For the first time in my life, I don’t have a single doubt about a promise like that.
27
Willow
I’m wokenby a tugging sensation in my chest.
I open my eyes, blinking heavily against the blue light pulsing from the roots breaking through the walls. They seem brighter than usual, though I can’t say why. Rhune’s heart beats steady beneath my ear, slow and even, lulling me back toward sleep. I snuggle deeper into his chest, eyes already drifting shut again, when a flash of movement near the exit tunnel catches my attention.
I lift my head slightly, squinting into the dark. The glow of the roots outlines a sleek turquoise shape prowling toward us. After a few moments, I realize it’s Circe, Nyx’s familiar. Her eyes are cunning and bright, cutting through the shadows like twin lanterns, and when she notices me staring, she lets out a soft yowl and hastens her pace.
I know I should probably wake Rhune, but instead, I just lie there, frozen, held in place by that invisible tether yanking wildly in my chest. Just like the night I bonded to Rhune, my veins are filled with a raging fire—only, instead of burning, it licks and caresses, heating my skin and me the warmth I’m always craving.
There’s a rustle beside me, and Nyx pushes himself up, blinking the haze of sleep from his eyes. “Willow? Are you okay?”
He reaches out, fingers brushing my arm, and the moment his skin touches mine, it’s like someone poured gasoline on the wildfire racing through my veins. It sets all my nerve endings alight, clouds my mind and fills my ears with a violent whooshing sound.
Circe’s yowl breaks the charged silence, and Nyx’s eyes go wide, flashing with clarity before he sweeps his gaze to the side, taking in the outline of Circe.
“Oh. How nice of you to join us.” His lips tip in a wry smile as he reaches out to pet his familiar. “Did you miss me?”
The panther pushes its head into his palm, a deep purr rumbling in her throat. Once she tires of Nyx, she moves toward me, butting her skull into the center of my chest demandingly. The tugging sensation in my heart eases, replaced with a gentle hum that fills my veins with warmth.
“Hey! Don’t you go bullying her for pets. That’s rude, Circe.”
Circe just hisses, swatting his hand out of the way so she can have me all to herself.
I smile down at her, taking in the beautiful luminescence of her fur. “It’s okay,” I murmur, scratching along her jaw. “I think I need some panther snuggles after everything that happened this day.”
“I think we both do,” he agrees.
“Why is she here?” I ask, glancing up at Nyx. “Why now?”
He shrugs. “Honestly? I’m not quite sure. Circe comes and goes like the wind—all familiars do. They belong neither to this plane, nor the mortal one, and they tend to be fickle creatures, only doing what they want, when they want.” He smiles down at Circe. “You can order them around and control them to some extent, but if they really want to break the rules, they will.”
“Is she breaking any rules now?”
“Yes,” he whispers, his expression dropping with seriousness. “The one and only one I’ve given.”
I swallow hard, my face heating at the hungry intensity in his gaze. “What rule is that?”
Nyx leans in, his voice a rasped whisper that tickles my ear. “I told him to stay away from you.”
I gasp, pulling back slightly. “Why?—?”
“Because,” he says, cupping my face. “Because I wanted you to choose me without any bond. Because you are too beautiful for me, too lovely, too wonderful, too everything, and I wanted to know it was real. That you could really choose me. That I could be… that I might taste happiness, for once.”
My heart beats wildly, and I’m struck with a rush of emotion that makes my fingers tingle and fills my head with a deep whooshing sound. In all my years, I’ve never had anyone say something like that to me and really, truly mean it. But Nyx does. He means it.
Circe chooses that moment to press closer, nuzzling her nose against the curve on my neck. The tugging in my chest grows more insistent, demanding, and I know deep down that it wants me to bond to Nyx.
I should be afraid, but I’m not. Not even a little. I welcome it, wholly, completely—like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this very moment.
“I do choose you, Nyx.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before he’s on me, kissing me like he’s terrified I’ll take them back. It’s rough at first, a little too much teeth and not enough finesse, but he catches on fast, and I lose myself to the pleasure of kissing Nyx. I grab onto his horns, dragging him closer, needing more of him, more contact, more everything. I’m afraid I might actually die if I don’t get it soon.
“Is Circe going to bite me?” I whisper against his mouth. “Like the capybara?”
