Page 61 of God Touched

"Hurry…" Aisling whispered and was gone.

"What now?" Killian asked softly. Arawan let the mirror go, and Imogen saw the cracks he'd made in it.

"Now, we find a way to get to Annwn without dying," Imogen said, keeping her voice steady. "There has to be a way. What about the obsidian gates, Arawan?"

"What obsidian gates?" Killian asked, his black brows drawing together.

"Um. When I died recently, I kept finding myself at these two black obelisk things. I could see Annwn through them like they were a portal or a doorway," Imogen tried to explain. Both times had faded like a weird dream. The only thing she really remembered was Arawan.

Freya yawned loudly. "We can figure it out tomorrow. A few hours of sleep will do us all good. Don't forget you were in a bike accident tonight."

"You were fucking what?" Bron demanded, rounding on Imogen. She grabbed Arawan by the hand and yawned dramatically.

"Oh, so tired, sis. Good night. Love you all!" she said quickly and tugged him toward the door.

"You are in so much trouble, Imogen Ironwood!" Bron shouted behind her.

"What else is new?" Imogen shouted back. Oh yeah, that big sister lecture was going to be a doozy.

28

As a rule, Imogen didn't sleep with her hookups. She preferred to keep actual sleeping as a solo affair. She really hated the idea of sleeping without Arawan after the night they'd had.

Arawan looked tired for the first time, and Imogen wondered if he was lying about being as fine as he claimed. She snuggled up in bed beside him, her body fitting perfectly into the curve of his. Arawan's arm went around her and pulled her tighter up against him.

"Why aren't you angrier right now?" she asked him in the darkness. "You've lost your home and most of your power. You should be furious."

"Iamfurious, but I'm trying to save my energy for the fight again. I don't want to frighten you, but I'm not much more powerful than your brothers right now," Arawan replied, his fingers stroking her hair.

"But my brothers are ridiculously powerful, Arawan. Being stronger than them still makes you the biggest badass around."

"Not compared to what I usually am. I keep things contained while I'm in this realm." Arawan kissed her temple. "I am angry, Imogen, but you also told me you love me tonight. Everything comes second to that."

"Who would've thought the god of the dead was such a softie deep down?" she teased, turning a little in his arms so she could look at his heartbreakingly beautiful face.

"Certainly not me. It still doesn't change the fact I'm in awe that you've chosen me," Arawan replied, fingers tracing her cheek, her jaw, her lips. "I have fought in many battles. Defeated Hafgan more times than I can count. I've only felt like this once, and it feels like the biggest threat to my sanity right now, not whatever the hell Hafgan is up to."

Imogen kissed him, not knowing how to reassure him or tell him what he needed to hear. She was always terrible about talking about her feelings. Arawan made her feel so many things at once it was like her body wasn't big enough to contain them.

"You make me crazy too," she said when they finally pulled back. Arawan's eyes glowed a soft ruby in the shadows. "But I'm not going anywhere, understand? You go running back to Annwn to take down Hafgan's bullshit rebellion. I'm coming. I won't be left behind."

"It will be so dangerous for a mortal, my love," he said, voice straining like he had to force the words out. "But I need you by my side. You remind me what's worth fighting for."

"Yeah, my ass is pretty great, it's true," Imogen teased, trying desperately to ease the worry in his voice. Arawan's hand slid from where it was draped over her stomach and glided around to cup her generous curves.

"It's not just pretty great. It's perfect, and it's mine, and I'm going to protect it no matter what happens," Arawan said, his teeth dragged over her ear. "I have too many filthy, filthy plans to let it come to any harm."

"Keep talking like that, and we aren't going to get any sleep at all." Imogen shifted, so her butt pressed up against him.

"You keep rubbing it on me like that, and I'm going to fuck you again." Arawan kissed her, his tongue doing a slow and sexy exploration of her mouth in a way that made her whole body shiver. "Go to sleep, darling."

Imogen wanted to argue and say that she needed more orgasms than sleep, but her eyes were already closing, and she had drifted off before saying another word.

* * *

Imogen woke, and the first thing she noticed was the god sprawled out on the pillows beside her, his long black hair spilling like ink on the white linen.

Well, damn, if that's not the best thing I've ever woken up to.With all that had been happening, she hadn't had a moment of slow exploration of him. Something she planned to correct immediately.

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