Chapter 91 Zadyn
ZADYN
“Zadyn, I love you,” she cries, her head rearing back. “I love you.”
I come so hard I see stars. Literal, actual stars. Bleached spots dance across my vision, bursting like fireworks one after another.
My entire body—my entire soul—empties out to make room for her. I am completely hollowed out as I pulse with the aftershocks of her words, of her body still wrapped around me.
Finally, she knows what I know. What I have known for months. And she isn’t afraid. She wants this the same way I do.
I tug her down and kiss her hard enough to bruise. She whimpers, threading her arms around my neck until our naked chests are pressed together, sweat trapped between them.
I’ve thought about this so many times. Dreamt of it. But nothing could compare to the real thing. Not even my wildest fantasies.
She is…everything.
“You have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that.”
Her answering smile decimates me and then pieces me back together.
She loves me. She fucking loves me.
Tucking herself beneath my arm, she asks, “When did this start?”
I twine our fingers together and kiss the top of her head. “My feelings for you?”
She nods.
“Honestly, I don’t know. You were a baby when I was summoned. My only thought was to protect you and guard you for the longest time. When you got to college and I was posing as Annie, we started spending more time together, and I got to know you on another level—”
“I had wondered about that,” she interrupts. “Our entire friendship. If any of it was real.”
I pull back to look at her. “All of it was real. Every conversation we had was coming from a place of truth. We were friends. And in that time you became more to me than someone I was bound to protect. You became someone I would choose. Every single time. Even had my life not been tied to yours. The things we shared, the things you let me see as Annie just made me fall for you twice as hard.”
My fingers dust over her cheek.
“You don’t know how many times I came close to telling you everything.
I didn’t want any secrets between us. That’s when I knew I was in real trouble.
I hated that I had to take your friend away.
I was just trying to do what I thought was best for you.
You weren’t ready at the time, and I knew that. ”
Her brows pinch together as she peers up at me. “You watched me fall for Jack. And you never said anything.”
Yeah, that was rough. But it wasn’t like I could go and throw my hat in the ring either. He was her first serious boyfriend, and she had it bad for him right away. I knew it would never work—her place was always here, on Solterre. Still, that didn’t make it any easier to watch.
“Who was I to stand in the way of your happiness? I told you before, that’s all I want. If that meant watching you fall head over heels for somebody else, as long as he was treating you right, I would have gladly stepped aside.”
“I thought that was love,” she says, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. “But this is something else entirely. It’s like love on steroids.”
I laugh, brushing a kiss over her knuckles.
“When we got to Solterre, I watched you blossom. Completely. You coming into your power, owning who you are—I swear, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I hit the ground faster than I could blink,” I say. “I am so sorry for lying to you…and for making you feel alone.”
“I’m not alone anymore.” She smiles this blinding, mind-altering smile that makes me melt, and I know I’m forgiven. “You can spend the next two hundred years making up for it.”
“And how do you propose I do that?” I lean down, teasing my lips along her jaw.
Her lavender eyes twinkle. “I think you mentioned something last night. About bending me over a chair?”
I part her mouth with mine just as a loud knock shatters our perfect little bubble.
“Just dropping by to make sure the place is still standing!” Kai calls from outside the cabin. “We’ll be at grandmother’s house!”
I sigh as she gives me a peck and pulls herself out of my arms.
“We need to get back home soon,” she says, sitting up. I can’t help but watch, stiffening at the sight of her naked back all over again. I lean across the bed, planting slow kisses along her spine and smirking as she shivers.
“I know.”
“Do you think you’ll be good enough to travel by tomorrow?
” She sighs, her eyes closing as she tips her head to the side, bearing her neck to me.
My fingers trail over the rivets of my bite, which have now formed two pearlescent dots on her neck.
I could heal them, but I don’t. I’m sure as hell going to wear hers proudly.
“Probably. I’ve got ninety percent of feeling back. But I think the real trouble is going to be leaving this bed when you’re sitting there looking like this.”
I wrap her hair around my fist and tug her head back. She gasps, and I angle my mouth to hers, cutting off the sound. She kisses me back for one glorious moment before she turns and shoves me off, offering me a dazzling grin. I fall back and lie there for a minute, watching her dress.
Mine.
“Not to sound like the insecure boyfriend, but what’s going to happen when we get back and you see Jace?”
“I’m going to strangle him is what’s going to happen,” she says, pulling a shirt over her head.
“I’m serious, Serena.”
She snatches my clothes off the floor and tosses them to me.
“So am I. His idiotic plan is what landed us here in the first place.”
“Don’t forget, I was in on it too.”
“Oh, trust me, I haven’t.”
I shake my head. “You’re going to forgive him.”
“I don’t have to. Not if I don’t want to.” She crosses her arms, giving me an indignant look, which shouldn’t be the turn-on that it is.
“Stop acting tough.”
“What are you worried about? Jace changes nothing that happened here. Besides, it’s best if we stay away from each other. For everyone’s sake.”
She moves around the bed to smooth a hand over my cheek. I catch it, pressing a kiss to the blue-black veins of her wrist. Her mouth twists into a devious smirk.
“So you’re like my boyfriend now?”
I stand. “You can call me whatever you damn well want, and I will come running.”
“I like the sound of that—you at my beck and call.”
“I’ve always been at your beck and call, you little fiend,” I growl, kissing her nose.
“Mmmm. Save the name-calling for later.” She reaches around to pat me on the ass and turns toward the door. I catch her by the arm, tugging her back into a slow, lingering kiss. When I open my eyes, hers are still closed.
“Now you can go.” I guide her forward, proud of the dazzled look I’ve left on her face.
“If you’re going to sit there gawking at each other, at least make good use of your hands,” the Matron chides. Serena and I look away from each other, blushing.
You heard her, I say. Stop eye-fucking me.
A loud laugh bursts from her lips. She claps a hand over her mouth, and I chuckle, shaking my head.
“Sorry. Umm. What is all this?” she asks, sifting through the contents strewn across the floor of the Matron’s cottage. Outside the window, the Blueblood witches are carrying woven baskets and bouquets of flowers toward the clearing.
“Preparations for the blood moon,” Mar explains, weaving together a string of colorful garland.
“Tonight is a good night for magic. When the moon is eclipsed, magic is at its peak, and the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. We give thanks to the gods tonight. We replenish our land, our magic. We light fires and dance—tell stories.”
“It’s my favorite tradition.” Mar smiles at her grandmother.
“How can we help?” I ask.
“You fine young males can help with the firewood.” She points toward the door.
Serena glances up. “I think Zadyn should be taking it easy.”
“Nonsense,” the Matron scoffs. “If he was good enough to do whatever it was the two of you were doing this morning, then he can sure as hell handle carrying a log or two. I’m certain it’s far less rigorous.”
Serena turns bright red. The same shade my face probably is right now. But I’m not embarrassed by it. I’m actually fighting a smirk. Dover and Kai snicker, exchanging a knowing look. I stand, laying a hand over my heart.
“I would be thrilled to help carry the firewood,” I say, hitting the Matron with as much innocent charm as I can muster. She gives me a sly look and nods toward the door as if to say, beat it.
“I know what they were doing,” Kai mutters to Dover as they step outside. “It involves a beast and two backs.”
“Kai!” Serena screeches. I toss her a wink before following after them.