Page 127 of Conquered

I think I take him by surprise as his own lips don't move for a second, then I hear the clatter of the whisk and bowl dropping on the countertop, right before his hands come up either side of my face, deepening the kiss. His tongue demands entrance, which I give willingly, morning breath be damned!

Pulling back slightly, he looks deep into my eyes, his honey brown ones full of lust, longing, and a touch of relief.

“Thank you for not giving up on us,” he whispers whilst his thumb strokes my face.

“Thank you for not giving up on me either,” I say softly back, and we both smile, sharing this sweet moment.

The smell of slightly burning bacon has Kai leaping towards the hob, pulling the pan off before cursing, and I giggle. He ends up laughing too, and it's such a wonderfully free sound, I wish I could bottle it up and listen to it whenever I was feeling down.

“Come for a hike with me today, Lilly? I'd like to show you something,” he asks, looking into my eyes once again.

“I'd love nothing more,” I beam at him, and it's true. A hike sounds perfect. “Just let me grab a shower, and I'll be good to go.”

“No rush,” he says ruefully, indicating the pan of charred meat. “I'll make us breakfast to go.”

Half an hour or so later, I'm ready to go, Ash, Loki and Jax still fast asleep upstairs.

As Kai and I walk out of the Academy’s back doors, the warm sunshine hits my face, and I pause, closing my eyes and soaking it in. There's a definite chill in the air, but the sun goes some way to make up for it. A smile lifts my lips, this truly is a remarkable place.

Opening my eyelids, I find Kai standing in front of me, a look of almost wonder in his gaze.

“What?” I ask, smiling up at him. My lips seem to be permanently tilted upwards today, I can't stop the expression.

He reaches out, cupping my jaw in his warm, dry palm. I nuzzle in, loving the feel of it.

“You have no idea how precious you are, Lilly,” he says, his voice melodic and soft. “You are full of a light that draws us in like moths to a flame, and we would willingly burn in the depths just for a single taste.”

His words send my pulse skyrocketing, and I melt in his hands as his thumb traces my lips before he leans in, placing a gentle kiss on them. He pulls back before it can get deeper, giving me a knowing smile that's more suited to Loki.

“Let's go,” he says, taking my hand in his.

We head off campus into the surrounding woods, the calm and tranquillity just what I needed after the last couple of days. Hell, the last couple of weeks have been crazy, and my hand tightens on Kai's, thinking about that dark time when I was all alone without their comfort.

A thought occurs to me then, and although I hate to break the peace that surrounds us, it won't go away, buzzing in my head like a wasp.

“Kai?” I ask tentatively as he leads me up the trail. He's slightly ahead of me, but still has a firm grip on my hand.

“Yes, Lilly?” he says, looking back at me.

“Can I ask you a question? About you guys and...the cabin?” I see his shoulders stiffen slightly, and his steps slow so that he’s by my side.

He sighs. “I will answer anything you want to know, Lilly. If it's in my power to do so, and if it's my story to tell,” he replies.

I take a deep breath. “Last night, you all acted so in tune with each other, like you've done that sort of thing a million times before…” I taper off when I see the pained look in his eyes, his hand now gripping my own tightly.

“That's because we have done that sort of thing before. We've done terrible things, Lilly,” he tells me, his tone weary. “But we've had little choice,” he adds quietly, and I stop us, turning to face him. I use my hand to bring his face up so that he is once more looking at me.

His eyes are full of pain, and shadows of a past that have left scars on his soul. I know in another life, a kinder life, Kai would be the same gentle soul he is, just without the nightmares in his eyes.

“Hey, I know you guys had no choice. That you still don't have much of a choice. I don't blame you for what you've been forced to do, Kai,” I say, and a flicker of hope and relief enters his gaze.

“You are too good for us, Lilly,” he breathes.

“No, I think we're just right for each other,” I say with a gentle expression, and the smile that lights up his face causes fireworks to explode in my heart.

We stay staring into each other's eyes until Kai breaks the contact, resuming our walk and tugging me gently along with him.

“How...how did you learn how to do it?” I ask, needing to understand more of how they came to be the guys I see today.