I clung to him, indulging in the heat and prosperity of our connection. Then sighed as the kiss slowly came to an end.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered against my mouth. “But if we continue this, we’ll never get to the Blood Gala, and I owe you the truth, Aflora. You have to see everything to understand our destiny.”
I nodded, agreeing with his intentions. “Promise me you won’t harm anyone.”
“I promise I won’t harm anyone without provocation,” he countered, capturing my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “If anyone means to harm us, I will retaliate.”
That seemed fair, so I conceded with another dip of my chin. “I accept that.”
He smiled. “Good.” He brushed his lips against mine once more. “Now hold on to me. We’re going to portal-jump several times to cover our tracks.”
I WALKED into Kols’s bedroom and paused at the sight of him bending over the bench at the foot of his bed.
“Almost ready,” he said without looking at me, his focus on tying his shoe.
I leaned against the doorway and folded my arms, more than content to enjoy the view of him in that all-black suit. Our relationship had deepened over the last few weeks, the blood ties to Aflora and each other stirring foreign sensations inside of my soul that left me evaluating life a little differently.
Kols had bitten me, taking charge of our relationship in a way he’d never done before.
Then he’d submitted to me in the next moment, knowing that it was what I needed.
The male I’d known all my life had grown into a man so far beyond my worth. I had no idea why or when he’d chosen me. Fae knew I didn’t deserve him. But as he turned to face me now, his golden irises swirling with power, I couldn’t claim a single regret.
Except for our missing link.
Aflora.
“I wish she were here, too,” Kols said, sauntering up to me.
“Reading my mind?”
“More like your expression,” he replied. He slid his palm around the back of my neck and pulled me into a kiss, his boldness flooring me. I grasped his throat, squeezing it a little as I took control of the kiss with my tongue.
He pressed his groin to mine as fire ignited between us.
We hadn’t touched each other like this since the other night, our focus on other things. But the bond was alive and hot between us, begging Kols to finish it with a final bite.
Between Kols and Aflora, I felt so utterly complete that I almost didn’t recognize myself. They’d breathed new life into my lungs, given my heart a reason to beat, and provoked a sizzling heat inside me that begged to be sated.
I needed her.
I needed him.
I needed them.
My teeth skimmed his lip, threatening to bite. I could feel him urging me to do it through our partially formed link. We couldn’t hear each other, not quite. But years of experience coupled with the deepened bond had left us with new insight.
“Zeph,” he groaned, his grip tightening on the back of my neck. “I—”
The clearing of a throat cut off whatever he’d been about to say, the presence behind me reminding me that I’d left the door wide open.
Fuck.
“Look, I don’t care what you two do behind closed doors. But please be mindful that others live in this house. And your mother would not appreciate this.” Malik Nacht’s voice held his usual chastising undertone, but a hint of amusement lurked in his golden irises as I slowly turned to face him.
The Elite Blood King had been in an unusually good mood the last few days, which Kols and I didn’t understand. Everything had gone to hell with Aflora. Shade couldn’t locate her, at least as far as the Council was concerned, and Kols had technically failed his trial. Yet Malik had proceeded as though everything was normal, going as far as to invite me into their home like he used to do when I served as Kols’s primary Guardian.
“Sorry, Dad,” Kols said, his shoulder bumping mine as he came to stand beside me. “Everything set for the Blood Gala?”