43. Ezra
Ezra
Eshe lay naked in my arms, warm and relaxed and fucking beautiful.
I kissed her bare shoulder, and she wriggled closer to me. This is what life was about. These moments. Everything fell into place with her.
I claimed her last night, just as I had dreamed repeatedly for years, and it finally came true. Interesting how I could envision something that was nearly impossible, but made it into a reality despite how much we had fought against it. I let out a soft, quiet chuckle against her skin.
With control that was beginning to be hard to find within me, I unraveled my body with Eshe’s. If I stayed any longer, I couldn’t trust that I wouldn’t take her again, and she needed the rest.
I lifted my black pants over my hips, tying the leather straps in the front. Leaving my weapons behind, I brought my robe over my shoulders and its hood over my head. I leaned forward over Eshe’s unconscious body and brushed my lips on her forehead.
“I’ll be back,” I murmured.
I hadn’t felt this fucking great in… forever. And I didn’t think I could ever come back from this high.
Yeah, I thought to myself, Eshe is so fucked.
The promise—more like a threat—I made to her last night only made her lean further into my arms with a smile on her face. I was pleasantly surprised by her reaction and didn’t hesitate to show it by pressing her against my hard length. She had gasped through her full lower lip.
I shook my head and walked out to take care of any unfinished business. Ensure there were no loose ends walking around my domain. I was planning on leaving with Eshe tomorrow, and today was the only day to ensure my orders had taken place.
After speaking to Lazerak and finalizing the next upcoming training for more Atrovians, we went over the new laws that would be changed.
Our votes came up to ninety-eight percent, and that was because the people who would have voted against it had died in the battle.
The two percent kept their loyalty to me despite their vote.
The rest of the day quickly went by as each man lined up to swear their fealty to me as their only leader to the Atrove.
Lazerak and I went over regions of the neighboring countries and divided the Atrovians accordingly.
Hopefully, they build a better life in the community and for themselves.
We named and assigned leaders to each division.
I assigned Solomon to Norrah’s father’s region and instructed him to send word if he spotted her there.
He was to follow her name wherever the winds had taken her.
Before the day ended, I said my goodbyes to Lazerak and Silas, letting them know of my upcoming whereabouts. I packed two bags full of food for the journey before I went to my chamber.
The moment I entered, her eyes were already locked on mine, sitting stiffly on my chair at the desk. My breath nearly evaporated from my lungs.
A woman. A powerful woman whom men one day would bow their heads in respect as an equal.
“Are you going to come here, or am I going to have to drag you here myself?”
A flash crossed her eyes. Her hair flowed gracefully around her shoulders, sauntering her hips to me, she slammed her hand on my chest.
“Next time, don’t leave without a weapon,” she hissed. I looked down to find a dagger in the palm of her hand, and I took it.
“Scared you, did I?” I smiled. I couldn’t believe she was worried about me.
“It’s not funny.”
My laugh rumbled through me, and it only pissed her off even more. My laugh grew.
“You could have died!” She slammed against my chest harder, and her gray eyes had red lines around them.
I pulled her waist into my arms and placed a hand behind her neck, forcing her to look at me. My laughter and smile faded.
“I don’t know what has gotten into your head, but I grabbed more weapons from my armory for our journey. No one and nothing, not even the Atrove, can keep me from you. Didn’t I say that last night?”
Her chin began to quiver, but I didn’t care. She needed to know this and remember it this time.
“Did I not say that?” I repeated. “Hmm?”
Her eyes glistened, and she nodded slightly.
“Use your words, little warrior.”
“I... I couldn’t… you could have died and I… can’t… if you died, Ezra… I would have dragged you back from hell, I swear I would. You’re not leaving me here, not now, not when I just got you.”
“You wouldn’t find me there.”
Her face began to crumple. My eyes flitted over her face. I’d never seen her so destroyed before. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. She cared this much whether I would have lived or died.
“From heaven then,” she sniffled.
“Not there either,” I whispered.
“Where then?” A tear finally ran past her eye.
“Right by you.” I lowered my lips and caught her tear.
I felt her arms wrap around my neck, and I breathed her in. Sweet fucking jasmine. She smelled like home. “It’s the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt.”
Eshe froze in my arms. “What is?”
I pulled myself from her neck and braced her head in my hands.
Her eyes still glistened fresh with tears.
“My love for you is the most powerful feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.
If this is what it’s like to have you wrapped around me, then nothing will keep me from you.
My love for you will never fade, will never break…
You are written in the sands below me and in the skies above me.
I hear only your name in the winds. They sing into my bones.
And my heart… it drums the beat of your name, Eshe, Eshe, Eshe…
There is nothing that you or anyone can say that would change the way my body and soul feel when they’re with you, and it’s the most powerful fucking thing I’ve ever come to know.
I love you, Eshe. I’ll love you to the end of time.
Nothing will be able to keep me from you, nothing. ”
“Oh, Ezra.” The tears now fell freely on her face. She crushed her lips on mine, and I could taste the salt tears. “Ezra… Ezra, I love you. I’ve known I’ve loved you for so long.”
“Me too, my love, me too,” I whispered. I lifted her into my arms, and she wrapped her legs around my waist.
That evening, after we organized which weapons we were packing, we crammed the rest of our clothes into large bags with food and supplies for the journey. Eshe didn’t waste any time showing me how much she craved me, and we made love throughout the night.
And I whispered and repeated in her ear just how much I loved her.