Page 36 of War Of Fire and Fortune
His eyes softened, the edges of his mouth lifting in a small, grateful smile that didn't quite reach his weary eyes. "I could feel her," he signed back. "She kept our bond open when Kade brought me back."
"Could you not feel it before you left?" I asked.
"I could," he signed, and I saw the ghost of hesitation in the twitch of his fingers. "But we had been taking things slow. She wasn't ready to let me in yet. She was closed off from me."
Understanding dawned on me since I’d been doing the same thing with Kade. I nodded. "Well, I'll let you get some rest and have some alone time with your mate."
"And you should talk to yours, Emelyn." There was a hint of mischief in the arch of his brow, but I just turned away to leave because I didn't have anything to say to that—an admission of my own vulnerabilities I wasn’t ready to confront. I wasn’t ready to talk to Kade yet, but at least he’d felt everything I had. I had sent all the rage and sadness to him down the bond.
When I made it back to my tent, his bedroll was outside, but he wasn’t there. I assumed he’d decided to give me some space after the incident today. Maybe he was waiting until I went to bed soI wouldn’t have to see him. That would be understandable. A wave of relief should have swelled within me. Instead, gnawing emptiness gnashed at my insides. I wanted him here. I wanted him to talk to me, fight me, fucking hold me . . . something, but what the hell did I expect when I pushed the man away at every opportunity I had? I’d wanted distance, and he was giving it to me.
I lingered outside the tent flap, staring at the space where he had been sleeping. In the dim light, I could almost imagine the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the shadows dancing across his sharp features. A shiver raced through me, though whether from cold or longing, I couldn't tell. Perhaps this was for the best. This space between us would give me time to sift through all of my emotions. Even though the thought sounded reasonable, it tasted bitter on my tongue.
I needed to bathe. A dip in the river would surely help me feel better. Besides, Ace's words about my stench clung to my conscience. They’d been harsh, but he hadn’t been wrong. I grabbed a bundle of clothes to change into from inside my tent before making the small trek to the river. The night air nipped at my skin as I wove through the sleeping camp.
Reaching the riverbank, I stripped off my soiled clothes. The water greeted me with a cool caress as I stepped in, moonlight painting silver streaks across the surface. I submerged, letting the current strip away the grime and sweat of the past few days. My fingers worked through my hair, untangling the knots. When I emerged, the chill of the night wrapped around me, but I felt a little better. I dried and dressed hastily, the fabric rough against my tender flesh, and turned back toward the camp.
I’d spoken too soon.
Emptiness still carved hollows within me. And for a moment, I allowed myself to pretend that I was standing in a Hollow withCrow, before I knew the truth about everything, just enjoying the peaceful serenity of it.
As I neared my tent, I sensed a familiar presence. Kade's shadows flitted about. They hadn't strayed far, it seemed. Or perhaps they sought me out, independent of his will. Mischievous little things. Though, I was sure Kade wanted to keep an eye on me after everything I’d sent down our connection. I’d be worried about me too.
His shadows swirling around me coaxed a smile onto my lips, a small bloom of warmth in the frost of my heart. Upon reaching my tent, I slipped inside, but they stayed out until I held the flap open and eyed them, giving them a silent invitation to enter. It wasn't much, but it was a start to letting Kade back in. They followed me over to my bedroll and swished around joyfully, as if they were happy to be here. They curled around my neck and caressed my cheek, and I swallowed the emotion building in my throat. I rolled over, and then I saw Kade’s form on the outside of my tent, taking his spot on the bedroll, lying down, readying for bed. He had waited for me. I closed my eyes before I could overthink it, and sleep claimed me quickly.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ace
Luana's chest rose and fell with the gentle rhythm of sleep, her dark curls spilling over her face like ink in water. I sat propped on the makeshift bed, muscles aching, skin pulled tight over freshly healed wounds that screamed with every slight movement. But this faint discomfort was a mere echo of the agony that had once been my constant companion within the cold, unforgiving stone of my cell.
I couldn't resist; the pull to touch her was instinctual, an innate need that thrummed through my veins. My hand trembled as I reached out, brushing my fingertips along the warmth of her jaw. Her lashes fluttered and then her eyes snapped open. She lunged forward, her arms finding their way around me in an embrace that melded desperation withtenderness. I pulled her into my lap, and she easily straddled me. I felt the press of her body against my core, a sweet torment to my senses. Her lips traced the line of my neck, the curve of my cheek, before claiming my lips in a kiss that seared through the remnants of any darkness clinging to my weary soul. I clung to her as if she were the very essence of life itself.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, quivering like dewdrops on the edge of a leaf before they spilled over. She pulled back to look at me. "I thought I lost you."
"I'm right here, love," I signed to her. A sob broke from her chest as I cupped her cheek and pulled her lips against mine once more. Kissing her with our bond open ignited a flame within me. My body instantly responded, the hard length of my cock tightened my trousers, and I knew she could feel it pressing insistently against her front.
Her hips rolled as she moved to hold me closer, and I couldn't suppress the growl that worked its way up my throat. Luana pulled back, her breath hitching, her gaze locked with mine. Concern flickered across her face, a flash of guilt in her tear-streaked eyes. "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her hands hovering over the scars that now marred my flesh.
With a grin, I shifted her weight until she was fully seated on my lap. She felt the undeniable evidence of my arousal, my cock pressing directly against her center through the thin barrier of our clothes.
"Does it feel like you hurt me?" I signed to her, and a blush bloomed across her dark brown skin, spreading like wildfire as a smile lit up her face.
Cupping her cheek, I drew her back into the kiss. Tenderly coaxing her with my tongue. My soul poured into the exchange, every emotion channeled through the connection of our lips.And then, I reached down the bond we shared, that she had kept vulnerably open for me.
As our minds melded and intertwined, I sank into the lush depths of her consciousness. We were lost together, adrift in the seas of each other's essence. The threads of our connection wove together into an unbreakable tether of light. Her emotions crashed into me, waves of love, longing, relief, and mine surged into her with equal force.
The world around us faded, leaving only the raw intensity of our bond. The kiss broke, our breaths mingling in the charged air as we placed our foreheads together. The thread between us that had barely tugged before, now roared like a violent storm within my veins. She wanted me—all of me—and it was a craving that resonated with every fiber of my being.
"Are you sure?"I asked down the bond, my voice echoing through the silent chamber of our linked souls. Her eyes widened in awe.
"Your voice . . . I can hear it in my head," she whispered.
"Do you like the way it sounds?"
"Yes . . . and yes, Ace, I want you, all of you," she breathed into the charged space between us. “I wasn’t ready before, and then after you left, I wished I'd given you all of me. I wanted to be with you, to let you in, but then when I got the news of your capture, I didn't know if I'd get you back. I didn't know if I'd lost the opportunity to be with you,my mate . . .and now I never want to be without you again."
Tears welled in my eyes.“Say it again,”I commanded down the bond, and a small smile curled on her lips.
