30. Elora
30
ELORA
I found myself in the library today, trying to take my mind off of Amon. I was there every day, and Allocer had to shoo me out many times. I had slept next to him, wrapping my arms around him and covering his face in kisses.
Other times I just laid my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat steadily.
It brought me comfort, but when a few days passed and he still didn’t wake, I started to get worried.
Allocer assured me it was ok. His body was just completing its regeneration process and it would take time.
We just needed to be patient.
I had rolled my eyes, but eventually acquiesced.
When I wasn’t pacing the castle, I was in the library or in the garden. I had found my bow and quiver and spent time practicing in an attempt to find some normalcy.
Nyx helped as well, and I spent time with her often, letting her out of her cage to let her lay at the foot of my bed or at my feet.
She was getting bigger and was about the size of a small dog.
Amara came by often to check on me, but I wasn’t up for company, so I would just assure her I was fine, or I wouldn’t answer my door. I didn’t really want to see the sympathy etched on her features.
My thoughts were consumed with Amon, and I didn’t know what would happen once he woke up.
I held an incredibly overwhelming fear that he would send me away again.
I didn’t know if I could handle that again.
I sigh, turning the page of my book. I wasn’t even absorbing the words and had re-read the same paragraph five times.
“What are you reading, my dove?”
The deep voice catches me off guard, and I jump to my feet, spinning around with a gasp, the book in my hand falling to the floor.
I must be hallucinating.
Amon stood there, looking as well as the day I left him.
His eyes burn with something unreadable, and when he shifts to take a step towards me I come undone.
“Amon!”
I run to him, flinging my arms around his neck. His arms wrap around my middle, and he lifts me against him, holding onto me tightly.
I lean back to look at him before crashing my lips against his.
Electricity sparks between us, and I sob against his lips as everything I had been holding back, everything I had been feeling, floods me.
It’s too much. I’ve never felt this level of emotion towards anyone or anything. But the love I have for this demon makes my heart ache.
“Elora..” He whispers against my mouth.
His lips travel from mine to my jaw before he buries his face in my neck, inhaling deeply.
“God above how I missed you.”
My heart swells and I squeeze him tighter.
He finally sets me down, and I look up at him, my heart hammering in my chest.
“You’re here.” I breathe, looking him over.
He nods, wrapping his hands around my upper arms.
“Death himself couldn’t keep me from you, my dove.” he says, his eyes roving over my face. He frowns, and I lower my head slightly.
I know he can see the dark circles under my eyes.
He pushes me away from him, his eyes raking down my frame.
A pained expression crosses his features, and he pulls me back to him, his arms wrapping around me again.
“I am so sorry.”
He whispers the words gruffly, and tears burn the backs of my eyes. I refuse to shed tears right now, and instead grasp his shirt in my fists as I bury my face against his chest.
His familiar scent envelops me, and I inhale deeply before letting out a shaky sigh.
Amon runs his hands down my back to span my waist gently, his thumb stroking against my ribs. That simple movement sends a spark through me, and my body comes alive.
I inhale sharply as heat floods my center, and goosebumps raise on my arms.
I look up at my demon.
His eyes bore into mine, and I raise up on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his. He growls against my mouth, and I melt into him, leaning my head back as he presses my body against him.
I can feel all the hard muscles of his body through both layers of clothing, and suddenly it’s too much. I need to feel him against me.
Amon devours my mouth, fisting a hand into my hair gently. I whimper, grasping his biceps and digging my nails into his arms.
Liquid heat pools at my center, and I squeeze my thighs together.
“My dove.” He growls. “As much as I want you right now, we have to talk.”
A chill creeps between us, and it’s like ice water is thrown on the fire that is my arousal.
He releases me slowly, and I look down at the ground, my cheeks heating with embarrassment.
I look up at him, my lips parting at the need I see etched on his face.
“What is there to talk about?” I whisper. “I want you, and you want me.”
Amon growls, stepping away to shove a hand through his hair.
“I want you more than anything, Elora. But we have to talk. I need you to understand-.”
I cut him off, raising a hand to stop him.
“No.” I say simply. “You don’t get to do this.”
He pauses, narrowing his eyes at me. “Don’t get to do what?” He asks.
“This. What you’re doing. Stop it…” I shake my head at him.
“I came back of my own free will, Amon. I could have chosen not to. Allocer explained everything to me. I knew the risk I was taking.”
The words come out evenly, and I gesture to the space around me.
“Do you honestly think I would have come back if I didn’t want to?”
Amon regards me silently before answering. “No, I don’t.”
“Then don’t do this, Amon.” I say, taking a step towards him. “I don’t know when I figured out I loved you. I don’t know if it was before I left or after I was already gone. But I love you.”
I reach out, brushing my fingers over his abdomen before grasping the fabric of his shirt.
“I know the risks; I know what we are doing by choosing this path. I am choosing to take this path with you. If it backfires and everything fails, then it fails. But I am choosing… you.”
Amon takes my hand in his, raising it to his lips.
“But that’s just it,” he starts, brushing his mouth over my knuckles. “I can’t live in a world where you don’t exist, my dove.” He closes his eyes as he places a lingering kiss against my hand.
“I need to know that you truly understand the risks.”
The pad of his thumb runs small circles over the back of my hand, sending sparks flickering through me.
“I know what I’m getting myself into, and I’m not afraid.”
I gasp as he pulls me to him again.
“I am.” He growls, running his hands up my arms. Cupping my face in his hands, he leans down, kissing my lips gently.
“I’m not willing to risk your life.”
Anger fills me then, and I push away from him reluctantly.
“What?” I ask with a frown. “You’re not willing to risk my life? What about the lives of everyone else still on Earth. What about their lives?” I ask, putting more distance between us.
“I CHOSE to come here, Amon, not just for you, or for us, but because we,” I gesture to the space between us, “Are part of something much larger now. We have the opportunity to give humanity a true second chance.”
Amon scoffs, shoving another hand into his hair.
“Are those your words or Allocer’s?”
I sneer at him.
“You’re joking, right?” I ask, placing my hands on my hips. “We have an obligation-.”
Amon bellows, cutting me off. “No, we don’t. Elora, I don’t think you understand what you’re-.”
I cut him off, bellowing back.
“I understand perfectly well what could come of all of this!” I step up to him, raising my chin and poking him in the chest.
“Do YOU? Do you understand what you’ll be robbing of people if you don’t at least try?”
Amon looks down at me, his eyes burning.
The sight makes my cheeks heat, but I refuse to give into my bodily urges right now.
“You have an obligation to humanity! You three are the ones who convinced Lucifer to give humanity a second chance. It’s your job to give it to them. When Lucifer came to me-.”
Amon eyes flash before taking on a wild gleam. “Lucifer came to you?” he asks, the pitch of his voice rising.
I pause, realizing the slip I’d made.
“When I was in Delyra, yes.” I say softly as I regard him.
“Amon, he knows. He knows about me, and he knows what I mean to you. I’m in more danger at home than I am here… with you.”
I cringe as he bellows out a growl, turning away from me and clenching his fists.
“This could have all been avoided if you’d just let things be!”
Time stops.
Pain lances through my heart as I realize what he’s suggesting.
Fresh tears burn the backs of my eyes as I stand taller, raising my chin in the air at his back.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat. But don’t you dare put this on me because you’re too much of a coward to take a risk.”
I turn to walk away from him, but I don’t get far.
A clawed hand wraps around my upper arm, and I gasp as Amon spins me back around to face him.
His eyes are wild as he reaches down to wrap an arm around my legs, lifting me up to throw me over his shoulder.
“Hey!” I squeak as he stomps from the library and down the corridor.
“Put me down!” I say as I pummel at his broad back.
“Absolutely not.” He growls, reaching up to smack my backside.
“I’ll show you just how much of a coward I am.”
Anticipation roils in my gut as he stalks towards his chamber. When we reach the large wooden door, he kicks out, and it slams against the stone wall with a reverberating bang.
I swallow my fear as he passes the threshold, placing me on my feet.
He turns from me long enough to slam the door closed again, locking the latch. My heart skips a beat when he turns back to me.
His eyes have gone pitch black.
The sight sends a heat wave of desire through me, and I catch my lower lip between my teeth as he advances on me.
Reaching down, he lifts his black shirt over his head in one fluid motion, tossing it to the ground.
A second later, he’s reaching for me, wrapping a hand around the nape of my neck to pull me to him.
His lips crash against mine, and stars dot my vision.
His kiss is unforgiving, and I whimper against his mouth, placing my hands against his chest to push at him gently.
He doesn’t recede.
Instead he advances further, reaching a hand around the back of my dress to work on the ties with deft fingers. The tip of a claw brushes my skin, and I gasp as lightening shoots through me.
“Amon…” I breath.
“No.” He growls against my mouth. “Shut up and let me love you.”
I smile against his lips, reaching up to wind my arms around his neck.
“It’s all I’ve wanted.” I whisper, pressing my body against his.
He growls again in frustration, reaching both hands behind me to rip the back of my dress wide open. I gasp against his mouth, but when his hands make contact with my sensitive flesh I let out a breathy moan.
He growls in return, pulling the neckline of my dress over my shoulder, tearing his lips away from mine to plant hot kisses against the exposed skin.
I tilt my head to the side to grant him access as his lips trail upwards along my neck.
Goosebumps raise along my flesh as he scrapes his fangs against the sensitive spot under my ear, and I melt with a whimper.
“Tell me what you want, my dove?” Amon whispers against my flesh, his claws brushing over my skin as he works my dress over my shoulders.
I shiver in his arms as waves of heat pool at my center.
He leans back, his black eyes burning into mine. Black veining surrounds his eye sockets, and a frown is etched on his face.
I reach up to cup his cheek with a hand, brushing my thumb over his lips.
“You, Amon. I want you.”