Page 9 of Underworld
I gasped, struggling for air.
He growled, the vibration pushing me over the edge as I screamed.
Chapter 3
“My ears are ringing,” I murmured. It was annoying, especially compared to all the othernotannoying sensations rippling through me, like my blood traveling through my veins like heated molasses, thick and sweet, and my neurons humming happily along, incapable of little else at the moment.
“I hate to break up this moment with tedious things like reality, little star. But that isn’t your ears. It’s the Academy’s alarm system.” Orion nuzzled my navel.
Just the feel of his lips on my skin sent warm, shivery sensations racing through me and I threaded my fingers into his hair, arching him closer.
But then I realized he was talking—hadbeen talking.
Alarm.
Attack.
Students.
“Wait, what?” I fisted my hand in his hair and tugged him up—the movement served dual purposes. It got him to stop kissing his way from my navel to my hipbone, ending that delightful distraction.
It also gave me a few much needed seconds to suck in air so I could clear away some of the sexual haze clouding my thoughts.
“What did you just say about alarms and attacks and students?” I bit my lip not to finish that with an “Oh my.”
Orion heaved out a forlorn sigh before easing away, lingering only long enough to tug on my wrist so I’d let go of his hair, then he kissed the sensitive flesh.
At some point, he’d pulled me from the throne to the dais. We’d been sprawled inelegantly on the stone floors, only protected from the rough, cool surface by a thick rug that had likely been thrown down with just such possibilities in mind.
He took my hand and pulled me upright, the gesture all chivalry and possessiveness on his part because we both knew I didn’t need to help. However, I loved that he cared enough to do it, so I curled up against him as I listened to the clanging racket happening outside this room.
“That’s annoying,” I murmured.
Orion stroked a hand down my spine, left bare by the halter. His fingers eased down my backbone, over the slight ridges as if he was learning some great work of art by touch alone.
“Isn’t it?” He waved a hand and I felt the slight rise in the air. His magic, I realized, strong enough now that he could diffuse the alarm to less obnoxious levels.
He shifted his golden gaze to mine. “The attacks come almost nonstop now. Judging by the rhythm of the alarm, it’s a breach.” He cocked his head and listened, eyes slightly narrowed. “Code Orange,” he decided. When I stared at him with blank confusion, he added, “Demons are trying to breach the Academy’s defenses. Dante insisted we needed a classification system so both students and instructors would know what we were dealing with before we went out. Anything over a code orange and the younger students have to stay in their dorms. This might get messy but most of the demons are weaker ones; cannon fodder basically.”
He rose, uncoiling his big, powerful form to his full height.
I just stared.
“You grew.” Like, just now before my eyes.
Flashing a broad smile at me, he flexed and preened, his vanity coming through.
It made me laugh, because if he could do that, then the pain I’d sensed within him was something we could fix.
And just maybe, Cole could be forgiven.
Maybe.
“All thanks to my beautiful star.” He offered a hand and I let him help me up, aware we both needed the connection. “Come on. I’m ready to kick some ass and even though this isn’t a large threat, we don’t like to leave the younger students out there without as much backup as we can provide.”
“Back-up?” I followed him toward the door as we spoke.
“There’s extra credit for kills,” he told me. “As the severity of the breaches rise, only students of certain skill levels are allowed out, because we don’t want to lose the entire student body. At the same time, we’ve only got so much firepower.”
