Page 7

7

ADAN

I stalked down the hallway the moment I was out of Calliope’s sight. The pull to return to her coiled like a chain around my ribs, but the disturbance in the wards throbbed hard enough to demand my attention.

The echo of her kiss still lingered on my lips. After pulling it deep into my lungs, her scent remained. Subtle but heady. A potent blend of wild honey and distant thunderstorms.

My demon snarled inside me, furious at the interruption. He was pissed as fuck at being forced to leave her side.

I should have been back in my mate’s suite, tasting more of that sweet skin. And finding out exactly how far she was willing to let me go. Instead, I was heading toward a problem. One that would regret existing the moment I laid eyes on it.

I took the side stairs down two levels and emerged into the east wing, where the pulse had originated.

Kastiel was already waiting for me.

The head of security stood with his arms crossed and his obsidian eyes tracking my approach. Built like a fortress, he gave a curt nod in greeting. “Adan.”

“Talk fast.”

“A shifter guest lost his temper in the games room. Loud. Threatening. Nothing that broke your laws, but enough to trip the aggression ward.”

My jaw flexed.

“The staff handled it. He was drunk. Minor property damage.”

“What kind of shifter?”

“Mountain lion. Loner pack.” Kastiel tilted his head. “Young and stupid.”

I exhaled slowly. Not worth branding or tossing out, but close. “Warn him. If he so much as raises his voice again, I’ll handle it personally.”

“Understood.”

I looked around the corridor, feeling the faint hum of wards restoring themselves. The glyphs overhead had already begun to cool.

“Anything else?” I asked.

“No. But your power spiked hard enough that I thought you might start tearing stone.”

I shot him a warning look. “Get back to work, Kastiel.”

He’d known me long enough to understand how bad of an idea pushing me would be. He just smirked and vanished into the shadows.

With the crisis handled, I stood still for a long moment, torn. I’d barely left Calliope’s side. I could feel her presence, like a sunbeam on the edge of my awareness. Soft. Warm. Still awake.

But going to her tonight carried its own risks. So I turned and walked away, feeling as though my insides were being ripped to shreds with each step I took. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I’d see my pretty mate in the morning.

* * *

I was up before dawn, already restless. Sleep had been out of reach from the moment I left Calliope. Every breath I took without her beside me felt wrong. Empty.

The memory of her soft, tentative reaction to my kiss had looped in my mind until I thought I’d go mad from the wanting.

When the sun finally started to rise, I stopped pacing the floor and did something about it. Summoning the head chef with a direct command, I had him prepare a breakfast tray with options I thought Calliope would enjoy after seeing which items she gravitated toward when we shared dinner. Soft scrambled eggs with peppered bacon, ricotta crepes with honey and walnuts, fresh chocolate croissants, seasonal fruit, and strong coffee.

Then I took the elevator up, rolling the cart to her suite myself. My demon snarled with satisfaction, clawing at the edges of my control. He approved of my decision, though for different reasons. He didn’t want to feed her. He wanted to claim her.

Patience, I reminded him even though mine was fraying.

The corridor outside her suite was quiet. The wards thrummed steady and strong. When I lifted my hand to knock, the door opened before I touched it.

Calliope stood there, blinking up at me with sleep-heavy eyes and tousled hair. She wore one of the hotel’s midnight-blue robes, cinched tight at her waist, and nothing on her feet. Her freckles were more visible in the morning light. So were the delicate shadows beneath her lashes.

My restraint nearly snapped.

“I brought breakfast,” I explained, my voice rougher than I intended.

She yawned, blinked again, and stepped back with a sleepy smile. “You really weren’t kidding about the full-service experience here.”

I rolled the cart over to the table, but my eyes stayed locked on her like a starving man at a feast.

“I wanted to feed you,” I murmured as she poured a cup of coffee.

Her robe slipped slightly, revealing the smooth line of her collarbone. She didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe she didn’t care.

“Is this one of your hospitality perks?” she asked lightly, curling into the chair with her mug clutched between her hands.

“Only for you.”

Her smile faltered, and her eyes lifted to mine. When our gazes met, the air between us crackled with something wild and inevitable.

Calliope set her coffee cup down and stood slowly, her expression unreadable. But her steps were sure as she crossed the room and came to stand directly in front of me.

My heart pounded like war drums as she stared up at me for a moment, her pretty green eyes searching mine. Then she rose onto her toes, cupped my jaw, and kissed me.

There was no hesitation in her this time. Her mouth pressed to mine with surprising force, soft lips parting on a sigh that went straight to my core. I responded before my brain had time to catch up. My arms wrapped around her, drawing her flush against my chest as I deepened the kiss. I poured everything I’d held back into it. Each stolen look, thread of tension, and ounce of need.

Calliope moaned softly, and I nearly lost my mind.

My tongue brushed hers, tasting the lingering sweetness of honey and coffee. Her fingers slid into my hair, tugging just enough to drive me insane.

As we kissed, the rest of the world disappeared around me. There was nothing but the two of us, getting lost in the moment together. My perfect fated mate.

We stumbled backward, my grip shifting so I could lift her effortlessly and carry her into the bedroom. Her legs wrapped around my waist with instinctual ease, and I was rewarded with another needy little sound that almost undid me.

My knees hit the edge of the mattress, and I sat, letting her straddle my lap. Her hands slipped to my shoulders, then to the buttons of my shirt. She began undoing them, one by one, as her kiss grew bolder. Hungrier. My control frayed with every brush of her fingers against my skin.

I broke away just long enough to tug her robe loose, but she tensed the moment it slid off her shoulder.

Not just a hesitation. A full body pause.

I froze. Even my demon stopped snarling in my head.

I pressed my hand against her wildly beating heart, waiting until her gaze locked on mine.

“Before we continue, I have to tell you something,” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.

My own heart thudded like it was made of lead. Nothing she could say would make me stop wanting her. Calliope was meant to be mine.

But I wasn’t going to pressure her for something she might not be ready for yet. I tried to tame my demon half that wanted to claim her right fucking now. Before she understood what being the other half of my soul meant.

I cupped her cheek gently, forcing myself to draw a breath that didn’t come easy. “You can tell me anything, baby.”

She stayed silent for a moment, remaining perfectly still. Her green eyes were wide and conflicted. Her breathing was ragged, lips still swollen from our kiss.

She cleared her throat and looked down, her freckled cheeks filled with a pretty pink color. “Um, I’ve never done this before.”

The thought of her with anyone else sent a lick of possessive fire through my veins, but I forced a light tone as I asked, “No holiday flings during any of your travels?”

Shaking her head, she whispered, “I’m a virgin.”

The words hit like a thunderclap, unexpected but clarifying. Everything in me went silent. Not out of dismay or disappointment. But reverence.

I had never been someone’s first. Not in all my centuries. And I sure as hell had never wanted to be…until now.

Now it wasn’t just my heart that pounded but my cock also throbbed at her confession.

I used my thumb beneath her chin to gently force her to meet my gaze. “You mean I get to be your first? Not just the first but only? Because when you let me take you, that’s it. You’re mine, Calliope. Body and soul.”

“Yes, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment,” she said, cheeks coloring as she started to pull back. “I know I probably should’ve?—”

“Stop.” I caught her hips, keeping her in place. “You didn’t ruin a damn thing. Not even close.”

Her breath hitched. “Really?”

“You have no idea how hard it is not to lay you back on this bed and make you mine in every possible way,” I growled, my forehead pressing to hers. “But I’m not going to take anything from you. Not when what I want is for you to give it freely. Without fear. Without doubt.”

Her fingers curled into my shirt, and her voice trembled. “I don’t want to be afraid of you.”

I pulled her tighter into my arms. “Then don’t be. I’ll earn your trust, Calliope. However long it takes.”