So I told him.
19
Iexpected Sang to be cuddly after hearing my life story, and I wasn't surprised Mav became distant, his thoughts all turned inward, but I was surprised to realise that Void was … fussing.
I'd already eaten a plate full of sliced meat and sausages—after making sure they weren't human meat—and I was on my second cup of tea, but Void already hovered, arranging berries on a small plate and dripping cream over them.
He placed the plate in front of me with a clawed hand, smoothing the other over my head and down my hair. The touch made my stomach flutter and warmth spread through my chest.
"Do you like fruit, brave girl?" he asked in a voice much softer than he'd used before this morning.
"I thought I was ‘lonely girl’?" I asked, popping a berry in my mouth despite being full to bursting.1
"Not if I have anything to say about it," he replied firmly, black eyes flashing with determination.
The warmth in my belly spread into a full-on fire and I ducked my head, smiling. "Thank you."
He stroked my hair again, leaning close to kiss my head. "It's just food, Hala."
I rolled my eyes. He knew damn well I wasn't just talking about the food.
I lifted my gaze when he tugged gently on a lock of hair, and met his serious gaze.
"I meant what I said about spiking the heads of your enemies. I will keep that promise, no matter what it takes."
I flinched away from him, panic lancing through my heart. "Please don't say things like that. 'Whatever it takes', 'even if it kills me', 'whatever the cost.' I can't handle things like that."
"I won’t," he agreed without hesitation, and I found myself hugged from behind, frustration catching in my blood at the chair back between us. I wanted to feel him pressed to me, wanted the full brunt of his reassurance and comfort like I felt in the tent.2
"I'll manage my words better," he promised with another soft press of his lips. "Eat, Hala. And know you're safe. I don't care what your keepers are capable of; I'm capable of more. I'm the God of the Void; nothing happens here without my permission."
Ohhh, so that's what all the papers in his office were about, and why his bedroom was so sparse? Did he live in his office, approving things all across the void?
"Do you have a lot of work to do?" I asked hesitantly. "I don't want to keep you from it—"
He scoffed, cutting me off. "Work pales in importance when compared to you. I'm not going anywhere."
My eyes wide, I turned in my seat at the wide kitchen table to look at him. These men kept saying such sweet things to me that I honestly wanted to cry. But instead, I reached up and slid my palm along the sharp edge of Void's jaw, leaning up in my chair and beyond relieved when he bent to meet me halfway.3
Void's lips met mine in a gentle brush, his mouth warm and soft despite the harshness of his appearance, and a breathy sound clawed up my throat as he kissed me with the same amount of care and tenderness he'd shown me all morning.
It didn't heat up, didn't rush, and there was no reason to stop, so Void scooped me out of the seat. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he held me there, and he kissed me for long, long minutes. He only stopped when I panted against his lips, my heart so full of feelings I could barely decipher them.
"Sang calls me his mate," I said, catching my breath. "Can I be your mate, too?"
Void's black eyes simmered, his lips kicking up into a smile laced with smugness and pleasure. "I would be honoured if you were, Hala. No other woman could come to the void the way you did and tame all three of the most powerful shadowkind." He kissed me again, lingering. "I'm sorry if we hurt you or scared you in those initial hours."
I made a face. "A little. I'm sorry if I scared you when I … y'know, killed Mav."
Void laughed, his eyes creasing. "Apology accepted, brave girl. But I wasn't worried; Mav can come back from practically anything that happens on Earth, as can Sang and I."
My stomach flipped at the omission. "What about here?"
"A little more treacherous." He squeezed my ass, his hands still holding me upright and my legs around him. "Don't worry. We're incredibly powerful."
"You better stay safe," I warned him, trying to push aside the flicker of unease. "Now I've claimed you, I don't want anything bad toeverhappen to you. That's an order."
Void grinned so wide his black eyes gleamed, a low rumble in his chest—a laugh, I realised, far deeper and more amused than any sound he’d made before. "This is why you're perfect for us, Hala. Who else would have the balls to issue a god an order?"