Page 60 of Shadow Kissed

Rap, tap, tap! “Lord Commander!”

A heavy knock on his door has us wrenching our lips apart.

“Who is it?” Raegal barks as we both pant for breath and he looks at me with want and confusion.

“It’s me, Jasiel. I need to speak with you urgently.”

I bite my bottom lip. Heavens! Raegal looks at me conflicted before he gently lowers me to my feet. He gestures with his head at the bed. Signalling for me to get inside and on shaky legs, I stumble to the bed and climb under the covers. My body is on fire with need. He waits for me to pull the covers over and I turn on my side, away from the door.

I hear him stalk across the room and pull the door open.

25

RAEGAL

“This had better be important,” I growl at my oldest friend. Jasiel’s eyes drift upwards to my hair, and he smirks.

“Apologies if I was interrupting something.” His tone dances with amusement.

“You weren’t,” I snap, brushing a hand through my hair. “What is it?”

I feel his eyes drift over my shoulder to the figure in the bed. “I hate to interrupt your sleep, but we need you urgently. Someone kidnapped two Shadow Kissed from their beds tonight.”

“Kidnapped?” I swear internally when I hear her voice behind me. Can she not just stay quiet and do as she’s told for once?

“Reya,” Jasiel says, a wide grin breaking out across his face. “Apologies, I didn’t realise you were keeping Raegal company.”

“I’m masking her scent,” I explain, frowning as I glance over my shoulder at her and her flushed cheeks.

“Sure you are,” Jasiel says, bemused.

“Can we focus on the reason for your interruption? You say they took them from their beds?”

Jasiel pulls his smirking eyes from Reya and straightens, clearing his throat. “By force and out beyond the walls of their hometowns.”

“Rebels,” I grind out, clenching my fists. “I’ll meet you at my office. Awaken Colonel Graybane and Farran.”

Jasiel nods his head trying to glance over my shoulder at Reya. “Sorry for disturbing your sleep, miss.” He thinks he’s funny. I slam the door shut in his face and turn to face her. She sits in my bed, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen from my kisses, clutching the blanket to her chest. Betrayal rips through me. I feel like I have betrayed my mother by taking an Asen woman in my arms. When my father did the same, my poor mother had to stand by and watch as she gave him the children my mother could no longer provide.

“I have to go,” I bark, striding over to my wardrobe and pulling out my military uniform.

“You think the rebels did this?” she asks from behind me. I can’t bring myself to look at her. I hate everything she stands for and in a moment of weakness, I gave into my desires and those whispers of encouragement from my shadows to take her, claim her and make her mine.

“This is them. We will find them, though, and when we do, I’ll tear them apart piece by piece,” I promise as I pull on my boots. I force myself to turn and face her, and she looks as unsettled as I am about what just happened between us. Had Jasiel not banged on my door, would we have stopped? Would common sense have prevailed? “Get some sleep. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“But your shadows. Isn’t that why I’m here?” Reya asks with a frustrated sigh.

“You’ll be fine. You reek of my scent. No mutt will smell you for a few hours at least.” I can’t help the venom in my words, and she flinches in response.

“Fine.” She huffs, throwing her head down on the pillow and giving me her back. I pause, feeling like a bastard for speaking to her like that, but then I remind myself what she is and how her kind are part of the reason my family are torn apart. I stalk from the room, desperate to put some distance between us and these conflicting and confusing thoughts she elicits from me.

When I enter my office, Jasiel is already there, sitting in a chair that he has pulled up to the window, resting his crossed ankles on the frame with a half-eaten apple in his hand.

“Are the others on their way?” I ask gruffly, walking around my desk and sitting down.

“They are. If you agree, I will organise a search party and we’ll head out to the villages to gather more information and see if we can track their movements after they left the town.”

I nod my head. “They’re getting bolder, that’s for sure.”