Page 18

I splashed the water in the washbasin–a crystal bowl filled with rainwater–and listened. Did it sound like I was still peeing? Would that keep Xaniban away a bit longer?

Yes, I was being ridiculous, but there was no lock on the bathroom door to keep him out. Telling him not to come in here would have the same effect as my previous attempts to tell the king what to do: zero. For heaven’s sake, I couldn’t make myself behave.

I needed alone time to get my priorities straight.

Returning to my community should be at the top of the list. It would be great to show up at the bunker with food and medicine, and Xaniban had mentioned that was up to discussion, but now that he thought me his mate, I had the strong suspicion he wouldn’t let me go anywhere dangerous.

I could ask him to bring my people here… He’d mentioned he didn’t bring just anyone, but if he met them, he would see they were good people. Well, except Carson, but he might not have survived the trip home. If Xaniban agreed, that would be the perfect solution for everyone.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at just the idea of staying with him.

It wasn’t about the best sex I’d ever had, although I now understood those women ready to storm the castle for another round in his bed.

I simply craved to be close to him. To bask in the strength of his presence, in the warmth of his embrace, in the shelter of his wings–

So sappy. See, that was why I was afraid of sticking around.

This magical place lulled me into a false sense of security, when my instincts should stay sharp.

Xaniban chipped away at my protective walls, when I should guard my heart now more than ever.

As long as the aliens were on Earth, there could be no safe haven. Love remained deadly–

Xaniban came in. Didn’t knock, just walked right in and came straight to me, watching me with a burning intensity that made my breath hitch. As if he couldn’t stand a second longer of us being apart. As if he would not allow anything, not even a closed door, to stand between us ever again.

He crushed me to him as his lips took mine.

I buried my fingers in his hair to keep him right there, mouth fused with mine, fangs grazing my bottom lip, deep kisses sparking a whirlwind of sensations.

When we came up for air, I noticed the cloud over the bathtub was on. Xaniban must have used his tail to pull the rope. Seeing the direction of my gaze, he smiled mischievously and offered me a hand. I took it.

He led me into the tub and resumed our kiss there, standing under the tropical rain. Hands at my back and tail around my leg, Xaniban kissed me slowly now, the urgency from earlier gone. This was about savoring every second of our lips being locked, and I was right there with him.

I was going to live in the moment and enjoy what remained of my night with Xaniban. Come morning, I would go back to reality.

He brushed wet locks away from my face, his eyes filled with wonder.

“I cannot believe I have found you, anima . I thought I had yet to prove myself to the Gods, and I thought I knew how strong the effect of the mate bond would be, but… One touch of your fingers along my wings, and you undid me. One minute without you in the circle of my tail, and I was already hurting.”

My pulse sped up once more. His words were laced with raw emotion that tugged at my heartstrings. I lowered my gaze, feeling overwhelmed.

“Did you not hurt, too?”

I didn’t reply. I wasn’t willing to admit anything either to him or myself.

Xaniban traced my cheek with his knuckles. “You are still refusing to accept the mate bond as real. I understand; I am afraid myself.”

“You are?” What was a gargoyle king afraid of?

“The mate bond changed everything,” he said, tracing my lips with a clawed thumb.

A tender touch that warmed me as much as the raindrops on my skin.

“I was alone before, and now I have you to care for and protect. I was ready to die in battle, but now I want to live for you and the future we will share together.” A flutter passed through his wings.

“While I was free of fear before, for whatever the Gods will shall be, now I feel it clawing at my heart at the mere thought of seeing you hurt. Losing you…” His voice dipped, thick with emotion.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself.

His unwavering belief in us being meant to be together was so intense that I couldn’t help but question my own beliefs.

What if the mate bond truly existed? What if the fairy tale of one true love was real?

After all the things I’d witnessed today that could only be explained with magic, why consider anything impossible at this point?

Warm hands cradled my face. “No more of our unity of soul tonight. You need your rest.”

“Yes, I should get some sleep.” Once I caught some shuteye, I was certain I would see things more clearly and have reason, not emotions, guiding me.

“Can we both fit in here?” I asked when Xaniban sat in the tub and extended a hand to me.

“Of course.” His tone was more relaxed now, just like his posture in the water. “My father, before he mated my mother, could fit four females with him in this tub.”

“Uh…” Talk about heritage . “That’s awkward.” I let his tail guide me down until I was sitting with my back to his chest, the water up to my shoulders. “Have you done that? Bring several women here with you?”

He laughed. “No, jealous little human.” He planted a long kiss on my shoulder that sent a pleasant tingle down my body. “I consider bathing a female a ritual to be performed only with my anima . You cannot imagine how many times I have dreamed of this very moment.”

I couldn’t hide my smile. “Alright.” I, too, would enjoy being bathed by Xaniban. “But don’t tease me,” I warned. His cock was hard–again–against my lower back. “We just wash up, okay?”

He didn’t reply; he started soaping up my shoulders instead.

I bit my lip. He was going to tease me, wasn’t he?

He didn’t. Not even once. I wanted him, though.

Because his affectionate touches, coupled with his eyes on mine once I turned to face him, were so much more dangerous.

They made it hard to think of this thing between us as a purely sexual connection.

Under his caring ministrations, it was easy to believe we were linked in a way my human mind couldn’t comprehend.

So when my turn came, I tried to steer us toward a safer direction by teasing him. Admittedly, I also wanted to explore the perfection that was his body and was tempted to test that impeccable self-control of his.

Xaniban didn’t budge. My advances with the soap anywhere below his waist got blocked. So did my reach for one of his wings while I was distracting him with a kiss.

“You are sneaky,” he rumbled, a pleased smile dancing on his lips, but his tail’s hold around my wrist was unyielding.

“Why can’t I wash your wings?” I asked innocently. “They will let me since I’m your mate, won’t they?”

“Do not start something you cannot finish,” he whispered in my ear, hands sliding along my back.

“I’m sure I can wash them thoroughly before I get too sleepy–”

“Do not touch my wings even with a single fingertip. Not unless you are ready to be claimed over and over until sunrise.”

Cheeks burning, I pulled away. I now knew he delivered on his sexy promises, and I definitely couldn’t handle another round with him tonight. Enough playing with fire, Sue.

Xaniban scooped me up in his arms and tail and flew us out of the tub. He landed next to the towels and dried me up, with his eyes drinking me in but his touch never straying. I did the same for him, having learned my lesson.

Then, without the need for words, he picked me up again and flew us to bed. As he laid me on the sheets, I noticed someone had changed them. They were incredibly soft and as green as fresh spring grass.

My eyes began closing as soon as my head touched the fluffy pillow, but it was when Xaniban spooned me that my body relaxed completely. With his arm around my waist and his tail over my hip, I surrendered to a deep and peaceful sleep.