Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
Pisces held Aries, gently stroking damp strands of hair from his face. He’d lost consciousness again, but this time, he was here, and he was alive.
It wasn’t long after that Sag, Virgo, and Gemini appeared on the shore, looking almost afraid to approach them. Pisces hoped they’d seen what she’d managed to do and were now terrified. “Virgo, Sag, come and help me get him to the cabins. He needs rest.”
They moved quickly, lifting Aries off the sand and carrying him to the bed in his cabin. She had them move a comfortable chair near the bedside and followed them out. Gemini hung back, and Pisces didn’t bother to make eye contact. She was angry at the sudden turn in her friend, but more than that, she was hurt.
Pisces leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. “Thank you,” she said to Virgo and Sag. As angry as she’d been at them, at least they’d trusted her enough to release her from the lab.
They nodded and started to leave, when Virgo turned back. “How did you do it?” He put his hands in his pockets, looking at her like he’d wholly underestimated her. And he had.
Pisces gave a soft smile, more from exhaustion than humility. “I called on some old friends for help.”
Virgo tipped his chin, understanding that his questions would go unanswered for now. “Well, I am thoroughly impressed.”
Pisces closed the door and took a moment to adjust to the sudden quiet. Her heart had finally stopped racing, the adrenaline ebbing away, leaving her in a state of almost trance-like calm. With a sigh, she rubbed her arms and pulled at the fabric of her tattered dress. After looking in the chest of drawers, she was surprised to find it full of Aries’ T-shirts. She grabbed one, got herself in the shower, and settled in to keep vigil.
In the soft light of dawn filtering through the windows, Pisces curled her legs under her and watched him. She studied the contours of his face, relieved to see the peacefulness that had settled over his chiseled features. Gone was the strain and anguish she had witnessed before.
When he stirred, she leaned forward, pressing her hand on the hard muscle of his chest to soothe him. Brushing her thumb along the curve of his cheekbone, she marveled at having him back from the precipice of oblivion. “I didn’t leave you,” she whispered, recalling his pained words.
Whether he could hear her or not didn’t matter because she didn’t know which Aries would greet her when he awoke, the one who loved her or the one who hated her.
Her heart dropped at the thought of the latter, but she shook it off for now. All that mattered was he was alive, and she felt closer than ever to reclaiming her power. But not even that was excitement enough to keep her from falling asleep next to the fiery ram who didn’t need to steal her heart because he’d had it all along.
Several hours later, Pisces awoke with a start, her neck stiff from falling asleep in the chair. As she blinked away the remnants of sleep, her gaze fell upon Aries, who was awake and staring at her intently from the bed. A thrill of hope surged through her. Perhaps the ordeal had changed him, softened his heart toward her.
She leaned forward, a tentative smile on her lips. ”You”re awake. How are you feeling?”
His expression remained cool, his eyes assessing her, then he arched a brow. ”You’re wearing my shirt.”
That wasn’t the first thing she’d expected him to say to her. Looking down at the oversized black T, she shrugged. “I needed something to wear.”
Aries nodded, his dark eyes lingering on the delicate lines of her bare legs before meeting her gaze. “What happened?” His voice was rough, but there was a note of genuine curiosity beneath the gruffness.
Pisces took a deep breath. ”You saved me from a fire serpent or water serpent. I’m not sure what it was exactly. Then the ocean...it took you.”
He rubbed his forehead, nodding as if sifting through the memories. “How did I get back here?”
A soft smile graced her lips. “I called upon other powers to bring you back.” She searched his face for a reaction, for any sign of the warmth she”d glimpsed before.
Aries frowned, his brows knitting together. ”I remember hearing you call for me. Something was different about that serpent. It wasn”t real—like an illusion.” He pushed himself up on his elbows, wincing slightly. ”I knew it as soon as I went into the water, but by then, it was too late. I was already too far in.”
Pisces” heart clenched at the memory of his magnificent form being extinguished in the waves. ”I couldn”t let you go,” she whispered. ”I couldn’t leave you.” The image of his desperate, pleading eyes as he stood on the beach and begged her not to leave him made her heart swell.
She wanted to see that depth now, but only a flicker of emotion passed over Aries” face—gratitude, perhaps only a hint of the feelings he”d kept hidden. But as quickly as it appeared, it was replaced by his usual guarded expression. ”Thank you,” he said, the words sounding almost foreign on his tongue. ”For bringing me back.”
Tears pricked at the corners of Pisces” eyes. It wasn”t enough. Even after everything, he was still holding back, still couldn”t fully let her in. A sob escaped her, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the sound.
Aries” jaw tightened. ”Why are you crying?” His words cut like a knife, and Pisces recoiled as if he”d struck her.
”How can you ask that?” she demanded, rising to her feet. ”After everything we”ve been through, you’re still keeping a wall between us. I saw how you really feel about me on that beach. You swore you were my enemy, but you came back for me. Stop shutting me out so we can get to the truth.”
Aries met her gaze unflinchingly. ”I can”t, Pisces. You and Scorpio together...plotting against me. That betrayal is not something I can easily let go of.”
Pisces shook her head vehemently, frustrated that his stubbornness prevented him from seeing the truth. ”It wasn”t real, Aries. It was a misunderstanding, a trick. Why can”t you see that? There’s something bigger at play here, and it’s pitting us all against each other.” She moved closer to the bed, desperation clawing at her throat. ”What do I have to do to prove myself to you?”
Something shifted in Aries” expression then, a heat kindling in his dark eyes. In one swift motion, he sat up and seized Pisces” wrist, pulling her down onto the bed with him. She gasped as she found herself pinned beneath his solid weight, his face mere inches from hers.
”Prove it,” he growled, his breath hot against her skin. ”Show me that you”re mine and mine alone.”
Pisces” heart raced, desire battling with the anger and hurt within her. She wanted to push him away, to make him suffer as he”d made her suffer. But the feel of his body against hers, the intensity of his gaze...it was intoxicating. She arched up against him, her lips parting in a silent invitation.
Aries” mouth crashed down on hers, hungry and demanding. Pisces yielded to him, surrendering to the scorching heat of his kiss. His hands roamed over her body, igniting sparks wherever they touched. She locked her hands behind his neck, holding him close, never wanting to let go.
With a grunt, Aries laced his fingers through her hair and tugged, exposing her neck before dragging his lips down her throat. The heat emanating from him should have been enough to kill, but instead, it flowed through her, pulling her deeper into the molten core of his energy.
“Pisces...” Her name was a hungry growl as he slid his hand between them and lifted the edge of her t-shirt high enough to expose her breasts.
His eyes flared at the sight of them, and he dove, his mouth kissing and licking her tender skin before he clenched her nipple between his teeth.
A small cry escaped her. “Aries...”
Waves of hot breath caressed her, and he grunted and swooped back up to capture her lips while pressing the ridge of his shaft against her thigh. The weight of him, his unyielding, muscled form, imprisoned her, and as his arousal grew, so did the intensity of his energy. His rough hand traveled down again, yanking at her panties, and he slid his fingers inside her.
She whimpered and then gasped at the power of his touch. This celestial creature was forged of fire and sprung from the stars, and suddenly, Pisces realized the danger of this encounter in her mortal form.
“Aries,” she tried to say against his lips, his cosmic energy threatening to steal her breath entirely. He was single-minded, untamed, stripped down to the carnal essence that bore him. So absorbed in the moment, he didn’t respond to her desperate pleas.
She pushed at the hard planes of his chest, arousal and mortal danger coming together in a whirlwind of fire until she didn’t think she could withstand the force. With his entire being claiming her, Pisces was losing herself in the sensations. If he didn’t stop, his energy was going to consume her like a black hole. She gave one final, frantic push on his chest and screamed, “Aries!”
He stopped, finally hearing her, and jerked back to rest on his knees, panting. They both stared at each other in silence, disoriented and shaken. Pisces struggled to catch her breath, her body trembling with the remnants of his energy. And as he watched her, realization dawned on his handsome face, his mind and body finally coming together to grasp the severity of what he’d nearly done. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I lost myself. Forgot how fragile you are.”
Aries ran a hand through his dark hair and opened his mouth to speak again just as a sharp knock sounded at the door.
”Aries, Pisces!” Sag”s voice called from the other side. ”You need to come to the lab. Virgo has found something.”
Aries got off the bed, and the moment shattered. He took a deep breath, composing himself. ”We”ll be right there,” he called back, his voice surprisingly steady. He looked down at Pisces, mixed emotions swirling in his eyes. “Are you all right?”
Pisces nodded, trying to calm her racing heart as she smoothed down the rumpled T-shirt.
He rubbed a hand over his face and then extended it to her. “Go to your cabin and change. We should go see what they want.”
All she could do was nod again, part heated, part ashamed, and part terrified. She felt him behind her as she walked to her cabin but dared not look back, her mind reeling from the whiplash of emotions and afraid of what she might see in the dark, endless pools of those eyes.