Henry lets me go and holds his hand out, waiting for my answer. I look at the door one more time, wishing I could tell Vesnia that I will find a way to save her and figure all this out somehow. I’ve never once felt this powerless.
And lost.
Looking back at Henry’s outstretched hand, I slide mine into his, feeling his rough palm brush against mine until his large hand covers mine and links our fingers. Henry takes me around the corner of the corridor and through two double doors onto a balcony that overlooks the back of the academy. “Why don’t you fly with me?”
“Flying isn’t something I’ve mastered,” I say, biting down on my bottom lip. Henry steps closer and wraps his arms around my waist, and I simply let him like he belongs to me. My body and soul warmly accept him, whereas my heart and mind are all kinds of confused. His wings stretch out at his sides before he moves them once, twice, and then our feet leave the ground. I instantly dig my fingers into the muscles on his arms as he flies us higher in the air until we are just above the academy. The wind whips around us as he holds me in the air and grins.
“Don’t hate me.” Before I can reply, he pushes me away from him, and I spin as I fall through the air, a scream catching in my throat. Frantically, I move my wings the best I can, and slowly I realise I need to glide. I spread my wings out, and the wind catches me, pushing me up in the air and letting me hover. Henry flies to my side, flying next to me, and I glare at him for a moment until he laughs, and I can’t help but laugh with him. He spins around in the air, and I copy him, staring up at the bright colours spread across the sky as the sun slowly sets.
This is incredible.
I spin back around and look for Henry, who flies out of a cloud and straight for me, stretching out his hand. I take his hand, and he pulls me behind him, down towards the academy gardens near his house, and he lands first before tugging me into his arms until my feet touch the floor. I can’t wipe the biggest smile off my face as we grin at each other, and my breath halts as he reaches closer and tucks a loose strand of my hair off my nose and behind my ear. We stare at each other, both of us knowing if we kiss now, then there is no going back. Henry and I have always felt like two planets about to crash into each other or miss each other entirely. If we crash, it will be life-changing, and we won’t go back. I know it’s too late for me. I knew I loved Henry Ravaric from the second I heard he was sick and it shocked me how I would fall apart if I ever lost him. It shocked me that loving Henry was as natural as breathing…but everything got so complicated, so quickly.
Henry’s lips find mine first, and I openly accept him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he deepens the kiss and his hands tighten on my waist. His lips hungrily explore my own, like he is trying to mark every part of my lips for no one else. And kissing me like this...he might just do that. When we hear a branch crack nearby, Henry pulls away and looks over my shoulder. I turn around to see what he is looking at, but no one is there.
“We should go inside,” Henry suggests, nodding at his house before meeting my eyes. “Only if you want to, that is.”
“I want to,” I whisper, meaning every word. Henry kisses me softly once more before taking my hand and leading me into his house. As usual, there’s a party going on, but nothing like the angel parties I was used to. This one is full of vampires, all teenagers and dancing to the heavy beat of the music, and most don’t even notice us as we pass them for the stairs. I try not to look at the angels in the room, some of them dancing and having fun, some of them being fed on or outright kissing the vampires. This is so messed up, kissing the vampire who has you on a chain. How can that work?
Pushing all of what’s happening downstairs to the back of mind, I follow Henry into his room, and he kisses me the second the door is closed, pressing me against the back of the door as I wrap my legs around his waist. Who needs a bed? Henry kisses me softer this time, like his kisses are trying to settle into my mind and heart forever. His tongue gently explores my own as he turns us around and carries me to the bed, laying me down. His eyes search mine as he leans over me, asking me what exactly I want.
Truthfully, I want to feel alive and connected to something, to someone. To Henry. I want to know if we are addicted to each other because we are mates.
Sleeping together will answer that question for us both...and more importantly...I want him.
“I haven’t before…” I tell him as I reach for the bottom of my top and slowly pull it over my head. His eyes widen as he stares down at me, and I unclip my bra at the front, letting it fall to the side. While Henry watches and I try not to be nervous, I push down my jeans and panties, kicking them off along with my shoes until I’m naked on Henry’s bed, his eyes burning with desire as he takes me in. “But I want you more than I want to breathe, Henry. I love you.”
“I’m in love with you too,” he whispers and smirks at me as he leans back. “Maybe we should be even?”
Henry slowly pulls his shirt over his head with one hand, his eyes never leaving me. After he undoes the buckle on his trousers, I watch as he pushes them down with his boxers, and I get to see his hard length for the first time. Hell, he is perfect. Meeting his gaze, I lean closer and run my hand down his shaft, making him groan and throw his head back. There is something so sexy about one simple touch sending your man crazy. I know I will never forget the throaty groan that escapes his lips. Henry looks back down at me and takes my hand as he leans over me and kisses me. His lips move down my body, spending time swirling around my nipples until I can hardly take it anymore. He drifts down my body, and his large hands hold my thighs, pushing them apart before he dives in and sucks on my clit. I swear I see stars as my back arches, and I moan loud enough for the world to hear me. Embarrassingly quick, I’m crashing into an orgasm, and I can’t help the noises that escape my lips as I come down from the haze, looking up at Henry.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” he murmurs, and just like that, I want him inside me. I need to see what he looks like as he loses control.
“Protection?” I whisper, and he nods, leaning off me to open his side drawer and grabbing a small bottle of tablets. I frown in confusion as he takes one of them and offers me one.
“They are magically made protection. You will be protected for a month with one of these,” he softly explains, and I grin as I stick my tongue out, and he laughs, placing the tablet on my tongue. It tastes like strawberries as he leans over me and I wrap my legs around his waist. Henry kisses me softly as he pushes easily inside of me with one thrust, and it hurts far more than I thought it would do. I gasp, but the pain instantly drifts away as Henry kisses me, and I thank angel healing for that. With Henry inside me, everything feels so perfect and complete that I can’t think of anything but him. He kisses me like he is trying to find my soul, and I give him everything I can, because he had it from the second we met. Even if he was a jerk…I kinda liked him. Slowly pleasure builds up inside me, and every time Henry thrusts into me, it gets stronger.
As I get closer, my moans get louder, and Henry picks up speed. “I fucking love you, Kaitlyn Lightson.”
“Oh god—” I moan as I tighten around him, coming harder than the first time. “Henry!” I all but scream his name as I feel him spill inside me, and his lips cover mine, swallowing my cries. In a happy daze, he softly kisses me one more time, and we grin at each other. The mating bond kicks into life between us, and a white glow covers our bodies for a moment as we stare at each other in shock. Like ivy wrapping around my heart, I sense Henry in my soul in a way I could never explain.