My power. My past. My pain.
I wanted to give it all and finally let her see me in full.
“Are you sure about that?” Arken whispered.
My pulse scattered for a moment before I realized she’d been responding to the words I’d said aloud—not the terrifying thought that just crossed my mind.
Thankfully, before I could linger on that violent revelation, Arken misread my shocked expression and laughed beneath her breath—the sound so sultry and serene that my mind emptied out entirely.
And when she moved, sliding herself down my body so she could lean forward and low, the soft, curling tips of her dark brown mane tickling at my torso, I could have sworn on the Source that I forgot how to breathe.
Because after Arken ran her nose against my abdomen with sweet and nuzzling affection, those glossy lips parted. Glancing up at me through her lashes, the look in her eyes was anything but sweet. The dark heat of it left every muscle in my body clenching as her arrow was notched, and I went taut like a bowstring.
Is she really about to do what I think she’s about to do?
Without another word, Arken lowered her mouth. That filthy, immaculate tongue of hers flicked across the wounds above my heart and captured the spoils of her violence. And then she did it again.
Holy fuck.
At the sight of my blood on her lips, the bowstring snapped. Her arrow hit its mark. I wasn’t even inside the damned woman when she licked the blood straight off my chest, and I still came so fucking hard that I saw stars as I collapsed beneath her body—completely and utterly wrecked.
I fucking knew it.
DAY NINE
TO BE EVERYTHING
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
ARKEN
You’re such a fucking idiot, Arken. What were you even thinking?
I was pouting to myself over a bowl of soup between lectures, thinking about how for the first time in nine days, I would be going home to an empty bed.
The fact that it had been my own godsdamned idea in the first place? That only made it worse.
Kieran and I had enjoyed a quick breakfast together at dawn—the man needing to rise with the morning sun to get started on what sounded like another long day. It had certainly already been long on my end, and we were only halfway through the afternoon. I still had hours of lectures, and not a damn thing to look forward to once they were over.
Idiot.
Maybe it had been the hangover. Maybe it had been anxiety. Maybe it was the way that Sia’s comment had stuck with me, lingering in the back of my mind since she and Laurel had tried to bully me into giving up details in the hallway.
“What, so we’re just never going to get to see you again? That bastard’s taking up ALL of your time, now!” Laurel had lamented dramatically.
“Relax, Laur,” Sia laughed. “Give it another week or so. With the way they’re clearly fucking like rabbits, they’re bound to get it out of their systems and get bored, soon enough.”
I certainly wasn’t getting bored any time soon…but was Kieran? Admittedly, the fear of that distinct possibility had some influence on my decision. My stupid ass decision.
“I think I’m going to take a night to myself, if that’s alright with you, Captain,” I’d mentioned over tea.
He’d seemed surprised, but didn’t question the premise of my request, nor did he try to change my mind.
“Okay,” he’d answered simply. “Of course, Little Conduit. Take all the time you need.”
The fucking bastard.
I really wished he’d fought me on it instead of being so godsdamned respectful of my boundaries. They were stupid boundaries.