"Longest stretch of celibacy ever. Guinness would be most impressed. And I seriously doubt you'll ever find a contender for your title."
He rewarded her with a warm, rich laugh. One that ended in a moan as he released himself inside her. He drove himself even deeper while he shuddered.
Once he was finished, she started to move to his side, but he held her on top of him. For once his emotions were completely hidden as he cupped her face in his hands, then kissed her.
Pulling back, he nuzzled his cheek against hers so that he could whisper in her ear. "I won't let anything happen to you."
"I know, sweetie. And I won't let it get you either."
Ren smiled at the endearment. For the first time in his extremely long existence, he felt truly intimate with someone. And it wasn't just because he'd seen visions of her life, nor was it from the sex. It came from the fact that he actually believed her promise.
He believed in her.
Yeah, the world was definitely going to end. He'd had sex and he trusted the woman he'd had it with. If that wasn't the sign of impending doom, he didn't know what was.
She kissed him on the tip of his nose before she slid off his body and dressed.
Pulling on his own clothes, Ren knew they should hurry, but he didn't want this to end. He'd had so few perfect moments in his life. He could count them on one hand. And none of them came close to this.
"Dadgumit!"
He arched a brow at her irritated tone. "What's wrong?"
"I broke a stupid nail." She held it up to show him. "I know it's ludicrous, right? But I still hate to lose one."
Then the smile faded from her face as she stared at him as if he was a stranger.
Dread hit his stomach hard. This couldn't be good. "What?"
"Why are your eyes blue?"
Ren went to conjure something so that he could see for himself, but the moment he tried, he made a frightening discovery.
He had no powers whatsoever. That, combined with blue eyes, could only mean one thing....
Dear gods, I'm mortal.
Kateri couldn't breathe as she stared into a pair of eyes that were so vibrant a blue they practically glowed, especially in contrast to his dark tawny skin and black hair. "What's going on?"
"I-I-I-I..." He slammed his eyes shut and ground his teeth. After a few seconds, he tried again. "I-I-I've lost all m-my p-p-powers."
"Okay, so we can't conjure anything."
He shook his head. "I'm m-m-mortal ag-gain." He tried to say more, but he couldn't get it out, which only frustrated him more. Damn it! Without those powers, he was a stammering, effing moron.
She reached up and gently pulled his head down until she had her forehead pressed against his. Smiling, she brushed her hands against his cheeks. "Breathe, sweetie. Take your time. The only part about your speech that bothers me is how much it upsets you. Give yourself a break and stop calling yourself names in your head."
He frowned.
"Yes," she continued, "I know you're doing it. Now stop."
He took a deep breath before he made another attempt. "I can die now."
"Okay, I liked it better when you were stuttering and couldn't get that out. Are you serious?"
He nodded.
Releasing him, Kateri took a step back. "What do you need me to do?"