Chapter 29
Kane
Cal and I made quick work of leaving Damien’s penthouse and getting back to the cabin.
We used our vampire speed and ran, and I carried Blair the whole way, refusing to let go of her until we made it safely home.
And Cal kept his eyes and ears fixated on any threats or gofer fucks following our trail as we ran.
Rook was grateful when we walked through the door. Kylie, too. But I simply couldn’t hang around for a chitchat. I carried Blair straight to our bedroom—yes, our fucking bedroom—and shut the door behind us.
The cabin is quiet for the most part. Rook and Kylie and Cal are all chatting quietly downstairs, and the occasional wind blows through the trees. It’s the kind of quiet that only exists this deep in the woods.
But none of that reaches me. All I’m aware of is Blair.
She’s in my room, in my bed, and in my arms. Her mouth is on mine, desperate in a way like she’s been holding back for way too long. Her hands slide up my chest, fingers curling into my shirt before pushing it over my shoulders.
“Kane,” she whispers my name against my lips, and fuck, do I love the sound of it.
I kiss her again, slower this time, grounding myself in the warmth of her body pressed against mine. Her hands move to the hem of her own shirt, working it over her head with quick, frantic movements.
A soft laugh leaves my lips as I reach up to catch her wrists gently. “Slow down.”
She blinks up at me. “Why?”
Because if she keeps moving like this, I won’t stop. Because I’ve wanted this since the moment I saw her. Because every instinct in my body says she’s already mine.
But that’s exactly why I force myself to take a step back.
“You deserve to know what this means,” I tell her.
Her brow furrows slightly, but she doesn’t pull away. “I already know what it means,” she says softly.
“No,” I say quietly. “You know what it feels like. That’s not the same thing.”
Her eyes search mine, and I brush my thumb along her jaw.
“We’re fated mates, Blair.”
The words settle between us.
“You said that before,” she whispers.
“I did. And it’s not just some romantic phrase, baby. It’s a bond. Once it’s sealed, it’s permanent.”
Her breath catches. “Permanent how?”
“There’s no walking away from it,” I say.
“No undoing it. No pretending it didn’t happen.
We’ll be connected forever. We’ll be together forever.
” My hand moves to the back of her neck, holding her there gently.
“You and I will basically be one, baby. No takebacks. No detours. It’ll be you and me for life.
And you’ll live a long life, at that. Much longer than a normal human would. ”
Her lips part like she’s about to say something, but I do my best to make sure she understands what a fated mate bond truly means. That she knows what she’s signing up for if she gives me all of herself.
“I know you’re a virgin, baby,” I whisper. “And that’s why this will be such a powerful thing. It’s why if we cross that line tonight, you and I will be bound. Completely.”
She studies my face for a moment, but then something softens in her expression.
“I’ve tried to fight this since the moment you took me,” she says quietly.
Her fingers slide up my chest again, resting over my heart.
“But I can’t.” She takes a slow breath. “I’m always thinking about you,” she admits, and her words hit me square in the chest.
But she keeps going. “I always want to be near you. Even when I was angry at you, even when I thought you were some crazy psycho who ruined my life… I still wanted you close. I still only felt safe when I was by your side.”
Her eyes shine in the dim light of the room.
“Kane, when you’re not there, it feels wrong. Like something’s missing. Like I’m only half a person. And when you touch me…” she continues softly, “everything else…stops. I just want you. I only want you.”
For a second, I can’t speak. Every word she just said echoes something inside me that I’ve been carrying alone. She’s giving me everything I’ve been desperate for, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I would ever get anything from her.
I wasn’t sure if she’d hate me forever.
“The moment I laid eyes on you, my entire fucking world shifted. Like everything I was before suddenly had a direction. Like you were my compass and purpose and home.” I brush my knuckles along her cheek. “It’s why I took you.”
Her breath catches.
“It’s why I killed for you.”
Her hand tightens against my chest.
“And it’s why I’ll do anything for you.”
The room goes still.
“You’re mine. And I’m yours. And if we take the next step…” I pause, making sure she hears every word. “…there’s no going back.”
She studies me for a long moment.
Then she moves closer.
She slides her hands up my chest and around my neck. “I don’t want to go back,” she whispers, and then she brushes her lips against mine. “I want you.”
Our connection surges between us, and my restraint cracks.
I pull her back into my arms and kiss her deeply, my hands sliding along her waist as she melts against me.
Every instinct in my body recognizes her.
Mine.
And when she whispers my name again against my lips, I know neither of us is turning back now.