21. Evelyn
21
Evelyn
R yker’s lap was the most comfortable seat in the house.
His oversized muscles made for a surprisingly soft nest, and his body heat was like sitting on a living, breathing space heater. I shifted, trying to focus on the passage Lucien was reading aloud about possession.
None of it made sense.
We needed a “Possession for Dummies” guide or something that laid out a step-by-step process. These ancient texts, with their faded ink and forgotten languages, were no help.
I nestled deeper into Ryker’s lap, my body still heavy with exhaustion from the day’s training. Across the room, chaos of a different kind brewed.
“You’re going down, feather-boy!” Chad shouted, his fingers furiously mashing buttons on a game controller.
Beside him, Rafe looked uncharacteristically intense, leaning forward like his life depended on winning.
“In your dreams, Chad!” Rafe shot back, his usual calm replaced by a surprisingly competitive edge.
I sighed, content.
Then the door slammed open, shattering the quiet.
Alister burst in, clutching the Sunday Supernatural paper in a white-knuckled grip. His face was grim, his eyes scanning the room.
“Bad news,” he said, tossing the paper onto the coffee table. “Chaos is spreading.”
Ryker’s arms tensed around me as I leaned forward to grab the paper.
“Powerful supernaturals are going missing,” I read aloud. “Freak storms popping up out of nowhere. And…” I faltered, swallowing hard. “Someone’s digging up cemeteries and stealing bodies.”
Chad paused his game, abandoning the controller to come stand over me. “Well, that’s creepy as hell.”
Lucien closed his book with a heavy thud, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Deeply unsettling.”
“What could Eris be planning?” Rafe asked, his usual gentle voice tinged with unease.
Alister started pacing. “We have to prepare for the worst.”
The enthusiasm about my newly found lightning powers vanished. We’d made progress, sure, but let’s face it—we were still no match for a goddess.
* * *
I tiptoed into my bedroom. The air felt different since Lucien had taken over my domain. His scent lingered everywhere: herbs and something distinctly…his.
Lucien was sprawled on my bed, wrapped snugly in my pink comforter. The sight made my heart swell. He was my fated mate…and an ass. But he was mine.
“I’m expecting more groveling,” I muttered to myself, heading for my walk-in closet.
As I rummaged through hangers, a voice behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin.
“Evelyn.”
I spun around, my heart racing. In the doorway of my closet, Lucien stood, his eyes dark and intense. “Goddess, Lucien! Warn a girl, would you? I almost threw a fire bolt at you.”
He didn’t crack a smile at my attempt at humor. Instead, he stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine.
“Um, everything okay?” I asked, backing up slightly. My pulse was racing, though I could tell if it was not from fear but…something else.
Lucien didn’t answer. In two quick strides, he closed the distance between us. Before I could react, his hands cupped my face, and his lips crashed onto mine.
Holy shit.
For a moment, I was too stunned to move. Then I found myself kissing him back. I’d always imagined Lucien’s kisses to be controlled and calculated. But this was pure fire, raw and urgent like he’d been holding back a storm.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless. “What…what the…err, what was that?”
Yep. I had lost all sense of speech.
Lucien’s eyes were wild, his usual stoic demeanor completely shattered. “I could not spend another minute without kissing you, Evelyn,” he said, his voice rough and unsteady.
My chest tightened, a rush of emotions—relief, frustration, and something far deeper—swelling inside me. But instead of saying any of that, what came out was:
“Well, you’ve got a lot to make up for, so…you’d better do that again.”
His lips twitched—just slightly—before I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to me, kissing him like my life depended on it.
Despite everything, I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to feel.
His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer, and his lips met mine with that same desperate intensity like he’d been waiting forever for this moment.
As our magic surged, the air around us shifted. I could feel his magic wrapped around mine, warm and steady, as mine responded, fierce and unyielding.
My hands slid to his neck, pulling him deeper into the kiss, and I felt a rush of heat as the strands of our magic fused and intertwined. I could feel the resonance humming in my very bones. It wasn’t just a kiss but a claiming, a binding of souls that went far beyond physical touch. His essence blended with mine, wrapping around my core and settling there as it had always belonged.
When we broke apart, gasping for air, faint wisps of our combined magic still lingered between us. They shimmered and twisted together, growing brighter as they intertwined before fading.
“Wow,” I whispered, the word barely audible over the thundering of my heart.
“Wow, indeed,” he murmured, his forehead resting against mine, his arms still wrapped around me. I felt the lingering hum of his magic deep inside me, tethered to mine in a way that felt whole.
As I looked up, I noticed Lucien smiling—really smiling. It wasn’t his usual smirk or guarded expression. This expression was unrestrained and genuine, transforming his face and making him look younger and lighter like some unseen weight had been lifted.
He was beautiful…and he was mine.