Epilogue
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DIMRI STARED AT THE piece of paper in his hand. He would burn it as soon as he was done with it, but in the meantime, it felt good to see the names on it. His new and improved network of spies was growing.
He leaned back in his chair and glanced up to look at the city. He loved the sounds coming from it. He could hear people walking just a few feet away. Someone was singing, and a child laughed. The pitter-patter of their footsteps as they ran away made Dimri smile.
The city was at peace again.
For a while after the fight, Dimri hadn’t been sure it would happen.
It had taken several days to take down all of Ramiel’s demons.
Some had run from the palace as soon as Ramiel had died, but others had been hiding in the city, attacking guards and the people who lived there.
Dimri had wanted to do more to find them, but both Berith and Roque had put their foot down.
He’d been forbidden to work, even after the healer had looked him over and confirmed that he wasn’t in danger of dying.
Part of Dimri had been annoyed, but another part had been touched.
He hadn’t realized how much he mattered to a lot of people, including Berith.
For a long time, he’d believed that the prince only saw him as his spymaster, someone useful to the throne and to keep him alive, but there was more to it, even without considering the relationship between Dimri and Roque.
Berith cared about Dimri, just like Dimri cared about him.
They might not be best friends, but they were family.
The sound of something heavy falling made Dimri jump.
He leaned over the balcony and glared, even though it wasn’t the workers’ fault.
One of them noticed and waved at him in apology, and he waved back.
They were making good progress, but they still had to deal with the results of two explosions that had ripped apart part of the palace.
Including the tunnels. Luckily, Roque and his people had managed to open a hole in the collapsed debris to get Dimri’s team out of there, but Dimri doubted that they’d be able to use the tunnels again anytime soon.
He hadn’t poked his head in there yet, but he would eventually.
He had to know which parts of the tunnels were still usable and which were closed off.
Maybe it wasn’t a bad thing. Considering that Ramiel had used them to get into the palace, it might be a smart idea to close them off permanently.
At the same time, though, they could be useful in case anything happened and Berith and his family needed to get out of the palace quickly.
Dimri would have to think about a way to make that work.
He was sure he could come up with a solution, and if he couldn’t do it on his own, he’d ask Roque to help.
He leaned back again and smiled up at the sky.
Roque had been a surprise, but maybe he shouldn’t have been.
The way he’d taken care of Dimri right after the fight and in the weeks following always made Dimri’s heart flutter when he thought about it.
He’d known Roque cared about him, but he hadn’t realized how serious it was.
He did now. Roque had moved in with him while he was recuperating, and he hadn’t left yet.
Dimri was pretty sure that he had no intention of leaving.
Dimri’s room was close enough to Berith’s quarters and the throne room that Roque felt comfortable staying there, and a lot of his stuff had migrated from his room to Dimri’s.
He hadn’t officially moved in, but he would.
Dimri would make sure of it.
When he felt lips press against his hair, he smiled but didn’t move. Roque walked around the chair Dimri was lounging in, sitting in the one next to it and looking at him with a soft smile. “I’m surprised to see you relaxing. You’re not usually one to sit in the middle of the day.”
Dimri raised his list. “I was going over this.”
“So you’re working even though Reyni told you to rest.”
“He told everyone to rest. I’m fine. I’m healed.” Mostly. Sometimes, he could still feel a twinge of pain when he moved certain ways, but apart from the scars, that was all that was left from what had happened to him in the tunnels.
He grinned. He was certainly healed enough that he and Roque could take the next step in their relationship. He knew that Roque had been waiting for him to feel better, but he was getting annoyed. They’d done enough waiting, dammit.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” Dimri said as he sat up.
“Because you were distracted by work.”
“Do you have to go back to Berith’s office later?”
Roque’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “He gave me the rest of the day off. He knew it was going to take me a while to be done here.”
“Oh? Did you have something in mind?”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
Dimri turned back to the city spread under them. “Well, I’m having a nice day, watching the city and listening to the people who live here. Maybe we could relax on the balcony for a while longer.”
Roque got to his feet. He held out his hand, and Dimri placed his into it. He pushed his sheet of paper into his pocket as Roque hauled him to his feet.
“Or maybe we could go inside,” Roque said softly.
Dimri grinned. “Or we could do that,” he confirmed.
* * * *
ROQUE’S HANDS WERE on Dimri the moment they stepped inside what Roque thought of as their bedroom, even though they hadn’t officially moved in together yet.
They would, though. The war was over. There would be no more meetings, no more planning, no more telling himself that he had to stay away from Dimri for just a little while longer so they wouldn’t get distracted.
Now Roque could have this—Dimri, with his dark gray skin warm under Roque’s palms, and his white eyes gleaming with a hunger that mirrored what Roque was feeling.
“You’ve been sitting out there staring at the city for long enough,” Roque said. It was time for Dimri to pay attention to him now. He’d waited long enough.
He pressed Dimri against the wall, pinning him in place without any resistance from Dimri.
Dimri’s black curls brushed against Roque’s face as he leaned in to capture Dimri’s lips in a kiss that felt like it should’ve happened a while ago.
It wasn’t their first kiss, but it was the first time it would lead to more, and Roque felt like he was about to vibrate out of his skin.
Dimri’s claws dug into Roque’s shoulders, not enough to hurt but enough to make his intentions clear.
Roque was his, and he was making it clear.
His tongue slid against Roque’s in a slow and deliberate move, teasing him with the promise of more.
Roque groaned and slid his hands down to grip Dimri’s hips to pull him closer until there was no space left between them.
This was what Roque wanted. He felt like he’d waited an eternity to get it, but he didn’t have to anymore. Dimri was in his arms, and if Roque had anything to say about it, he was never leaving them.
“You’re as impatient as always,” Dimri murmured against Roque’s lips. His claws trailed down Roque’s back, making him shiver. “I was just enjoying the view.”
“The view’s better in here,” Roque shot back, nipping at Dimri’s lower lip. He could feel the heat that had been building between them finally reaching its tipping point. He’d waited too long for this. They both had.
Dimri chuckled. His hands moved to Roque’s chest, pushing him back just enough to help him out of his shirt. Dimri’s gaze raked over Roque’s bare torso, his gaze lingering on the scars that crisscrossed his red skin. “Beautiful,” he murmured, tracing one with the tip of a claw.
Roque shuddered at the contact, his breath hitching. No one had ever called him beautiful, but he believed Dimri when he said it. He wouldn’t lie to him.
He reached for the hem of Dimri’s shirt, tugging it off with a groan of frustration when it didn’t move fast enough and got stuck at Dimri’s armpits.
The sight of Dimri’s bare chest stole the air from Roque’s lungs.
He wanted to touch, but he also desperately wanted to stare, and he didn’t know where to start.
He kissed Dimri again, harder this time, touching every inch of Dimri’s body he could get to. Dimri’s slender fingers found their way to Roque’s waistband, undoing the clasp and sliding the pants down his hips.
The cold air hit Roque’s skin, but it was nothing next to the heat pooling in his groin. He stepped to the side and kicked his pants away, then reached for Dimri’s.
Dimri lifted an eyebrow, smirking as he let Roque undress him without arguing.
His pants joined Roque’s somewhere on the floor, then his underwear.
Roque added his, too, and there was finally nothing left between them—no clothes, no war, no distractions.
They could finally give in to the pull that had been growing between them.
Roque’s breath caught as he took in the sight of Dimri fully naked. His frame was lean but strong, built for both grace and power. Roque reached out to brush his fingers against Dimri’s hip, and he felt a jolt of arousal when Dimri’s cock twitched in answer.
“You’re staring,” Dimri said softly, sounding amused. There was something else there, too. He sounded vulnerable, and that wasn’t something he allowed many people to see. It made Roque want to protect him and to make sure he never doubted how much Roque wanted him.
“Can’t help it,” Roque admitted, his hand sliding up Dimri’s side to cup his jaw. “You’re breathtaking.”
Dimri’s lips curved into a smile, but before he could respond, Roque dropped to his knees. Dimri’s sharp intake of breath made Roque smile before he closed his lips around the head of his cock.
He was hot and heavy on Roque’s tongue, and his taste was intoxicating. Roque moaned and ran his tongue along the length as he took him deeper. Dimri’s fingers tangled in Roque’s hair, tugging just hard enough to send a shiver of pleasure down his spine.
“Fuck,” Dimri breathed out. His hips jerked forward, and Roque let him set the pace, taking him as deep as he could. The sounds spilling from Dimri’s lips spurred Roque on. He wanted more. He wanted to feel and hear Dimri fall apart.
When he eventually pulled back for air, Dimri hauled him to his feet and kissed him. There was a desperation in it that Roque also felt. He needed more. They both did.
“Get in bed,” Dimri said against Roque’s lips, and Roque didn’t need to be told twice.
They stumbled toward it, their bodies pressed together, their hands roaming and exploring even though they’d have all the time in the world to do so now that the war was over.
When the backs of Roque’s knees hit the mattress, Dimri pushed him down, climbing over him with a grace and ease that made Roque’s blood sing.
Dimri kissed Roque’s neck. His claws traced patterns down Roque’s chest, leaving faint scratches that made Roque arch into the touch. The pain and pleasure mingled, but they weren’t enough.
“You’ve been driving me nuts,” Dimri murmured. “This is all I can think about every time I see you. I can’t believe I finally get to have it.”
He ground his hips against Roque’s, their cocks pressing together in a way that made Roque gasp. “You do,” he managed to say. He wished Dimri would do more about it, though. He was impatient.
Dimri laughed softly. He reached for the bottle of oil Roque had left on the nightstand, slicking his fingers before pressing one against Roque’s entrance when Roque opened his legs for him.
The first touch made Roque tense for a moment—he didn’t often trust people enough to let them do this—but then Dimri was kissing him again, slow and deep, and he relaxed.
The stretch burned, but it was a good burn, the kind that made Roque want more and wonder why he didn’t do this more often.
He clutched at Dimri’s shoulders, gasping and moaning as Dimri worked him open with patient ease.
By the time a second finger joined the first, Roque was writhing, desperate for more.
“Please,” he gasped, his nails digging into Dimri’s back.
Dimri smiled down at him, his white eyes gleaming with affection. He withdrew his fingers and positioned himself at Roque’s entrance, teasing him with the tip of his cock. “You ready?” he asked. “I can continue using my fingers if you’re not.”
Roque didn’t answer with words because he wasn’t sure he could speak right now. He wrapped his legs around Dimri’s waist and pulled him closer. His cock pressed against Roque’s hole, and Roque forced himself to relax. He knew it’d hurt, but only for a moment, and when it stopped, he’d be in heaven.
The sensation of being filled was overwhelming in the best way possible. The burning sensation vanished soon enough, leaving him feeling stretched open and whole in a way he hadn’t known he needed.
Dimri groaned and pressed his forehead against Roque’s as he pushed himself fully into Roque’s body. For a moment, they stayed still, their breaths mingling as they adjusted to each other. Then Dimri pulled back and thrust in again, and Roque cried out.
The rhythm they found was rough and unrelenting—impatient, like Roque so often was. He felt smug at the thought of having managed to get Dimri to feel the same way.
Dimri’s claws scraped against Roque’s sides, leaving marks that Roque would proudly wear. He could feel himself getting closer with every movement, and he couldn’t wait.
“Look at me,” Dimri demanded.
Roque swallowed and met his gaze. The intensity in Dimri’s eyes almost pushed Roque over the edge, but he needed just a little more. He reached between them to stroke himself in time with Dimri’s thrusts, desperate for release.
“That’s it,” Dimri whispered, his pace faltering. “Come for me.”
That did it. Roque threw his head back with a cry as he came, his vision going white. Dimri followed, a low groan escaping him as he buried himself deep and spilled inside Roque.
For a while, neither of them moved. Roque wished they never had to.
He wanted them to stay in this room, away from everyone, and forget about their responsibilities.
They couldn’t do that forever, but Ramiel was gone.
Berith and his territory were safe. Roque and Dimri had done their jobs, and they could enjoy the peace.
For however long it lasted.