Page 28 of Horns for the Holidays

LARAMIE

The stone was cold against my cheek as I lay there, panting and utterly spent. Kotos nuzzled the spot where he’d bitten me, each gentle brush of his lips sending aftershocks of pleasure rippling through me. His touch held none of the savage desperation from earlier—just tender reverence that made my heart flutter.

I craned my neck to look back at him. The madness had faded from his eyes, leaving them clear and warm as he gazed down at me.

“Welcome back,” I murmured, managing a small smile. “For a while there, I wasn’t sure if you’d ever recognize me again.”

He nuzzled closer, his breath warm against my skin. “I’ll always know you, Laramie. No matter what form I take.”

I turned in his arms, looping mine around his neck. My heartbeat finally slowed to normal as I traced lazy patterns across Kotos’ chest. His strong arms encircled me, holding me close like I might disappear at any moment.

“Where are we?” I asked, studying an intricate carving.

“I’ve never been in this chamber before,” Kotos murmured against my skin, his fingertips trailing along my spine. “The labyrinth must have been saving it.”

“Saving it?” I shifted in his arms to better see his face. His features had returned to normal, though his eyes still held an otherworldly gleam.

“For when I found my mate.” His palm splayed possessively across my lower back. Warmth flooded his tone as he added, “And I think I need to take notes.”

I twisted to look at the particularly obscene picture etched into the surface of the altar. My hand wandered across Kotos’ chest, feeling his heart thundering beneath my touch. “Your ancestors certainly knew how to celebrate finding their mates.”

He growled softly, nipping at my ear as his arms tightened around me. “They understood the sacred nature of the bond. They knew there was no greater gift than to spend a lifetime with the one who completes you.”

A lifetime that was threatened by Devlin. I followed the lines of the walls. Even the passageway that guided us into the chamber had disappeared, leaving us trapped. “Will that future even be possible?”

Kotos chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. He reached behind me and planted his hand flat against the altar. “Don’t worry,” he said against my lips, “the labyrinth knows its master.”

The chamber walls rippled like heat waves rising from summer asphalt. My stomach lurched as reality itself seemed to warp and contort, then stone and air gave way to warm water.

I sputtered and flailed to the surface. Blinking water from my eyes, I pushed wet strands of hair from my face.

The labyrinth’s stone walls had vanished, replaced by the familiar sight of Kotos’ private terrace at Elysia. We’d landed right in his infinity pool overlooking the sea.

The sun clung by a fingernail to the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant purples and pinks. Last I remembered, it had been mid-morning.

A shocked squeak made me whirl. A young woman in resort uniform stood frozen on the terrace, cleaning supplies scattered at her feet.

“I—I’m so sorry!” she stammered. “We thought—you’ve been gone for over a day. Mr. Vasilakis ordered the rooms turned over?—”

“A day?” Kotos’ eyebrows shot up. He glanced at me, then back to the flustered employee. “Would you mind fetching us some robes?”

She practically sprinted from the terrace.

As the woman scurried off, I turned to Kotos. “How is that possible? We were only in there for a few hours at most.”

“The labyrinth exists outside of normal time.” Kotos helped me to the pool’s edge. “Minutes here can be hours there, or vice versa. The magic bends reality to suit its needs.”

The staff member returned with plush robes, pointedly averting her eyes. “Your clothes are still in the rooms,” she said, backing toward the door. “Should I inform Mr. Vasilakis you’ve returned?”

“Not yet,” Kotos replied. “We’ll handle that ourselves.”

With a quick nod, the young woman disappeared. We climbed out and wrapped ourselves in the robes. My legs felt like jelly, and not just from the vigorous... exercise.

“So, what now?” I asked as he guided me toward the suite’s doors. “Devlin’s out there somewhere with the medallion, and?—”

Kotos’ nostrils flared. A low growl rumbled in his chest. “I can smell the rot and brine. She’s still here.”

Cold dread settled in my gut. “What do we do? Alert security?”

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