Page 23 of Fire & Ice

The sapphire glimmers on Beau's chest as we give in to desire. All thoughts of the uncertain future fade away. There is only this moment, this joining, this love between two halves of one soul.

We lie tangled afterwards, skin slick with sweat, hearts thundering as one. Beau nuzzles my throat, placing a gentle kiss below my ear.

"I love you," he breathes. "Always."

I smile, running my fingers through his hair. "And I love you. Until the moon stops rising"

The vow echoes between us. No matter what comes on the morrow, we have this night.

Chapter 25

Tempest

I looked up at Beau as we embarked on another day of training for the Reckoning, the portion of the mating ritual where we would have to battle together as one after we completed the Merging. His piercing blue eyes scanned my face, his lips curved in a small smile. Even as we scrimmaged, I couldn't help but admire his chiseled features, the way his dark hair fell in messy waves over his forehead, and the way his bulky, muscular body moved with grace and fluidity.

I twirled through the air, forming a fireball that lit up the dark training room. Sparks flew as the flames melted away an ice spear that Beau had just thrown my way. The powerful reaction from the fire and ice meeting, blew me backwards onto the padded floor, knocking the air from my lungs.

In an instant Beau was there. He leaned over me, and I felt his fingers lightly brush against my flushed cheek as he pushed back a strand of hair and said, "Nicely done, my dear. Now take the offensive this time."

I scrambled to my feet and stood in the center of the room, focusing my energy on what was to come. A moment later, flames burst from my fingertips, dancing and flickering in the air. Beau watched with a critical eye; his arms crossed over his chest. "Not bad," he said, "but you need to work on your control. You're letting your emotions get the best of you." His voice was gentle yet firm as he encouraged me to try again.

I nodded silently in response as frustration welled inside me. This had always been a struggle. It was as if my passion and intensity fueled the flames, making them grow stronger and more unpredictable.

"Try again," Beau insisted.

Taking a deep breath, I focused all my energy on the flames. I closed my eyes and imagined swarms of flames gathering around me. I could feel the heat radiating from them, their bright orange and gold colors illuminating the dark training room. I opened my eyes to see Beau nodding in approval. Pushing even farther, I twisted the flames into a Phoenix and sent it rushing full speed at him. Beau's eyes widened in surprise as the phoenix swooped past him, its bright orange and gold flames illuminating the dusky training room. Its wingspan was so large that it seemed to fill the entire gym. Its heat melted the ice on the ground, creating a trail of steam in its wake.

"Very impressive," he said, grinning despite himself. "You're definitely making progress."

Joy surged through me as I realized the power of my gift. I was beginning to understand. But before I could act, a chill filled the air. I spun around to see Beau conjuring a wall of ice, creating intricate designs with his hands. There were shadows dancing across the walls from the light reflecting off the ice.

"Your turn," he said, gesturing towards me.

The rest of the afternoon was spent pushing my limits. Fire spewed out of my hands in waves as I worked to control it better. Sweat stung my eyes but I kept going until I mastered it.

The sky had just begun to blush pink, heralding the arrival of the sun, when Beau declared it was time to finish for the night. With a sigh of relief, I collapsed onto the soft mat beneath me. It was like a cloud against my sore muscles, but Beau's strong arms soon lifted me up in one easy motion.

"Someone is exhausted," he chuckled, his body radiating pleasant coolness that immediately soothed my heated skin. He wrapped his arm around my waist and directed us towards our suite with graceful steps. Once there, he tilted his head and pressed his neck to my lips. "Drink," he murmured.

His voice sent a jolt of electricity through me as I complied, pressing my lips to his cool flesh and allowing my fangs to sink into him. As I drank from him, a strange warmth began to spread through my chest that had nothing to do with fatigue from training. When I finally pulled away, heat rushed up my cheeks and I quickly averted my gaze. "Thank you," I whispered softly.

Beau's hand cupped my chin delicately and tilted it up so that I had no choice but to meet his eyes. His features displayed nothing but concern as he asked, "What's on your mind?"

I struggled to find the right words, fidgeting with my hands as I looked down at them. "It's nothing," I mumbled, feeling ridiculous for even thinking about it.

Beau cocked his head in confusion, his crystalline eyes searching mine. "What is it? You can tell me anything."

My heart thumped in my chest as I opened my mouth to speak, the words waiting to leap onto my tongue. “Even if we weren’t mated, and even if I had never dreamed of you, I think I would still fall for you,” They came out in a rush, like a waterfall spilling into an abyss.

Beau's gaze softened and he reached up to trace his thumb across my cheekbone. His voice was low and gentle as he murmured his reply, “Tempest, I've been falling for you since the first time I saw you in my dreams. You are the one - if I hadn’t found you when I did, I would have continued searching around the world until you were mine.”

He didn't give me time to respond before his lips locked with mine. The fiery heat between us seemed to consume us both as our arms wound tighter around each other. The previous fire and ice we had conjured now paled in comparison to this scorching heat.

The kiss was hot and demanding. Cementing what I had come to know over the passing months as we trained for the final step in our mating ritual. There's an even deeper fire within me that only Beau could quench.

His hands trailed down my body, slipping underneath my clothes to tease my sensitive flesh. I moaned into his mouth as his fingers found my core. He knew just how to touch me, how to make me lose control. My back arched as he slid two fingers into my wet slit, and I cried out as he began to pump them-in and out-building the pressure within me.

"I have been wanting to taste all of you." He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to my parted lips as his fingers continued to stroke my hot, wet slit.

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