Page 139 of Volik

And that weight inside my chest threatens to drag me to the ground.

It’s my turn to struggle through a swallow as I move my hand to his cheek and wipe the tear away.

“I know.” I press my other hand over my heart. “I’m here.”

“Always.” Volik’s promise is choked. He nods and says it again. “Always.”

Then his mouth is pressing against mine.

And he’s lowering us to the bed.

It’s slow.

The press of his hips.

The stretch of my body around his.

It’s slow. But our heartbeats are not.

Chapter 61

Volik

We do it together.

Our pulse.

Our exhales.

Our peak.

We do every second of it together.

And when it’s over. When our bodies are sated. When our eyes close.

We fall back into the darkness. Together.

Part Two

Founded in Fate

Chapter 62

Nix

Volik groans when my phone alarm goes off.

The sound is faint, coming from inside my bag somewhere on the floor, but it’s still too loud to ignore.

I start to move, but Volik grunts, presses a palm to my chest, then rolls across the mattress to find it himself.

He mutters something about cheese, and I smile.

Then my lip catches on my fang, and my eyes pop open. Because I have fangs.

Sitting up, I watch Volik find my phone and silence the alarm.

I watch him, in the dark. Because there are no windows in this room. And the lights aren’t on. And… I should not be able to see right now.