Chapter Ten

"Ivowed to make it safe for you to say goodbye to your parents," Reaper says, slipping his hand into mine as we sit in an old, cramped Honda outside the cemetery. A dozen warriors surround the car like a living wall, here to protect me. "This is as safe as I could make it for now, Tori."

It"s the middle of the night. The city is peaceful and quiet. The smell of the Sound rustles through the trees, slipping through the cracked windows. It"s familiar, like home. Yet, Seattle has never felt less like home than it does now.

"Thank you," I whisper, tears blurring my vision as I stare out at the headstones rising from the hillside like hands reaching toward the sky. My parents don"t have one yet—I know that. But somewhere out there, amidst the thousands of names, is their final resting place. This is where their story ends. At least, that"s how it"s supposed to go.

Saying goodbye when I know they aren"t truly at rest is terrifying. What if they never find peace? What if their souls are trapped forever, stuck on this side of the Veil? Or, worse, what if the Forsaken claim them before we can?

Either way, their story doesn"t end where it"s supposed to—in peace. It ends in horror. An eternity stuck in limbo. Or a brutal, final death at the hands of evil.

"Speak your peace, solsken. They"ll hear you."

"I…I don"t know what to say," I admit. I never prepared for this day. It was supposed to happen at some far-off time in the future, when I was old and gray and had lived long enough to comfortably navigate grief.

"Then I"ll speak for you," he murmurs, brushing his lips across my knuckles. He pauses as if considering his words carefully.

"Thank you," he begins, his voice a soft rumble. "Thank you for the precious life you brought into this world and nurtured with love. Thank you for the countless days and nights you spent ensuring her safety and happiness. Your dedication and sacrifice didn"t go unnoticed."

I bite the inside of my cheek, fighting not to sob as he talks to my parents, saying all the things that are in my heart. He knows them, so intimately it"s humbling.

He takes a deep breath, his amber eyes shimmering in the dim light, fierce with devotion. "You know how cruel and ruthless this world can be. Yet, your daughter…she"s different. She"s a beacon of hope. She"s fierce, brave, kind…and she"s scared." His grip on my hand tightens ever so slightly. "She"s terrified that she"s alone now. But I promise, she won"t be. So long as I live, she will never face this world or the Dark alone."

His next words are so quiet I barely hear them over the soft purr of the engine. "I will love her as fiercely as you did. It"s what she deserves."

His words rip through me like a tidal wave, sending my walls tumbling. My head bows under the weight of emotion coursing through me—love, pride, and grief choking me.

I wish they could have met him. Just once. If they could have chosen someone to love me, it would have been him.

"I miss you," I sob, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. "I miss you both so much. But I"m going to be okay. I promise, I"ll be okay."

He lifts me out of my seat, pulling me across the console. His arms close around me, holding me together as I cry, saying goodbye the best I can in the safest way I can—by his side with a dozen warriors standing guard around the car.

I slip down the dimly lit hall, trying to stay as silent as possible as I follow the man who cornered me in the meeting room four days ago. He"s up to something. I know he is. Every time I see him, he"s watching him.

I don"t trust him. But I haven"t told Reaper about him, either. He and his brothers have been scouring Seattle for the Valkyrie that Abigail saw in her vision. He"s stressed out and worried because they"ve come no closer to finding her. Every day they don"t find her is another day she"s trapped with the Forsaken.

The man glances over his shoulder, his movements furtive, suspicious. I dart into an alcove, pressing my back against the wall. My heart pounds, anxiety racing through me. Did he see me? Was I quick enough?

I hold my breath, listening for any hint that he"s retracing his steps, heading back toward me. Seconds tick by. A full minute.

I risk a peek down the hall.

He disappears around the corner.

Crap.

I hurry my steps, practically racing down the hall to ensure I don"t lose sight of him. The hall lets out into the main room of the warehouse. From there, he could go anywhere. Outside. The courtyard. The kitchen. Upstairs. Down any number of hallways.

I pop my head around the corner just in time to see his boot hit the bottom step. He"s going upstairs. What is he doing? He glances around as if checking to ensure no one is watching him. He doesn"t see me, though.

I stay hidden in the shadows until he"s nearly at the top of the steps, only creeping out when I"m sure he can no longer see me. I hurry to the bottom of the staircase, peering up. The warriors all have rooms on the west end of the hall, on the left side of the staircase. He turns right, toward the rooms where me and Reaper, Rissa and Dax, Abigail, and then Damrion, Adriel, and Malachi are staying.

If I thought he was up to something before, I"m certain he is now. There"s no reason for him to be anywhere near our rooms. Reaper and Dax would lose their minds if they knew. No one is allowed near our rooms, not without their permission.

My feet fly up the staircase, my heart hammering. The man turns toward the room where Abigail has been staying across the hall from Damrion, Adriel, and Malachi. My heart freezes and I creep closer, pressed against the cool wooden panels of the corridor.

"Tori, there you are."

I nearly jump out of my skin as Rissa calls my name from her room. I don"t spare the man a second glance, I scurry into her room as if that was my destination all along. My heart is in my throat, fear choking me.

Rissa notices.

"Are you okay?"

"F-fine," I lie.

She gives me a skeptical look but doesn"t press further, instead poking her head out into the hall.

"Kenton," she says as soon as she spots the man I followed up here, her voice sharp. "What are you doing down here?"

"I was looking for Damrion, Valkyrie."

"He"s out with the warriors." Rissa speaks firmly, a cold edge to her voice that I"ve never heard from her. She doesn"t like this man, either.

"Of course," he says with a slight smile. "I"ll leave you in peace, then."

He turns and heads down the hall toward one of the rooms on the far end. Rissa and I watch until he disappears inside. As soon as he does, Rissa steps back into her room.

"You were following him, weren"t you?"

"I don"t trust him," I admit quietly. "Every time I see him, he"s watching me."

She frowns, leaning against the wall. "I don"t trust him, either. He makes my skin crawl."

"He was going into Abigail"s room when you called my name."

Worry flares in Rissa"s eyes. Without a word, she steps out into the hall, hurrying toward Abigail"s room. I follow behind her, only to exhale a relieved breath when we realize Abigail isn"t inside.

Rissa pulls her phone from her pocket, dialing Adriel. He stayed behind to babysit us today. Ever since they ran into the Forsaken at the church, one of them has been staying behind to keep an eye on us. I"m not sure why, but it doesn"t bode well.

"Is Abigail with you?" Rissa demands as soon as Adriel answers.

"Ja. We"re in the kitchen. Why?"

I"m sure Rissa"s relieved expression is a perfect match for my own.

"Just checking. Tori and I will be down in a minute," she tells Adriel before disconnecting.

I watch as she shoves the phone into her pocket. "You aren"t going to tell him."

"We don"t have any evidence. Just a feeling. Would you condemn him based on a feeling?"

I hesitate, the same way I"ve hesitated for the last four days. Everything in me says that something is off with him. He watches too closely. And even if he was looking for Damrion, there was no reason for him to go into Abigail"s room.

The Fae have enough on their plates right now…but we can"t afford a misstep, either.

Would I condemn him based on a feeling? I don"t think we have a choice. The mission isn"t just about finding the Valkyrie. It"s about keeping the ones here safe, too.

"Yes," I whisper. "I would. To save you and Abigail and the Fae, I would."

Rissa"s silent for a moment and then she nods. "Then we tell them."

Relief courses through me, vast and bright. For the first time in days, this burden isn"t mine to carry. It"s ours. And suddenly, it doesn"t feel nearly as heavy.

I follow Rissa into the kitchen, stumbling to a stop when I see Adriel and Abigail locked in an embrace. Her head rests against his chest, his hand sliding through her hair. For the first time since I met him, he looks peaceful. It"s beautiful to see.

As soon as Abigail sees us standing there, she pulls herself out of his arms, her cheeks pink. She won"t meet our gazes, instead looking at the floor.

Does she feel like she did something wrong?

I think it kills her a little that the men she loves fight over her when she"d give every piece of herself to both of them if they could only learn to get along. But they can"t, so she can"t. So they remain in limbo, snatching these little moments.

It"s not enough for any of them.

"What"s wrong?" Adriel growls, reading us like a book.

Rissa and I share a look.

"Tori thinks—we think—Kenton is up to something," Rissa says. "We don"t trust him."

"Why?" Adriel asks, his expression flat. That one black eye scours through me, searching deep.

"I can read people," I admit on a whisper. "I don"t know if it"s a Valkyrie instinct or something else, but I can look at someone and know on sight if they can be trusted or not. I look at him, and I see the shadow on his heart. He"s full of Darkness like the Forsaken, only it"s not as all-consuming."

"Skita," Adriel growls, shoving a hand through his dark hair. "You feel the same?"

Rissa nods. "He doesn"t belong here, Adriel. He"s dangerous."

Adriel shifts his gaze in Abigail"s direction. "And you, bittesm? ljós? Do you feel it? You"ve known him longest."

Abigail bites her lip, hesitating. And then she nods reluctantly. "I"ve never liked him, Adriel. Tori is right. He"s full of Darkness."

Adriel nods, his expression troubled as he looks back at me. "That"s your Valkyrie instinct," he says. "Heed it, always. The Valkyrie were called by Odin himself to ferry souls into the afterlife. You know their worth on instinct. It"s what you were born to do. If your gut tells you someone is full of Darkness, believe it."

Adriel, always guarded and closed off, has endorsed my instinct. His words echo around the room, each of us digesting the truth.

My breath hitches, a lump in my throat. I don"t know how to respond so I merely nod, overwhelmed by the confirmation that I"ve been using this Gift my entire life. I thought I stumbled into this world just weeks ago, but it"s been part of my life all this time.

Rissa grips my hand as if sensing the turmoil waging through me. Abigail slips her arm through mine as if she senses it too. The bond between us is growing rapidly. We"re no longer three strangers thrown together by fate. Somehow, we"re becoming sisters.

"I"ll deal with Kenton," Adriel says, eyeing the three of us.

"How?" Abigail asks.

Adriel merely looks at her, a deadly gleam in his eye.

She gulps, her face paling.

I lean back against the headboard, my eyes closed as I try to focus on finding my Light. Despite all of Abigail and Rissa"s help, I"ve gotten nowhere. I imagine a well and reach into it. Nothing happens. I imagine bright light coursing through my veins. Still nothing.

The door to the bedroom flies open, slamming into the wall. I jump, my concentration scattering to the winds.

My eyes pop open on a gasp, fully prepared to see a Forsaken standing in the doorway. Instead, I see my mate.

"Reaper! You scared the crap out of me," I cry, my hand over my pounding heart.

He looks like a god standing there, the worn fabric of his T-shirt stretched across straining muscles, his amber eyes on fire, expression fierce, and brown skin glowing in the light.

"You put yourself in danger." Each word vibrates from his lips like the warning growl of a big, dangerous animal as he steps into the room, kicking the door closed behind him.

Crap. He knows about Kenton. I was kind of hoping Adriel would let me tell him myself, but I guess I should have seen this coming when Adriel and a few of the warriors searched the entire safehouse today and couldn"t find the man. He was gone without a trace, as if he knew his time here was up and he needed to disappear. No one even saw him leave.

"I can explain?" I say hopefully.

Clearly, it"s not the right thing to calm my mate down. He stalks toward me, a wall of implacable fury. "Explain, little Valkyrie? Nei." His hand slashes through the air. "There is no explanation and no excuse. You knew he was a danger days ago. He cornered you, and you said nothing! You let me leave this place, day after day, knowing that you could be in danger!"

He"s right. My face falls, tears welling in my eyes. "I"m sorry, Reaper," I whisper, trying like hell not to cry. I"ve done enough of that lately, and this is my fault. I don"t get to cry my way out of it now. "I was afraid if I said anything, you"d call off the search for the Valkyrie. I couldn"t let you do that. She needs you. All of you."

He softens slightly as he reaches my side. "It"s no excuse, Tori. We don"t risk one Valkyrie to save another. You risked yourself, Rissa, and Abigail."

"I didn"t think there was any real danger," I whisper, staring down at my hands. "As soon as I felt like there was, we told Adriel."

"Nei. You knew." He tips my head back with a finger beneath my chin. "You wouldn"t have kept it from me if you believed he was harmless, solsken. I know you."

"I…" I trail off, swallow, and then nod, unable and unwilling to lie to him. "You"re right. I knew he wasn"t harmless, Reaper. But I didn"t think he was an immediate danger. I don"t know what he wanted, but I think he was looking for something."

"Well, he isn"t going to find it now."

"I"m sorry."

"I know, but it doesn"t make me feel any better, Tori. You put yourself in danger."

"I"m sorry." I sniffle, feeling about two inches tall. Reaper has never been mad at me before. I find I don"t like it much.

In fact, I hate it.

"Come here, little Valkyrie," he sighs, pulling me up into his arms. His lips are hard against my forehead as he kisses me. His body is rigid against mine, anger still coiling his muscles tight.

I try to press my lips against his mouth to soothe the hard edges of his fury, but he turns, avoiding me.

My heart threatens to crack in half. "Reaper," I whisper. "You don"t want to kiss me?"

"I always want to kiss you, Tori. Every minute of the day. But I won"t kiss you in anger."

"Then be angry with me," I insist, my fingers winding into his overly long hair, tugging lightly. "But don"t turn from me. Don"t shut me out. Not when we"ve been through so much already."

His amber eyes burn as he takes in my words, fury warring with deep need. He"s silent for a single heartbeat, two, and then his massive hand cups the back of my head, pulling me in until our lips just barely brush.

"You don"t know what you ask for," he murmurs against my mouth, his voice rough with an emotion more potent than simple anger.

"Perhaps not," I whisper back, "but all of you belongs to me, Reaper. Even the raw and jagged parts. I want those pieces, too. Don"t try to hide them from me. I can handle them."

With a growl of surrender, he captures my lips with his in a kiss that"s far from gentle. It"s a stormy clash of teeth and tongue, his fiery emotion creating a tempest of desire inside him. It rolls over me in a blistering wave—reverence, devotion, the lingering vestiges of anger driven by fear. But beneath that, I feel what he"d hide from me, the ancient, driving need to fuck me into submission. It"s not rational or gentle. It"s primordial, elemental—the protective instincts of a Fae warrior driven to the brink for his mate.

"Take me," I gasp, giving him permission to give into that need. He won"t hurt me. He loves me far too much for that. "Take me, Kyron."

The sharp sting of his teeth against my flesh has me sobbing into the room. Ecstasy rushes through my veins like molten lava.

His fingers are a bruising grip on my hips, pulling me closer to him. There"s no hesitation in his actions as he surrenders to the need coursing through him. With a swift movement, he lifts me into his arms, dragging me down onto the bed beneath him.

He hovers over me, watching me like a predator stalking his prey. I feel no fear though. Instead, anticipation steals my breath. I want this Fae all over me. God, yes.

"I need you," he whispers, eyes dark with raw emotion. "I need every part of you." His lips descend on mine again, his hands rough and unyielding as he wraps them in my shirt. The sound of tearing fabric is loud in the room as my shirt rips down the middle.

I cry out, my core clenching. God, he"s beautiful. So fierce. So wild.

"You like me like this," he says as if only now realizing it.

"Yes."

The lazy grin that overtakes his face might kill me. The rest of my clothes don"t stand a chance beneath his onslaught. He tears them from my body as if they"re nothing, his hands rough and wicked against my skin.

His tongue seeks mine in a fervent dance. The taste of him—all wild and intoxicating—sends waves of delicious shivers through me.

He pulls away to trail kisses down my throat, leaving me gasping for air. He"s everywhere all at once—his mouth on my skin, his fingers sliding up my thigh. There"s nothing gentle about this moment between us, it"s raw energy and primal need.

I throw my head back, shouting his name as he thrusts two fingers into me, fucking me with them. His thumb rolls over my clit. He"s ruthless, forcing me up the cliff and then throwing me over the edge into an orgasm.

He doesn"t let me come down from the high before starting the ascent all over again. I cry out, trying to fight it, but he refuses to let me.

"Nei." His guttural growl rolls over me. "Don"t fight me, solsken. You wanted me wild. You have me. Now, give me what I want."

My body responds to his every touch, consumed by him. He curls his fingers up, stroking against my G-Spot.

I shatter like glass, shouting. Drowning. Ah, God.

But he still isn"t finished with me.

He forces me up the cliff with relentless determination, leaving me dangling on the edge. This time, he buries his face between my thighs, sending me over with his wicked tongue. I moan and writhe beneath him, surrendering completely to the ecstasy crashing through my veins.

Gently, then with a force I hadn"t anticipated, he thrusts into me—hard and fast. There"s no pause to adjust or catch our breath. He simply begins to move, raging inside me like a storm. Each thrust sends us wheeling further into the sea of pleasure threatening to drown us.

"Kyron," I moan softly, my fingers tangled in his hair. "Kyron, I love you."

His growl vibrates against my throat, his own pleasure clear. He drinks in my surrender, my submission. My name is a feral shout on his lips. I feel the reverberation of his voice in my bones.

I wind my legs around his waist pulling him closer. His hard length drives into me, filling me up in the best way possible. Each thrust slams into me with an intensity that leaves me gasping for air, and each retreat drags out a moan from somewhere deep in my chest.

His free hand goes to my throat, gripping it tight—not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to let me know I belong to him. He sucks on my nipples, licking and biting, lost in a storm of ecstasy so intense, I"m not sure either of us will ever be the same again.

I don"t fight the orgasm this time. I fall into it, his name erupting from my lips in a powerful cry of surrender, of completion. Again and again, he throws me over the edge, forcing one orgasm after another from me. He won"t stop, not until I"m sobbing beneath him, every thrust sending me catapulting over the edge into rapture. His name bursts from my lips is broken cracks of sound. My body is on fire for him, burning, aching, throbbing. He"s claimed every inch, branding it with his lips and tongue and teeth, his rough possession fierce and wild.

"Kyron," I whisper. "Kyron."

Again and again, I say his name, reminding him of who I belong to. If his soul is mine, claimed the moment I cracked open the door between our souls, then mine is his too, claimed long before that moment. I remind him of that now, as another shattering orgasm rips me apart, unmaking me.

"I"m yours!" I scream, my voice breaking as tears of ecstasy roll down my cheeks. "I"m yours. I"m yours."

He roars, his knot slamming into me, locking us together. We come together, shouting, clawing, gasping. Tangled so tightly together, I don"t know where he ends, and I begin.

"Tori, Tori," he chants, raining kisses all over my face when the storm passes. "My Valkyrie. My heart. My world."

"Kyron," I breathe, more in love with this wild, beautiful Fae than ever. Our souls tied more tightly than ever.