Page 34 of Balor

With the trouble behind us, I could focus on the future. I couldn’t wait to see what would come next for Belladonna, our child, and the club.

* * *

Belladonna

My eyes fluttered open as the first light of dawn seeped through the heavy curtains, casting an ethereal glow across the room. Soft but penetrating, the light served as a gentle reminder of the new day’s promise, and the shadows still lingering in my heart. My throat tightened as I took in the quiet of the morning and felt the subtle chill in the air. He’d come for me. Just as he’d promised. I shouldn’t have doubted him. Shouldn’t have let my fear get the better of me.

My fingers tightened on the blanket covering me. It wasn’t only the room being cold that had me shivering. There was a chill in my soul, one I wasn’t certain would ever go away. I’d come too close to losing everything.

The walls around my heart… I’d built them high, reinforced them with iron and stone. Yet they’d crumbled when he’d held me in his arms. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed someone to care about me. Not just my body, or even my magic. But me. As a person. I should have realized sooner that I’d come to mean something to him. I wasn’t certain what our future might hold, but I knew he’d never hurt me. Or our child.

His eyes slowly opened, and he gave me a smile. I felt the warmth of it all the way to my very soul. He’d become someone so precious to me. When I’d first come here, I’d only thought to use him to ensure my own safety. But I’d ended up with so much more.

I threw my arms around Balor, the vulnerability I’d tried so hard to hide laid bare before him. My entire body trembled, a physical manifestation of the fear I’d felt, and the relief of being safe. The desperation in my heart must have threaded into my arms, because I clutched him tight, as if he might disappear if I let go. Balor’s warmth seeped into me, giving me comfort. Grounding me.

“I was so scared,” I said, my voice catching in my throat. I took a shuddering breath, a tear slipping down my cheek I hadn’t realized I’d shed until he wiped it away. “I’m so grateful you came for me. I know you said you would. I just…”

My voice trailed off and I felt another tear slide down my cheek. “I’m going to start looking like a watering pot if I don’t get myself under control.”

I sniffled and laughed a little while swiping at my cheeks. Balor watched me, quietly assessing me. It was almost as if he sensed I needed to get this off my chest.

I didn’t want to let him go. Not ever. I’d never had anyone fight for me before. Not the way he had. I swallowed hard and met his gaze, my fingers curling against his chest.

“I can’t say I’m sorry for tricking you into sleeping with me,” I said. “I know I should, but I can’t. Because I think you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

I focused on him, letting him see the depth of my gratitude. And my love. I hadn’t exactly said the words yet, but I was working up to it. I knew I needed to tell him how I felt.

The steady beat of his heart helping to ground me. I cast my gaze downward, my lashes shadowing my cheeks, as I gathered the courage to speak. “I mean it, Balor. I can’t say I’m sorry. I know I should. But I can’t.”

I knew I was repeating myself, but the words kept getting stuck in my throat. There was so much to say, and yet I was struggling to get each word free.

“My father’s house… it was always cold. I’m not talking about the temperature. I don’t know if magic lingered in that place, or if it was the darkness of my father’s heart. Maybe both. The house was dark and cold. And I never wanted to go back there.”

I took a breath and let it out slowly. “But you… you’re warm. Not just your skin. Your home. And I know it sounds silly, but I don’t want to leave. I love the way it feels here. The wayyoumake me feel. I’ve never had anyone care about me the way you do. I’m not sure anyone ever cared for me at all.”

I let out a shuddering breath. “I’m going to love our child with everything I have. I hope that I’ll have the chance to love you too. Because I think I already do.”

I opened my mouth to say more and snapped it shut. I’d said enough. More than enough. I’d all but declared myself his, and even told him I wanted to be bonded with him. I wanted to be his. I wanted to see if he could ever truly be mine. I hadn’t really believed in love at first sight, but I’d fallen in love with him so easily. Was it possible for him to do the same? Or had I pushed him too far?

His hands settled on my waist, and I felt the strength in his touch. The way my body seemed to know his without even trying. He didn’t speak. Balor just watched me, his gaze roaming over my face before lowering to my throat and back to my eyes. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something. Anything. Had I gone too far? I’d practically confessed my love for him. What if he didn’t feel the same?

I lifted my head, my gaze locking with his. I didn’t know what he saw when he looked at me.

Balor’s hands smoothed up my back, one of them sliding into my hair. “Belladonna… I’m not sure I’ve ever loved anyone.” His voice was low, almost a whisper. “But I know I love you, Belladonna. I love you with a depth I didn’t know was possible.”

My breath caught in my throat. “You… love me?”

He nodded, his lips curving slightly. “I do. Even that first day, I knew I couldn’t let you go. That I needed you in my life. I’d already started making plans that included you and our child. I’d hoped I could convince you to stay with me. Or rather, I was determined tomakeyou stay.”

“You’re not angry with me?”

Balor smoothed his thumb along my cheekbone. “No. Maybe in the beginning, but things are different now. I’m glad you’re mine, my beautiful Bella.”

He didn’t give me a chance to say anything else before his mouth covered mine. My lips parted and his tongue slid inside, stroking against mine. I felt the heat of his kiss all the way to my toes. I’d kissed him before, but this was different. There was a passion in it that hadn’t been there before. My body heated from the inside out, and I knew if I stripped out of my clothes, I’d be wet for him.

I dug my fingers into his shoulders, holding on as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. He didn’t seem to mind the way my body pressed against his, or the way I trembled. His hand moved from my hair to my lower back, pulling me tighter against him. I gasped when I felt his cock pushing against me through his sweatpants. He was hard. For me.

I’d thought he was warm before, but I’d been wrong. So very wrong. The heat of his body soaked into mine, making me want to strip him bare and feel him skin to skin. I moaned into his mouth, rubbing myself against him. I didn’t want to stop. Ever.

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