Page 84 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Wow, even now she challenges him,” Barney says, laughing. “The future will be anything but dull being around the two of you.”

I roll my eyes. “Who says I will forgive him for the shit he pulled the last time we were alone?”

Jed and Emi chuckle. “You sure looked in a forgiving mood when he had you half naked and pinned against the wall,” Emi says, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Zac scowls. “When was this?”

Oh boy. Jed puts a hand on his shoulder. “I told you, Archan visited whilst we were training and let us know who was possessing him.”

Zac grinds his jaw. “You failed to mention the half-naked state of Natia.”

Jed chuckles. “It’s Natia, she’s half naked most of the time, and when Archan’s around, the odds of no clothes increase exponentially.”

I shuffle towards the sweeping staircase. “Unless you guys have anything more to discuss than my choice of bedmate, I am off to get changed.”

“Get showered too,” Jed says.

I pause halfway up the first set of stairs. “Why?”

He shrugs. “You smell of brimstone and despair.”

“Fine,” I mutter. “I’m sure it will help with brimstone, but the despair might all be me.”

He appears before me. I stumble back a step. He catches me before I topple backwards. “Shake off the lingering effects of hell. You are the embodiment of hope, Natia. No one and nothing will keep you down. Dig deep for the well of faith which sits within you. You are stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. I know firsthand the effect Hell has on your psyche, but you can heal with time and the right people around you.”

He wraps me up in a hug as calm and positivity leak from him. “You’re affecting my emotions,” I mutter into his chest.

He squeezes me again. “To help you heal, not influence your thoughts or decisions. I would never do that.”

I sigh and pat his back. He releases me and steps to the side; I sweep past him and up to the top floor. I pause as I remember my heart beating like thunder in my chest the last time I was here, when I made a decision which would alter the course of my life. It was when I sensed Archan wanted more from me than my body, and I knew it was a risk I wanted to take with him. My body heats in memory of his touch, my cheeks flush, and the memory causes a shot of pure lust to shoot through my core.

Chapter Twenty-One

Archan

The darkest of flames burns brightly for their match.

The beast sleeps, finally. My immediate action is to search for my bond to Natia. I sat in the backseat as a witness to the systematic emotional tear down of her defenses. The problem with Ty is he considers his crusade justified; there is no more a dangerous enemy than one who believes their cause to be righteous. Lawrence is an easier opponent. His over inflated ego decided he should rule hell, but he doesn’t have a higher purpose than a simple power play. His defeat should be easy. He is no match for Lucifer, even with half of Hell at his back, mainly because most of them will stab him in his back.

Ty, however, has shown me his true plan. Hell won’t even be on the map when he’s let the residents of Tartarus stampede their way through it. The bond with Natia snaps into place, I don’t examine too closely why we have the strongest connection I have ever felt. I could find her soul in any nook or cranny this universe conspires to hide her in. The cave they believe hides them all works against all others but me. Somewhere along the line, without our permission, our souls brushed against one another and now we are forever bonded, at least until one of us dies. I shake my head. There is only one way I can see out of this mess, and it doesn’t end in a happily ever after for us. Which is why I must spend every spare minute I can with her. Locating her through our link, I move through space and time like I command it and arrive in my bedroom. The rumpled sheets are still strewn across the floor from the last time I had her in here. What I am curious about is why she is here right now. A midnight silk gown is thrown across an armchair near the window. I growl at the thought of her bedding another, dark thoughts swarm my mind, vowing to kill any other man who lays a hand on her body. I warned her she would be mine, and she accepted the terms. When I rip his head from his shoulders, it should be no surprise.

I stalk towards the open door at the end of the room. I can hear falling water and Natia humming along to a tune. Who the hell is making her sing? I alter my plans of decapitation, there are longer, more drawn out ways to inflict pain before dealing out the final death blow. I slide the door open and peer into the bathroom; I slip under the cover of darkness; I want my arrival for the man who dares to touch what’s mine to be an utter surprise. Moving around the corner, I see she’s in my central circular bath. A cascade of water falling from the ceiling surrounds the bath and obscures my view of her. She tips her head back, her eyes closed, and interrupts her rendition of “Take my Breath Away” by Berlin with a lusty groan. I scour the large bath for the man giving her pleasure. There isn’t anybody, unless they have impressive breath holding capabilities. I relax because she is alone and experience a different tension when I comprehend what she is doing. Her breathing speeds up, which I take as my cue. I shed my clothes. She’s so lost she doesn’t sense my presence in the water before her. I stifle a groan as one hand lingers on her breast and the other is dipped below the water. Her back arches and her lips part. I cup her ass and pull her body from the water. My eyes fixed on her fingers circling, dipping and threatening to tear pleasure from her body. She pauses as she pants and starts again. The scent of a rising storm is growing wilder in the room. Seems my little badass enjoys edging herself. That I can work with.

“Archan,” she whispers. I snap my eyes to her face. But her eyes remain closed, she’s locked in a fantasy of me. I smirk as I imagine the moment she realizes I am here between her thighs. Natia owns her sexuality in a brutal mix of innocence and sin that plays havoc on my senses. She is perfect for me, someone who does not tolerate my bullshit, someone who pushes me in the right way. I could drown in this woman and die with a smile on my face. I blaze a path of gentle kisses on her inner thighs. She tenses and stops her own explorations as my touch nearly topples her over the edge she’s clinging on to. Time to make her realize reality is a hundred times better than any fantasy of me.

I nip at top of her thigh. She grasps my hair and yanks my head up to stare into my eyes. Hers spike with gold lightning, reminding me of the unknown power she holds at her fingertips.

“Archan?” she whispers. Her eyes go wide and a blush creeps across her cheeks.

I move up her stiff body with licks and nips, as I reach her mouth she pulls back. A flash of warranted uncertainty passing across her features. She swallows a lump. “How do I know it’s you?” she asks.

I can’t wait to kill Ty. He put that uncertainty in her eyes. Yes, we may have had fights, a push and pull which was unique to us. I might have made the biggest mistake I have ever made by not trusting her. But they are our issues. Ty has added to them by making her doubt I want her. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Ty sleeps. It is me, I only have a few hours.” It doesn’t escape my notice she’s the first person I came to see.

“Kiss me,” I mutter.

She scowls. “Anybody could kiss me and pretend to be you.”

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