Page 29 of Embers of Fate
But it’s the little girl cradled in her mother’s arms that catches my attention. She’s just a baby, her face round and sweet, her eyes wide and curious. I recognize her instantly, even though she’s much younger in this picture.
Clarissa. Nik’s baby sister, the one I met at the seance just a few short weeks ago.
She had been quiet and reserved then, her eyes shadowed with a grief that seemed too heavy for someone so young. But here, in this frozen moment of time, she is all smiles and giggles, her tiny hands reaching out to grasp at her brother’s hair.
I trace the familiar lines of Nik’s nose, the curve of his lips, and feel a pang of sorrow in my chest. He looks so happy here, so carefree and unburdened. It’s a stark contrast to the man I know now, the one who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I wonder what it must have been like for him, losing his parents at such a young age. And not just him, but Clarissa too. She would have been a toddler when they died, too young to even remember their faces or the sound of their voices.
My heart aches for them both, for the childhood they never got to have, for the love and guidance they were so cruelly denied. I think of my own parents, of the hole their loss has left in my life, and I feel a kinship with Nik and Clarissa that goes beyond mere friendship or attraction.
The pain of that loss, the ache of that absence, is something I know all too well. Life can be so cruel, so unfair, to take away the people we love most just when we need them the most.
We are all survivors, all of us who have lost and grieved and somehow found the strength to carry on. It’s a bond that can never be broken, a shared experience that ties us together in ways that words can never fully express.
As I stare at the picture, at the smiling faces of a family long gone, I make a silent vow. I will be there for Nik. I will stand by his side and help him carry the burden of his loss.
Because that’s what family does. That’s what love is all about.
I yawn, the events of the day finally catching up with me. Nik never mentioned where my room was, but I’m too tired to go searching for him now. I’ll just follow the staircase and find my suitcase. That’s where my room must be.
I climb the stairs, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. The doubts that plagued me in the kitchen have faded, replaced by a sense of warmth and affection for the man who has opened his home and his heart to me.
As I drift off to sleep, I know, with a certainty that goes beyond reason or logic, that Nik is not the monster my brother and the rest of the Ursa clan would paint him to be. He is good and kind and true, and I am lucky to have found him.
For now, that is all I need to know.
18
SAM
I’m lying in bed, gazing at the starry evening sky before me, a glittering canvas hanging above the darkened ocean. The sound of waves crashing against the shore wraps me in a cocoon of pure delight, the gentle rhythm soothing my restless mind. The room itself is like something out of a magazine, a Presidential Suite in a luxurious hotel, with tall ceilings, a spacious parlor, and breathtaking panoramic windows.
It feels like a dream to be here, in this moment, with Nik just a heartbeat away. I know sleep will be elusive tonight, my thoughts too full of him, of the connection that simmers between us.
A pang of regret tugs at my heart as I think back to our early night, the way Nik’s headache forced us to cut our evening short. Even through the pain, he managed to keep a smile on his face, his mood towards me as sweet as ever. And the fact that he hadn’t assumed we’d share a room? It only made me fall for him harder.
I had thought, at first, that this might be a one-night thing. A chance to get Nik out of my system, to scratch an itch and move on. But the more time I spend with him, the more I feel myself letting go of my old fears, my old defenses. The truth is, I’m falling hard and fast for this man, and there’s no denying the invisible pull between us, a force that feels almost like magic.
The creak of the door jolts me from my thoughts, and I turn my head to see Nik’s tall, well-built silhouette standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders and muscular torso etched in the twilight.
My heart stutters in my chest, my pulse skyrocketing as a million thoughts race through my mind. What is he doing here? What does this mean? I part my lips, trying to find the words, but nothing comes out.
As Nik enters the room, his body catches the slanted beams of moonlight that pierce through the glass, highlighting every toned muscle, every inch of his perfect form. He’s wearing nothing but sleek boxer briefs, the fabric clinging to his powerful thighs, and I feel a rush of heat flood through me at the sight.
My eyes are drawn to the dragon inked across his chest, the intricate design curling around his arm and shoulder. His clan’s sigil, a mark of his heritage, his power. And lower still, to the eight-pack that carves his abs, the taut expanse of flesh that disappears beneath the waistband of his briefs.
When I finally meet his gaze, I’m struck by the intensity I see there, his steel blue eyes glinting in the shadows like sparkling sapphires. They’re fierce and full of desire as they rove over my bare legs, gliding up my body’s every curve, devouring me without even laying a finger on me.
Nik moves closer, his steps silent and predatory, until he stops at the foot of the bed. My breath hitches in my throat, my heart pounding so hard I’m sure he can hear it. What is he going to do? I can barely breathe, my mind spinning with possibilities.
He lays his hands on the mattress, his muscled back slightly crouched as he climbs onto the bed with the graceful stealth of a tiger. In an instant, I’m trapped beneath his lustful stare, my body frozen, my mind reeling. Is this real, or am I dreaming?
His face draws close to mine, his calloused hand gliding along my soft jawline with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. And then his lips are on my skin, tracing a path of searing kisses along the curve of my shoulder, up the column of my neck. Every inch of my body comes alive at his touch, tingling with desire and need.
This is real. This is happening.
Nik’s fingers make quick work of the buttons on my pajama top, his touch igniting a fire in my veins. I want him, need him, with an urgency that takes my breath away. It feels like an eternity of foreplay has passed since our first kiss, and I don’t think I can wait any longer.
