Tobias clung to Scarlet, his legs only slightly stronger. They’d been making slow progress through the cavernous tunnels for what felt like hours; though, he was sure it was nowhere near that long. Still, he felt like he was on above-ground time. Hours here translated to days up there.
He glanced at Scarlet again. His female was strong, but he was much bigger and she’d been taking most of his weight since they’d set off. The muscles in her arms trembled from the exertion.
“You need to stop and rest,” he said, trying to slow her down.
She looked up at him, cheeks dark from the strain, and shook her head. “Not yet, it’s not safe here—”
The thud of footsteps ahead had him cursing. They’d turned into a long unbroken hall with nowhere to escape. It sounded like only one, a guard, judging by the clank of steel against steel, the sound of the black armor Diemos’s guard wore unmistakable as he walked. Tobias looked quickly around, but there was nowhere to hide, no nook or room to duck into. The guard would turn the corner and be on them in moments.
Scarlet cursed as well, and before he could process what she was doing, she pulled the drab brown cloak she wore off her shoulders and threw it around his. Then she leaned against the wall, reached forward, and tugged him against her.
His body may have been cut to ribbons and weak as a foal from blood loss, but as soon as he found himself pressed against her perfect curves, his body reacted. He stared down at her, into her vibrant green eyes, and all the precious oxygen he’d been fighting to get into his lungs left in a rush.
Her lips parted and her cheeks darkened. “Quick, kiss me.”
“What?” His heart exploded into action, pumping what little blood he had left through his veins and down to his cock.
“Demons sometimes come here for clandestine…um, liaisons.”
“Why? Demons fuck anywhere.”
“Not when several of the high-ranking officers have lovers who are extremely possessive and have been known to kill anyone else they sleep with.”
She tugged the hood over his head and tugged him closer. She was completely concealed by his body and was more holding him up than anything, but it had the same effect. They looked as if they were in a lover’s clinch. The sound of those boots thumping on the stone floor grew louder.
Her gaze searched his as she licked her lips and gave him a small nod.
Tobias had been without her, without his reason to breathe for so long. For so damn long. How many times had he dreamed her back to life, dreamed of kissing her, even when he was so consumed with darkness, even when his demon had crept into his heart and turned him into a monster? He’d tried to fight it, but he’d still felt her loss as if half of him was missing, even then.
And if they lived through this moment, he would make sure they were never separated again.
“You need to make it convincing,” she whispered, blushing even more.
Scarlet never blushed. There was only one occasion he remembered, and now was not the time to think about that. This new version of her was just as intriguing, just as perfect. But his female was still in there, he’d seen her when she’d fought that demon in his cell, her quick thinking now. He would bring her back, every part of her.
“I think I can manage that,” he rasped before he lowered his head and finally…fucking, finally, caught her lips with his.
Scarlet’s gasp shot through him as soon as their mouths touched, zaps of electricity shocking him, setting him alight. Christ, it was like forked lightning raining down on them, through them, grounding him as he sucked her lip on a deep, needy moan and slid his tongue against the lower one.
Home.
It didn’t matter where the fuck he was, she was home. His mate. His Scarlet. Always.
Scarlet whimpered, her hands clutching the cloak he was wearing and holding him to her as if she thought he’d step back.
Not fucking happening.
Her lips parted, and he got his first proper taste of her. His entire body jolted. Yes. There you are, my beautiful girl. There you are. Her tongue swiped back, tangling with his, and he had to brace one hand against the wall so he didn’t crush her with the full weight of his body, while the other curled around her waist.