She smiled as she moved her head so her earwas directly over my heart, but I felt the sadness in her.
“So many others do love you,” I told her.“Your brothers, the friends you left them with, Hawk, Erin, Vargas,me. The demons here care for you, and believe me, they don’toften care for anyone or anything.”
“They are like you in that way.”
I lowered my head to her hair. Even deepwithin Hell, her fresh rain scent wafted from her skin. I rubbed myhands over her arms, looking to comfort her as I contented myselfwith images of tearing her bitch of a mother to shreds. I had noidea how River had grown up to be like she was. It certainly hadn’tcome from her demon or angel ancestry, and her human background hadbeen pretty shitty, but she was the most protective and lovingcreature I’d ever encountered.
I would never allow anything to changethat.
Her soft breaths against my flesh and theeasing of her body alerted me she had fallen asleep. Lifting myhead, I took in the others on the other side of the fire. Magnusstood with the hounds, his arms folded over his chest as he staredat the fires.
I hadn’t known whether or not to believe himabout his reasons for retreating from the war, but he’d proventonight he would not turn and run when faced with danger, and Icould not deny his powers had grown exponentially. The chamber hadallowed him to enter, and he remained alive within it. I suspectedthat wouldn’t have happened if malice resided in his heart.
He’d also gone out of his way to protectRiver. I may want to kill him more times than not, but as long ashe continued as he was, his head would remain safely on hisshoulders.
They all looked battered, but they wouldleave here when we were ready, and they would continue to battletheir way through until Lucifer was dead.
***
Kobal
“Kobal?” I lifted my cheek from River’s headand looked at Corson. I’d watched him stay close to the wall of thechamber as he’d circled around the fire to approach us.
“You can come closer,” I told him.
He shuffled out of the shadows to kneel bymy side. He handed some jerky and a canteen of water toward me.“For when she wakes.”
“You can put them over there.”
He set the food aside and turned toward me.“How is she doing?”
Sitting back, I brushed River’s raven hairback to expose her face. The massive flow of power in the chamberand being held within my arms while she slept had helped torevitalize her. Rosy circles of color were high on her cheeks, theblue veins in her skin were no longer visible, and the shadows hadfaded from under her eyes.
“Much better,” I murmured and kissed the topof her head.
“Good. We are ready to move on whenever youare.”
“We will go as soon as she feels up toit.”
Corson nodded and turned away from me. Iwatched as he walked back to rejoin the others. River stirred in myarms when she woke. Her lips skimmed back and her teeth sank intomy shoulder. My hands clenched on her when she bit deeper, herfingers curling into my nape.
I didn’t know what she had dreamed, but Icould feel her desperation as she marked me. “Shh, Mah Kush-la,” Isoothed. “I will never leave you.”
Her fingers eased their grip on me, but herteeth did not. Despite my good intentions, I felt my body stirringin response to her need as blood filled my dick. Across the way, Iwatched as the others huddled together near the fire. Given wherethey were standing, I could see them, but they couldn’t see us.
Her hands ran down the front of my chestbefore falling against the waistband of my pants. Her fingerstugged impatiently at the button until it gave way beneath hergrasp. She sighed against me as her hand dipped down to caress myswollen cock. A bead of precum had already formed on the head. Sherubbed it over my flesh with her thumb, circling it around mebefore stroking my shaft.
“The others are still within the cavern,” Igrated through my teeth. This was not a problem for me. As long asthey couldn’t see her body, I didn’t care who knew she belonged tome, but in so many ways, River still had her humansensibilities.
I bit back a groan when she released herbite on my neck and her hand stilled on me. She turned her head tolook at where they stood. “Can they see us?” she whispered.
“No.”
Her eyes were pure violet and vivid with theresurgence of life filling her when she focused on me. “I can bequiet,” she said with a sultry smile.
I lifted an eyebrow at her statement. “Canyou?”
She grinned at me as she adjusted herself inmy lap. Her hands impatiently tugged my pants further down beforeshe pulled up her dress and straddled my waist. My eager cockjumped when her wet center slid over it.
