“No.” I kept walking, my stride long as I took the stairs two at a time to the second floor, to the family level of the palace. I turned right onto the corridor that led to Destiny’s suite of rooms. Our rooms.
Trinity and Faith came out of nowhere, walking toward the medical station. They stopped as we approached. The look on their faces was pure happiness and they opened their mouths to stop me, but Leo joined them. “Not now,” he murmured. “Let Nix deal with his mate.”
I couldn’t help but grin. Yes, I was going to deal with Destiny.
“Deal with her?” I heard Trinity ask Leo. “She was hurt!”
“There was a bomb, mate. A bomb. And she covered Nix with her body. Risked herself to protect him”
“I would do the same.” Trinity’s defiance was clear, and I felt my own spine stiffen in response. These females were trouble. Every. Single. One of them.
“Perhaps you need to be reminded who protects who in this mating.” Leo sounded as I felt. Frustrated. Worried that his mate would do something crazy. Reckless. Dangerous.
For him.
For me.
For the males they loved.
The knowledge of their combined defiance was terrifying and I wondered about the queen. What female raised such fierce daughters?
Trinity said something in reply, but I was too far down the hall to hear. I opened the door and kicked it shut behind us as I heard her squeal. Not in terror. She was laughing. And I had no doubt she’d be beneath Leo soon. Just as Destiny would soon be submitting to me. To my hands. My mouth. My cock.
“Nix!”
I ignored Destiny as I carried her directly to the bathing room and slapped my hand on the wall to turn on the shower tube. It was pre-set to Destiny’s desired water temperature, so I opened the door and carefully lowered my mate to her feet. Now, I tugged the sheet from her, already sodden in parts from the warm spray.
“Nix!” she sputtered. “What are you doing? You’re acting like a caveman.”
I didn’t close the door, just watched with satisfaction as the dirt and blood washed away, swirling down the drain. The pod had healed her, but it hadn’t done anything to clean the remnants of the explosion from her. Grabbing the soap, I washed her myself, having her turn so I got all of her.
“Settle, mate. I will ensure every inch of you is well.”
She lowered her hands to her sides as I gently but thoroughly cleaned away the horror of those few seconds. My fear settled into a hard lump in the pit of my gut. I wasn’t afraid any longer, but the emotion clogging my throat hurt even more.
Relief. Despair that this would happen again. Anger at myself for being so weak and needy when it came to her. I was a warrior, not a simpering idiot. But when it came to Destiny…
Fuck. I wiped the wetness from my cheeks while her back was turned, so she would not see how weak she made me. How desperate and lost I’d be without her.
“Nix.” So soft, my name on her lips. I was down on one knee before her and she leaned over, pressed her wet lips to mine. Gently. When she pulled back, her own cheeks were streaked with tears. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”
Her hair was now an electric shade of purple, a striking contrast to her pale skin. She pulled me under the water, next to her, and stripped me naked. She took her time, washing me as I’d washed her. I leaned my head back against the wall and let her touch me. Let her soothe the pain still swimming in my blood like acid. “Don’t ever do that again, mate.”
Eyes closed, I felt her lips press to my chest. My neck. Her hands slid around my waist and she leaned her entire body along mine. Skin to skin. Making us one being. One body. Her cheek rested over my heart and I wrapped my arms around her. Squeezed. Couldn’t stop.
“I need you, Nix. You can’t die. I love you too much.”
Goddess help me, she was trying to kill me.
My cock, always hard for her, took control of my mind. I needed her. Now.
Lifting her in my arms, I turned us until her back was to the wall and entered her in one long, hard thrust.
She was hot. Wet. Ready.
“Yes! Fuck me, Nix.” Her legs lifted and hooked at my lower back. “I need you.”
Never able to deny her, I thrust hard. Fast. Pumping into her with all the fear, worry and relief coursing through me at once. Never had I felt so adrift. Too many emotions swirling inside me like a storm. But she was right here with me. Her body my anchor. Her hands in my hair. My name on her lips. I held onto her. Made her my center. And fucked her. Hard. Deep.