Chapter 27 Like a Tree
~ MELEK ~
Every night we were in the city, Yilan walked the shadows in an attempt to use the mediums to divert the powerful Neph. They were always difficult, nervous hours for me until she returned.
I knew I couldn’t forbid her to do this—knew we needed her and Diadre to do this—but every moment she spent out from under my eyes, was a moment I struggled to breathe.
When she couldn’t even reach me in the link, it was torture.
Add to that, she sounded sad, and so angry all the time…
I worried that one night she’d lose her shit and take a risk.
I also knew she’d be so fucking angry with me if she heard me thinking that way, that I kept my mouth shut.
Thankfully, a few nights after we’d been to the caves with Jann, I was elated.
A new round of troops had arrived, and made it safely to the caverns.
This group included Kavros and more Centaurs, as well as a good chunk of the Nephilim we’d left traveling behind us to gather more support.
For the first time, I calculated our chances to overwhelm the Neph fighters in the city.
We were already developing strategies for how to place them so they could enter the city from different directions, though it would be at least another week.
Still… While I wasn’t optimistic, I carried less dread than I had for weeks.
But the thrill came when, right before Yilan returned from her forays, Hever appeared. He was making inroads with Lucifer, and had been called to a meeting, so our planned gathering tonight was postponed to morning.
Which meant I had a couple of hours with my mate, and no responsibility.
I tried to remember the last time that had happened at any time except the dead of night, and couldn’t.
Sure, it was late, but we’d been going to sleep far later.
I actually smiled when I picked Yilan up for her to shroud us, so we could fly out of the city.
‘Was that a smile?’ she asked, surprised, as I carried her through the wall—something that still gave me goosebumps—and launched from the balcony outside.
‘It was.’
‘What’s happened?’
‘You’ll see,’ I said, suddenly determined to be mischievous. She’d expect good news about the war, or someone who’d arrived that we would be happy to see. I hoped she’d be pleasantly surprised to find out I smiled for a reason that had nothing to do with blood or fighting.
She continued to guess as we flew. I grunted, or gave her no clues, so she was frustrated—then I began to descend towards earth early.
‘What’s wrong? Has something—’
‘Nothing. I just want to show you something.’
Her instincts kicked in then, because she went quiet and did nothing but wait. That made my instincts crackle. My mate never did nothing.
When I dropped us through the tree canopy, and landed as quietly as I was able, it was still a short distance to the pools. The trees were thicker there, and I didn’t want her to guess.
When we finally broke through the thick trees to reveal the warm, damp earth, and the steaming mineral pools deep in the forest, Yilan froze in her tracks.
She stared at the water—it glowed a pale white-blue even in the dark, because of the minerals in it—then snapped her head to stare at me. “What are you doing?”
I smiled again. “Our meeting this evening was postponed until tomorrow morning. Everyone at the palace thinks we’re needed in the caves.
Everyone in the caves isn’t expecting us until the sun is up.
We haven’t had an easy hour to ourselves for weeks.
I want to spend some time remembering what, and who, I’m fighting for. ”
She blinked. “If we have time, maybe I can catch another of the Advisors—or we could—”
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me, shaking my head.
“Yilan, listen to me. This is the only hour we’ll have for who knows how long.
We’re in the middle of nowhere. The only thing out here are bhoars and weynuts trees.
We’re alone. No interruptions. Do you remember what it was like last time we could be alone, and not worry about discovery or interruption? ”
Her brows pinched over her nose, but then her eyes began to hood.
My smile got broader. Then I leaned down to let my lips brush her ear as I whispered, “I’m going to strip you naked, carry you into that water, wash you, then bring you back out and lick every last drop from your skin, before I make you sweat and start the whole process again—that is… if you’re willing—”
I hissed as my mate grabbed the lapels of my shirt, yanked me down into a kiss, and bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.
When I jerked back, she smiled. “Next time, tell me before we fly, so I can anticipate.”
Then she climbed my body, like a squirrel up a tree.
~ YILAN ~
The moment I had my arms around Melek’s neck and my tongue in his mouth, he held me against him as he lowered us to the ground, pinning me down in the grass, his hands cupping my head, his fingers fisted in my hair, as he took my mouth desperately.
Even though I growled and writhed—he’d promised to wash me first!—I couldn’t bring myself to complain. And Melek…
Melek turned from a growling, teasing, bull, to a groaning mate with one kiss.
That kiss made me sigh. Made me want to sob. Far from the mischievous, sly words a moment earlier, this was all tender touch. As if the moment to play had passed, and now we faced down the impending battle—by diving into each other.
His hands shook when he touched me, and his touch was slow. Awed. Gentle… As if he feared I might break if he gave too much.
He’d forgotten how strong I am, apparently.
With a low growl of disapproval, I dug my fingers into the back of his neck and skull, and pulled him down until he pinned me to the earth from chest to knees, until I could barely breathe because of his weight on me—but I could feel his heartbeat slamming against my ribs, and his breath thundering in my ear.
He groaned as he kissed me, his touch soft in my hair, tightening when I tried to move. He tipped his head and kissed his way down my jaw to my throat, teasing the delicate skin there with his tongue, as his busy hands made scant work of my buttons and leathers.
He pulled back only long enough to yank his own shirt off his arms and throw it to the side, then pressed me down again. I clung to him, scratching nails down the backs of his shoulders, letting my fingers play in the lines of his muscles, whimpering into his mouth.
As the kiss deepened and his breathing got ragged, I couldn’t stop touching. I let my hands play up and down his back, his sides, his neck, into his hair, then down again, following the dip of his spine, even grabbing handfuls of his ass and pulling him against me as I raised my hips.
Melek groaned again when I arched, and rocked his hips, his arousal pressing between my legs, sliding against me so that I thought he’d take me.
I almost swore when he didn’t, but he retreated instead.
As I grasped at him, he broke the kiss and raised his head, braced hands on either side of my shoulders and arched his back, threatening to take me even as he stared down at me, his hair messy from my hands, scattered over his forehead and eyes, his warrior’s length tangled and twisted as it fell over his shoulder and stuck to his neck.
Then he flexed his hips again, pressing, drawing himself up until that thick steel slid against me, sending jangling sparks of pleasure through my whole body.
My jaw dropped, and I grabbed for his shoulder, my hand slapping as he drew away, then pressed against me again in a parody of what we both really wanted.
“Melek,” I gasped. “Please—”
I let my palms lay flat on his chest, sliding them all over his body, tenderly tracing his scars with my thumbs, watching his muscles ripple and flex as he teased my most sensitive flesh again and again.
I couldn’t speak.
The power in his body was breathtaking.
The driving pleasure there left me breathless.
“I’ve missed this,” I whispered, reaching up to grab that length of hair and wrap it around my hand and wrist, pulling him closer. “I’ve missed you, Melek,” I breathed. “My mate.”
He shuddered, and one hand left the grass to slide under my neck, his fingers curling into my nape, his palm circling until his long thumb pressed at the sensitive skin of my throat.
“Mine,” he snarled, then dove for my mouth, pulling me into the kiss so I was bowed, my hips pinned by his, my back arched, as he delved my mouth with that delicious tongue.
Throwing one arm to hook around his neck and hold myself into his kiss, I’d expected another onslaught. Expected to be devoured. To be owned.
Instead, his hand slid up to cup the back of my skull, his fingertips trailing against my scalp, and his tongue, though urgent, was soft. Sweet. Tasting.
My breath grew ragged when he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, and he began to shake. But even though I arched my back, and rolled my hips to meet him, he still didn’t press into me.
Instead, he slid a hand under my lower back and picked us both up, carrying me slowly to the water’s edge, then down into the heated pool, so I became more weightless with every step, the soft heat tickling and embracing my bare skin.
Urging me to wrap my legs around his waist, he sank into the deep pool, then held me there, my hair fisted in one hand as he drew his other down my body—fingertips raising trails of goosebumps from my neck to my breast—until he found my nipple, and groaned when it was already pert and hard.
I sucked in when his callouses teased that sensitive tip, and my hips bucked.
Melek chuckled, but he was breathless when he raised his head to stare down at me at the same time he rolled his hips and drew his hard length against me, almost taking me again.