Page 75 of Seraph's Tears
“I’m not returning,” I said simply. “We’ve searched and found nothing. It’s time I accept that and build my life here. With you.” I took her hand in mine, threaded our fingers together, and brought her hand to my lips. “Besides, all the mountains in Aerie could not tempt me if I didn’t have you by my side.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “I love you, too,” she murmured.
My heart nearly burst. The ayim floated through my veins, content now that I had bonded with my mate. No more aching chest, no more dizzy spells or vertigo. Just Eve, forever Eve. With me.
She leaned forward and kissed my lips, a simple, sweet thing. “I’m sorry I ran.”
“What happened?” I asked, my mind turning back to the events of today and how I’d found her, fighting for her life.
Eve sighed and told me the whole story. How her parents had joined the church when she was ten years old, how she’d found a key, how her father had fallen ill, how she’d seen harsh punishments meted out for the smallest of infractions, how she began to plot her escape once betrothed to the reverend. Each new piece of her story made me burn with fury.
“I should never have let my anger drive me away like that,” I said firmly. “If I had known you wanted to leave, how you felt you needed to run away—” I broke off, unable to find words as horror stroked an icy finger down my spine.
“You didn’t know,” Eve assured.
A new fear struck me. “Do you still want to leave?”
“Never.” She grinned. “Not unless I have you by my side.”
“We will be together forever, my mate,” I vowed.
Chapter Twenty six
Eve
I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but the exhaustion of the last day caught up to me. I woke around dawn, warm and safe in my love’s arms. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I glanced over.
Gabriel lay on his side next to me, arms and legs wrapped around my body. His eyes were shut, his long, black lashes resting against those high, sharp cheekbones. Breath gently blew across my face.
Carefully, I took stock of my body. I tightened and released muscle groups, starting with my toes and working up. Most of my body was sore, and I winced as I tensed my abdomen. Even though I was healing at an impressive rate, I wasn’t back to normal yet. I couldn’t complain, though. Gabriel was convinced yesterday that I had been dying. I didn’t remember anything besides overwhelming pain, so I had to believe him.
I tenderly brought my hand to my side, the worst of my injuries. Wincing, I traced the beginnings of a scar across my new skin.
The movement woke Gabriel, for he stirred, then smiled drowsily at me. His wings shifted. One was pinned halfway between his body and the mattress, and he’d used the crest of his wing as a pillow. The other now slid up and around us, covering us like another blanket, exactly as I loved.
I’d never grow tired of his wings. Ever. I lifted up a hand and trailed my fingers down the inside of his secondaries. The purest white I’d ever see.
His wing shivered in response, and I smiled at my effect on him. It still seemed impossible to believe that I, a common human, could have captured this seraph’s heart and body.
Gabriel nuzzled my neck. “How are you feeling this morning, my mate?”
The word sent a spark through my body that made my belly flip and my toes curl. His mate. How could I be so lucky?
“I feel well enough for this.” I bit his jaw.
His deep groan rumbled through both of us. “Eve.”
I pushed up and rolled on top of him. He obliged, falling onto his back and letting his wings spread wide. His span took up the rest of the bed, and some of his primaries even hung off the edge.
I leaned down and kissed him ferociously, capturing his lips in a frenzy of desire and lust and life and love. My bare breasts pressed against the heat of his chest, and my nipples tightened.
“Eve,” he groaned again, wrapping his arms around me. But just as he made contact with my naked back, he paused. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Only his fingertips touched my flesh, burning points of connection that made my skin yearn for more.
“You’re not hurting me,” I murmured into his mouth. To prove my point, I rubbed my pelvis against his as I bit his upper lip.
His cock responded immediately, going from interested to rock hard in a heartbeat. I gasped at the hot length of him, and he rolled his hips.
“Yes,” I hissed, closing my eyes to better relish the way it made my own body respond.
