27. Ada
27
ADA
I lean into Dezoth's solid chest, his warmth enveloping me as Rose giggles between us. The familiar scent of forge-heated metal mingles with the spices he always carries. My fingers curl into the fabric of his tunic, and I breathe him in, wondering how I ever thought running was the answer. Not when he proved how far he will go for the two of us.
"Mama, you're squishing me!" Rose's violet eyes sparkle with mischief as she wriggles.
"I think you started the squishing, sweet one." I brush a honey-blonde curl from her forehead.
Dezoth's chest rumbles with quiet laughter. His large hand spans my lower back, steady and grounding. "You did insist the group hug wasn't tight enough."
"You weren't hugging right!" Rose pats his cheek, completely unafraid of the sharp angles of his face or the golden eyes that once made me tremble. "Cappy Dez, can we have tea now? With the sparkly cups?"
His expression softens, those intimidating features transforming into something gentle. "Of course, little flower. Though perhaps we should let your mother breathe first?"
I press closer instead, my head fitting perfectly beneath his chin. The ritual markings on his forearms catch the light as he adjusts his hold, keeping us both secure against him. The same arms that can wield a sword with deadly precision now cradle my daughter with infinite tenderness.
"I'm exactly where I need to be." My voice comes out quieter than intended, but I know he hears by the way his arms tighten fractionally around us.
"Good." The word carries the weight of a vow. "Because I'm not letting either of you go again."
We spend the rest of the afternoon at Dezoth's aunts. Mrs. Blackwood is a sweet woman who keeps plying me with food now that the bakery is closed and she gets to fawn over her nephew's new little family. It doesn't take long before Rose is falling asleep from the excitement of the day and we head upstairs.
Rose's soft snores drift from the guest room where Vashti showed us to lay her. My bare feet pad across the polished wooden floor, each step carrying the weight of words I need to say. Dezoth stands by the hearth in his room that we are sharing, his tall frame outlined in firelight. The silver cord in his hair catches the glow, creating a halo effect around his sharp features.
My fingers twist in the fabric of my dress. "I need to tell you something."
He turns, those golden eyes finding mine across the room. "Come here."
The quiet command in his voice draws me forward until I'm close enough to feel the heat radiating from his body. His ritual markings shift as he reaches for me, but I step back.
"Please, I need to say this first." My voice cracks. "I swore I'd never trust anyone again. After Rose's father, after everything... I built walls so high I thought no one could breach them." The scar along my collarbone burns with phantom pain. "Then you came along with your honor and your kindness, and I-" My throat closes around the words.
Dezoth moves with fluid grace, closing the distance between us. His large hands cup my face, thumbs brushing away tears I hadn't realized were falling. "Ada."
"I'm terrified." The confession rips from my chest. "Terrified of losing you like I lost him. Terrified of what that would do to Rose. To me. She loves you so much already, and I-"
He lifts me effortlessly, settling into the oversized armchair with me in his lap. My hands find purchase in his tunic as he tucks me against his chest, one arm banded around my waist while the other hand cradles the back of my head.
"I'm not going anywhere." His voice rumbles through me. "You and Rose are mine to protect now. To cherish." His fingers thread through my loose braid, gentle despite their strength. "I know what it means to lose someone. To fear opening your heart again."
I press my face into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. His pulse beats steady and strong against my lips, a rhythm that matches the certainty in his embrace.
His lips brush mine, tentative at first, as if giving me every chance to pull away. But I don’t. Instead, I lean into him, my hands sliding up his chest to tangle in the silver cord at the base of his neck. The kiss deepens, his mouth moving against mine with a slow, deliberate intensity that steals my breath. Months of unsaid words, of stolen glances and quiet touches, pour into this moment.
His hands tighten on me, one still cradling the back of my head, the other pressing into the small of my back, pulling me impossibly closer. I melt into him, my body arching against his as the kiss turns desperate, hungry, like we’re both trying to make up for all the time we’ve wasted. His teeth graze my bottom lip, a faint sting that makes me want more.
“Dezoth,” I whisper against his mouth, my voice trembling. His name feels like a prayer, like a promise.
He growls low in his chest, the sound vibrating through me as he stands, lifting me with him. My legs wrap around his waist out of instinct, my arms locking around his neck. He carries me effortlessly to the bed, laying me out.
“Tell me this is what you want,” he murmurs, his golden eyes searching mine. His pupils are blown wide, the glow of them softened by the dim light of the room. His voice is rough, but there’s a vulnerability there that makes my chest ache.
I reach for the hem of his tunic, tugging it over his head and letting it fall to the floor. My fingers trace the ritual markings on his forearms, the raised lines warm beneath my touch. “I want this. I want you. No more walls, no more running. Just us.”
His breath hitches, and he cups the back of my neck, pulling me into another searing kiss. His other hand works at the laces of my dress, the fabric slipping from my shoulders and pooling at my feet. His palms skim over my bare skin, the heat of him branding me, claiming me.
He breaks the kiss just long enough to lift me and lay me down on the bed, his body covering mine. His mouth trails down my neck, his fangs grazing the scar along my collarbone before he soothes the spot with his tongue. I gasp, my fingers digging into his shoulders as he moves lower, his hands and mouth worshiping every inch of me.
When he finally joins us, it’s with a slow, deliberate thrust that has me arching off the bed, a moan tearing from my throat. His forehead presses against mine, his breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts as he moves inside me.
“Look at me,” he rasps, his voice thick with emotion.
I open my eyes, meeting his golden gaze. There’s something raw and unfiltered in his expression, something that makes my heart ache. He’s letting me see him, all of him, not just the hardened warrior, but the man who’s as vulnerable as I am.
“You’re mine,” he growls, his pace quickening. His hands grip my hips, holding me steady as he drives into me, each thrust pulling me closer to the edge.
“Yours,” I breathe, my fingers tangling in his hair. The word is a vow, a surrender, and a declaration all at once.
When I shatter, it’s with his name on my lips, my body trembling beneath him. He follows moments later, his release tearing a guttural groan from his throat as he collapses over me, his weight a comforting anchor.
He rolls us onto our sides, keeping me pressed against him as we both struggle to catch our breath. His fingers trace idle patterns on my back, his lips brushing my temple.
“No more running,” he murmurs, his voice drowsy but firm.
“No more running,” I agree, my eyes heavy with exhaustion and contentment. For the first time in years, I let myself believe it.
In the gentle quiet, my fingers drift over the raised lines marking his chest. Some are old - silvered with time and telling stories of battles long past. But these newest ones, still pink and healing, make my breath catch. They're from the night he found us, when he fought off the collectors trying to take Rose.
"These could have killed you." My voice barely carries above a whisper.
Dezoth captures my wandering hand, pressing it flat against his heart. "A price I'd gladly pay again."
The steady thrum beneath my palm grounds me. How many nights had I lain awake, terrified to let anyone close? Yet here I am, bare and vulnerable, feeling safer than I have in years.
"I love you." The words slip out, carrying all the weight of weeks of unspoken feelings. Of watching him braid Rose's hair with those deadly hands. Of seeing him stand between us and danger without hesitation. Of quiet moments when he thought no one was looking, his golden eyes soft as he watched us both.
His whole body goes still, those remarkable eyes lighting up from within. The glow casts shadows across his sharp features, but there's nothing frightening about it anymore. Instead, it's like watching the sun rise after the longest night.
He moves with that fluid grace that still takes my breath away, rolling me beneath him. His obsidian hair falls around us like a curtain as he claims my mouth with a kiss that speaks of possession and tenderness all at once. His markings shimmer in the dim light as his hands frame my face, thumbs stroking my cheeks with infinite care.
When he breaks the kiss, his forehead rests against mine. "Say it again."
I reach up, threading my fingers through his hair, watching his eyes flutter closed at the touch. "I love you, Dezoth Blackwood."
His answering kiss steals the rest of my words, and I let myself get lost in the heat of his mouth, the press of his body against mine, and the knowledge that I've finally found home.
When he finally breaks away, he looks down at me with so much love that my heart can't take it. "I love you, Ada."