AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gods, I ache.
"Kyron," she moans. "Oh, Kyron."
There's nothing sweeter than the way she says my name. In our bed, I'm not Reaper, harvester of souls. I'm Kyron, her mate, her lover, the other half of her soul. I'm addicted to that sound. I'm addicted to her.
Once she's teetering on the edge of release, I rise like a storm sweeping ashore—powerful and unstoppable. She welcomes me between her thighs with a cry of ecstasy as I bury myself in her tight heat.
My thrusts are primal. Need consumes us like wildfire as water falls in sheets around us, unable to tamp this flame. Each strike of my cock pushes her higher, until she's screaming my name.
She clings to me, lost in an ocean of intense pleasure as waves wrack her body, the orgasm ripping through her again and again. My knot lodges inside of her, locking me to her—mate to mate.
A growl rumbles in my chest as I bury my face in her neck, and let go, claiming her completely and irrevocably.
"Mine," I whisper against her skin, panting. "Mine."
"Yes," she whispers back, clinging to me. "Always, Reaper."
Chapter Ten
Tori
"Ivowed to make it safe for you to say goodbye to your parents," Reaper says, slipping his hand into mine as we sit in an old, cramped Honda outside the cemetery. A dozen warriors surround the car like a living wall, here to protect me. "This is as safe as I could make it for now, Tori."
It's the middle of the night. The city is peaceful and quiet. The smell of the Sound rustles through the trees, slipping through the cracked windows. It's familiar, like home. Yet, Seattle has never felt less like home than it does now.
"Thank you," I whisper, tears blurring my vision as I stare out at the headstones rising from the hillside like hands reaching toward the sky. My parents don't have one yet—I know that. But somewhere out there, amidst the thousands of names, is their final resting place. This is where their story ends. At least, that's how it's supposed to go.
Saying goodbye when I know they aren't truly at rest is terrifying. What if they never find peace? What if their souls are trapped forever, stuck on this side of the Veil? Or, worse, what if the Forsaken claim them before we can?
Either way, their story doesn't end where it's supposed to—in peace. It ends in horror. An eternity stuck in limbo. Or a brutal, final death at the hands of evil.
"Speak your peace, solsken. They'll hear you."
"I…I don't know what to say," I admit. I never prepared for this day. It was supposed to happen at some far-off time in the future, when I was old and gray and had lived long enough to comfortably navigate grief.
"Then I'll speak for you," he murmurs, brushing his lips across my knuckles. He pauses as if considering his words carefully.
"Thank you," he begins, his voice a soft rumble. "Thank you for the precious life you brought into this world and nurtured with love. Thank you for the countless days and nights you spent ensuring her safety and happiness. Your dedication and sacrifice didn't go unnoticed."
I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting not to sob as he talks to my parents, saying all the things that are in my heart. He knows them, so intimately it's humbling.
He takes a deep breath, his amber eyes shimmering in the dim light, fierce with devotion. "You know how cruel and ruthless this world can be. Yet, your daughter…she's different. She's a beacon of hope. She's fierce, brave, kind…and she's scared." His grip on my hand tightens ever so slightly. "She's terrified that she's alone now. But I promise, she won't be. So long as I live, she will never face this world or the Dark alone."
His next words are so quiet I barely hear them over the soft purr of the engine. "I will love her as fiercely as you did. It's what she deserves."
His words rip through me like a tidal wave, sending my walls tumbling. My head bows under the weight of emotion coursing through me—love, pride, and grief choking me.
I wish they could have met him. Just once. If they could have chosen someone to love me, it would have been him.
"I miss you," I sob, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. "I miss you both so much. But I'm going to be okay. I promise, I'll be okay."
He lifts me out of my seat, pulling me across the console. His arms close around me, holding me together as I cry, saying goodbye the best I can in the safest way I can—by his side with a dozen warriors standing guard around the car.
I slip down the dimly lit hall, trying to stay as silent as possible as I follow the man who cornered me in the meeting room four days ago. He's up to something. I know he is. Every time I see him, he's watching him.
I don't trust him. But I haven't told Reaper about him, either. He and his brothers have been scouring Seattle for the Valkyrie that Abigail saw in her vision. He's stressed out and worried because they've come no closer to finding her. Every day they don't find her is another day she's trapped with the Forsaken.
The man glances over his shoulder, his movements furtive, suspicious. I dart into an alcove, pressing my back against the wall. My heart pounds, anxiety racing through me. Did he see me? Was I quick enough?
