Chapter 45

Chapter

Forty-Five

Ana

C rusher sets Phil's body on the ground, and my eyes barely register as Ember closes the portal.

Grabbing Crusher, I bury my face in his chest and hold on, comforted by the sound of his rapidly beating heart, the air flowing into his lungs, the strong force of the blood rushing through his veins.

His hand tentatively grazes my back, and I look up into his eyes. "Thank you," I say on a raspy breath. "Thank you for getting Phil's body. Thank you for getting both of us back safely."

"You may have saved the entire world," Ember adds. "All three of you. Not to get all dramatic. Just saying."

I gather the courage to look down at Phil's body. It's strange to see the dynamic and dominant man so quiet and still, and I drag in a ragged breath.

Crusher's hand traces down my back again. "Ana. I don't think he's dead."

I glance up to confirm that this isn't some kind of cruel joke, and then drop to my knees beside Phil, pressing my ear against his huge chest.

Crusher's right. I hear sounds of life. He's not fully healed, but he's not fully dead.

Cupping his face in my hands, I relish the prick of his stubble on my palms. "You're safe, Phil. You're alive. You helped save the world. And now it's time to wake up."

"Feed him," Crusher says.

I gasp, shocked that I didn't think of that on my own. I lift my wrist to my lips, but my body is still immobilized by terror and grief, and my fangs won't emerge.

"Allow me." Crouching, Crusher takes my hand and pierces my wrist.

An immediate surge of gratitude races through me, waking my body from its numb state. I must be in shock.

A few drops of my blood fall onto Phil's closed lips, and then Crusher helps me, pinching Phil's jaw, forcing his lips open, so I can better feed him. The inside of Phil's mouth is a shock, so dry and gray, almost like the color palette in the other realm, but as my blood paints his tongue, other parts of his mouth start to pink too. I lower my wrist to his opened lips, making sure he doesn't miss any drops.

Phil's lips latch onto my wrist, and I gasp at the intense pleasure, both from the feeding and from realizing that Phil is really, truly alive. Crusher releases Phil's jaw, and I turn to look at him.

"Will he be…back to normal?" What if the demon's still there?

Crusher shrugs, and I appreciate his honest answer. And then Phil's feeding grows more intense, like he's trying to pull all of me out through my wrist.

"Should I stop him?" Crusher asks, with alarm. But Phil releases me on his own.

Struggling to breathe, Phil opens his eyes. "Is it really you?" he asks, his voice hoarse.

Unable to speak, I nod, adjusting my position so that I can lay down beside him, pressing as much of my body as I can against his, so cold on the ground under the tower. I gaze into his eyes, searching for any sign that he's not the Phil I remember. He seems normal, but he tricked me more than once, while he was possessed.

As our bodies press together, I can sense strength building inside him. And then Phil sits, pulling me into his lap and holding me tightly against his now pounding heart. "Fuck. Ana. I never thought I'd see you again, never mind hold you."

I don't know what to do, or to say. My logical mind has millions of questions, but my heart and libido urge me to straddle him, right here in the open, and take him inside me.

Pulling my ear from his chest, I look up into his love-filled eyes. "Are you really okay? Do you feel…normal?"

He chuckles. "When was I ever normal?"

I smile. "But seriously. Do you feel…well?"

"Well?" His hands roam over me, gently touching as if wanting to remember every part of me. "I'm exhausted. My head is pounding…"

Fear grabs me.

"Hey." He takes my head between his hands. "It's okay. That fucker is gone. I just have a headache and need some time to recover."

Relief floods me, along with a smile. I want to kiss him. I want to hold him. I want to make love with him—forever.

"Ana, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Phil. Promise me you'll never get possessed by a demon again?"

He chuckles. "You saying there are more demons infatuated with you?"

I grin. "None I know of."

"That's a fucking relief."

He sweeps me into a kiss. A kiss that penetrates every part of my body and has me floating on an ocean of pleasure, rising and falling with the incoming surf, but with no concern that I might drift out to sea. If I drown in this kiss, I'll die happy.

"Hey." A voice breaks into my bliss. "Ana."

Ember touches my shoulder. I pull my lips away, but my mind and body and vision are still caught up in the tumbling waves of the kiss.

"It's nearly dawn," she says. "Not such a biggie for me, but for you three…"

Crusher reaches down to help us both up, and then Phil pulls his dark-haired brother into a back-slapping embrace that's one of the most beautiful sights I've ever witnessed.

Pulling back, Phil holds Crusher by the neck. "Thanks man." He taps his forehead against Crusher's. "Seriously. You fucking saved my life. You came back for me."

Crusher grins. "Of course I did. I would never leave my brother behind."

Happiness surges inside me, and under the pre-dawn Paris sky, I lean into Phil as we walk away from the tower. Ember removes the last of her magic, and then she and Crusher follow behind us.