Page 97 of The Silent
He was still hard. Leo pushed up and rocked deeper into her. “Doesithurt?”
She couldn’t speak, but she shook her head. Nothing hurt. A small voice in the back of her mind told her it might hurt in the morning, but in that moment, she felt no pain. Her skin was exquisitely sensitive. She felt every inch of him. Felt the fine hairs on his legs and the quiver of his abdominal muscles as he moved carefully in her. She ran her hands up his arms and slipped her fingers over the corded muscles, tracing the dark lines that glowed brighter than the candles. She closed her eyes and let herself drift in sensation, shutting off her mind because she knew shewassafe.
With Leo, she wasalwayssafe.
He came again after a few moments, lowering his chest to hers and capturing her mouth in a long kiss that made her toes curl. He remained snug in her, gathering her up as he rolled totheside.
“A few minutes,” he said. “Thenagain.”
“Yes.”
“Iloveyou.
“I loveyoutoo.”
“How doyoufeel?”
“Amazing.” She kissed his collarbone. “I feelamazing.”
* * *
She must have fallen asleep,because she woke up as he was lowering her into a warm bath. The air smelled of frangipani and incense, and steam filled thesmallroom.
“Come in with me,” she said. “I don’t want to bealone.”
“I will.” He took off the linen wrapped around his waist and slipped in behind her. As always, she was surprised and delighted by the way he moved. It would be natural for a large man to walk heavily, to move with purpose. But Leo moved with purpose and grace. He slid behind her and lifted her onto his lap. She could feel his arousal pressed against her back, but he didn’t seem to notice it, pouring warm water over her from the pitcher he filled fromthetub.
“Are you sore?” heasked.
She shook her head. Her energy had smoothed out, but she still felteuphoric.
Leo poured the water over her head and smoothed her hair back, brushing it to the side and kissing herspine.
“When we have time,” he whispered, “when we are safe, I’m going to find the softest sable brush and mark your back with my vows. Pour my magic onto your skin and bind you to meforever.”
She smiled. “Greedy.”
“So greedy.” He drew over her shoulders with his fingers, and she could feel the brush of his magic even without the ritual. “And when you are ready, when you’ve found your voice, you’ll sing to me. And I’ll carve your vow over my heart and keep it with meforever.”
She shook her head. “Leo, I don’t know if that will ever be possible. I don’t know if anyone will ever trust meenough—”
“I know it is possible,” he said. “I’ve seen it. I know you’ll find your voice, Kyra. I’m going to help youfindit.”
She was silent for a long time, thinking of what he asked. “And if Idon’t?”
“If you don’t find yourmagic?”
“What then? Will you go through life half as strong? If I can’t give you your half of the mating ritual, will it makeyouweak?”
He squeezed his arms around her. “You make mestrong.”
“You’re not answering thequestion.”
“Because I cannot imagine a future without you finding your magic. The Creator wouldn’t have put all this power in you with no way of your using itforgood.”
Kyra closed her eyes and leaned back, laying her head on Leo’s shoulder as he pressed his cheek to hertemple.
She loved Leo so much, but she also knew he could be naive. Kyra knew the world was far from fair. Not everything happened for a reason. Some fates were unavoidable. Evildidwin. Not always, but often. Children died. Women suffered. The powerful ruled, and the powerless tried tosurvive.
