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It will never cease to amaze me that Kha’zeth and our child can already communicate, already so… similar. I press a hand to my belly beside Kha’zeth’s as I look at him in wonder.
“You know, I don’t think I’ll ever stop being jealous that you can do that,” I tell him as I rub my stomach. Kha’zeth grins, placing his hand over mine and leaning in to kiss me sweetly.
“You get to grow them, I should at least be able to play with them a little,” he retorts. “Their chaos magic is strong already. They’re going to be a little hellion,” Kha’zeth adds, his grin deepening as he continues fanning small waves of magic to our baby.
I roll my eyes, smiling as I relax against him, letting my mind wander in the blissful warmth of the sun and the comfort of Kha’zeth’s touch.
“I should make it a point to visit Cora again soon,” I say absentmindedly, closing my eyes against the heat of the day. Kha’zeth murmurs his agreement, only half-listening as he plays with our baby.
Drowsy from the afternoon sun, I let myself fade in and out of consciousness as we lounge, and after a time Kha’zeth pulls himself back, pressing light kisses to the scar that’s almost completely concealed in my hairline.
It serves as a reminder, he’d told me late last night, of what he stands to lose now. Of what he has to fight for. I smile as his lips trail down over my cheeks, peppering kisses along the bridge of my nose and every possible bit of my face.
“Be mine,” Kha’zeth whispers between the kisses he presses to my skin. “Stay with me, Natalie. Be my partner, my mate.”
“Are you serious?” I ask, not bothering to hide the surprise in my voice. Kha’zeth hovers above me, his eyes meeting mine.
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” he replies. My breath hitches in my throat, my voice completely abandoning me as I stare up at him.
Kha’zeth returns my gaze, studying my face in the silence, before pinning me beneath his weight and assailing me with a barrage of kisses. I squeal, unable to help my peals of laughter as Kha’zeth drags his lips across every inch of exposed skin he can reach, taking extra care to linger where he knows I’m most ticklish.
“I’m still waiting,” Kha’zeth says against the bare skin of my neck. Before I can respond, he presses his lips firmly to the spot, exhaling sharply to make a crude noise. I shriek in laughter at the sensation, twisting away from his lips as he grins and lowers his mouth to my shoulder to do it again.
“Okay, okay,” I pant, laughter still lingering in my voice.
“Okay, what?” Kha’zeth asks in his most long-suffering tone, pulling back to look me in the eyes, his smile absolutely feline.
“Okay, I’ll be yours – but only if you stop tickling me,” I retort, looking up at him. Kha’zeth laughs at my stipulation to our agreement as my words sink in, the gravity of them becoming obvious.
My expression must have changed, because Kha’zeth stops laughing, releasing me from his grip as he studies my face. I lift a hand up to cup his face, smiling softly at him.
“I was yours before you ever even asked,” I tell him quietly, never dropping his gaze. “Being your partner and your mate – it’s the greatest honor I could ever hope for.”
Kha’zeth grins, undiluted joy shining through in his face as he sweeps me into a long, passionate kiss.
“The honor is all mine,” he murmurs softly.
91
KHA’ZETH
She said yes!
It feels strange, almost laughable to allow myself to be so overcome with emotion, and yet here I am, my skin feeling too tight, stretched thin over the massive expanse of my joy and the promise of what the future now holds.
I lower my lips to Natalie’s again, her arms twining around my shoulders as she opens her mouth to me. She will be my mate, my wife, the mother of my child. Mine.
My tongue sweeps inside her mouth, the gentle kiss quickly becoming a claiming. Natalie groans in pleasure at the sudden shift, pulling me further down into her.
The fact that we’re in the gardens, open to the air and the eyes of anyone who may wander by, becomes irrelevant as Natalie lifts her hips, wrapping her legs around me and pulling me sharply down into the cradle between her legs.
It’s my turn to groan, my hips grinding against hers instinctively. Natalie’s fingers fumble with the clasp at the neck of my tunic, and I growl, throwing it over my head before setting to work on her dress.
Natalie giggles at my enthusiasm, the sound of her laugh only burgeoning my sense of urgency to get rid of the layers that separate us. I catch that laugh in another kiss, loving the way her smile tastes dancing across my tongue.
Eventually, I lose my patience with the ridiculous ribbons and clasps on the thin, frilly dress Natalie chose for the morning, and rip the garment clean up the side. Natalie gasps, turning an incredulous look at me.
“Kha’zeth! That was one of my favorite dresses!” She chides me, although the smile in her voice tells me she isn’t too upset.
