Page 21

JACOB

Her chest is moving steadily with every breath she takes. It has been two days, and she’s still sleeping. She needs her rest, I understand that, but I desperately want to see her smile. I miss her random scientific facts that go way over my head.

Lying next to her, I gently play with her fingers just so I can feel her warmth. She looks so peaceful.

She’ll wake up . I inhale, the sensation of her skin soothing my burning fingers. After the attack, my power has been a little more out of control, but being next to her seems to help.

The two people who knew the most about me are gone. My pain is getting worse, and my power is becoming more chaotic. Things are becoming a little more problematic.

I’ll figure it out. The records will help.

“She’ll wake up soon enough.” A soft voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I turn my head to a young maid replacing the untouched pitcher of water next to the bed, her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders. The most I can do is offer her a small smile. “She knows you are waiting for her.” The girl looks at Izzy, her gaze tender. “And maybe you can put on another beautiful show for us.” She winks and smiles at me.

A chuckle leaves my mouth as I shake my head. It’s one way to cheer someone up, I guess. A throb reappears at the front of my skull, but I shove away the pain. I’m still alive. It will go away soon.

“Maybe,” I murmur with a small tilt of my lips.

The girl leaves with a supportive smile, leaving me alone with Izzy. The world seems to be silent and empty without the sound of her voice in it.

This meeting room has become all too familiar at this point. The five of us –Rosie, Adrian, Jorgan, Jona, and me—sit around the table, sharing what we learned over the last few days and what strategies should be used.

With my mother and Victor dead, there is a huge mess that needs to be cleaned up. Sofia had followers who would go to the grave for her, and Victor left a kingdom without an heir. Technically, Izzy could claim it, but I doubt she would want it. Once she wakes up, we will ask her, but no one knows when that will happen. The healers said her mind as well as the body is mending itself. It’s different for everyone, so they can’t say when she’ll wake up. For now, we need a plan to contain the situation.

The good part is that Sofia’s followers are panicked about her death, making it easier for us to catch them in the midst of the chaos. The bad part is that they are all over the place – multiple countries around the kingdoms. This could take months or years. It will be an unpleasant process, but it’s needed if we don’t want a war.

My soul is crowded with confusing emotions, but I shove them as far away as possible. There is no point in trying to make sense of them right now. My mother was greedy. She left me as soon as she no longer needed to carry me, and she showed no remorse for her actions. Instead, she decided to kidnap the woman who means the world to me.

I killed my own mother. I wish I didn’t have to, but she would’ve stopped at nothing.

Pumping my hand into a fist, I attempt to shake away the burning sensation under my skin. The feeling has been tapering off slowly since the fight, but is not going away. Sofia is dead, but she left a clue – a powerful bloodline. A major library will have an archive, I just need to do some digging.

I’m not dead yet, I’ll figure it out . Loosening my fingers, I catch Adrain watching me with his eyes narrowed. The asshole is observant.

“The fire fay want the root of Tartus to be put back where it belongs, and they will offer their help in finding some of Sofia’s followers,” Jona says and leans back in his chair.

As expected, the fire fairies are upset that Sofia forced them to give her the root. She had the youngest princess of the fay kidnapped and threatened to kill her if they did not do as she wished. The fairies are protective of their own, of course, they gave the root to Sofia.

“What do we know about its location?” Adrian asks, his expression, like always, moody.

“She hid it somewhere in the cascading mountains,” I state and sigh. “In one of the small villages on top.”

It took two days to hike up there, and that was using my power. It’s a good spot to hide and hard to get to. I could’ve gone into the town, but the followers could’ve spotted me and gotten spooked. Because of how difficult it is to get there, visitors are sparse. I snooped around the outskirts as much as I could. Based on the number of demons and witches coming in and out, I am certain the root is there.

“With a few more days of scouting, we can find it and convince the fairies to help. It will make it a lot easier if the Fay and werewolves took our side on this.” Adrian looks around the room, his gaze falling on Rosie. She appears a little more tired than usual, but I suppose growing a person will do that to someone. “I understand that Isabella may not want to take over her father’s kingdom,” he directs his look at me, “but if she chooses to, it will solve a lot of problems with the vampires.”

That castle is full of bad memories for her, I would never want to put her through that. At the end, it is her choice.

“I could claim it, but only long enough to establish and find someone else to take my place.” I hear Izzy’s voice, and I turn, jumping out of my chair.

Her eyes immediately land on mine, and her lips tilt up a little. She looks healthy and well-rested, her face no longer pale. Without missing a beat, I run to her. Before she can say another word, I take her face into my hands and kiss her. I meant it to be slow and tender, but she deepens it by wrapping her arms around my neck. My eyes shut, and I get lost in her, inhaling her like air. She slept for four days, I missed her touch, eyes, and voice.

A loud cough brings me back to reality, forcing me to pull away from her. Her cheeks turn a tinge of pink when I nuzzle my nose against hers, but I can’t seem to move away. Sliding my fingers through hers, I walk us to the table. Adrian is rolling his eyes, but everyone else seems to be hiding a smile. Izzy sits down next to me, and I havea strong urge to place her on my lap just so I can have her closer.

Izzy clears her throat and continues, “I can claim it, but I will need guidance and assistance.” She looks at Adrian and Rosie. “And maybe after a year or two, I could hand off the throne to someone I trust. I just don’t think ruling is for me.” She looks down at her hands and then up at me.

There is uncertainty in her eyes, but I can tell she is doing her best to help and be reasonable.

“Jorgan.” Adrian looks at the man with a knowing grin. “Are you up for a challenge?”

Jorgan keeps his relaxed pose in his chair and smirks at Izzy.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” His gaze is directed at her. “If you trust me, that is.”

“I do.” Izzy nods and exhales.

She just woke up from a major event. I am itching to get her all to myself just so I can hold her, but this is important. I slide my hand over to hers and squeeze it, supporting her in the best way I can. This decision is hard for her, but she is doing good at staying strong.

The conversation continues around finding a way of luring the rest of Sofia’s followers into one place. Getting the fire Fay to cooperate would be ideal, but there always needs to be a backup plan. So far, letting them think that Victor’s kingdom is undefended is the best we have.

The meeting cannot come to an end fast enough. We all come to a consensus, yet Adrian keeps talking about the same thing in different ways. Jorgan gives the asshole a side glance and smirks, but I’m starting to think that the shit of a king is doing this purposefully to mess with me.

“We should find someone to go see the fire fairies,” Adrian says, his words slow.

We already talked about this! I clench my jaw. My foot is tapping against the floor, the only thought on my mind is being alone with Izzy.

“Alright, I think we all understand what needs to be done.” Jona gets up with a grunt and chuckles.

Finally.

Everyone files out slowly, but Jona pauses in front of Izzy and engulfs her in his arms dramatically. Disabled, her arms dangle at the sides as he lifts her.

“I am very proud of you,” Jona says as he sets her down.

I am tempted to roll my eyes. The man is a thousand years old and an angel. When will he start acting like it? Instead, he acts like a giant stuffed bear.

“Thank you,” Izzy responds casually.

I can tell by the way her face lights up that those words mean a lot to her.

The door closes behind us. Before I can make a move, Izzy is sitting on top of me, her knees on both sides of my thighs. There is a smile on her face when she presses her forehead against mine.

“Show off,” I mumble and brush my nose against hers.

She must feel much better if she’s using her vampire speed like this. My hands go on her hips to feel her softness against my skin.

“I’m so happy he is dead,” she whispers and runs her fingers through my hair.

“I would kill anyone for you, my queen,” I respond, bringing her hips closer.

“I am a queen now, aren’t I?” She bites her lower lip.

Damn it . I love this new confidence in her. With Victor’s death, she seems free – as if her monsters died with him. Her lips press against mine slowly, tenderly, and then hungrily, making my body catch on fire. I return her gesture and kiss her back. The hold she has on my head tightens as she presses her chest against mine.

“Izzy, are you sure you are okay with going back?” I pull back and look at her flushed face.

“No, but I want to be strong. I want to face my fears and help you get your answers.” She locks her eyes on mine, determination and fire in her greens.

“Izzy, you don’t have –” I start, but she crushes her lips against mine.

“I know. I want to.” She breathes out.

Her lips on mine, she is kissing me, her fingers threading through my hair. There is so much passion in the action that it makes my world swim.

I don’t know what has come over her, but I love it. Digging my fingers into her ass, I spread and knead, enjoying the way her flesh becomes mine. She moans into my mouth, and the need for more grows.

Lifting her, I get up and keep kissing her. Her legs wrap around my waist only to drop again when I set her down on the table. Her plump lips move desperately against mine as she moves her hands to the buttons of my shirt.

“Izzy,” I breathe out and take her hand into mine. She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling, full of life and thrill. For a second, I stare, lost in the beautiful certainty in them. “Are you sure you want to dothis right now? Here?”

“It doesn’t matter where, as long as it is with you. No one can dare take away my memories of you,” she says, her voice soft and her chest moving heavily.

My heart fills with beautiful buzzing warmth until it feels like it’s going to explode. I crush my lips against hers and pull off her blouse. It hangs loosely over her shoulders, showing off her perfectly round breasts. I’m not sure the sight of them will ever get old.

My breathing tight, I mumble into her neck, “This is not a very private location. Someone might walk in on me inside of you, your body writhing with pleasure.”

“Let them,” she whispers and looks up at me from under her long lashes, her cheeks pink.

I want every part of her – her body, soul, heart, and mind. The need to make love to her overfills my senses, but she has been through so much. Her progress has been good, and she has been healing, but the mind is such a fragile and unstable thing; one wrong move and I could hurt her. I can’t be the one she is afraid of.

“If at any point you want to stop or go somewhere else…” I start. She means too much to me for us to rush this.

“I know, Jacob.” Her eyes sparkle with stars that I want to capture them. “I trust my body to you.”

She shrugs off her blouse, the light blue fabric pooling around her. I’ve seen her naked so many times before. She has spent hours tied at my mercy, yet she still looks timid when exposed before me like this.

“Please don’t hesitate.” I snake my hand under her skirt and glide it along the soft skin of her thigh. “I want to be your light, not your darkness,” I whisper and hook her underwear with my finger.

I tug at the material in the way, and she wiggles to help me slide it off. Meanwhile, I observe her face for any indication of uncertainty because, damn it, I am scared of hurting her. The underwear drops to the ground. Using both of my hands to hike up the skirt, I let the softness of his skin imbed into my memory.

Slowly, her fingers undo my shirt. She places her palms on my bare chest, sensually moving them lower. Her touch sends shivers through my body making my heart beat faster. Pleasing her with my fingers and tongue is one thing, but being inside of her is binding. Her hands stop at the waistband of my pants, and she snaps the button open. I don’t move, but my hands dig into her hips and my cock twitches.

Leaning in, she pulls my pants and undergarments down. The hardness springs free, standing firm and erect. Her eyes drop low, and she stares between us.

“Oh.” The words are quiet and breathless, and I don’t know what to make of them.

Is she afraid? Should I stop this? My mind scrambles.

Her head tilts up slowly. I stop breathing, unsure what to expect. Lower lip pinned under her teeth, her eyes are wide and glazed over with a beautiful, lustful shimmer. Her eyes locked on mine, she wraps her arms around my neck and scoots to the edge of the table. My hardness is mere centimeters away from her core. It throbs, aching to be inside of her.

Leaning in, I press my lips against hers – gingerly and carefully. She arches her chest into me, the softness of her breasts making contact with my bare skin. A low growl escapes my mouth, and she deepens the kiss, bringing us closer. The tip of my cock touches the wetness of her slits, creating heat in my veins that makes the world stop.

I move in a little more, letting my erection slide through her soft flesh just a little. The grip around my neck tightens and she moans. The sound leaving her mouth is so intoxicating that I want to drown in it.

Supporting her hips with one arm, I keep her steady. With my other one, I hold her cheek, caressing her skin with my thumb. My movement is slow when I ease myself inside of her. Warmth and wetness surround me, coating my tip and driving me insane. She feels like bliss.

I move in a little further, her walls stretching around me. She gasps and pulls away from my lips, so I pause. Breathing heavily, she rests her forehead in the crook of my neck and nods. Cautiously, I slide in some more, her tightness squeezing me. My groin fills with heat, waiting to explode.

With labored breathing, she whimpers. I stop again, giving her time to adjust. Doing anything I can to soothe her, I rub her back and hold her head. It’s painful to stay so still inside of her when every part of me screams to move and fuck her until she screams my name in pleasure, but she needs to adjust to the size.

Lowering my head, I kiss her shoulder. She loosens her grip on my neck and moves to meet my face. Relishing the satisfied look on her face, I push myself all the way. My spine tingles, blood flow quickly leaving my brain. Her mouth parts and she tilts her head back with a breathy gasp.

Hell, her pleasure is a drug.

I pull back, the friction creating a buzz that travels through my spine and into my balls. My motion slow and fluid, I go back in. She moans, gripping my shoulders, and everything surrounding us vanishes. It is just her body pressed against mine and the sound of her voice creating a beautiful song. It’s the way she holds on to me – as if I am her sanity.

Kissing her jaw, I increase my speed, the desire to burst inside of her taking over my senses. I want to be one with her right now and for eternity. The pressure in my groin becomes almost unbearable with her whimpering at my every stroke.

With a deep thrust, I feel myself close to the edge, but I desperately want to feel her clenching around me. Reaching for the base of her skull, I run my fingers through her hair and tug. Her head jerks back, she moans, and her thighs clamp about my legs. She tries to move her head, but I hold her steady, taking my piece of control. She is mine to please and I want to watch her satisfaction.

Her hips thrash, and the walls of her vagina spams around me, adding more stimulation. Her breathing labored, she moans and I lose control. My cock throbs, and everything explodes as I spill inside of her. With my chest tight, I am euphoric with stars sparkling in my eyes.

Feeling the need to have her closer, I engulf her in my arms and hold her close. She relaxes into me and for a moment, we stay silent, our hearts beating against one another.

“How do you feel?” I whisper while running small circles on her lower back.

“Free. Happy. Excited. Whole.” She exhales.

Smiling, I cannot be happier that she has come so far in her healing. I met her out of pure chance. Now, she has become my everything. She lets me be her strength. She hands her control and trust, allowing me to make sense of at least some part of my life. It is a mess with many unanswered questions, but then there is her. I play with her body, and the answer is clear – I don’t need much more than her.