Page 69 of Redemption

I chew on my bottom lip and share a look with Kyros over her shoulder.

“She won’t even look at me,”Kyros projects to me, nestling his head onto the pillow and closing his eyes.

I run my hand over her arm, my fingers trailing over her chilled skin and raising goosebumps in their wake. I wait with bated breath for some sign that the sensation broke through her barrier, but still, nothing.

Gritting my teeth, I hold back my scream as I flicker the orbs off with my power. I want to shake her by the shoulders and snap her out of this, but at this point I don’t even know if that will do more damage than good.

“She’s been strong through everything she’s faced; she deserves this time to just not be okay,”I project back to Kyros, scolding myself for being upset at the way she’s handling this.

It’s selfish to want her to bounce back, to expect more than she’s able to give right now.

“You’re right,”Kyros answers as the silence settles in around us.

I want to be there for her, to support her and comfort her. I don’t want to push her even though I know she’s better than this.

“I feel numb,” Olivia whispers, and my heart jolts at the sudden melody of her voice. My hand tightens on her arm and I wait for her to continue. Pain slices through my chest for my mate and I wish I could take away every doubt from her mind and take it on myself.

“How can we help you?” Kyros asks, the question easing some of the tension in my body as he voices how I feel.

I want to help my mate, but the worst part about tonight is I feel completely helpless—just like her.

“Can you make me feel something?”

My breath catches in my throat at the question. That is something I can do.

“Anything for you, angel. You’re my home,” I breathe, pain slicing through my heart. “I love you.”

I run my hand down her arm, but pause as she stiffens under my touch.

“What did you say?” The question sounds harsh on her lips, and I swallow thickly.

“I love you.” My heart thumps as she turns to lie on her back, her sea-green eyes cutting towards me.

“No, before that.”

“That you’re my home,” I whisper, leaning closer, needing to feel her lips beneath mine, to have our bodies come together and wipe out all the agony and hopelessness in her heart, to remind her that we’re here, we have her, and he can never take that away from us.

Her brows crease as she stares back at me, the light returning to her eyes like those words turned on a switch.

“You’re right,” she murmurs, her eyes going far off for a moment. I lean forward and place a kiss on her cheek before dropping down to her jaw. She sucks in a sharp breath and I move to her neck, dragging my lips over one of her favorite spots.

“How does that feel, angel?” I whisper, lightly sucking on the sensitive flesh. A low moan slips from her lips as she leans into me.

“Amazing,” she breathes. Anything else she wanted to say is cut off as Kyros steals her lips. He devours her completely, their tongues twining as I move to her collarbone. Her back arches as I kiss along the neckline of her nightgown and slowly tease under it as I slide my hand up her thigh.

She reacts to my touch and lifts her hips as I near the crux of her thigh, already knowing where she wants my fingers to tease. My hand itches to pull the soft lace thong off of her, to bury my face between her thighs and fill her head with mindless lust as I bring her pleasure. I want to replace every thought in her head with the memory of us, the three of us coming together to make something better come from today, but my stomach sinks at the thought of her somehow regretting this.

I know my mate, and this isn’t her. I don’t want her to feel my touch in a week from now and remember this moment, the desperate need to have anything else but the hopelessness and doubt filling her mind.

I lightly nip her earlobe and she gasps against Kyros’ lips, my heart and my head warring with one another as I plan my next move.

Reluctantly, I pull my hand from her thigh and put some space between us, needing to say this now before I lose my nerve. Her lips part from Kyros’ and her brows knit together, clearly sensing my shift.

“Adrian?” she asks, and I nearly cave as I gaze back at her.

“This isn’t you, Liv.” I stand from the bed to put some more space between us, and I notice the sheets have shifted off her legs, revealing the delicious swath of her bare skin. “The Liv I know doesn’t give up. She fights even when the road in front of us looks impossible to navigate. You use powers you don’t even know about to save your sister. You face down the leader of the dark gods and trick him into thinking he has the one weapon that can kill a god when you really stole it from him. Hell, you even found the princes of the infernal realm, just on the chance that they might help us and take some of the risk off your family and friends.”

Silence pulses between us for a moment as my heart nearly leaps from my chest.

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