Page 58 of Grabbed By the Guard

Glaine voice drops. “I’d go to my knees and worship her the way she deserves to be worshiped. She’s my gift from the gods, my one true mate, and deserves the worlds. Both of them.”

I move toward him, closing the gap between us. “What if I told you that I only want to stick around one world for now?”

His expression shadows over. “So I was right. For the final time, you’re denying me. Just like the prophecy foretold.”

Glaine and that damn prophecy. Of course he doesn’t think that the world I’m choosing is Sombra.

I’m standing directly in front of him. Instead of trying to explain, I decide to do one better.

I go up on my tiptoes, angling my head back so that I can invite his kiss. It’s so funny when you think about how he had the instinct to put his mouth on my pussy long before I taught him just how pleasurable it could be to press my lips to his, slipping my tongue into his mouth so that I could stroke it.

When I’m done, I keep my mouth right next to his.

“The prophecy was bullshit,” I whisper against his lips. I have his essence. I know how much he believed in it, but it was a stupid riddle that, in the end, was worthless.

He gave me the freedom to go. I’m making the choice to stay.

“Billie?”

I cup his jaw. “Wrap me up in your shadows.”

When he hesitates, I know it’s not because he takes umbrage at anyone other than the duke giving him orders. I don’t count. I can tell him to do anything, and if he can, he will. Using his essence, I can sense his confusion.

That’s okay. I think I can explain.

“If you go from your solid form to your shadows, you can hide me with them, right? And if you do, no one can see me like this.”

“But the chains?—”

Hasn’t he figured out the loophole yet? Probably not, since the duke has used Glaine as his muscle for centuries. If he’s sent Glaine and a mage along to chain up demons for all that time, why would they second-guess him? But I’ve been thinking about that. The day that the rogue came at us, Glaine broke free of the chains by feeding it his essence. He didn’t want to spare anymore—not if he wanted to give it to me—so he didn’t do that again.

Now he doesn’t have any because I do. I have his essence, and because I’m not a Smbra demon, I don’t burn when I grab the chains and, with a soft clink and a tiny sting, they fall off, clattering as they hit the floor.

“How did you do that?” he marvels. “Are you a mage, my Billie?”

Hardly. “I just figured, you don’t have demon essence to feed the chains. I do, thanks to you, but humans don’t burn if they break the rules.” If we did, it would’ve been Kenendy on fire with Loki. “I figured, I’ll share a couple of drops to get you out of the chains. It stung, but I’m fine. And now we need to hurry before they come back.”

“That is amazing.” Glaine pauses for a moment. “But what if you had burned?” He reaches out with his free hands, clutching my elbows. “I would’ve lost you.”

It’s a good thing I didn’t. And once I’m immortal, he won’t have to worry about that anymore.

“But you didn’t. Now, before those chains come back…”

“You are brave,” he says, back to marvelling again. “And you are wise.”

“See? That’s why you need human mates, babe. We bring a whole new perspective to Sombra.”

“Like being unclothed in a demon cell?”

I pat him in the chest. “Or hiding in your shadows so that no one will know that I am.”

He takes the hint. Without the chains, he dissolves into his shadows at my request even as he asks, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to tug your dress back on?”

Maybe, but not if I want to do this.

I motion for him to drift a little lower. He does, I squint at him, then grab his shoulders, hoisting myself up knowing that, no matter what, he’ll be there to catch me.

Even in his shadows, I can make out the outline that is my mate. After the last few weeks, I know where to find his cock—just like I know better than to think I won’t find him hard and ready.

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