Page 75 of A Warrior's Heart
When I peered back at the upper deck, Shar was gone. He truly did move without a sound. I clasped Nereus’ arm before turning away and returning to the others. He was a grown man and could make his own decisions. And I needed to let him make them.
“He is like a son to you,” Eva said as I turned the corner. She sat on the bottom step of the stairs, sewing gems and small seashells into the neckline of Troy’s tunic.
“Aye.” The admission echoed in my chest. It was a truth I’d never said aloud until now. “All those I consider family are aboard this ship. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone take away my family.”
I’d destroy anyone who tried.
***
I knew I was dreaming.
I had seen this place countless times before, mountains rising on both sides and a gray sky above two armies locked in combat. Men screamed, roared, and fell to the blood-stained earth. The human army attacked our men from all sides, their numbers seemingly endless. My body was pushed past its limit, my arms barely able to hold my shield.
I collapsed to the ground as my legs refused to carry me a moment longer.
A flash of gold caught my eye, a beacon in the dark.
Aeon stood on a small hill, his sword raised. Through the dark clouds, streams of sunlight broke through, gleaming off his golden armor. Even from across the bloody battlefield, our gazes locked.
“No,” I gasped, knowing what would happen next.
I thrashed, trying to wake myself up. I didn’t want to see this. Not again.
“Mal?”
That voice.
Confused, I looked up at the gray clouds just as rain started to fall.
My eyes returned to my husband. Our gazes locked again. And then the arrow pierced Aeon’s neck. His body jerked before he fell forward and crumbled to the dirt. I screamed for him.
Gods, sometimes I felt like I was still screaming. Still watching the man I loved be taken from me.
“Malik!”
My eyes snapped open to a dark room. Troy hovered over me, his panicked expression relaxing as I looked at him.
“You were crying out in your sleep,” he said, touching my cheek.
I tugged him closer and buried my face against his neck. I breathed in his floral, earthy scent, letting it chase away the nightmares in my mind.
“You’re not on that battlefield,” Troy whispered, resting his head on mine. “You’re here. With me.”
He moved his fingers through my hair and pecked light kisses to my head, brow, cheek, then finally, my lips. I whimpered against his mouth before deepening the kiss.
I hated being vulnerable, hated showing any sign of weakness. Yet with Troy, I cast aside the mask I wore and showed him all the ugly pieces of myself beneath it. I let him see the sorrow I hid behind that mask, the pain.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time, Mal.” Troy kissed my jaw, his fingers moving in my hair. “It’s okay to cry.”
I didn’t cry. I hadn’t done so since the day Aeon died. But I let Troy comfort me as I fought to hold myself together.
Our lips softly met. Troy rolled on top of me and straddled my hips, linking our fingers before pushing my arms above my head. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, drawing forth a groan from deep inside my chest.
My cock filled and strained against the material of my trousers. The need for release had me aching, for it had been so long since anyone had touched me. Since I’d allowed anyone to.
“Let me help you forget,” Troy panted, grinding his hips on my hard bulge. “Let me take you somewhere else.”
He kissed down my neck, then lower to my chest. Breaths burned in my lungs as I struggled with whether to stop him or let him explore every inch of me. I didn’t want him thinking he had to do this.
