Page 139 of Fallen Gods

It’s jagged, fraught with anger and pain and uncertainty.

We slam into walls, ice and plaster crumbling, then slide and crawl and roll across the floor, scattering papers and shattering what’s left of our self-control. The desk groans beneath us, then the bed until we land again on the floor.

My nails rake down his back, desperate to hold on, to keep him here with me in this moment. His thrusts are merciless, feverish, each one strumming my body higher. Tighter. A deep growl rumbles from his chest to mine, undeniable pleasure coiling so tight that I almost can’t take it anymore. I cry out, and then his mouth finds mine, drowning out the noise with his lips.

Everything I can’t put to words is in my kiss.

I need you. I want you.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

Aric drags himself back.“Rey.”My name falls from his lips likea plea.

I’m not alone in this storm.

Tears sting my eyes as I cling to him.

But he isn’t done. He takes me harder. Deeper. His huge body shuddering. I come apart again with a cry that feels ripped from my soul, my body clenching around his as the world tilts. His answering roar pounds through me. His release drags me under again.

And then it’s just us in our own wreckage of sweat, frost, and ruin.

We break apart in a hot, sweaty tangle. He rests his head against mine, and the world goes quiet and still. All I hear is his heart racing; all I feel is mine responding.

Not yet.

Don’t let it be over yet.

This—us—is everything.

And yet nothing has changed.

After a few minutes, he whispers, “What happens now?”

“I wish I knew.”

I rise and fumble for my clothes. Aric slowly dresses, too. He watches me with an expression so bare it hurts.

Then he turns and finally takes my hand.

He grins, and that little smile is everything.

Chapter Seventy-One

Aric

I’m so pissed, I can’t see straight.

Reeve’s—Loki’s—betrayal. Rey’s misguided attempts at protecting me. Granted, I hold so much of myself in when I’m around her, she has no concept of what I’m capable of, but still…I’m not the one who needs protecting.

I left her back at the dorms to get ready for the Hunt, and as I closed the door, I thought:If only we could run away. Leave this all behind. Just you and me, together.

But running from problems doesn’t solve them, and this is bigger than either of us.

Tonight, we finish it.

But first…