by Reese Monroe
He looked down at her, his lips swollen and shiny. She brought her hands to his face and urged him closer. He eased himself over her and gripped the back of her thigh. “Open for me, love.”
She let out a long breath and relaxed into the bed, ready for him. A spike of fear of what she’d become tried to pry through their bubble of love, but she chased it away.
No, his tender kisses chased it away.
She opened her eyes and found him so close, their noses nearly touched. His elbows were planted in the bed on either side of her face, while his hands combed back her hair. Her hips cradled him, waiting for him to move. To join with her.
“You okay, love?” He kissed her cheek, then her earlobe.
“Mmm.” She arched against him, reveling in the feel of his smooth skin. She slid her hands down his spine to his firm butt again, then back up. “You feel amazing.” She’d never get enough of touching him.
Orange wisps swirled around his dilated pupils as he shifted his weight. “I love you, Ahavah.”
A single, gentle movement, and they were one. In every way possible. He crushed his mouth to hers, chasing away the sting of their connection. Fangs grazed her bottom lip and tripped a trigger deep in her core. Vulnerable. Completely open.
No longer one soul existed within her, but two.
He pushed up and gazed down her body, his eyes wide with wonder. “Okay?”
She nodded, and he eased back slightly, keeping his focus on her, then moved forward. The rush of the movement sent a jolt of pleasure through her body.
He leaned down, resting on one elbow while his other hand followed the curve of her hip. Finally in reach again, she claimed his lips.
She brushed her tongue against his fangs, and he started moving a little faster. He gripped the back of her thigh again, allowing an even deeper connection as he found a rhythm.
That set off a shower of lights in the corners of her vision, and she tensed around him, free-falling into bliss. A rush of heat clenched her stomach and rocketed through as she gave every bit of her soul to her husband.
For eternity.
Chapter Fifty-two
“You okay, love?” Theo asked as he rolled onto his back, taking Sadie with him.
She nodded into his chest and leaned into him more. “That was…wow.”
He was thinking the same thing, and already looking forward to round two. His body roared to life at that thought. “Are you sore?”
“I’m okay.” She nipped at his neck. “God, that was about as awesome as I could have imagined.”
“It was.”
“Did I live up to the nine-hundred-year wait?” She jerked against him. “Wait—”
What felt like a thousand needles jabbed his neck. Tendrils of heat sprouted from his Mark, coiling around his shoulder. Their Marks…yes, finally.
“Ow,” she said. “Theo?”
“It’s okay, love.” He cupped her neck. “It’s our Marks.”
Black lines crept over her shoulder. Waves, both thick and thin, intertwined, resembling a rope, and crept up her neck. He gasped for breath as he saw the ink pool at her neck. The lines continued, forming a picture. A symbol.
The Ahavah Mark, only smaller and on her neck, exactly where his Mark was. He glimpsed his shoulder and saw the same thing. The ink had crept down his neck and pooled in a smaller version of the Mark right where hers was on her shoulder.
“It’s amazing.” She pushed up, propping herself on her elbow as she watched his markings develop. “Hurts a little, but I feel warmth flowing through my blood.” She closed her eyes, then looked up. Her free hand trailed from her neck, between her breasts and to her abdomen. “Mmm. So good. Connected.”
That sight nearly did him in. His body roared to life, needing to be inside her. “Sadie.” His voice was choked with desire. “I—”
“Need you,” she whispered as she crawled over him. “Need you.” She bit her bottom lip as she pulled the sheet down and sat astride him.
His spine tightened as she eased back. Her hands groped his chest as if she had to touch every surface. His skin lit up, absorbing the energy wafting off her. The burn of the ink marking him faded from awareness, his focus solely on his wife. His Mate.
He gripped her hips and guided her back. She leaned forward, and formed her mouth to his as she eased onto him.
Oh holy Great One, she felt good. Tight. Warm. He’d never get enough of this. Not in all eternity. He fell into her rhythm as she claimed his body for herself. Her lips found the newly formed Mark on his shoulder and he leaned up, sucking her neck.
The pulse went wild, and she tensed around him. The dual sensation sent a jolt of ecstasy down his spine, and he shifted her legs, allowing him deeper.
He was home.
She jerked up and pinned him with a look, but it was no longer blue. Instead, ruby eyes, the color of her ring, stared back at him. They flared bright, as though the sun shone on them.
“Sadie.” He grabbed her hips again. “Your eyes.” What was happening?
“I hear something. Twigs snapping.” She cocked her head to the side. “Crackling.”
He sat up, never disconnecting with her, and kissed her chin. “Sadie.” He moved within her. “Look at me. Focus on me.”
She did, and her eyebrows pulled together as if analyzing him. “I feel you.” She tightened around him, triggering a firestorm of desire. “Inside me.”
He cupped her butt and moved against her, needing to go deeper, needing more of a connection.
Her eyelids slid shut. “Yes.”
Did she know what was happening? Her Mark? Her eyes? The crackling she’d heard had to be fangs. The shifting in the gums. The change.
She pulsed against him and tightened her hold. She was close.
“That’s right, love. Let go. Let go.”
She tilted her head toward the ceiling and opened her mouth. Down came the sharp fangs. The weapons he’d loathed for so long looked beautiful on her. Perfect.
“Theo,” she said. Her body tensed, and she let out a roar as she gave him everything.
He pulled her to him and claimed her mouth. Her fangs softened, and as she’d done to him before, he sucked on a fang.
A moan ripped through her, and her body shuddered against his.
That triggered his release, and he fell into the flashing lights, relinquishing his soul to his Mate.
For eternity.
Chapter Fifty-three
Sadie leaned against the bathroom doorframe, staring at Theo lying on the bed. His raven hair was disheveled but looked perfect. His skin practically glowed. Bright. Vibrant.
Refueled.
She cupped her cheeks. Hell, she felt it, too. So strong. She rubbed her shoulder, then her neck. His Mark was the same as hers, only opposite. The big one on his neck, little on his shoulder.
Her stomach rumbled, and she smoothed her tank top down the front of her. Room service should be here in a minute. Thankfully. She’d worked up quite an appetite making love to her husband.
“Husband,” she whispered as she rubbed her wedding ring.
Mom’s ring on her forefinger captured some of the lamp’s light nearby and sparkled. Ruby. Such a beautiful, unsuspecting stone. To look at it she wouldn’t think it could bring her to another realm. A realm to where her parents were.
Her angel parents.
Theo turned, his arm flopping to the side, no doubt searching out her warmth. Sleep, hon, I’ll get us food.
As if he heard her silent thought, he stilled, resting his head on her pillow. A slight smile curved his lips.
Maybe after eating they could be together again. She kind of liked this sex thing, minus the stinging pain of gaining a tattoo. Not to mention the fangs.
She ran her tongue over her teeth. Normal for now, but she felt them come out at the height of her pleasure earlier. But Theo held on, weathered the storm with her, rock-solid as always.
The muffled sounds of glasses clanking rang out from the dire
ction of the door. She quietly padded over as the knock sounded.
Her stomach rumbled. She was so ready for one of the four hamburgers she’d ordered.
“Room service,” a faint voice trickled through.
She tossed a glance at Theo, but he hadn’t moved. Good. She’d get things ready for them to have a picnic on the bed. And he’d be her dessert.
She reached for the handle and opened the door.
Only Aggie stood there, holding something in his hand. With lightning speed, he grabbed her wrist and waved the stick.
She fell into a black void. Prickling pain sliced at her bare arms. Heat so hot she was sure her skin would melt engulfed her. “Theo!”
Her fangs descended, and she snapped, but Aggie was gone. A whirlwind of air swirled around her like she’d found her way into the center of a cyclone. Oxygen faltered. She gasped, choking for air. Terror seized her heart. Stole the breath from her lungs. Her body went numb.
She was going to die.
Chapter Fifty-four
“Sadie!” Theo leaped from the bed, a pain slicing the middle of his chest like a blade. He touched his skin but found no injury. “Sadie?”
The door was propped open, a cart filled with food blocking its closure. He ran to the door and pulled the cart out of the way. A gasp from the cleaning lady off to his right reminded him of his nakedness.
He ducked back into the room and held his breath. Sadie.
Only silence met his ears. Utter and complete silence, as if all his senses had been muted. Not even signals from the maid out there.
What was happening?
He slammed the door and faced the empty room. His gut bottomed out at the sight of the rolling cart.
A sheet of paper, folded in half, lay on the top of the tray.
He snatched it up and flipped it open.
Let’s see how long you survive without your Mate.
~Agares
“Shit.” He’d been so deep in his slumber that he hadn’t felt a splice. How could that be? How had Sadie not sensed it, either?
Halena. Aggie has Sadie.
Shit.
In the next breath, Theo’s phone rang. He fumbled through his jeans and dug it out.
“What the hell happened?” Justin yelled at the other end. “Halena sensed no splice. How— Oh shit. The Thata.”
“What?” Theo yelled into the phone.
“We just heard from one of Halena’s contacts in Europe and found out why we haven’t seen our friend Aggie. Seems he was artifact hunting. And found something to create a splice anywhere at any time. No matter how far from a gate.”
“Shit.”
Theo jumped into his jeans and ran to the pile of shirt and shoes on the floor. Fear and disbelief stormed through his gut. He’d finally made love to his Mate, and she was taken from the honeymoon suite. How the hell had he let this happen?
Sadie.
No reply.
“Damn it. I need to get to the compound. Get Halena researching with her buddy on—”
A chilling wave of gooseflesh scattered up his neck, hairs prickling. A splice was opening somewhere.
“Um, Theo…Halena says she senses a splice.”
“Me, too.” He pulled the phone from his ear to get the shirt over his head. “I’ll handle it, then I’m coming home.”
“Wait. I see it. The— Shit, it’s here in the middle of the living room.” The phone jostled. “Dasha, get behind me.”
She screamed.
A gust of wind slammed into Theo from behind, and he whirled, fangs down. No dagger handy. Shit.
A gray, electrically charged splice in time opened before him. The howling wind whipped through his hair and chilled his bare arms, but he didn’t sense any evil from it, only darkness and electricity. Not to mention, there wasn’t a voice whispering instructions.
“Nothing is coming from it.” Halena must have taken the phone from Justin. “What’s happening, Theophilus?”
Her formal words indicated her heightened fear. She hated not knowing, not being in control.
“Do you sense any demons?” Theo asked as he stepped closer to the opening. “Aggie?”
“No. Only cold and darkness. Feels…neutral.”
“I’m staring at the same thing, Halena.” He inhaled deep into his lungs. No hint of evil, anger, or fear. Just nothingness. What worried him most was his lack of feeling for his Mate. He’d always sensed her. For him to feel nothing, she had to be gravely hurt.
Dead even.
His gut clenched at the thought. Not so soon after— The Great One would never allow that to happen.
Theo heard Justin saying something in the background. A split second later Justin said, “Wait a minute. You have one there, too? And it opened right after you said you needed to get home?”
“Meaning…” Theo’s mind whirled. Disjointed thoughts, worries, fears, but through it all, logic, worked its way through. “I needed to get to the compound.” The feeling had been intense, grave.
“Theo, you created this splice. You split time to get to demons when you sense them enter this realm.” He paused. “Um. Did you and Sadie…”
“Yes.”
“That’s it. Your power, Theo. You’ve stepped into your full powers.”
“Gatekeepers have never been able to create a splice to breach time.”
“You and Sadie are not your normal couple. Step into it.”
Theo braced for doubt to creep in at Justin’s suggestion. Hesitation. Fear. But nothing did. Everything Justin had said rang true.
Maybe he had created this breach in time.
And maybe he could use it to get to Sadie. And if he could, he would rip Aggie’s head off.
Chapter Fifty-five
“She’s amazingly strong, sire.” A female voice pierced the darkness into Sadie’s muddled mind.
“Give her another dose. It’s that strength I fear. Do not allow her to dream, either. We can’t afford for her to transmit her location to her Mate. Or hear from her Master.”
“She can do that?”
The sound of shuffling drew Sadie’s attention. She felt herself move slightly, turning her head toward the sound.
“Do it now. She’s coming to.”
Batya. Most treasured from our hearts. Sadie couldn’t say the words to open the splice to her parents, but she mentally yelled them, hoping it’d work.
We’re here, child. A warm hand rested on her forehead. She willed her eyes to open, but they refused. Her body was heavy. Thick.
Mom. Help me.
I’m sorry, child. We cannot. You must find it within yourself. Find your destiny.
To end Aggie.
Yes. Fingers combed through Sadie’s hair. Seek out The Great One. He will guide you. Give you the strength you need.
You’re mated now. Paxon’s voice was deep, strong, encouraging. Tap into that strength, Batya.
Theo.
He needs you, child, Abby said. You need each other to finish this task.
Fear coiled its chilled tendrils around Sadie’s stomach. Theo was in trouble. He needed her.
Find the words… Abby’s voice faded out of Sadie’s consciousness, but darkness didn’t dominate. Only emptiness. Cold. Howling winds roared inside her mind.
The words. Yes. The words to end Aggie. Mom had whispered to Sadie that once she’d mated with Theo, the words would be revealed. She’d be given the skills, the strength to end him. Great One, please. Help me.
Only silence filled her ears.
Theo!
An overwhelming weight of loneliness filtered over her, dragging her deeper into the darkness. The murk and despair of loneliness: Theo had left her. Abandoned her. And after she’d given herself to him so freely.
No. He wouldn’t.
Then where was he? Why wasn’t he protecting her?
Theo?
A bud of heat bloomed deep. It pulsed, pumping its warmth throughout her body.
Theo. I need you.
A
line of heat stormed to her shoulder, then pulsed to her neck. Their Marks. They’d joined. They’d mated. She was different. Stronger. She would find her way to him.
Wake up! she yelled at herself.
Her voice shattered through the dark reins on her mind. She shot up and snapped her eyes open. Sounds of metal groaning rang, and pain jolted up her arms from her wrists. Her heart hammered, lungs searched for air. Theo.
A girl. Black hair. Blacker eyes. Stumbled back. She opened her mouth as if to yell, but before a sound escaped, Sadie sped toward her and cupped her hand over the girl’s mouth.
Random thoughts stabbed into Sadie’s mind. She’ll kill me. Agares will kill me. How’d she break through? Shit.
Sadie shook her head at the onslaught. But they weren’t her thoughts; they were the girl’s. A haze of red tinted Sadie’s sight, and she blinked.
It remained.
The girl froze, and that’s when Sadie saw it. In the reflection of the girl’s wide, black eyes. Sadie’s were red. Like the ruby in her ring.
“Tell me where we are,” Sadie demanded as she swept a look over the room.
In the center sat a bed with red silk sheets. Beside it was a set of chains, clamps bent in an awkward fashion lay in a pile. A tray with needles and bottles rested atop a bed table.
“Speak now,” Sadie ordered.
Thoughts rammed into her mind. Hades. Agares’s private chambers. Cloaked from anyone’s detection.
“Where’s Aggie?”
“Earthside,” the girl whispered, still entranced by Sadie’s eyes.
“I’m going to release you. Don’t run, you won’t make it.”
The girl shook her head, and her fangs retracted. “Don’t kill me.”
Sadie didn’t mention the fact that she didn’t have a Mavet to kill the demon, instead she released her grip.
Energy and strength pulsed through Sadie’s veins. Probably adrenaline. Or, her new strength she got from Theo. Theo. How long had she been separated from him? Was he safe?
“How’d you break through the drugs? I just gave you a dose.”
Sadie ignored the question. The girl didn’t need to know that Sadie had no clue. She only remembered Aggie’s voice, darkness, Mom, and then breaking through the unconsciousness and the chains. She rubbed her wrists and glanced around. “How do I leave this place?”
