Chapter Thirty-Nine
Emelyn
T he sharp, metallic scent of blood swirled in the tent, mingling with the earthy aroma of healing herbs I had crushed between my fingers to make a tea that would hopefully help Rhet feel better.
He lay on a cot, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
I hovered above him, my hands glowing with faint blue light as my bending washed over him.
The deep lacerations that marred his skin slowly began to knit together, the angry red of exposed flesh fading to the healthier pink of newly healed scars.
Kade's presence was a shadow at my back, solid and warm, while Ace stood by silently for his friends. Cyran sat at Rhet’s side, his expression carved from stone, but I could see the slight tremor in his clenched fists.
I knew how he felt. Watching the one you loved suffer and feeling helpless was one of the worst things to experience.
My focus tunneled into healing when suddenly, Rhet's hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. His touch halted the flow of my bending, the blue glow dissipating.
"Emelyn, I'll be alright," he rasped, his voice hoarse but steady, though pain flickered across his features.
"Are you sure?" I questioned, my brow furrowing.
"Yeah, you're just as bad as Cyran," he muttered, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Cyran hadn't left his side from the moment he’d appeared through Kade's Hollow. His unwavering gaze had followed every motion I’d made, every tea I’d steeped, every wound I’d healed, as if he wanted to commit them to memory and get his revenge later. I couldn’t blame him.
"Alright, you know where I am if you need anything." I stood.
“Thank you,” Cyran said to me as Kade's hand moved to the small of my back and guided me out of the tent.
“No problem,” I replied as the flap closed, and we moved through the quiet camp, the tension between us palpable, thrumming with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
Kade’s thumb traced small circles against my back, each stroke igniting a flame deep within me.
I yearned for him now more than I ever had before.
Rhet had been returned to us, Shay and the baby were settled, and everyone and everything was okay for the moment, but we knew this calm before the storm wouldn’t last long, and I was sure everyone wanted to take advantage of it.
As we neared our own tent, the world fell momentarily still, peaceful. There wasn’t anything that needed our immediate attention, and it was nice.
Stepping inside, I moved mechanically to remove my boots, but Kade's hands intervened, his touch halting me as he eased me onto the bed.
"What are you doing?" I asked with a small, knowing smile. In the dim light of our tent, his eyes met mine, a tumult of emotions swirling within those amber depths—desire, resolve, and a promise.
"Taking my time with you," Kade murmured, his deft fingers working at my laces, drawing them off with care that made my breath hitch.
I watched, entranced, as each boot thumped softly onto the tent floor.
"I want to caress every inch of you, mei wynsoara , and right now there is nothing stopping me. " He moved behind me.
His hands then found the hem of my shirt, his touch scorching against my skin as he lifted it over my head, leaving a trail of featherlight kisses down my neck, shoulder, and spine. The air grew thick with anticipation, his shadows weaving through the room, embracing us in an intimate cocoon.
As my shirt joined the growing pile of discarded garments, he moved on to my pants, his movements unhurried, deliberate. His lips pressed tender kisses along the newly bared flesh, igniting sparks that danced along my veins.
With a final tug, the last barrier fell away, and I was enveloped in nothing but his darkness, his Hollow. I looked around and realized that was exactly where we were.
"I want to be sure that all the pretty sounds you make are for my ears only," he whispered, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through my core. His mouth claimed mine in a kiss that robbed me of thought. It was slow and claiming and left me gasping and desperate.
His lips carved a path down my body. A shiver wracked my frame when he paused, hovering just above the apex of my thighs. The warmth of his breath teased across my sensitive flesh, sending tremors through me.
"Kade . . ." My voice was thick with need.
His amber gaze held mine. Then, his tongue stroked through my pussy, and I arched off the bed with a moan. It had been an eternity since we'd been so close, and my body sang for him.
The rhythm he set was relentless, perfect sweeps over my clit before moving back down to my entrance that had me losing control. I was so close already. I tangled my fingers in his dark hair, urging him on, riding the waves of pleasure I felt coming.
"Kade . . . ," I breathed, my entire being focused on the sensations he elicited. Our bond was wide open and I could feel all of him. It was too much.
The world shattered into fragments of pleasure as I clung to him.
"Fuck, Kade, oh gods," spilled from my lips as my release tore through me. His tongue didn’t relent, sending me spiraling through an endless cascade of climaxes that blurred together into one prolonged ecstasy.
With each wave, his shadows danced over my skin.
Everything felt overcharged, overstimulating, too much but also not enough.
I fought to catch my breath, the darkness pulsing around us like a living thing, as he finally ceased his exquisite torture.
And then he was there, above me, with kisses that seared along my neck, marking a trail up to my jawline.
His body shifted between my thighs, and I felt the hard length of him notching at my entrance.
In a single arch of my back, I welcomed him inside me, sheathing him completely, and his groan reverberated against my neck as he buried his head there.
"Mmm," he growled against my skin. "Not so patient, are we, Bunny?" His words were a low rumble, a delicious vibration that teased at my already oversensitized body.
His shadows wrapped tighter around us, and they didn’t stop caressing me. Every sense was heightened, every touch fire on my skin.
"I think we've both waited long enough," I whispered against his lips.
His eyes locked onto mine as he began thrusting into me so perfectly. They were so full of love, it was nearly overwhelming. Kade kissed me slowly and thrust into me, again and again, pulling moans from the depths of my soul.
The bond between us shimmered like a tangible thread woven through the very fabric of our beings.
It glowed with the heat of our joined bodies, our hearts syncing in rhythm.
Our raw emotions tangled around our minds, and I found myself drowning in the intensity of him.
Of us. He was so damn beautiful, it hurt, and tears brimmed at the edges of my vision, spilling over.
He paused, just for a moment, to kiss them away.
"I love you," I managed to moan out, the words barely more than a breathless gasp as he continued thrusting into me, slow and deep.
The admission seemed to ignite something primal in him; his movements grew uneven, pushing us both toward the precipice of ecstasy.
The cliff loomed before us, and I could feel myself beginning to crumble.
His hands gripped my hips, guiding me to meet each of his thrusts with a hunger that mirrored his own. The shadows deepened around us, caressing us, watching us, and it was fucking intoxicating. I was drowning in him.
"Say it again," he growled, the command laced with raw need as he pumped into me, each movement stoking us further.
My breath caught, the sensation building sharp and exquisite. "I love you, Kade," spilled from my lips, a chant. I couldn’t stop saying it over and over as I felt the coil inside me tighten, ready to snap. Our bond spiraled closer with every stroke.
His pace quickened, and the world narrowed down to just us—two souls tethered in the dark.
"Fuck, Kade," I cried out as the force of our release shattered through both of us. His lips crashed onto mine, and he tasted of need and night and love and promises. As the tremors faded, he rested his forehead against mine, his ragged breath mingling with mine.
"I love you, Emelyn," he whispered, and the words buried themselves into my heart, my soul, because Kade Corvus was mine. And I refused to ever go without him again.