Chapter Fifteen
Brigid
My hands are unsteady as I reach out, fingertips gliding over Rory ’ s face. I search for any sign of injury, my eyes scanning over his familiar features.
“ Are you hurt? God, Rory, I ’ m so sorry,” I whisper, voice cracking. “ This is all my fault. The rift, you getting sucked in...”
Rory catches my hands in his, stilling their frantic movements. His smile is tired but warm. “ Hey, I ’ m okay. Really.”
I shake my head, not quite believing it. “ But the void—”
“ Was a hell of a trip,” he interrupts gently. “ But nothing I couldn ’ t handle.”
My throat tightens. Even now, he ’ s trying to protect me from worry. Typical Rory.
“ If I ’ d known—”
“ You couldn ’ t have,” Rory says firmly. He squeezes my hands. “ What matters is I ’ m back. In one piece, see?”
Although I want to believe him, guilt gnaws at me. My inability to contain my shadow magic nearly cost him everything.
Rory ’ s thumb traces lines on my skin. “ Stop that,” he says softly. “ I can see you beating yourself up. It wasn ’ t your fault, Brigid.”
His touch grounds me, steadying my racing thoughts. I take a shaky breath. “ I ’ m just... I ’ m glad you ’ re here.”
“ I thought I ’ d lost you. When you disappeared... God, Rory, I ’ ve never been so scared.”
My eyes burn with unshed tears. The fear I ’ ve been holding back since he vanished crashes over me like a tidal wave.
Rory ’ s hands tighten on mine. His eyes lock onto my face with an earnestness that quiets me. “ Listen to me, Brigid Ryan. I will never leave you. Not by choice, not by force, not by any fucking interdimensional rift. You ’ re stuck with me, got it? You and I, we ’ re fated mates. Nothing can break that bond.”
The fierceness in his voice makes my heart stutter. I want to believe him so badly it hurts.
“ Promise?” I whisper. I want to trust in that, but I think of how everyone who ever loved me—two sets of parents—ended up gone. Forever.
“ I swear it,” Rory says, his words ringing with sincerity. “ On everything I am, on everything we ’ ll be. I ’ m not going anywhere.”
We stare at each other, the silence filled with unspoken emotions. All the fear, the longing, the relief—it stretches this moment into an eternity. My skin feels like an inferno of awareness at every point where we touch.
Rory ’ s eyes darken, and I see his need in them.He needs me. I need him.
I can ’ t look away as he leans in, his lips taking mine roughly, quickly. The kiss deepens instantly, urgent and hungry. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, tasting me, claiming me. I give over to him, pressing closer.
Rory ’ s hands slide down my back, gripping my hips and pulling me flush against him. I can feel how hard he is already as his cock presses against me, solid as steel. The knowledge that he wants me this badly after everything he ’ s been through, after seeing me again for just a few minutes, sends a rush of heat straight to my center.
“ Gods, Brigid,” Rory mutters against my lips. “ I have to have you. Now.”
In one quick motion, he lifts me off my feet. I help, wrapping my legs around his waist instinctively. His strength never fails to impress me—the way he can manhandle me so effortlessly. I can feel the solid muscles of his chest and arms as he holds me like I ’ m a feather, even though I ’ m not light. He ’ s so strong that he lifts me up like it ’ s nothing.
Rory carries me toward the bed, his mouth never leaving mine. The urgency in his movements, the way his hands grip me possessively—it ’ s making me ache with need for him. I grind against him, desperate for friction.
“ You ’ re so fucking soft,” Rory murmurs, his voice gravelly. “ So perfect in my arms. I ’ m going to make you feel so good, love.”
His words make my belly tighten.
He lays me down on the bed gently, but there ’ s nothing gentle about the way he starts undressing me. My thin shirt is ripped open by his bare hands, exposing my lacy bra. His fingers trace over the swell of my breasts before he yanks the cups down, freeing my breasts.
I arch up into his touch, moaning as he pinches one nipple between his fingers, rolling it roughly. The sensation sends a shock of pleasure straight to my core.
“ Rory,” I gasp, reaching for him. But he captures my hands, pinning them above my head.
“ No.”
That one word brings another rush of heat through me. I nod, biting my lip as he releases my hands. He trails his lips down my neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there. I squirm beneath him, my skin tingling everywhere he touches me.
“ Please,” I ask. “ I need you inside me.”
Rory ’ s eyes widen at my words. He shoves his pants down, freeing his cock. It ’ s huge—like him—thick and hard, the head already glistening.
He positions himself at my entrance, rubbing the tip through my folds. I ’ m soaked to the point of dripping, my arousal coating him.
“ Look at you,” Rory murmurs, his voice hoarse. “ So fucking wet for me. You need this, don ’ t you?”
I nod, but no reply is necessary. He can see exactly what I need.
Without another word, Rory thrusts into me in one swift stroke. I cry out as he fills me to the brim, his cock hitting every nerve ending inside me. He starts moving, pistoning in and out of me with rough, urgent strokes.
My hips rise up to meet him, matching his rhythm. Each thrust sends another wave of pleasure crashing through me. The sound of our bodies slapping together fills the room.
Rory ’ s muscled body looms over me, his skin glistening with sweat in the dim daylight that creeps in through the gap in the curtains. My own body is flushed and trembling, my breasts bouncing with each thrust. I can hear my own moans and gasps mingling with Rory ’ s growls of pleasure. And through it all, the dominant sound is the slickness of our sex, the wet noises as Rory ’ s cock slides in and out of me, bringing us both closer to release.
It doesn ’ t take long before I feel the familiar tightening inside me. I reach down, rubbing my clit in time with Rory ’ s thrusts.
“ That ’ s it, love.” Rory watches me touch myself. “ Come for me, Brigid. I want to feel you come on my cock.”
His words send me over the edge. I cry out, my orgasm ripping through me. My pussy clamps down on Rory ’ s cock, milking him as I come.
He grunts, his thrusts becoming erratic as he chases his own release. With a final, stabbing stroke, he stills, his cock buried deep inside me as he comes, hot and wet as he fills me up.
We lie there, panting and spent, for several long moments. Rory rolls off me, pulling me close against his chest and pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.
I snuggle closer, exhausted. For now, everything else fades away. There ’ s just us. I know it can ’ t last. We can ’ t stay alone here forever.
But for now, I push those thoughts away. Right now, I just want to enjoy the feeling of being in Rory ’ s arms.
The quiet that envelops us is a stark contrast to the chaos we ’ ve faced. It ’ s a relief to have this reprieve, and I can feel my breathing slowly returning to normal as I rest in Rory ’ s arms, his strong grip still holding me close.
“ Sorry about your shirt.”
“ Worth it,” I reply, and I ’ ve never meant anything more.
“ You were there, weren ’ t you?” Rory says. “ That was real. You and me together.”
I remember the bite on my thigh. “ Yes,” I whisper.
“ How?”
“ I don ’ t know,” I say, honestly. And thankfully, Rory doesn ’ t press further.
“ We should tell the others that you ’ re back,” I murmur, feeling a twinge of guilt. He ’ s back and his best friends don ’ t even know yet. But also—fuck them a little. Rory wouldn ’ t even be here if I ’ d listened to them and not gotten help from Marius.
Marius.
Who, after everything, was the one who actually saved Rory. The one who helped me when the others turned me down. I still don ’ t trust him, but my feelings are getting a lot more complicated.
My thoughts are brought back to the here and now by Rory ’ s knuckle brushing over my nipple.
Rory chuckles quietly, kissing my forehead again. “ Aye, love. We ’ ll go see the boys. After I make you come again.”
I smile against his chest, hiding my face. As he begins to kiss and suckle on my neck, I feel my body heat up once more. His hands roam over my sides, tracing circles on my breasts as he slowly works me up again.
“ Rory...” I moan, arching into him. “ Not fair.”
He smiles against my skin. “ What?” He nips playfully at a nipple with his teeth.
He rolls over, pinning me beneath him, already hard again. Our hips align perfectly, and he nudges open my legs with one of his, then thrusts into me with a groan. I ’ m so wet from our climaxes that he slides in easily, despite his size.
“Fuuuuck.” He closes his eyes and groans.
In an instant, we ’ re lost in each other again. Our rhythm picks up quickly. We move together, our bodies slick with sweat and lust.
As I look up into his eyes, I see nothing but his animalistic need reflected at me. This man—this wolf—means more to me than I can explain.
And for now, at this moment, we can forget about everything else.
When I wake up, the room is dark. What little light there had been is gone. It must be almost dinner time. I become aware of Rory ’ s body spooning around mine, his arm thrown over me and his big hand cupping my bare breast.
“ Oh good, you ’ re awake,” he murmurs into the back of my neck. “ Ready for round three?”
“ Don ’ t you think you ’ ve had enough, big guy?” I tease. Though my breath hitches as I say it. I ’ m tempted. But we have to tell the others. “ Raincheck?” I ask.
Rory yawns and stretches, moving his arms over his head. I roll over to look at him, admiring the sheer physicality of the man. He ’ s so strong. I knew he ’ d survive.He sees me staring at him and waggles his eyebrows, then motions with his eyes for me to look down. At his dick, which is fully erect again and standing up proudly.
I laugh, and he puts on a wounded expression, placing his hand over his heart as I shake my head.
Rory groans dramatically. “ Fine. But I ’ m holding you to that raincheck.”
I look for my clothes, picking up my torn t-shirt then tossing it aside. I wince slightly as I bend over and grab my bra and jeans. I ’ m pleasantly sore in all the right places. “ Deal. Now get dressed.”
Rory pinches my ass playfully as I ’ m bent over, making me yelp. I reach back and toss a pillow at his head.
When we ’ re both in a more presentable state, we head for the door. But as I reach for the handle, Rory puts his hand over mine.
“ Brigid, wait.” Rory takes a deep breath, his brow furrowing. “ When I was there, in that place between worlds, I saw a woman. She looked just like you, Brigid. But she wasn ’ t you.”
“ What do you mean?” My stomach clenches. I ’ d been so focused on having him back, I hadn ’ t even thought to ask about what he ’ d experienced.
Rory ’ s eyes cloud with uncertainty. “ I ’ m not sure. It was weird. This woman, she had your face, your eyes. But older. And her energy... it was different. Darker.”
“ Did she do anything? Say anything?” I haven ’ t forgotten about the murals in the chamber under the academy. About the paintings of a woman who looked just like me, with the Raven King, and the five men.
“ Not really,” Rory shakes his head. “ But Brigid, I felt like she knew me. Like she was waiting for something.”
And just like that, the comforting warmth and safety I ’ m feeling shatters away.