Page 68 of Toward Immortal Ruin

“Sokissme, Nero! Kiss me like it might be my last night on earth. And then, we’ll eat fatty foods, and candy, and popcorn, and watch a Hallmark movie on the couch and pretend like nothing’s wrong. That’s whatIwant, Coffee Shop. What doyouwant?”

“For so long, all I ever wanted was you. I wanted you beside me. I wanted to know you, to walk into eternity together. But now that you’re here, it’s so much more than that.

“What I want is for you to be happy, Eden. I want you to be safe. I don’t care what it takes for that to happen; that is myonlygoal. My one desire. It doesn’t matter if I’m there to see it or not: I want you to live the life that you dreamed of living.”

And then he kissed her.

When their lips crushed together, their connection pulsed with a vibrancy neither of them expected. All their fears, hopes and passion combined in a fervent need that drove them into each other’s arms.

Nero snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into him, demanding she yield everything to him. Cradled against him, the spark that lit between them burned brightly. Every kiss seared against her skin, and the desire that drove her into his arms was a drumbeat within her soul. Nero was flame she had no hope of extinguishing—an eternal fire that’d never stop blazing.

A growl tumbled from this throat. “Mine.”

“Yours.”

Out of breath, she let him maneuver her on the bed and drop her against silk sheets. His lips were on her skin the next instant, kissing a trail along the slender column of her neck. The simple act of intimacy made her shiver, her hands going up to stroke the perfectly sculpted abs below his cotton T-shirt.

“Take this off,” she demanded, needing his skin.

The cotton landed in a disheveled heap on the floor. As if starved for her, his mouth reclaimed hers. She surrendered to the sweetness of his claim.

Eden arched up into him, her hands tracing along his body, exploring, begging him to continue his ministrations. Lost in the sensation and the man above her, she whispered, “I love you, Nero.”

Such intensity filled his gaze it made Eden shudder.

“I’ve always loved you, Eden.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

After doing exactly whatshe’d planned—fatty foods, candy, and a gigantic bucket of popcorn accompanied by a romantic movie—Eden had leaned into him and promptly fallen asleep.

Nero hadn’t wanted to move. Everything about this night had been perfect, and he hadn’t wanted it to end. The reality that faced him at dawn was disastrous.

He’d continuously warded off repeated requests from his lieutenants. Each of them had sent him telepathic pings seeking his presence. They’d all experienced his despair when Luna had informed him of Eden’s diagnosis, and, to his own discredit, he hadn’t shielded them from it.

It’d been a mistake that he’d have to see to now.

After ensuring his mate was comfortable, he’d placed a faint trace on her mind. It would alert him if she woke up or was in distress.

While Eden had made her peace with her inevitable death, Nero had not. He wasn’t willing to take any chances. He had waited eleven centuries for her, yearning with every cell of hisbeing for her presence. The years after Key’s first vision of Eden had been long and arduous. The only thought that brought him comfort was that once they’d met, they would share an eternity of happiness. Instead, he was already losing her. Instead of centuries, they would have days.

His only priority now was identifying how to keep Eden alive.

Casting one more pining glance at the woman who was his entire world, he teleported to Zia’s home. He knew all of his lieutenants would be there, waiting to assist him. Luna wouldn’t have kept Eden’s condition a secret.

As soon as his feet hit solid ground, the group of Raeths were on their feet, their anxiety and grief a barrage against his gifts. No one spoke, but the intensity of their stares was as sharp as a blade.

Zia remained still as she observed him, poised to jump into action at the smallest sign. Luna held court with Nolan and Zayn, all three of them struggling to maintain their composure. Only Key was set apart, her face a mask of sorrow.

“Key.”

The single word was enough to make her eyes mist, her petite frame shrinking as though he’d struck her. “Sovereign.”

“Tell me what you’ve seen.”

Key’s tension rolled off her in waves. “Sovereign, I’ve never seen other visions of Eden except the four I’ve shared with you.”

His chest tightened, realizing what it meant: there had never been confirmation of a future extending beyond their first couple of days together.

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