I’m here,” I said in a gravelly tone. “With you. Nowhere else.”

“Good.” He placed his hand over mine as he rolled his body.

Every day, I’d had to be in full control. Commanding my warriors. Watching over the Nephilim brothers. Vulnerability was weakness, and with the weight of my responsibilities, weakness was a thing I could never succumb to. But there in bed with Alastair, I let go of that control… and I gave it to him.

He rode me slowly, taking me deep. His eyelids fluttered closed as pleasured sighs left his lips. They left mine too. I was on fire. My blood was electrically charged, the voltage rising with each rocking of his hips. My fingertips dug into his thighs as I canted up into him, seeking more. More warmth. More of the euphoric cushion of him enclosing my throbbing cock. He quickened his pace, his body coming down harder. Faster.

Tingling sparks moved down my spine, and my muscles began to spasm uncontrollably. “I…” My breath caught. “I’m…”

Alastair’s hand curled against my chest as his insides quaked. “Me too.”

I grabbed his hand and entwined our fingers, trembling at the intensity of my impending orgasm. And then I was falling. Soaring. White-hot pleasure shot through my veins, and I groaned hard, bucking my hips up into him. His release landed on my stomach as his muscles clamped down on my shaft. He whimpered my name and arched his spine, throwing his head back.

Remembering his reaction to the words earlier, I lifted our joined hands and kissed his knuckles, murmuring, “Good boy.”

Alastair’s eyes snapped opened, and a rawness shone in them. A second wave then slammed into him, causing his entire body to quake. A sheen of sweat glistened on his pale skin, and I sat up, hands sliding to his backside as I licked up his sternum, growling at the salty taste of him on my tongue.

“Lazarus,” he said on a whimpering groan. “My wing slits.”

At first, I was confused. But then I remembered: the slits were erogenous zones. I’d never felt it for myself, but I’d heard Michael speak of it before. I moved my hands up Alastair’s back and ran my fingers across both openings. When I sunk them inside the silky folds, he jolted and released loud, throaty moans.

“Like this?”

“Y-Yes.” Alastair wrapped his arms around my neck and moaned in my ear as the last of his release rippled through him.

We stayed like that for several minutes, breathing hard. With our lust sated, I braced myself for the regret to follow. What I felt instead was a sense of wholeness and satisfaction that went beyond the physical. My restless soul calmed as I held him in my arms.

My heart felt so full.

“Where do we go from here?” Alastair whispered, dipping his face to the crease of my neck.

I lightly smoothed my palm along his spine. “Where do you want it to go?”

“I don’t know. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” His hold on me tightened a bit. “Will Uriel punish you again? For being with me?”

My back prickled at the memory of the whip cutting into my skin so many times I’d lost count. “It’s possible, though it’s unlikely anything will be done until after the war.”

I decided not to expand more on that answer. When I disobeyed Uriel about Kallias’ soul, it had been a direct order from him. The order to seal my bond with Alastair had been passed down from the council of archangels, not just him. And if theydiddecide to punish me for my disobedience, it would be much worse than lashings on my back.

Alastair slid off my lap before disappearing into the bathroom. Running water then sounded.“Come take a shower with me.”

My body obeyed before my brain could catch up. I was out of bed and joining him in mere seconds. He greeted me with a soft smile before grabbing my hand and leading me into the shower. We washed off the sweat and aftermath of our lovemaking before standing beneath the stream of water and coming back together for a gentle kiss.

“I wonder why we can still speak telepathically,” Alastair said, resting his head on my chest. “The mind link formed because of you blocking our bond. With that bond now free, you’d think the mind connection would’ve closed.”

“I have a theory.” I moved my fingers through the back of his hair. “Our minds were joined for so long that it created an imprint that forever bound them. Much like forging together bits of steel. Once fused, it’s difficult to separate again.”

He smiled against my collarbone. “So you’ll be eternally blessed with my voice in your head.”

“Blessed?” I huffed. “You think too highly of yourself, Pride.”