Page 78 of Dark Voyage Matters of the Soul

When both their bodies stopped trembling, Gilbert held her tightly to his chest.

Suddenly, his thoughts cleared, and he knew precisely what had happened. Negal had thralled him and Karen, so they hadn't been fully aware of anything outside the bubble encompassing the two of them.

It was done. Negal had provided the venom necessary for Karen's transition.

Paralyzing panic flooded Gilbert, a choking sensation and nausea that he hadn't felt since he'd become immortal.

Karen was his world, the center of his universe, and the thought of anything happening to her was unbearable. If she didn't make it, he would find a way to end his own life. But he couldn't. They had three little ones to raise, and Cheryl was still a young girl. He would have to wait for their children to be fully grown and suffer through existing without Karen until they had families of their own and were well settled in their lives.

It was a morbid thought that he had to push to the back of his mind and put a blockade in front of it. For Karen's sake and the sake of their children, he had to remain optimistic.

A god's venom activating Karen's godly genes increased her chances of survival dramatically, and Gilbert was beyond grateful to Negal.

Still, the jealous monster living inside his head had him checking that Karen's nightgown was still on, draped over them both and hiding where they were still connected.

"Mine," he whispered against her neck, and tightened his hold on her. "Only mine."

Karen didn't answer, probably because she was floating on the euphoric cloud that the god's venom induced. Gilbert hoped she was enjoying the trip, but more than that, he hoped that everything would turn out well, Karen would successfully transition, and they would have many years ahead of them to explore a future filled with endless possibilities.

For now, though, he focused on the fragile woman in his arms.

Listening to her slow and steady breathing, feeling the warmth of her body against his, he beseeched the Fates to keep his mate safe.

Dagor

"This was fun." Frankie removed her shoes as soon as they entered the elevator. "I love dancing, but my feet are killing me."

Suddenly, she was so tiny next to Dagor, barely reaching the top of his chest, and his protective instincts were triggered even though it didn't make any sense. The high-heeled shoes didn't make Frankie stronger or more resilient, although he had to admit that dancing for over two hours without taking a break was impressive for a human. It had been tiring even for him.

Frankie was probably exhausted.

"You should have taken the shoes off and danced barefoot."

Casting him a sultry smile, she stretched on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I knew you would bite me later and make my little footsies all better," she whispered.

The guy standing behind them chuckled, and the woman next to Dagor grinned.

If they were alone in the elevator, he would have lifted her into his arms and started on the fun, but there were four other people riding up with them, and he wasn't about to give them a show.

Clearing his throat, he leaned down and offered quietly, "How about a foot massage?"

"Ooh, that would be wonderful."

As they exited on Frankie's deck, two of the females who had been riding with them exited too, and he had to wait until they entered their cabin to lift Frankie and kiss her like he'd wanted from the moment she'd made the comment about his bite.

He carried her to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. "Do you need help peeling this dress off?"

She turned and offered him her back. "You can get the zipper for me, but before you get any ideas, I need to shower first. I'm sweaty, and I need to wash all the makeup off before getting in bed."

"How about a relaxing bath?" he suggested as he pulled the zipper down. "I can scrub your back."

"That would be lovely."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll start the bath for you."

"You are spoiling me, Dagor, and I love it." She let the dress fall to her waist, revealing the lacy bra underneath that was the same red color as the dress.

Swallowing, Dagor rushed into the bathroom before he could be tempted to do away with the pretty bra and deprive Frankie of the bath she wanted.