“But what if I lose you?” The words tumbled out of her, end over end, each one sliding into the next until they were barely understandable.
But they were the truth. That was what she feared. Losing Dom, this big, earnest demon who looked at her with those soft eyes, made Charlotte’s gut churn. She’d always wanted to belong, but she had neverwanted to belong to someone as much as she wanted to belong to Dom. He was just... right. A solid presence that drew her in, made her feel like she was finally, finally home.
“You won’t lose me.” His lips moved against her nape, tickling the silky hair there. A little electric prickle bit at the sensitive skin. “You can’t. I’m yours, Charlotte. Even if you take a hundred years to decide to be with me, I’ll still be yours.”
Her voice was thick when she asked, “You promise?”
“I’ll swear it to any god you ask me to, glowbug. Even Blight himself.” Dom pulled back a little. Cold air rushed in to kiss the heated skin of her nape. He shifted slightly behind her and let out a low, hair-raising rumble. “Ah. Glowbug, I think I might have finally found the sigil.”
Charlotte’s head snapped up so fast she nearly broke his nose. Dom cursed and ducked to the side as she craned her neck, trying to see her back. “What? Where?”
“Easy, you wee wildcat.” Unwinding his arms from around her middle, Dom carefully brushed away the short hair at her nape. “It’s here. Just under your hair.”
Charlotte’s heart jumped into her throat. “Can you remove it?”
His big hands squeezed her shoulders. In a low voice, he answered, “I can. I can use my shadows to… Do you trust me?”
This time, she didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”
Dom let out an appreciative rumble that made a home for itself in her chest, easing some of her barbed anxiety. “That’s my mate. Just keep that thought in your brain, okay?”
Charlotte tried to look at him over her shoulder without moving too much, her stomach dropping. “Why?”
“Because,” he replied, sighing heavily, “this is going to hurt.”