Page 26 of Her Fallen Angel

The clash of steel against steel rings through the training yard as Vhex lunges at me. My movements lack their usual precision - my mind keeps drifting to brown eyes and waves of dark hair. To soft prayers whispered in the courtyard. To submission freely given.

"When'd you stop being a challenge?" Vhex's gravelly laugh breaks through my thoughts. His amber eyes gleam with malicious delight as he presses his advantage, forcing me back a step.

Mykael circles us, his calculated gaze taking in every misstep. "Perhaps his little human has worn him out."

My wings snap out, sending a gust of wind across the yard. The reminder of Aren - of how I left her kneeling in prayer this morning when I wanted to bend her over and sink into her - ignites something primal in my chest. My magic surges, violet light crackling along my arms.

"Careful." I catch Vhex's next strike with my blade, metal screaming. "You're treading dangerous ground."

But Vhex, ever the provocateur, bares his teeth in a feral grin. "What's wrong, Kai? Can't handle a little teasing about your pet?"

The rage that's been simmering all morning explodes. I move faster than Vhex can track, sweeping his legs and pinning his sword arm behind his back. One sharp twist and I feel the tendons strain. His grunt of pain is deeply satisfying.

"Say another word about her." I increase the pressure until he stills. "I dare you."

Mykael's boots scrape against stone as he steps back, green eyes widening slightly. Smart man.

I release Vhex with a shove, my blood still burning. The need to return home - to see her, touch her, claim her - claws at my insides. These hours of separation grow more intolerable by the day.

Vhex rotates his shoulder with a wince. "Fuck, point taken."

The silence that follows is thick with tension. My wings mantle aggressively, daring either of them to break it. The violence thrumming through my veins demands an outlet, but my thoughts keep circling back to Aren. To the way she yields so beautifully. To how badly I want to test the limits of that submission.

"I'm done." I turn from them, stalking away from the training ring as I call over my shoulder, "Tomorrow, only show up if you can focus on the fight."

Maybe I should tell myself that.

The walk home does little to clear my head. I stalk through my front door, the rage from training still simmering beneath my skin. The house feels different with her in it - warmer somehow, filled with an energy that draws me in. Her scent hits me first - jasmine and sunlight.

"Little flame?"

Aren appears from the kitchen, a smile teasing her lips. And fuck, it does something to me.

Immediately she comes over to me. Dark waves spill over her shoulder as she moves to help me remove my armor. Her fingers work the buckles with practiced ease.

"You're tense today." Her voice carries that quiet strength I can never quite break.

"Training." I roll my shoulders as she slides the chest piece off. The brush of her hands against my skin sends electricity down my spine.

A knock at the door interrupts us just as she finishes, taking everything to go clean it. My jaw clenches - I know that particular pattern of raps.

"Enter."

Vhex and Mykael stride in like they own the place. Their eyes immediately find Aren, tracking her movements as she continues cleaning my armor. Something dark and possessive coils in my gut.

"Thought we'd continue our discussion from earlier." Mykael's calculating gaze lingers too long on Aren.

"I thought I made myself clear."

He raises a brow. "I think you need to hear what I have to say."

"Without a fucking blade aimed at me," Vhex adds.

Aren moves to pass between us with my armor. My hand shoots out, fingers circling her wrist in a grip that makes her stumble. She doesn't cry out, but I feel her pulse jump beneath my thumb.

"Stay where I can see you." The words come out as a growl.

Vhex's amber eyes gleam with interest. "Protective today, aren't we?"

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