my thoughts. “He didn’t leave your side for two days straight, not even to relieve himself. After you shifted and ate and went back to sleep, we knew you would be okay, so I told him I would watch you while he got some air.”
I nod and glance to the front door and back at Atlas. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere safe, outside of the city. Go to him, I won’t be offended. Breakfast will be ready in around thirty minutes. He needs to eat,” he orders, his eyes narrowed slightly.
I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should tell him about what I saw and what the Fate told me…but how can I tell him he must die? That his mate has to also? I can’t, so instead, I keep it to myself, hoping for once the Fates are wrong. I nod and slide to the door as Atlas turns away and carries on cooking. For such a huge man, he moves with grace. Shaking my head, I turn away, retracting my claws since he’s no threat. I open the door and step out into the sun. The birds are chirping, and the trees are blowing in the wind. There is a gravel area before the cottage we’re in, and beyond that are just trees. There are flower beds to the left and right of the cottage, and ivy crawls up the yellow and grey brick of the structure as I walk away from it and look back. Strolling around the house, I climb the dunes, and with bare feet, I step onto the soft, warm sand. I search the horizon for Khalid. The pull in my stomach guides me to the left as I spot a person’s silhouette in the distance, walking away from the house.
Treading lightly across the sand, I glance out at the bright blue ocean. It’s such a change from the dark, ominous feeling of a few days ago… I can’t believe it’s been a few days. What happened to the necromancer, the zombies? Did she get away? What are we going to do?
I hurry after him, and he must feel me, because he turns and waits, shielding his eyes as he peers towards me. The sun heats my back as I tread towards him, moving faster as I go, needing to be with him for some reason. I have hazy memories of being in his arms and his lips on my head, even words, but I discard them, because what I am remembering couldn’t possibly be true.
I don’t stop when I reach him, deciding what the hell. I throw myself at him, and he laughs as he catches me. He grabs my ass as I cross my legs behind his back. My grin grows as he smiles down at me. He’s wearing his real face, the sun highlighting those black eyes and scar, but it’s his jaw and lips that have me leaning in and kissing him. “Amore,” he murmurs as he strokes my back. “I’m glad you’re finally awake.”
“I met your brother,” I tell him as he turns and sits down with me still on his lap, his hands stroking across my back and brushing my hair from my face.
“Hmm?” he hums as he leans in and kisses my neck.
“You got the hot, dangerous genes in the family, didn’t you? You look like a serial killer who would fuck me to death, while he looks like he wants to rip everything to pieces.” I giggle, and he bites my neck in punishment.
“You only need to look at me.”
“Or what?” I challenge, tipping my head back and closing my eyes as the sun heats my hair. My lips twist into a happy smile for once. I can’t stop it. I feel like we have grown past all the issues, and honestly, after us both nearly dying again, I’m done fighting this. Life’s too short to be unhappy, to be worried and live in fear. So I’m in this all the way. He’ll still have to make up for lying to me, but I know he did it to protect, not harm.
“Or I’ll fuck that plump ass right here and now, make you scream for him to hear,” he snaps, biting my neck again as I groan and grind down onto his hardening cock. The threat makes my pussy slick as I lick my lips.
“Promises, promises,” I murmur. “How about you just fuck me instead?” I lift my head and meet his black eyes as he leans