“Why now?” he asked when she pulled back. This time tears flowed down her cheeks.
“He—Heru died in the battle. He fought very bravely but was killed. I no longer,” she sobbed, and it tore his heart open, “must abide his rules.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he said and somehow in his weakened state managed to pull her down onto him. He kissed her temple and held her as she cried against him. The sounds were horrible, heart wrenching and he hated the bastard.
“I’m so sorry.” Surprisingly, he realized he meant it. He hated Heru, but he didn’t wish him dead. That isn’t how he wanted to win Nanu.
Eventually the tears subsided and she gave him a tumultuous smile. “It is okay, really. He died a warrior’s death, which is all I could ever have hoped for. I want you to know though, I’d already decided, before he died, that I was going to choose you. I know you might not believe me, but it’s true.” More tears glittered in her eyes.
“I know, baby. I believe you. Come here and let me hold you.” She nodded and climbed up on the hospital gurney with him.
“I truly never wanted to hurt you. Will you forgive me?”
Henry smiled. “Nanu, I couldn’t be happier than I am right now. I forgive you. The past is done, now we have a future together.”
She smiled back at him, their arms wrapped tightly around each other.
Chapter Thirty-one
Chloe snuggled into Tyrian’s bare chest with a sigh.
“I’m ready,” she said. His hands paused in stroking her naked back.
“Are you sure?” She nodded and nipped at his neck. She’d been looking forward to this night all week. One very long week.
Tonight she would become Tyrian’s mate. For different beings, the process was different.
For a vampire to fully claim a woman as his, he’d have to drink her blood then share his with hers.
Chloe cringed at the thought of doing this. The taste of her own blood was coppery and gross to her, so she didn’t anticipate his being much better. But she loved this man with all her heart, and what was a little blood in the grand scheme of a long life together?
Tyrian’s raspy tongue flicked out to taste her neck. Chloe couldn’t stifle the delicious shiver that came over her. His arms tightened around her, then rolled her onto her back.
Her legs naturally parted to make way for him.
“I never thought I’d do this,” he admitted. His voice was husky and warm; it sent shivers down her spine. “I’m so excited that I don’t want to wait. Having to wait until your side healed seemed like an eternity.”
Chloe smiled and pressed kisses across his broad shoulder. “Then don’t wait any longer, warrior.”
Tyrian growled against her throat, the sound a wicked purr and then his fangs slowly slipped into her neck. Chloe moaned, gasped, wiggled against the straining cock nestled against her sex.
Slowly, he pulled his hips back then squeezed his cock inside.
“Faster,” she panted. His arms banded around her back, her waist, arching her and
holding her close as he slipped inside her inch by inch. When he filled her an eternity later, she was sweating, twitching on the edge of a climax that would shake the foundation of the castle.
He drank from her slowly, languidly, and she knew he was enjoying every drop, every second of this moment. Hips retreated then pushed back in, stretching her wet tissues and filling her with hot pleasure. Slow and easy, he worked her until her hips squirmed against him, trying to get that extra friction, that extra speed she needed.
“Tyrian, baby, please.” He pulled back from her neck and she felt his hot breath against her as he laughed.
“So needy, little succubus.” He punctuated his words by landing hard inside her. The move would have scooted her up on the bed if not for his arms around her. “I have never been happier in my whole life than I am in this very moment, Chloe.”
Chloe squeezed him tight, her heart elated. “Me too, Ty. I love you.” His breaths
deepened, strokes moved faster, and then he was back at her throat, mouth sucking eagerly.
Chloe clenched, her knees trapping his hips tightly. Cries left her throat as his thrusts became shallow, repeatedly hitting her in that deep, dark spot. He knew what he was dong because he sent her off like a rocket. She bucked and cried out as hot release flooded his tunneling cock, trembled through her like an earthquake.
He pulled out while her body still milked him and spun her around onto her stomach. He wrapped an arm low around her hips and arched her back towards him, then pushed back inside.
“Are you ready?” His balls slapped against her sensitive pussy, drawing forth an orgasm that was sure to make the gods envious. As he waited for her answer, he kneed her legs wider so his sac slapped against her clit with each heavy thrust.
“Yes, yes! I’m ready.” His wrist appeared before her mouth with two fang marks already there. Drops of blood beaded his thick wrist.
“Take it, drink it, my love, and you’ll be mine forever.”
Chloe’s mouth watered and her tongue darted out to lick the drops away. She heard him groan. His thrusts growing hard. The hand around her waist kept her still for his hammering cock, pushing and squeezing through her tight sheath.
She pressed her mouth against him and then she drank. The first touch zapped her tongue like alcohol. Her eyes flew open and she realized it wasn’t coppery. It was rich with a hint of sweetness like spiced wine.
Chloe fell into a haze of magic. Their bodies connected and mated on the most primitive, cellular level. She brought his very essence into her body and could feel his soul mingling with hers. His groans echoed her moans as the hot, pulsing sensation swept through them.
For several earth-shattering moments time completely stood still for them. Blood to blood, they shared; they mated. They were one. The most erotic orgasm of her life erupted inside her. She screamed and heard his roar, felt his come spilling inside her blending with her own flooding release.
They stayed that way for minutes, collapsing next to each face-to-face.
“It is done,” he said, a smile playing at his lips. “Now nothing will ever separate us.”
Chloe pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “And you’re sure you won’t regret it?” He pulled her close to him, chest to chest, heart to heart.
“Never.” And then he kissed her.
Chapter Thirty-two
A wide, toothy yawn left Willow, drawing several people’s gazes as she meandered away from the train station.
The Alpha wasn’t going to find her this time. She was sure of it. She’d backtracked her path several times and left little pieces of her clothing scattered all across Germany.
It was long and time consuming and her legs felt like they couldn’t take another step.
Each time she blinked, her eyelids hesitated to open again, so she bought a coffee from a café and chugged it even as it scalded her tongue and lips.
She couldn’t go to sleep now. She needed to figure out her next plan. Her backtracking should keep Lyonis busy for a while, but he was smart and too damned good. He shouldn’t have even found her to begin with.
The bitter thought had her wanting to question her dearly departed papa. She needed a necromancer to raise him so she could yell at him for this, because it was so unfair. Why him?
Why the single kind of man she could never stand?
She could best nearly any man at anything, but how was she supposed to continue to
outrun a damn shapeshifter? It was impossible. She knew it on some deep level she didn’t want to voice aloud.
She wouldn’t give up though. Failure was not an option. For every time she even
considered giving in to him she saw flashes of him feeding her by hand, making her sleep at his feet and all sorts of nasty images. She shivered at the thought. Not her, no way.