Page 28 of Branded By Shadow
But she clearly did, so I didn’t hesitate. “Of course, Cora.”
She nodded once, then stepped back from my hands and turned toward the nest she’d built under the largest tree. I followed, watching the way she moved through the plants with an unconscious grace. They parted for her automatically, as if they recognized their goddess even when she didn’t recognize herself.
The nest looked different now that I was seeing it as an invitation rather than an observation. She’d arranged the blankets in careful layers, silk, cotton, and velvet all mixed together. Cushions scattered throughout provided structure, creating a space that was both soft and secure. The moss beneath it all had grown thick and lush, a testament to her presence.
She settled into the center of it and looked up at me with those amber eyes. Waiting.
I entered the nest slowly, carefully, like I was approaching something wild that might bolt if I moved too fast. But she didn’t retreat, didn’t show any fear. She just watched me with that analytical gaze as I settled beside her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her skin.
For a moment we just sat there, not touching, both of us uncertain how to navigate this new territory. The fight had drained the color from her face, leaving a fragile translucence to her skin.
She shifted, a small, almost imperceptible movement, and the side of her shoulder brushed against my arm. I half-expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she let her weight settle there, a silent surrender that had nothing to do with defeat and everything to do with exhaustion.
The simple contact was a brand. A current passed between us, quiet but undeniable. My own power answered it, shadows coiling around her waist in an unconscious, possessive response. “Cora.”
“What?” But she already knew what. She could see it in my expression, feel the shift in the air as my power reached for her.
I moved my hand to her jaw, watching the way her pupils dilated in response. “Tell me to stop.”
It was a warning, a reminder, and an acknowledgment of what she’d just given me. She’d trusted me when she’d asked me to come into her nest, and I refused to insult that.
But Cora was determined and fierce in everything she did. Her hands came up to grip my shoulders, pulling me closer with surprising strength. “Don’t stop.”
No Alpha in the world could have resisted that. I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to hers. I started soft, testing, giving her every opportunity to change her mind. But she made a small sound in the back of her throat that shattered what little control I had left, and then there was nothing soft about it anymore.
Heat flared between us like wildfire catching on dry tinder. My shadows tightened around her waist, urging her flush against me as the kiss deepened into something raw, almost desperate. She tasted of honey and defiance and something underneath that was purely her, purely Cora, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Her fingers threaded through my hair, and desire spiked hot and urgent through my entire body. I wanted her. I wanted to lay her back in this nest she’d built and claim her properly. I was desperate to mark her again so no one, not Alexander, not Helena, or even Cora herself, could question whose Omega she was.
But Cassandra’s examination findings echoed in my mind like a warning bell. The unusual energy patterns. The exhaustion that clung to her. Cora’s body was still recovering from a traumait shouldn’t have experienced, and pushing too hard, too soon, could cause damage that wouldn’t heal.
I gentled the kiss, reining in the possessive Alpha instinct despite every cell screaming to take more. My hands stayed at her face and waist, careful not to push for territory she wasn’t offering yet. She made a sound of protest when I pulled back slightly, chasing my mouth with hers as if she couldn’t stand the loss of contact.
“Easy,” I murmured, resting my forehead against hers, my chest heaving. “We have time.”
“Do we?” Her hands were still tangled in my hair, holding me close enough that I could feel the warmth of her exhale on my lips. “With everything that’s happening? With Alexander planning something?”
“Yes.” I kissed her again. It was easier than it should have been to offer comfort instead of possession. “We do.”
She grimaced, but didn’t argue with me. Then she moved closer, tucking herself against my chest as if she were trying to burrow into my ribcage. I adjusted my position so I could look down at her face.
She’d closed her eyes, the exhaustion from her emotional breakdown finally catching up with her. Dark circles shadowed the skin beneath her lashes, evidence of too much trauma packed into too short a time.
“Sleep,” I said, touching a kiss to her forehead, gentle and chaste. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Promise?” Her reply was drowsy, consciousness already starting to slip away.
“Promise.” I settled back against the cushions, keeping her tucked securely against my side.
She drifted off within minutes, her body going heavy and pliant as sleep claimed her. The warmth of her body against my ribs was a steady, grounding presence, a silent acknowledgment of the bond between us.
This was dangerous. Not the physical intimacy we’d shared during her heat, but this emotional vulnerability that made her more real to me with every passing moment.
But I couldn’t pull away. I couldn’t abandon her when she’d actively sought comfort from me instead of fighting.
My shadows stretched across the nest, wrapping around both of us in an unconscious cocoon of protection. The plants had gone completely still, as if they understood something important had changed between us tonight.
Tomorrow would bring complications. Danger. Whatever secondary strategy Alexander had been planning during his silence. But tonight, she had chosen to trust me. To seek comfort from me. To let me hold her while she fell apart and put herself back together.
