Page 150 of The Powers of Nyx

“Don’t leave me hanging here,” he murmured, chuckling humourlessly. “Please, Ivy.”

I tilted my head just enough to meet his lips with a soft kiss. As I pulled back, I met his stare. Vulnerability played in his hazel eyes. “You were the first person I trusted on the team,” I whispered. “The first person who made me feel seen.”

Rowan’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“When you pulled away, it hurt. A lot. More than I expected and more than it should. You made me feel desired in a way I hadn’t before, and it terrified me.” I removed my hands from his and trailed them down his chest, resting them atop his heart. “You have no idea how glad I am that you are my mate. Howlucky I am that we belong to one another. Because…because I love you, too.”

Rowan made a sound in the back of his throat before crushing me to his chest. I slid my arms around his back, clutching the fabric of his sweater.

The magic in my body swelled with the need to complete the claim, but for a moment, I ignored it. The feel of his arms around me filled me with a warmth I never wanted to be without again.

He smoothed a hand down my back as he said, “you have no fucking idea how much that means to me.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, tightening my hold on him. “I think I do,” I whispered.

He chuckled, releasing me slowly. His hands found my hips, fingers digging into my skin, while his eyes roamed the length of my body. “You really have no idea how lucky I am. I have you as my mate. It’s like I’ve won the fucking lottery. And after tonight—actually, after we deal with the narcissist who thinks he should be king—I’ll scream it from the rooftops.”

I choked on a laugh, shaking my head. “You’ll have to actually bond me first, Rowan.”

His eyes darkened, a hunger filling them as he sat on the edge of the sun bed. “I was a good boy before. Do I get my reward now?”

I shivered. “And what reward might that be?”

“You, on top. Claimingme.”

Something about his words called for the primal creature in my chest. Magic swirled, awoken by his question and the promise of his mark branded on my back. A burning sensation started in my belly, and from it, the tether of our bond rose.

Rowan’s eyes flashed gold, and his own magic reached for mine, brushing against my skin, toying with me.

I chewed my bottom lip and rested my hands on his shoulders, leaning down to brush a soft kiss to his lips. “You’ll need to be undressed first.”

Rowan visibly shuddered. But he rose, tugging his sweater off first, then his undershirt to reveal dark runes tattooed along his hips. There was the scar, too, silver and puckered, though not as noticeable as the last time I saw it.

Hesitantly, I skimmed my fingers over it. “What happened?” I asked, my voice tightening as I glanced from it to meet his eyes.

Rowan took my hand, though he didn’t pull it away. “The night you were taken, outside of the hotel.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “They poisoned a dagger and stabbed me.”

A lump formed in my throat. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“Because there was enough going on. And it didn’t matter. Your magic protected me,” he whispered. “Burned through the poison and saved me. Even if neither of us knew about the bond, it was there. It protected me.”

I brought my free hand up to cup his cheek and force him to meet my eye. “Don’t ever keep something like that from me again.”

“Or I’ll be punished?” He wagged his brows, and I sighed. “I promise on our bond. I’ll never keep something hidden like that again.”

Pressing my lips into a firm line, I took in the scar again. It was barely the length of my finger, and yet it felt like a strike against me. Guilt swelled in my belly as I traced the length of it with the tip of my finger.

“I’m okay,” Rowan murmured, stepping into me so our chests touched. “I’m okay because of you.”

“I know,” I whispered, dropping my head. “Just—just don’t do that again.”

A half-smile twisted his lips. “I, Rowan Archer, swear to not purposefully get stabbed again.”

“Right.” Rolling my eyes, I stepped out of his grasp, letting my gaze drop to the bulge in his jeans. “Are you done making jokes about being stabbed, or…?”

My mate sighed dramatically as he toyed with the buckle of his belt, slowly pulling it free, as well as popping the button. “Since you so badly want my dick…”

If it weren’t for the fire in my chest, I might have walked out on his ass. I loved the mage, but he really knew how to push my buttons. “I’m this close to leaving.”

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