**TRIGGER WARNING This chapter contains sexual assault and/or violence, and suicidal thoughts that may be triggering to survivors.**
Dream
Adea
Her body went slack and she slumped to the floor. I held my mouth as I stared at her crumpled body. I was stuck between crying and screaming as I looked up to see who had hurt her. I smelled him before I saw him. He smelled of fresh-cut grass and pine. I wanted to cry as my gaze locked with his.
The pull to touch him, feel him, kiss him was all too much. My feet moved first, my mate was here. He growled as his eye took in my attire. His gaze promised pain and death. I cried as I ran into his arms.
The tingle of electricity I knew I would feel from him spread across my face, my neck, and my lips as he kissed me. He was hard and firm, and everything I needed. The tingles proved he was really here and the tears only came harder.
Tears streamed down my face, I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his muscular chest. His beautiful black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and his strong jawline and sharp nose were breathtaking.
Was it possible to be this beautiful? He’d only grown more and more beautiful over the last two years. The last time we had been together, I didn’t get a good look at him because I didn’t know we would be separated for so long.
I couldn’t believe how much he had changed in the span of two years. He was taller, broader, and firmer. I couldn’t help the way my breath hitched when I felt his hard bare skin against mine.
He didn’t have a shirt on, so he must have recently shifted. His pants hung loosely around his hips and I tried not to grind against him. My pebbled breasts were pushed against his firm muscular chest.
His rough fingers gripped my hip and his other hand wrapped around my neck. Tingles spread across my flushed skin as I stared up at him through my eyelashes. I waited patiently for him.
His anger was clear and warranted, he had every right to be seething. I washing afraid of him, I could never be afraid of my mate. Two years may have passed but I knew him now just as well as I ever have. He was my everything, he was all I needed.
“Adea,” he growled.
His voice was low, threatening, and heated as if he was warning me. Before I could say anything, something to make him feel better, his grip tightened and he jerked me forward until my body was flush with his.
I could feel every muscle, ridge, and ab against my soft body. His arousal was impossible to ignore as it dug into my belly. I lifted my chin up and offered myself to him. I willingly submitted to him, always.
His lips crashed angrily against mine and his tongue forced its way into my mouth. I parted my lips for him and leaned into his kiss. I sighed as he took from me what belonged to him and only him.
His kiss was angry, his mouth consuming, his mouth demanding. His grip on my waist was painful but it reminded me that he was here. My mate was here and I sobbed as I kissed him back.
I matched his possessive kissing with a thankful one. I poured my soul into it. My back pressed against the brick wall. The cloak proved to be useful and shielded my skin from being scratched.
His hardness dug into my belly and the hand on my hip slid down to my thigh. With one pull, I was hoisted into the air, and without another thought, I wrapped my legs around him.
Without a hint of shame, I ground against him with every needy fiber of my being. He growled possessively in my ear and I took this opportunity to kiss his lips, his jaw, his chin. Slowly, my kisses trailed lower and he groaned as my lips pressed against his neck.
I swallowed the sob down. I was already ugly crying, tears, and snots running down my face but I didn’t care about how I looked. I was just so thankful he was here but as thankful as I was, we didn’t have time for this. I pushed against his chest and he stared down at me.
“We should get out of here,” I pleaded. “We don’t know how much time we have.”
His eyes dipped to my neck and chest. I could see the anger burning bright in his eyes and I knew this conversation wasn’t over. And that was fine, I would tell him everything and anything as soon as we were both safe and far away from here.
My feet touched the ground and he turned from me. He started for the stairway and I followed after him. I didn’t glance back at Ava as we descended. I’d stopped thinking of her as my sister a long time ago.
We needed to get out of here and fast. By the time we reached the ground floor, my gaze darted around as I scanned the room for any witnesses. It was quiet and there was no one in sight.
We darted down the hallway, the castle was big and we had a trek ahead of us. If we could get out of here before Ava woke up, we had a chance of escaping but if she woke up before, she could alert the guards and we would be in trouble.
I stared at his muscular back, the scars from years of abuse stared back at me. How many times had he taken a lashing for me? How many times had he come to my rescue? It only happened once but I doubted him today when Ava opened the door.
I didn’t think I would see him, I didn’t think I would be able to escape. I didn’t think he would make it on time and I didn’t think he would keep his promise. I thought he wouldn’t rescue me, I thought he wouldn’t come for me. I should have known better.