Page 35 of Vampire's Promise
“Gwen.” He pulled her even closer as she shivered, and he tried to warm her. When she was finally quiet, he bit into his wrist and pressed it to her mouth, where she drank as if she were starved. He imagined dying then being brought back was traumatic. When she’d finally had enough, she pushed his arm away and licked her lips.
“Gods that hurt.” Her voice was a quiet whisper.
“I am so sorry, but your wounds are healing.” He helped her to sit up.
“I am the one who is sorry. I knew death was my fate in order to bring about your darkness.”
He took in a deep breath and then kissed her. There was no gentleness left in him, and he was a desperate man who had just been through the wringer. He kissed his mate with the passion of a man who had just lost everything and had been given a second chance.
The pain melted awayas Kian kissed her, and Gwen realized she was alive. Given another chance to have happiness with the man she had waited a lifetime for. She was completely overjoyed to once again be back in her body, but damn, never did she want to experience that again. Now she understood how Lucan had felt when Marcus and Cassie had brought him back from death. When Kian finally stopped kissing her and leaned back, she swore his eyes were filled with unshed tears.
“We have to leave here. I need you,” he whispered into her neck as he nuzzled her.
“Where do you wish to go?” If he kept dragging his fangs across her skin, she was going to insist he take her right here, and neither of them wanted that. Not here. Not in this place of death and pain.
“Where no one will bother us.” His voice was low and thick with desire.
“My powers are back. I will take us to my home in the mortal realm. We should be left alone there, especially if you can put wards on the house to keep everyone out.”
He lifted his head, his eyes now dark and lust filled. “I can do that. Take us there, now.”
She didn’t hesitate to comply, for she was just as eager to be with him. They needed this time, but she worried about the others. “Can you let everyone know we are okay?”
“Already done. They are busy searching for Khedeus right now and holding hearings for those who were involved in the war.”
She flashed them to her small cottage back in New Orleans and observed they were both covered in blood. A hot shower sounded wonderful right now. “Care to shower with me? I’ll let you scrub my back.” She offered a wicked grin as she batted her lashes. He laughed, and she loved the sound of his happiness.
“I will wash more than your back.” He flashed their clothes away and pulled her into his arms. “Take us to this shower of yours.”
Before she did, there was still one question that needed an answer. “Have they found Netasis?”
“Yes, she has arrived safely and is being debriefed. The goddess of destruction sends her love to us both and will see us when we return.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, take us to wash up before I forget our filth and take you right here on the floor.”
Her desire flared, but clean first, love after. Gwen was quick to flash them into the bathroom, thankful she had a large walk-in shower. Reaching in, she turned on the water and adjusted the temperature to just under scalding. Even though she was back to her normal self, there was a part of her that still felt cold, and she wondered how long it would linger. She would have to speak to Lucan about his venture into the realm of death.
Stepping inside the now steaming box, she let the water flow over her body and realized just how tired she was. Apparently, dying took a lot out of an immortal. Kian’s blood had done wonders, though, and she couldn’t wait to taste him again. He stepped in behind her and began soaping up her back, giving her shoulders a massage as he did so.
“That feels so good.”
“I am glad.” When he’d finished with the soap, he spun her to face him, and the look in his eyes concerned her.
“Kian, what is wrong?”
“I… I lost myself when you died back there.”
She touched his cheek. “But you are back now. Ra told me of your experience with the darkness when you were young.”
He shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. It wasn’t that I allowed everything that is black and evil inside me to surface that bothers me. It was that I lost you. The one thing I cared about slipped through my fingers and it wasn’t until then that I realized what you meant to me.” He took in a deep breath. “I realized I love you and it slammed into me like the power of a thousand gods. I might be able to stand you walking away from me, but never your death. Not again.”
“I have no desire to walk away from you. Cera chose us to be together and in my heart I know my feelings for you to be real. I love you too and I will be at your side no matter what comes.”
“And if ever I become like my grandfather, you will follow in Cera’s steps and end me?”
She didn’t like the turn this conversation was taking. “That will never happen. You are not Thedos, and I will be here to balance you. Look at Hades, he has managed quite well to bring himself back around and now that he has Mia, he is even more changed.” She pushed herself up on her tip-toes until her mouth was inches from his. “Do you not already feel the bond between us?” She didn’t even give him time to answer before she kissed him. Poured her entire soul into it.
My beautiful warrior, I feel whole for the first time in my existence, and it is because of you.
He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her back into the cool tile. He was inside her with a quick thrust and her world flipped upside-down. With each movement, she spiraled into a world filled with love and desire for this demigod that had suddenly been placed in her path. Her fangs punched down on their own and the need to taste himoverruled everything. She struck quick, the taste of comfort, love and protection blasted her tastebuds. Whether he knew it, her mate was all of that and more to her and she never wanted to let go of this moment, but she knew they were both on the edge and ready to fall. With one last pull of his blood, she closed the wound and let go. Together, they reached climax. Her world shattered and knitted back together again.
