Page 104 of Blood Day: Part Two

Andthatwas what made me undeniably lethal.

Savage.

A force to be reckoned with.

Because I finally had someone to live for. Someone who meant a hell of a lot more to me than anything else in this world, including following rules and respecting proprieties.

If Khalid pushed me, I would react.

I’d come here with the intention of saving my heart and putting her somewhere safe, somewhere Silvano and the others couldn’t find her, somewhere I might not even be able to locate.

No one would be altering my mission. Including Khalid.

All that mattered was Lily and protecting my heart.My love.

Her warmth at my side drew my gaze to hers. She was staring up at me as though she’d never seen me before, her blue-green eyes wide with wonder.

Love,she repeated, her voice soft and filled with awe.You… you love me.Not a question, but a statement. One filled with the reminders of our month together, of the things I’d said to her about possibly loving her, about feelingalivewith her.

But this wasn’t just love.

This was so much more than that.

This was a new existence, a foreign state of being, a cosmic event undefined by mere mortal terms.

I cupped her cheek, my thumb drawing a path along her lower lip.Love is too weak a word to describe my feelings for you, Lily. It barely skims the surface of my soul-deep need to worship and adore you for the rest of my existence.

I stepped closer, my other palm settling against her jaw until I had her face framed by my hands. She smelled like me, not just from my seed dripping down her thighs, but also from my shirt dwarfing her petite frame.

And I couldn’t imagine a more perfect scent. A more perfect moment. A more perfectmate.

I breathe for you, Lily. And only you.It was what our separation had proved to me. I hadn’t been able to think of anything other than how to get to Lily and ensure her safety. It’d been my sole reason for existing this last week. And it would continue to be my driving focus for the rest of my life.

This sweet, innocent flower had somehow cemented her roots inside me. And I would not be unearthing their source.

Instead, I would nurture it however I could. I would become the air she needed to survive. The soul she required to live a long, full immortal life. The being she could rely on when she needed protection.

I pressed my forehead to hers, my eyes closing.We’re going to find a way to survive, Lily. Whatever you want. Whatever you need. I’ll give it to you.

Even death?she whispered.

Even death,I echoed, my chest aching with the thought. I’d considered it so many times, recognized that it was the selfless choice, yet I hadn’t been strong enough to see it through.

However, if it came to that… if that was the only way to keep her truly safe… I would kill us both.

The clearing of a throat had me suppressing a growl of irritation. “Viper’s window of opportunity is closing,” Khalid said softly. “You need to decide, Cedric.”

I’d already chosen a path forward, but I hadn’t voiced it.We will follow him until another option presents itself,I told Lily.

I trust you,she replied, those three words resembling an arrow through my heart.And I breathe for you, too.

I pressed my lips to hers, needing to thank her with my tongue, but instead ensured she swallowed a healthy dose of my blood in addition to my gratitude. Because Khalid was right—we were out of time. I could sense the lycans prowling nearby, their presence causing the hairs along my arms to dance on edge.

Interesting that I didn’t sense Viper when he arrived earlier,I thought, pulling away from Lily to take in the silent lycan. He held my gaze with an arrogance that reminded me of Khalid. Perhaps that was why I hadn’t liked him from the start.

Regardless, he was our escort. “Lead the way.”

Chapter22