Page 70 of Lion Conquers All
What was he going to say?
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AARAV
Aarav burst through the door, not bothering to knock. He would beg forgiveness from hisVrakalater if necessary. Her scent filled his lungs. She was here. He needed to see her.
Something had changed. Her text had asked him to kiss her when he got back.
“Connie!” He called out a second time.
Col appeared at the top of the stairs. “Aarav.”
Aarav grabbed the bannister and took the stairs two at a time.
Col waved his hand, indicating he should go to the room just behind him and to the right. “Thank you,Vraka.” Aarav paused next to the male. “How are the children?”
Col gave the slightest of smiles, but one that expressed he was pleased Aarav had asked. “They have been healed by the Magick-Benders. We have been told they will fully recover.”
The leftover worry rock at the bottom of Aarav’s stomach dissipated for real this time. “That is so good to hear. I—”
“Go to your mate, lion. She heard you.”
Aarav looked around Col. Connie stood in the doorway. Her brown hair was slipping wildly from a ponytail. Her face was blotchy and red and she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Shuarra.” He walked to her with his arms outstretched and hope in his soul that she would accept his embrace. That she wouldn’t shy away. That her text hadn’t been a fluke. That she hadn’t changed her mind.
She buried her face against his shirt. Wrapped her arms around his waist and let out a broken sound that threatened to tear a hole in his heart.
“What’s wrong? Connie, please.”
“I-I thought I was l-losing you twice today.” She clutched at him tighter, grabbing folds of his flannel shirt in her small fists.
Twice? Lost me?
“I’m here. Nothing’s happened. You’re never losing me, is that clear?” He pulled her loose and bent to meet her gaze eye-to-eye. “Look at me,shuarra. You are mysoul match. No matter what happens on this earth, I would never leave you.”
“I thought you were dying. I saw Raj. And I thought it was you. I didn’t—”
He cupped her face to still her. Her mind was still panicking. Her heart rate was all over the place and her breathing was sporadic. Inwardly, it pleased him greatly that she had worried about his safety, but he didn’t like seeing her so distraught.
“I am perfectly fine. Look at me. Do you see any injuries?”
She sucked in a ragged breath and shook her head.
“What else scared you,shuarra?”
“Naomi and the others were packing, and Sarah was asking Col not to leave. That she was going to make sure the town was safe for you to stay and I hadn’t thought about it that you would leave too. If they left, you would leave, and I didn’t know what to do. I need you.” She grabbed at his arms and looked him right in the eye. “I don’t want you to leave. I love you.”
I love you.Those last three words were like a balm to his soul. Every worry and doubt that had plagued him instantly evaporated.
He pulled her face closer, crashing his lips against hers. He growled into her mouth, tasting the sweet essence of her. His lion wanted to roar and lick and bite and mark her all at once. He’d hoped he’d get another chance to kiss her. After her text, it’d been almost everything he could think about.
A little whimper from her chest got his beast even more fired up. She was kissing him back with a passion and eagerness that matched his.
“Shuarra, I need to taste more of you.”
Her lips curved into a smile against his. The playfulness and lack of fear or anxiety in the little noises she was making made his cock so hard he shuddered through the urge to shove her against the wall right here and now and rip all her clothes off.
