Page 88 of Blood Bound

“You’re…you’re dead.” Her voice is husky. “I saw…the explosion…the sun…”

Her hand reaches out tentatively, hovering inches from my chest. I remain still, allowing her to come to terms with my presence.

“It seems I’m harder to kill than we thought.” I give a small smile.

Finally, her fingertips make contact with my shirt. A small sob whisps past her lips as she realizes I’m solid, real. Her hand presses flat against my chest, and I cover it with my own.

“You’re really here. You’re alive.” She sounds as if she still doesn’t believe it.

I nod. “Yes, beautiful.”

“How?” she breathes, her eyes searching mine for answers.

Instead of responding, I gently pull her into my arms. She collapses against me, her body shaking with silent sobs. I hold her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other wrapped securely around her waist.

“I’m here,” I murmur into her hair. “I’m real. You’re safe now.”

Her arms encircle me, clinging desperately as if scared I might disappear. I can feel her tears soaking through my shirt, her breath coming in ragged gasps against my chest.

Eventually, as the heaving of her shoulders subsides, she pulls away a little and looks up at me. “How?” she asks again. “I saw you burn up. Again.” She swallows hard, a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

“I made a choice.” My smile feels tentative as I battle with how much to tell her.

Is she ready?

Am I ready?

I don’t know if either of us will ever be, but what we have is right now, and I want to revel in it.

“What kind of choice?” she presses.

“You,” I say, stroking her downy cheek with my fingertip. It’s damp with tears. “I chose you. And it saved me.”

“But I don’t—”

“Shhh.” I trace my finger over her lips. There’s a flicker of confusion in her expression that is quickly replaced with relief.

I cradle Rowan’s face in my hands, my thumbs gently wiping away her tears. The vulnerability in her eyes stirs something deep within me, an emotion I thought long buried.

“I thought I’d lost you,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “When that light exploded… I felt like my heart was being ripped out. How could you do that to me?” Her words are laced with accusation, but I hear the underlying anguish.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly, resting my forehead against hers. “I never meant to cause you such pain. But in that moment, your safety was all that mattered to me.”

Rowan’s hands grip my shirt tightly. “Do you have any idea what it felt like? Thinking you were gone forever? I couldn’t breathe, Darick. It was like a part of me had died with you.”

I pull her closer, enveloping her in my arms. “I know, beautiful. I felt it, too. Every second I was away from you was agony.”

She buries her face in my chest, her body trembling. “Promise me you’ll never do that again. Promise me you won’t leave me.”

The weight of her request hangs heavy between us. In my immortal state, I’ve always known the cruelty of such promises. Now, looking into her tear-filled eyes, I find myself nodding.

Because it’s a promise I think I can keep.

“I promise, Rowan. As long as I exist, I will always find my way back to you.”

She lets out a shaky breath, her fingers tracing the contours of my face as if memorizing every detail. “I was so angry with you,” she admits. “For sacrificing yourself, for making me leave you behind. But mostly, I was angry that I never told you…”

I hold my breath, waiting for her to continue.

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