Page 32 of Valkyrie Fate

"Nei, we didn't."

She sighs, a sad, worrisome sound.

I brush my hand through her hair, reluctant to tell her that Garrison was injured. We dropped him off at the hospital. His injuries were beyond the abilities of anywhere here but her, and she hasn't been able to access her Light again since she healed me.

Had he died while she attempted to sort it out, she never would have forgiven herself. I won't allow that. I guard her peace and her heart as much as her life. That's my role as her mate—to protect and guard her in all things.

"You're not telling me something," she says, tipping her head back to look at me. Gods. She's perceptive, her instinct unerring. She sees right to the heart of things, far more clearly than someone her age should. She's nineteen, barely in the full bloom of adulthood. Yet there's a wisdom to her that's as ancient as the stars.

How someone can be so wise and so innocent at the same time, I'll never know, but the little Valkyrie standing in my arms is both at once. And both sides of her make my dick throb.

I love every part of her in equal measure—her sweetness and her innocence, her quiet strength and unerring wisdom, her grace and bravery, her shyness and her fierce loyalty. She is a Valkyrie in every way, her heart as pure as any that ever walked the Halls of Valhalla.

"We were attacked by Forsaken," I tell her, unable to lie. "Garrison was injured. He's in the hospital."

"Oh no," she whispers, her face paling. "Is he–?"

"He'll live, but it was close." I take a breath. "Too close."

Guilt flickers in her expression. "I should have been there."

"Nei. You were exactly where you should have been, solsken. Rissa and Abigail weren't there either. That was by design. We won't risk the three of you to recover another Valkyrie."

She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. "You might not have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

A gentle smile tugs at her lips as she brushes her thumb across my bottom lip. "I love that you believe that," she whispers. "For someone who has lived as long as you have, you've never lost faith. I love that."

"I'll never lose faith." I drag my teeth across the pad of her thumb, nipping. "Never, Valkyrie."

Her eyes darken with desire. An answering heat stirs in me, hardening my cock. I pull her toward the bathroom attached to our room, a new mission taking precedence—getting this little Valkyrie naked and on my cock.

I crave her. Need her. Ache for her.

"What are you doing?" she asks, curiosity burning in her gaze as I strip, dropping my clothes to the floor.

"If you must ask, I'm doing it wrong, hjartað mitt," I purr, prowling toward her to pull her into my arms. My lips descend on her neck, biting gently into her sensitive skin.

"You're not doing it wrong," she gasps, melting into me as I reach for the hem of her shirt. "You're definitely not doing it wrong, Reaper."

A smirk curls the corners of my mouth as I hoist her shirt over her head. Her bra follows suit, discarded to join the growing pile of clothing on the floor. My hands trace the familiar landscape of her body, making her shake and tremble. She's a masterpiece beneath my fingertips—soft, innocent, yet burning with untapped power.

"Stand still, Valkyrie," I command.

She obediently tips her head back against my chest, as if to say, 'Do your worst, Fae'.

My hands start their journey again. Down to her waistband to unbutton and unzip her pants. She steps out of them, just as naked and vulnerable as she is beautiful. I touch her everywhere then, slowly driving us both mad.

Once she's whimpering, unable to stand still, I adjust the shower until steam billows around us, quickly fogging up the entire bathroom.

"Into the watery realm we go, solsken," I murmur before lifting her into my arms.

Her laugh echoes in our bathroom—joyous and bright—while I carry my petite Valkyrie into the shower. Pressing her back against the wet tiles is an excuse to explore more. My hands travel down to her thighs, splitting them apart and bringing me to eye level with her pretty pink folds. Even here, she's beautiful. Especially here, she's beautiful.

I lift her leg over my shoulder, burying my face between her thighs. I savor the taste of her on my tongue, drinking in each gasp and moan that drops from her lips. Every tremor of pleasure that courses through her body ignites a fiery explosion within mine as well.

I devour her, kissing and licking everywhere like the greedy Fae I am. This Valkyrie consumes every thought in my head, driving me mad with lust. Every minute of the day, I ache for her.