Page 194 of Scarlet Wars
She was mine. And there was no coming back from that.
“That’s it, baby,” I growled, driving harder, chasing the edge. “You’re fucking perfect.”
And then—right as she fell apart—I slammed in one final time and let go, groaning as I spilled inside her, coating her clenching walls with everything I had.
Emma lay in my arms,her breathing uneven, skin slick with heat against mine.
Fucking. Bliss.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The room still hummed with the echo of what had just happened. Every sound felt magnified, fragile, like the world itself was holding still to let us exist.
“You’re staring,” she murmured after a while, still a little breathless.
“Yeah,” I said, brushing a damp strand of hair from her cheek. “Trying to figure out if this is real. If you’re real.”
Her lips curved faintly. “Pretty sure I am.”
I smiled, too dazed to form anything clever. Just…watching her. The way her lashes fluttered when she blinked, the small, contented sigh she didn’t realize she made.
“You talk a lot during sex,” she said suddenly, her tone warm and hoarse.
I barked out a quiet laugh. “Didn’t exactly seem like you minded.”
She laughed too, soft and ragged, her head falling against my shoulder. “Not in the least. Never knew I had such a kink for dirty talk. Or praise.”
I raised a skeptic brow. “Really? Your type A personality didn’t clue you in that you’d get off on being told you’re perfect?”
That almost earned me a mock punch to the shoulder, but I caught her wrist before she could swing, laughing softly.
I leaned in until my lips brushed hers, gentle, unhurried this time. “I meant every word though,” I murmured against her mouth. “You’re mine now, Nightcrawler.”
Her smile softened, the teasing melting away. “I am yours,” she whispered back, “as much as you are mine.”
I caught the flicker in her expression right before she spoke, the look that always came before logic tried to ruin the moment.
“But…” she hesitated, breath trembling, and I could feel her pulse hammering against mine. “For now maybe we should keep this…secret?”
I drew back just enough to see her face, to make sure I’d heard right. “Is that what you want?”
Her answer came fast. “Gods, no. If I had my way, I’d be disgustingly happy in everyone’s face. I’d never shut up about it. About us, about you.”
I smirked, not too unhappy about that small declaration.
“But for now…” Her voice cracked, soft and rough. “It’s the smart thing to do. At least until we figure out how to deal with the United Chiefs.”
I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing the urge to tell her to let them burn. Then I leaned in until my forehead rested against hers, until her breath mixed with mine.
“I’m yours, Emma,” I whispered, the truth low and heavy between us. “Any way you want me, you have me. In the open, in secret, in blood or fire, I don’t care. I’m yours.”
She shivered, and I felt it, felt her believe me.
“There is something else you should know,” she said softly, gaze flicking up to meet mine before dropping again. “When I jumped to the future…”
She trailed off, lips parting, searching for words she clearly didn’t want to say.
I reached for her and pulled her back into my arms. “Hey. Whatever it is, there’s nothing you could’ve seen that would ever scare me away.”
Her big blue eyes lifted to mine, hesitant, luminous. Then she blurted it out. “It was you and me. Trying to get pregnant.”
