Her fingers tightened in his hair, producing a light sting on his scalp that only heightened his need to pull her closer, to gather her in his arms and never let her go.
“I love you, too,” she said.
He pulled his face away and stared down at her; that glow had returned to her eyes again, so different from what he was used to seeing there, but so right. “I think you may be immortal, Adalynn.”
Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. “What?”
“Your soul is tethered to mine. Your lifeforce. My immortality…I believe it’s part of you now, too. I cut your palms three days ago, but look at them.” He leaned back, took hold of her hands, and gently guided them down from his hair, turning her palms toward her. “Not a trace. The wounds were healed completely by yesterday. And I can no longer sense any trace of your cancer.”
Adalynn stared at her palms. She closed her fingers and opened them again. Merrick could see her thoughts racing, could tell she had many questions—and he would answer them, as he was able. But that wasn’t what mattered now.
He caught her chin and turned her face back toward him. “We are bound, Adalynn. Forever.”
She covered his hand with hers. “Forever is a long time.”
Merrick smiled softly. “Adalynn, forever isn’t nearly long enough.”
Her lips turned up in a wide smile. “Don't men usually get cold feet when they think about forever? About being tied down? Being bound sounds more permanent than the ole ball and chain.”
“There will be no cold feet here, save perhaps on winter mornings before we stoke the fire.”
Adalynn laughed; between that sound and her shining smile, he couldn’t resist releasing her arm and kissing her again. She returned the kiss just as fervently, wrapping her arms around him.
Danny would be upset, but he could wait a few minutes—the boy needed to eat and rest, anyway. But Merrick…he had found his forever, his soul song, and he was going to relish this new beginning without interruption.
Epilogue
Four Months Later
Adalynn lay upon Merrick’s chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat and the swirling symphony of their mana songs as they came down from the heights of ecstasy. Their skin was coated in perspiration, their breath ragged, and her sex pulsed around his cock in the aftermath of her climax. She closed her eyes, smiling softly, as Merrick lightly trailed his fingertips up and down her spine.
Delightful heat radiated from the blazing fireplace across from the foot of the bed, chasing away the chill. The fireplace had seen frequent use over the last few months as summer had given way first to autumn and now winter.
During those months, Adalynn hadn’t suffered a single attack—but she had suffered from numerous bouts of random nausea. At first, it had frightened her, and she’d wondered if her illness had returned, but there’d been no other symptoms. It hadn’t been long before she’d begun to suspect something else—especially after she realized she hadn’t had her period since arriving at Merrick’s four months ago.
Opening her eyes, Adalynn inhaled deeply and lifted her hand away from him, settling it on the side of her neck. “Do you remember the first time we made love?”
“Yes, quite clearly. And every time afterward. Also quite clearly.”
Adalynn grinned. “Do you remember what I’d asked you?”
He rubbed his palm over his short beard. “You asked if I had protection.”
She raised her head and looked down at him, her hair falling over one shoulder. “And I recall you saying something in reply to that.”
Merrick smirked. “There was no chance of conceiving. That time.”
“You know?”
“I’m attuned enough to our mana songs to tell when there’s a change. There’s been another melody forming beneath ours—a more perfect blend of them. I’ve suspected what it meant for several weeks.”
Adalynn half-heartedly slapped his shoulder. She couldn’t be angry with him, not when she was so overjoyed by what they had created together. “That was cheap, Merrick. That’s something pretty major we should have discussed together.”
He rolled her onto her back and propped himself over her, hands braced on either side of her head and hips pinning her to the bed. His cock was still inside her. He dipped his head and pecked a quick kiss on her lips; most of her largely feigned anger slipped away. Merrick slowly worked his lips—and his body—lower, withdrawing his shaft from her sex as he kissed along her neck and between her breasts to finally stop at her stomach.
“All the times we’ve made love, I made sure my precautions were in place,” he said, looking up at her with his glowing teal eyes. He cradled her stomach—her slightly rounded stomach. “I think it happened when I performed the binding. Seed, blood, and mana…those are the required components. My seed was already within you, and whatever protections I had woven must’ve been unraveled during the binding.”
Adalynn smiled and raised a hand, tracing the scar cutting across his eye before brushing the backs of her fingers over his cheek. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“We are,” he replied, his smile mirroring the joy in hers.
When she’d first come here, when she’d first met Merrick, she hadn’t even thought him capable of smiling, and never would’ve imagined how much a smile could transform his face.
Her smile faded slightly, the joy of sharing this moment overshadowed by thoughts of the future.
Merrick lifted his head, propping himself up on his elbows. “What is it, Adalynn?”
“Are you worried?” she asked. “About the future? About having a baby…in this world?”
His eyes blazed like twin fires. “Nothing will harm our child, just as nothing will harm you or Danny. I will make sure of it.” He crawled back up her body until his face hovered over hers. “We have this place. I cannot say that no one else will ever come…but you know we can defend it, if necessary. Especially once you learn more fully how to use your magic.”
That was another thing she was getting used to—magic. It came and went, flaring up with her emotions, and learning to control it was a slow process. But with Merrick patiently guiding her, she knew it would, in time, become second nature.
Adalynn settled her hands on his arms and slowly slid them up to his shoulders. She smiled brightly; her joy returned to the forefront of her mind. “We’re having a baby.”
“I’ve had Danny setting up a nursery in the next room. He’s been moving down some of the furniture from the attic while you’ve been busy over the last few days.”
“Even he knew?”
Merrick laughed. “Not until I said something to him. Don’t worry, Adalynn—I don’t give up secrets quite that easily. At least not usually.”
“You could have let me in on it.”
“I was waiting for you to tell me.”
“Guess that won’t be something I can surprise you with in the future.”
Merrick smirked. “Does that mean you wish to have more?”
Adalynn blushed, stroking his arm. “Maybe.”
He chuckled and lowered his face, brushing his lips over hers. The song within her flared, and her lips tingled.
“We have forever, Adalynn.”
She smiled, looping her arms around his neck and raising her knees to cradle his body between her thighs. Teal tendrils of magic crackled across his skin, and similar energy rose from hers in reaction, creating a thrilling electric buzz on her flesh. He thrust his cock into her, pushing deep. Adalynn’s breath hitched, and she tilted her head back to lock her eyes with his.
Merrick cradled her jaw in his hand, trailing his thumb over her lower lip. “Without you, I never would have learned to live again.” He drew his hips away and slid back into her slowly, triggering another flare of scintillating magic and pleasure in both of them. “You’ve given me a family. A reason to be. Without you, I’d have stumbled through eternity without knowing love.”
He pushed into her harder, and Adalynn clutc
hed at him as their mana song—their shared song—swelled with each of his thrusts, building rapidly. They climaxed together swiftly, fiercely, with harsh breaths and strained cries that only added to their song.
Merrick gathered her closer and pressed his forehead against hers as they panted. “I would gladly give up the thousand years I spent alone to taste your lips a single time.” He kissed her again. “You’ve given me everything. You, Adalynn, are my everything, and you’re all the magic I’ll ever need.”
Author’s Note
Thank you so much for reading The Warlock’s Kiss! We hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we did writing it. For us, it was a trip down memory lane.
We’ve talked before about how Rob and I met, but for those who don’t know, we met through a text-based fantasy roleplaying game. Roleplaying was something we really enjoyed doing, and because we lived so far away from each other when we first met, it was our primary way to spend time together. Even after we started living together in person, we continued to roleplay together. It allowed us to do what we both loved to do—write. We built worlds, characters, and stories, and this world, these characters—Merrick, Adalynn, and Danny—were created back in 2013.
Their story stood out in my mind, even after all these years, and we had logs saved of that roleplay. Though the original roleplay was much shorter than the story it became, the bones of it were all there, along with these wonderful characters—who were already fleshed out and alive. After we finished Shielded Heart, we wanted to write something short, something to cleanse our palates; we wanted a change of scenery. So, I brought this story up to Rob. And, well…we all know how it goes when we try to write something short. It doesn’t happen. Not that it’s a bad thing, haha! We planned this book to be around fifty thousand words, and wound up at over eighty-three thousand. We enjoyed delving into these characters and creating the deep, emotional connections they have with one another. Building new worlds is also something we really love to do.
Which brings us to this question at some of you might have: Will we write more books in this world?
The answer: Maybe. The Warlock’s Kiss is a standalone, but we have other stories and characters that we had written before Merrick and Adalynn’s story that take place when the Sundering began. It’s just a matter of whether there’s enough interest on your part. Of course, we can’t say when we might get to them, as we have so many projects planned and lined up already, but you never know when we might squeeze something in.
So, if you loved The Warlock’s Kiss, please leave a review on Amazon and/or Bookbub. We know you hear this from authors a lot, but reviews help author visibility on Amazon and can show authors how much you enjoyed a book and if you want a series to continue. You can also spread the book love by recommending it in one of your favorite book groups. Word of mouth is the best thing you can do for an author, and you have no idea how much we love and appreciate it each time we see our name mentioned. Like, seriously. I get all warm and gooey inside that you remembered us and that our book stood out enough for you to recommend it to someone else. Thank you so, so much!
What’s next for us? We have so much going on this Fall! We have a novella in the Pets in Space 4 Anthology called Entwined Fates which takes place in our Infinite City Series that goes live October 8th. Be sure to snag that anthology quick as it’s a Limited Time Only deal—not to mention 10% of all pre-orders and the first month's royalties go to Hero-Dogs.org who raise, train & place support dogs with U.S. veterans and first responders.
We also have a secret project we have been working on with a group of other sci-f romance authors that we can’t wait to share with you all. That will release October 22nd. Be sure to check us out on Social Media for cover reveals and more on that. Next up will be Drakkal’s story, Untamed Hunger, followed by a kraken story featuring Ector.
Again, thank you all so much for being such amazing, supportive, wonderful readers. We can’t express how much we appreciate you all. Every message, every post, every email, every review. Thank you again for reading our stories.
Also by Tiffany Roberts
THE INFINITE CITY
Silent Lucidity
Shielded Heart
Untamed Hunger
Savage Desire (Coming Soon!)
Entwined Fates (In the Pets in Space 4 Anthology)
THE KRAKEN
Treasure of the Abyss
Jewel of the Sea
Hunter of the Tide
Heart of the Deep
Rising from the Depths
Fallen from the Stars
Lover from the Waves (Coming Soon!)
STANDALONE TITLES
Claimed by an Alien Warrior
Dustwalker
His Darkest Craving
The Warlock’s Kiss
Ice Bound: Short Story
ISLE OF THE FORGOTTEN
Make Me Burn
Make Me Hunger
Make Me Whole
Make Me Yours
COSMIC FAIRY TALES COLLABORATION
Escaping Wonderland
VALOS OF SONHADRA COLLABORATION
Tiffany Roberts - Undying
Tiffany Roberts - Unleashed
About the Author
Tiffany Roberts is the pseudonym for Tiffany and Robert Freund, a husband and wife writing duo. Tiffany was born and bred in Idaho, and Robert was a native of New York City before moving across the country to be with her. The two have always shared a passion for reading and writing, and it was their dream to combine their mighty powers to create the sorts of books they want to read. They write character driven sci-fi and fantasy romance, creating happily-ever-afters for the alien and unknown.
Website:
https://authortiffanyroberts.wordpress.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTiffanyRoberts
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tiffany-roberts
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