AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She crashed her mouth into mine, the taste of her tongue like sweet wine. With her hand slipping beneath my shirt, she unraveled me. I almost wondered if it was her siren side taking control, but even if it was, I couldn’t say I would’ve stopped her. I’d been insatiable for her for far, far too long.
I pressed her to me, our lips joining deeper like the tide joins the shoreline. We stumbled back as a flurry of hands and clothing flashed between desperate glimpses. I would’ve gazed at her body longer if I’d had the chance, but we moved with such urgency, such passion, that I found myself looking into her eyes. But that didn’t stop me from feeling her to the fullest. Her skin scorched beneath my fingers stroking her, defining the alluring shape of her curves. I slid my hands across her breasts down to her hips as she pressed her fingers into my shoulder muscles, tracing my tattoos from my back to my upper arms. I groaned as she reached for me, teasing the flame below. My groin tightened with an ache as my craving for her grew stronger than I could endure. I squeezed her thighs and ran my hand along the perfection in between them. Her panting sighs in my ear drove me mad as she pulled me down onto one of the cots against the wall. I climbed over her, and she kissed me as I leaned down. There was little time for more before I found myself anchored in her, wondering if the sound of waves lapping the side was enough to cover the sounds of our gasps.
Each time before had been slow and gentle, but this was furious and unrestrained. Her fingers tangled through my hair as I shackled her wrists with my grip, our entwined bodies slippery with sweat. She pulled me into her like she might die if she couldn’t feel me deep enough. My blazing pulse throbbed through every inch of me. When I heard her moan my name in delirious bliss, I gave myself permission to follow in a rush of heat and rapture. If this was what burning felt like, I’d let her take me straight to hell.
I didn’t care what tomorrow brought, or all the tomorrows to come. As we slowly fell asleep in each other’s arms, I resolved that whatever darkness Katrina felt she couldn’t defeat could take me with it, too.
I kissed her forehead gently as I watched her eyes drift closed. “Whether you’re right or wrong, we burn together.”
39
Parting Waters
Bellamy
As night fell, Serena came up to me, finally, after driving me to insanity with her sideways glances from across the deck. She planted a kiss on my cheek with a wink as she slid her hand along mine. “Do you know we were married in our first life?”
“I wish I could remember that life I had with you. I hope to hell it wasn't as complicated as this one.”
“It wasn't. Not at first.” Serena sighed.
“Was I the same back then?” I asked as she leaned against my shoulder while my other hand steadied the wheel.
“You were. You looked the same. You sounded the same. And you were just as cocky and stubborn then, too.” Her nose crinkled with a laugh.
“Good, at least there’ll be no surprises for you then.” I pushed back a loose braid over her shoulder. “Do you remember your life when I met you in 1989? Do you remember your families?”
“Some of them I do. Of course, I didn’t know who—or what I was—at the time. But I remember some of them. Like my father in my most recent life. He had the gentlest spirit.”
“Ha. He hated me, though. He thought I killed you.” I leaned back. “Thankfully Katrina proved otherwise to him, but still. He went almost thirty years believing that.”
“We seem to have a knack for getting each other killed.” Serena laughed, turning her head to look at the stars.
A wave of guilt flooded over me as I thought of something going wrong when we went to face Bastian. “Not this next time. What if we just run and start a new life somewhere else? What if you stay like this?”
She shook her head. “We can’t run from this, Bellamy. Not without making your life terrible. And we would always be in danger. We’d never truly have peace. And then when we die eventually we’ll just be reborn again, always subconsciously trying to find each other.”
Suddenly Bastian’s voice crept up in my head, taunting me in whispers.
And if you run with her, I’ll always know where to find her.
No. You fucking bastard.
It was then that I realized. Bastian could still see us. All along, he saw and heard everything. And that’s how he’d known about Katrina’s mom, and leaving McKenzie and Noah behind. He knew the whole time, even before Katrina and I made the deal. And that’s why he made us go alone. The closer I was with Serena, the easier it’d be for him to kill her. He was watching us. We were feeding right into his trap. He would know exactly when and where we planned to come and confront him. And even beyond that, if we didn’t put an end to him, he would always have access to the people I cared about through me…forever. It would never truly end. He could clearly activate his markings whenever he wanted, and we could do nothing to stop it.
I swallowed hard as I accepted the realization that the only way to keep Katrina and Serena safe was to stay away from them. I released the wheel, nearly toppling over as I fought the sway of the boat.
“Where are you going?” Serena asked, startled.
“I can’t tell you. Because he’s listening.” Without explaining anything further, I rushed to find Milo. He was asleep next to Katrina in the cabin, and I silently shook him awake.
“Dammit man, what are you doing?” He whispered, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
I kept my voice low, careful not to wake Katrina. “My mark is still traceable. I don’t have your little sun voodoo trick to help me out. He’s going to know when we come to face him. We can’t let him have that advantage.”
“Hmmm. You’re right. But what are you suggesting?” He groaned under his breath.
“I’m saying—“ I stopped myself. Whatever I thought or said Bastian might hear. Instead I looked around for paper and pencil, and hurriedly scribbled what I wanted to say.
