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She nodded, a silent, tearful promise in her eyes to never leave me. "No more battles," she promised. "We're done. Only domestic bliss and a nice, harmless life from here on out."
"That better be a fucking promise," I muttered, my hand flat against her back, holding her close to me.
When she held out her hand, her little finger extended, a real smile softened my face. "It's a promise," she agreed when I linked our pinkies.
I sighed, exhaling my terror even if the grief wouldn't leave me for a long, long time. I slid my hand up and into her hair, bringing her lips to mine for a slow, thorough kiss.
When she groaned and melted into me, I finally accepted this wasn't an elaborate hallucination. She was alive. She was real.
When her taste overwhelmed my senses with sweetness, I gathered her close, her legs straddling me on the edge of the bath and my abs getting a serious workout from keeping us both from tumbling into the tub.
Her tongue claimed my mouth, her fingers grasping at my body and sinking into my hair in the same desperate movement. I cast off the worst of my pain. I had my mate back, and she wasn't going anywhere.
She shifted on my lap, a needy sound falling off her tongue onto mine, but she drew back to look at me. I couldn't read the look in her eyes, couldn't take my eyes off the flush of need on her face.
When she breathed, "You don't want me…?" my heart cracked in fucking two.
"What?" I tightened my hands on her, my stomach sinking at the fragility in her voice.
Oh. Oh, shit.
"Always, Haley. I always want you. I just—" I expelled a hard breath, kissing her softly. "My heart's too wrecked right now, and I can barely function, let alone get hard."
She swallowed and nodded, and it damn near killed me.
"I'm sure if you gave me a little strip tease, it might change things," I added cheekily, praying for a smile.
She rolled her eyes and shoved my shoulder, which was even better, even if I had to clench my stomach muscles to keep us on the edge of the bath and not splayed inside it.
"No? Not even in one of those scraps of lace I've seen in the drawer in your room? Wynvail might be an asshole, but he does have great taste in lingerie."
"They're pointless," she scoffed. "You can see my nipples through them."
"That's why I like them," I replied dryly, kissing the edge of her smile.
I jumped when a fist hammered on the door, and all my hard work at staying upright fell apart.
"Fuck," I shouted when gravity won the battle and dragged me into the tub, Haley splayed out on top of me. My head clattered it hard enough to make birds fly around my skull, but my mate was unhurt.
"Thanks, dickhead!" I yelled at the door.
Kai responded by ripping the door off its hinges, because of course he did. He flew into the bathroom in a fit of panic, his red eyes wide and searching.
"The door was unlocked," I drawled. "You didn't have to break it."
"Haley?" he demanded, sharp and fast. He threw himself at the bath, frantically pushing her hair aside so he could see her face.
"What?" she muttered, eyes slitted in irritation but that smile still on her face.
Kai exhaled hard, his glowing red eyes slamming shut. "You're okay."
"I'm laid in the bath," she drawled, "but otherwise fine. Help me out?"
Kai grasped her hand and pulled her out of the bath; I grunted when her knee met my kidney, giving Kai a narrow-eyed look. He didn't notice, his attention fixed on our mate, settling her safely on the floor in front of him, hands wandering over every part of her, reassuring himself she was still here, still unhurt, still alive.
I sighed roughly, sympathy clenching my chest as I pulled myself up.1
"I'll be in the living room," I told my mate, tugging on a strand of her hair. I tried to catch Kai's gaze to ask if he was alright, but his eyes were screwed shut, pain and relief cut deep into his sharp features.
