Page 120 of Bellamy

“Instead of using some silly stone, you could tell me the location, and I’llblinkyou. I’ll take you wherever your heart desires.”

I stepped as close as our bodies allowed and slid my hand to his neck. “Would it be corny for me to say my heart’s desire is always where you are?”

Phoenix rolled his eyes. “Extremely corny. Don’t say it again.”

“Then why are you smiling?” I kissed him softly on the neck, loving the little sigh that came from him.

“Trying to change the subject, I see. It won’t work.” Phoenix planted his hands on my chest and pushed me back so he could look at me. “So this transportation stone will take you… where? Across the country? Another realm? The exact location would be particularly helpful.”

“Oh, I’m sure it would.” I yanked him back to me. He was so warm. I wanted to burrow into that warmth and enjoy him for as long as possible, but our time was running out. “You said you can travel anywhere as long as you’ve either been there before or know the coordinates. Nice try though, sweetheart.”

“You need me,” Phoenix said in another attempt to convince me. “I may not be as strong a fighter as you, but Icanfight. You know I can. What I lack in physical strength, I more than make up for in magical power.”

I caressed his jaw. “You’d fight to save the world?”

“I don’t care about the world.” A raw vulnerability shone in his whiskey eyes. “I only care about you.”

Kyo and Castor held each other nearby, my brother pestering his dragon mate. A bit of lighthearted fun before shit got serious.

Daman leaned against Warrin’s side, hand cupped around the ice dragon’s big bicep. Warrin pressed his face against Daman’s hair, whispering. Whatever he said made Daman smile and close his eyes, grip tightening.

How many more times would we have to do this? Prepare for a battle some of us might not come back from. Hold our loved ones close, unsure if it would be the last time.

“Bell.” Phoenix forced my face back to his, and his eyes flashed red for a split second. A sign his emotions were high. “I refuse to stay here. I’ll teleport all over the goddamn world until I find you. I’ll—”

I kissed him.

His lips trembled against mine. That tremor sounded in his voice too as he said, “You’re not leaving me behind.”

A perfect disaster, he had said last night. We really were.

“Okay.” Expelling a shaky breath, I wrapped both arms around him and dropped my face to his shoulder, surrendering to him. It was a pointless argument. I would never have let him go without me either. “But if you die, I’ll never forgive you.”

“And ifyoudie, I’ll find a way to resurrect you and then kill you myself for pissing me off.”

“That’s my demon.”

“Don’t you forget it.” Phoenix bumped his horns against the side of my head.

“We’re about to leave,”Alastair said through our mind link.

Gray grabbed Mason’s hand and led him over to Lazarus. A few celestial blades had been melted down into bullets for the hunter. Mason had been a sharpshooter in the military and definitely knew his way around a gun. The scar over Phoenix’s heart was proof of that.

Thank the gods he hadn’t been in possession of those bullets months ago… otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to save Phoenix when he’d been shot.

“Maybe I can help,” Simon said to Galen. He was the only mate staying behind. “Mason’s going, and he’s human.”

“Hawk has combat experience,” Galen responded in a gentle tone—the only time he ever used such a voice was when speaking to his mate.

“Yeah?” Simon adjusted his glasses. “Well, I fought off a demonic chef with a spatula one time. I can be useful too.”

“Sven is barely five feet tall,” Phoenix whispered to me. “When you were first captured, he wanted to cut you up and make Nephilim stew. He was highly disappointed when Asa told him no.”

“That’s one nice thing Asa has done,” I said. “Though, now that you mention it, I’d probably taste really good.”

Phoenix growled a little and held me tighter. “You taste amazing.”

Lust stirred in my veins.“Kiss. Touch.”