Chapter Seven

Icome awake with a gasp, my heart pounding as I struggle to sit upright. The room around me isn"t familiar. Nothing is. The walls are painted in dark, muted shades. The bed beneath me is soft and comfortable but unfamiliar. So are the simple furnishings scattered around the room. The only source of light is a dim lamp in the corner, casting shadows across the unfamiliar space.

"Easy, little Valkyrie," Reaper rumbles from beside me. "Easy. I"m here."

"Reaper." I exhale a relieved sigh at the sound of his voice, anxiety loosening its chokehold on me. "Where are we?"

The bed shifts as he reaches for me, one strong arm curving around my waist. "Seattle. You fell asleep on the drive, solsken," he murmurs, pulling me back against the hard wall of his chest. "This is one of our safehouses."

Seattle. My soul quivers at the thought of being back here.

Reaper must feel my fear because he wraps his big body around mine, his lips brushing the back of my neck.

My stomach bottoms out, my womb clenching.

"Reaper," I whisper, licking my lips. "You"re in bed with me."

"Ja," he practically purrs, his tone rife with masculine satisfaction. "This is our bed, hjartae mitt. I won"t ask for anything you don"t wish to give me, but I"m a selfish mate. I couldn"t resist holding you while you slept."

Anything I don"t want to give him? I"d give him every piece of me and not regret a single moment of it. This world may be new and strange, but there"s one thing I"m not confused about at all. Him. I know exactly how I feel about him.

He sets my soul on fire.

"Wh-what if…?"

"What?" he breathes, lips frozen on my neck.

"What if I want you to have it, Reaper?" I ask, my voice a mere scrap of sound. "What if I want you to ask?"

His rumble shakes the entire bed as it vibrates through me, starting an avalanche inside me. He flips me over with gentle hands, his amber eyes wild as they find mind in the quasi-dark.

"You want to mate with me."

A blush climbs up my cheeks. "I wouldn"t put it quite that way," I whisper.

His calloused fingers chase my blush across my cheekbones, an unrepentant grin stealing over his handsome face. "Nei? How about this one, then?" His grin grows even more wicked and unrepentant. "You want to fuck me."

"Reaper," I groan, my cheeks blazing with heat.

His deep chuckle rolls over me.

"Gods, I love how shy and sweet you are, Tori." His lips brush mine. "My cock aches every time you blush."

"It must ache a lot then," I mumble.

"Ja," he says, his expression far too serious. "Every minute since I found you, little Valkyrie."

I lick my lips, reaching deep for a little courage. "I ache too," I whisper. "So damn bad, Reaper. It hurts."

Distress flows through his eyes like a river. "You hurt for me? Nei."

"I do. Don"t you feel it?" I grab his hand, pressing it to my chest, right over my heart. "I feel you right here, Reaper. Every second, I feel you."

His eyes, molten amber pools, flash with an intensity that takes my breath away. His lips crash into mine, his large body pressing me back against the mattress.

"I feel you too," he murmurs into the kiss, his voice a husky growl. "Every damn minute, solsken."

His kiss sears every last inch of me, igniting a wildfire within my core that consumes me whole. Each stroke of his tongue against mine sends jolts of electricity rippling through me, making me gasp into his mouth.

He pulls back, his gaze dropping to where his hand rests against my chest, the heat of his touch seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt and burning a path straight to my heart. His eyes are ablaze with a fire I"ve never seen before, a primal need that tugs at something deep within me.

Slowly, he moves his hand upwards until he"s cupping my breast, his thumb grazing over my hard nipple. A shuddering gasp escapes my lips as I arch into his touch, the sensation sending sparks shooting across my skin. Desperation curls in my stomach. God, I need him.

"Helvete," he groans, his voice ragged. "You are undoing me, Tori." It"s a confession wrapped in a plea; a warrior brought to his knees by the woman who owns his soul.

The entire world disappears as I get lost in his amber gaze, caught in the storm of emotions swirling within him. I reach up to gently stroke the side of his face, relishing in the rough texture of his stubble against my fingertips.

Fear and hope twist together in my chest, but there"s no room for doubt. This is real—raw and untamed—just like him. It"s everything I ever wanted and so much more.

He kisses me again, harder this time, as he rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"Reaper," I sob into his mouth, intense shards of pleasure stabbing deep into my womb.

"Does that feel good, solsken?" His voice is a husky purr against my skin. His free hand slides down my side, slowly driving me mad. I can"t think beyond the pleasure his touch sends coursing through me. I can"t think beyond him.

"Answer me," he commands, nipping at my bottom lip.

"Yes," I gasp, hardly recognizing my own voice.

He chuckles then, the sound a low rumble against my chest. "Barely holding on, are you?"

A rush of laughter bubbles from deep within me despite the intensity of the moment; an eruption of joy. "You don"t play fair," I accuse, arching into his hand as he brushes against a particularly sensitive spot.

His laugh this time rings out into the room like a battle cry. "Where"s the fun in that, little Valkyrie?"

His teeth graze the column of my throat. A moment later his lips trace the curve of my breast, slow and tantalizing, until he takes my nipple between his teeth.

I cry out, pleasure spiraling into a dizzying peak. My back arches off the bed as electric shocks pulse from where he teases me relentlessly with his lips and teeth.

He slips his hands beneath the hem of my shirt, gently tugging the fabric up my body. I shiver beneath his touch, eager, aching, pleading.

He pulls away long enough to strip it from my body, and then makes quick work of my bra, the thin straps snapping beneath his impatient hands. My sweats and panties go too, stripped with gentle efficiency.

Devotion and violence blaze like twin suns in his eyes as he sees the bruises dotting my skin.

He shifts us in the bed, laying me out as he comes to his knees above me, moving with all the ease and grace of one who has spent millennia on a battlefield. Reverent hands trace every mark the Forsaken left behind, as if he intends to wipe the memory of their torment from my mind and replace them with his touch.

I don"t think he realizes he already is. Every time he touches me, another dark memory falls from my mind, consumed by his Light and the way he cares for me.

He dips his head, his lips trailing across my skin. "They"ll pay, Tori," he breathes. "I swear to you, every last Forsaken who laid their hands on you will pay."

"I know," I whisper, sliding my hand into his hair. "But they have no place here now, Reaper. Not in this bed. Just love me."

"Ja, little Valkyrie. Like no other." His lips close around my nipple again. It"s only his mouth and my skin. Heaven. Pure heaven.

I nearly levitate off the bed, shouting his name in pure bliss.

His hand inches down my stomach, slipping between my legs. His fingers brush against my center, pulling a cry from my lips.

"The sight of you, all laid out for me, drives me mad," he murmurs, those smoldering amber eyes of his meeting mine. The predatory look in them sends a flood of arousal between my legs.

He feels it.

A dark, rumbling purr vibrates from his chest. "Oh, solsken. I think you like making me crazy."

"Yes." I want him as wild with desire as he makes me.

"Good," he growls, nipping at my collarbone. His hand slides to my breast, squeezing the soft flesh before he rolls my nipple between his fingers once more.

A shock of pleasure dances through me, pulling a groan from my lips.

His mouth trails down, kissing every inch of me as though committing the taste of my skin to his memory. Each press of lips is molten fire; each touch is a brand on my body, marking me as his. He explores each curve, worshipping me, not simply man to woman but Fae to Valkyrie.

Then he"s there. Between my legs. Heat flashes through my body, lighting every single nerve on fire. He strokes me with those wicked fingers while his mouth wreaks havoc on me, licking and kissing everywhere.

The sensation is too much, overwhelming in its intensity.

"I want to hear you," he groans. "I want all of you, solsken."

I don"t hesitate to give him what he wants. "I"m yours, Reaper. God, I"m yours." My voice is nothing more than a whisper, but he hears me. He always does.

"Ja, you are," he whispers back before thrusting his tongue into me.

The world narrows to this moment. To the touch of him. To the sound of him. To the scent of him, musky and intoxicating. His low growls send vibrations through my core, stoking the fire inside me.

I come apart for him in a deluge of sensations that leaves me crying out his name and shaking. He rides out the wave with me, never breaking contact as he drinks in every spasm of pleasure that wracks my body.

When I fall limp beneath him, he lifts himself up onto his elbows to look at me. His amber eyes are dark with desire but something else burns there too—love. I see it in the depths of his gaze—a fierce and all-consuming love that mirrors my own feelings for him.

He"s beautiful this way, wild and untamed yet infinitely gentle—a deadly warrior brought to his knees by love. By me. It"s far too soon to feel this…and yet he feels it anyway. And yet, I feel it anyway, beating in my chest like the drums of war. This Fae is my purpose. He"s my reason.

A smile tugs at the corner of his sinful lips as he studies me, a thread of wonder shimmering in the molten amber of his eyes. I reach up, tracing the outline of his face with reverent fingers. His skin is warm and smooth beneath my touch, subtly roughened by the light dusting of stubble on his jawline.

"Kyron," I whisper, the name falling from my lips like a prayer. It"s the devotion in his gaze that undoes me—the way he looks at me as though I"m both his salvation and damnation. As though I hold the power to mend and destroy him. I"ll only ever do the former.

"Say it again," he breathes, his voice husky and raw. The soft command makes my core clench, a thrilling sensation that makes me feel alive in a way I"ve never experienced before.

"Kyron," I repeat without hesitation, loving the way his name tastes on my lips. It"s the embodiment of strength and resilience—just like the Fae himself.

He captures my mouth once again, his kiss filled with a desperate fervor that leaves me breathless. "Du er i min verdenv. You are my world," he whispers against my lips. "I love you."

I gasp, my heart trembling as it lights up with his name. "I love you too, Reaper."

He groans, his big body shuddering above me.

I slip my hands under his shirt, tugging it up his muscular body. He helps me pull it off over his head, leaving him naked from the waist up. It"s not enough to satisfy me. I want him as bare as I am, stripped raw.

I reach for the button of his pants.

"Valkyrie," he groans. "You play with fire."

"Ja," I breathe. "And I hope it burns."

His growl sends a shiver of delight through me.

I unfasten his pants, peeling them down his powerful thighs with a mix of impatience and reverence. He rises to his knees, shedding the last of his clothing before he hovers over me once again. The sight of his body in the dim light sends shivers through me, the scars scattered across his perfect skin telling entire volumes of his story.

I reach for him, tracing the old scars etched deep into his skin. As I touch each one, I press my lips against them, loving him the same way he did me.

When he can"t take any more, he flips me effortlessly beneath him and takes control. The dominance in his movements is primal, a potent testament to the need coursing through his veins.

He traces a line of heat down my body, his large hand covering my breast with unapologetic possession. His thumb grazes over my hard nipple, and I gasp, arching into his touch. He chuckles, low and rich with masculine pleasure.

"Kyron," I whimper, lost in the sensation of him against me.

"I love the way you cry my name, little Valkyrie," he says on a heated whisper, the rumble in his voice causing an answering pulse between my thighs.

I say it again, his name spilling from my lips like a prayer, a plea for more. With each pass of his wicked fingers over my sensitive flesh, my world narrows to him and the pleasure he gives me.

His mouth descends on mine in a fierce kiss, stealing my breath and sanity. His tongue moves in sensual rhythm with the motion of our bodies as we grind against one another—intense, urgent. He pulls away long enough to drag my leg up over his hip and I feel the intimidating size of him against my folds.

"I"ll be gentle," he promises, amber eyes ablaze with desire.

I give him a defiant smile. "Don"t be gentle. Be my mate."

A growl rumbles in his chest as he crashes his lips onto mine, notching his erection at my entrance.

In one swift movement, he enters me, taking away what little breath I had left. There is no pain, only a brief sting that fades to an exquisite pleasure that takes over all thought or reason.

He pauses, resting his forehead against mine. "Are you well, solsken?"

"Yes," I moan, my nails embedded in his broad back. "So well."

His dark chuckle makes my core clench. "Good. Now, it"s time to make you even better, little Valkyrie."

The world tilts as he thrusts forward, claiming what"s always belonged to him.

He becomes my entire universe then—the only reality that exists. Each stroke of his cock inside me brands his claim deeper into my very being. His muscles flex beneath my fingertips as he moves rhythmically over me, the feel of him sliding deep inside me intoxicating and overwhelming.

The intensity leaves me reeling, filling me with a pleasure so fierce it borders on pain. But I love it. God, I love every breathtaking second of it.

The force of his thrusts push me further into the mattress, the world around us fading into nonexistence until there"s only the two of us—Fae and Valkyrie. Kyron and Tori.

My nails dig into his broad shoulders as he plunges deeper within me, each stroke more powerful than the last. He pants above me, his labored breaths mingling with mine.

My body responds to his in ways I never imagined, arching against him as a rush of pleasure floods over me. His name spills from my lips on a desperate whisper as an orgasm starts to build within me—a steady pressure that starts deep in my core and radiates outward.

He must sense that I"m on the edge, because he presses his lips to my ear. "If I come in you, I"m going to knot with you, little Valkyrie," he whispers.

"K-knot?"

"My cock will stay lodged in your perfect body until your womb is full of my seed. I won"t be able to pull out until the knot releases."

My core clenches, a moan breaking from my lips.

"Helvete," he breathes. "You want it."

"Yes. Please, Reaper," I sob, desperate to know what it feels like to have him knotted with me, unable to leave my body, helpless to do anything but give me every drop of himself. I"m not afraid. Nothing has ever sounded more like heaven. "Please."

He roars my name, driving into me with almost punishing force. He"s so freaking massive, even being careful, he"s a beast. But I crave it. Crave him.

God, I love the way he feels on top of me. I love the way he moves inside of me.

My climax hits me like a tidal wave, tearing a scream from my throat as it surges through me. It"s a blinding, world-altering sensation. I clutch him tighter as it rips through me, my body convulsing around him. Heat floods through me, burning away every thought until all that"s left is pure pleasure.

His mouth finds mine in the chaos, his lips hot and demanding against my own. He devours my cries of ecstasy with an insatiable hunger, his amber eyes blazing with a primal desire that mirrors my own.

The pleasure is so intense it"s nearly unbearable as I quake around him, gasping his name. In response, he gives a powerful final thrust and then he"s there with me—caught up in his own release.

His massive body tenses above mine before he shudders violently, a strangled cry falling from his lips. I feel his knot as it slams into place in my body, locking us together like puzzle pieces. It feels so freaking good, I come again as he spills into me, his face buried in my throat. Our cries of ecstasy fill the room—our soul-searing connection crackling like a living flame between us.

We collapse together, tangled up in one another, knotted, and panting. His forehead rests against mine, our breaths ragged and mingling. He wraps his strong arms around me, cradling me close as his lips press against my forehead—a tender act that feels more intimate than anything we"ve done tonight.

And as we lay there, clinging to one another, still knotted together, I know that this moment will be etched in my memory forever, eclipsing every single thing that came before.