Page 37 of The Bonds of Nyx
Bile rose in my throat, but I kept my mouth shut. I went to my knees across from him.
“Those who mate the Daughters of Nyx are always powerful. They’re from long magical bloodlines that can be dated back to the rise of Nyx. They aren’t orphaned shifters with nothing to offer.” His lips curled into a sneer as he shook his head. “The mates of the Queen are meant to offer her something no one else can. But I can offer you nothing.”
My chest tightened at his words, at the darkness creeping through the bond. How much he hated that he had nothing to give me. How little he believed he deserved to be here, and how he still couldn’t fathom I would willingly join our lives—oursouls—together.
Tears burned behind my eyes, and without a word, I crawled over to him. He didn’t look at me, but he opened himself up for me as I situated myself between his legs.
Elias wrapped his strong arms around me as I settled against his chest. “I don’t care about any of that,” I whispered, a lump forming in my throat. “Because you offer me so much more than you realise.”
His arms tightened around me, our bodies melding together. “What do I offer, Angel?”
I tipped my chin and found his gaze already on me. “You’re my protector, Elias. You’re the guy who stood up for me in front of my mother. You’re the one who took a hellhound down before it could hurt me. You can be a grumpy bastard, but you’re soft with my sisters.” I blinked back tears as I reached up to cup his jaw. “It doesn’t matter what others think because they aren’t the ones I’m spending the rest of my life with.”
I caught the shimmer of tears in his eyes before he closed them. A breath rattled in his chest.
“We’re mated now,” I continued. “And from what I’ve gathered, we’ve got a lot of time to deal with all this.”
“You won’t be saying that when we return to Avalon. And especially not when you find your other mates. They’ll be princes and noblemen with armies and gold.”
I shrugged. “I don’t really care about that kind of thing, Elias. Trust me.” I peeked up at him through my lashes and offered him a half smile. “Anyway, I doubt any of them will boss me around like you do.”
Elias snorted, and his chest rumbled with a soft laugh. “The council will be an issue, too. They’ll question me, our bond.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” I replied, unease swirling in my gut as I considered what that would be like. “They’re going to be questioning alotwhen it comes to me, I imagine.”
He pulled me in closer, his breath tickling my neck as he sighed. “You have a meeting with the Queen tomorrow.”
It was my turn to stiffen. “Why?”
“Nothing too serious,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head. “It’ll likely be her answering your questions, checking in about everything that’s happened, and preparing you for when you arrive in Avalon. Kingsley will be there, and so will Maeve, so you won’t be alone.”
My stomach clenched with nerves. Not just over the meeting with the Queen, but over being with Adrian, too.
13
ADRIAN
FOGcoated the forest floor, obscuring mostof the ground and the surrounding foliage, caging me in a hazy mist. My lungs screamed at me from the cold air and the fast pace of the run, but I didn’t give in to the desire to stop, to give myself the break my body so desperately wanted. Even the mark from where the dagger had been plunged into my stomach ached with a dull burn, but I pushed those distractions aside.
The peace of the forest washed over me and cleared the agonising thoughts rushing through my mind. Aside from the gentle hum of nature, my thundering heartbeat was the only sound filling my ears. And yet, my head swam with disorganised thoughts, ones I couldn’t discard—no matter how hard I tried.
My jaw clenched as I quickened my pace. The world became a blur of trees and fog and shadows.
In the darkness, I swore I caught glimpses of her. Of shadows and blood and agony. The darkness contained a cruel smirk and red eyes that promised pain.
I shut all of that out and ran until I couldn’t feel my body anymore, until the memories were a haze. The erratic pounding of my heart overran the pounding in my skull, until my breaths became harsh, and I stumbled to a halt at the edge of the forest. I bent over to calm down and steady my breathing, but my skin itched with sweat and something else. Like I needed out of my body and the cage it had become.
“Fuck,” I breathed, scrubbing a hand through my hair. Since the attack, I’d done what I could to banish the demon from my mind, but she continued to roam in the darkest parts of my head without permission.
In that moment, she hadn’t seemed so terrifying. She’d just been another demon, another of Nyx’s children turning against our Goddess. I wouldn’t have counted her as much of a threat.
And yet, she’d bested me. By Nyx’s grace I’d fucking survived thanks to my mate, and here I was.
Running.
From my issues. From the past. From the future.
I lowered my head until my chin rested against my chest. My teeth vibrated from the pounding of my heart. My skin still itched, and the hairs on my arms lifted with the cold breeze dancing through the forest.