Page 75 of Heart of the Deep

Body trembling, he pressed a hand to the wall beside the door, taking what little stability he could from it. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Immense pressure gathered within him, sending tremors through his entirety. His throat burned, and his insides tumbled and twisted into knots.

He dragged himself along the corridor, jaw clenched.

Sarina’s excited smiles flashed through his mind, followed by Jace’s inquisitive stares. The sound of their giggling echoed in his head. But images of Larkin rose next — bold, confident, compassionate. A forever mate, a female to be proud of. A female to be earned.

A female to love, and to love him in return.

What did he want more? What was truly important to him?

Could he give her up?

Chapter 18

The bed dipped behind Larkin, startling her awake. She reached beneath her pillow for a weapon that wasn’t there. Before she could turn to face the intruder, the heavy but familiar weight of a hand settled on her shoulder. It slid down the length of her arm, moving beneath the pillow to cover her hand and twine its fingers with hers.

Larkin held still, afraid to breathe, afraid she was dreaming. She stared at the powerful arm; it was nothing but a shadow, and if she moved it would dissipate into the darkness. But then Dracchus’s body pressed against her back, warm and solid, and she knew this was real.

He’d come back.

She tensed, pushing aside her grogginess. “What are you doing here?”

She’d never been caught so unaware. She also hadn’t cried that hard since her mother died.

“I have returned to our den.” His voice was a low, gruff rumble. He settled his chin on her shoulder, touching his cheek to hers. “To my mate.”

Larkin closed her eyes against the burn of tears. She tried to pull her hand away, to put distance between them, but he held firm.

“My choice has not changed, Larkin.”

“But I’m—”

“My choice has not changed,” he repeated. “You are my mate.” His hand moved to her stomach, and she stiffened as he slipped it beneath her shirt to touch the skin of her lower abdomen. He carefully traced her scars with the pad of a finger. “You are not broken or useless. You aremine.”

Her throat tightened around a sob. She covered his hand, closing her fingers around it. “You’ll regret it. You’ll regret me. I can’t… I can’t give you what you want.”

“Say that you choose me, and you will give me all I want.” He rose up behind her and placed a finger beneath her chin, gently turning her face toward him. The dim light reflected in his eyes, making them glow faintly.

“What about—”

“I chooseyou, Larkin. Say you choose me.”

She searched his face, though it was shrouded in shadow save the amber of his eyes. Scalding tears ran over her cheeks and into her hair. Hope blossomed in her chest, almost too painful for words. Raising a hand, she cupped his face, holding his gaze.

“I choose you,” she said softly, then more firmly. “Iwantyou.”

“Say that you are my mate.” The reflections in his eyes might as well have been flames for their intensity.

She brushed her thumb over his cheek, exhaling shakily. “I’m your mate.”

He leaned down, sliding his fingers to her hair. “I decided you would be mine while I was caged on that boat. That I would have you, whatever it took. And now that you are here, now that I have seen your bravery, your strength, your heart, I will never let you go.”

He gently turned her onto her back and pressed his forehead to hers. “You are my mate, Larkin, and your worth is beyond measure.”

Larkin’s heart felt as though it would burst. Dracchus had chosenher. He knew of her scars, knew she couldn’t bear him children, and still wanted her to be his.

Moving her hand to the back of his head, she pressed her lips to his fervently. That was all it took for the barriers between them to crumble. He gathered her in his arms and held her close, slanting his mouth to deepen the kiss. She tasted the salt and the sea, tastedhim, and craved more.

“Dracchus,” she rasped, breaking the kiss to brush her cheek against his, “make love to me.”

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