Chapter 223

[ 1,153 words ]

You’re Going To Drool On Me?

Elliot

This was torture. The good kind. The kind that burned slow and quiet and left me wondering how the hell I was supp to breathe. She hadn’t done this in years. Hadit curled against me, hadn’t let her guard down long enough to just be last time she’d fallen asleep on my chest, she’d been small enough to fit entirely under my arm, all sharp knees and s giggles. Now… gods. Now she was all soft curves and quiet warmth, her body moulded perfectly against mine like she’ never belonged anywhere else. The scent of her hair, sweet, clean, familiar, filled my head until I couldn’t think about anything else. Every beat of my heart was loud enough for her to hear, Every breath I took felt too careful, too shallov if I moved wrong, I’d break whatever fragile peace had settled over us. I didn’t dare move. My hands rested lightly on hips, fingers twitching every few seconds with the need to tighten, to hold. To make sure she didn’t slip away again.

She wasn’t the same little girl who used to sneak into my bed because the thunder scared her. She wasn’t the shy, mes haired kid who’d tugged at my hand and called me her prince during make-believe. She was a woman now. A woman w heartbeat pressed against mine, her breath soft against my chest, her hair spilling across my shirt like silk. And she wa still Macey. Still the only person who could make Hell feel like home. I let my eyes drift shut, committing every detail t memory, the weight of her, the warmth, the faint rhythm of her breathing syncing to mine. It was selfish, I knew. This moment wasn’t meant to last. But for once, she wasn’t running. She wasn’t arguing or laughing or shutting me out. She was here. Calm. Still. Choosing to stay. And for that sliver of eternity, I let myself believe it meant something. My thum twitched against her waist, a traitorous movement I couldn’t quite stop, and she sighed softly, nestling in closer. My che tightened. If the Veil demanded everything from me-my years, my freedom, my soul-then this was the only rebellion I had left. Holding her here, even just for a moment, letting myself pretend that this was normal. That she was mine. Because one day, when she shifted and her wolf called for its/mate, she’d see the truth written in the stars. And if that mate wasn’t me…I’d have to let her go. So I stayed still. Silent. Memorising every breath, every heartbeat, every piece of her warmth that I could keep. Just for now.

We layed there for what felt like hours. The weight of her against me was everything I didn’t know I needed until it was there. Her breaths came slow and steady, each one brushing warmth across my chest, and I felt the tension that lived in my bones, years of it, finally begin to ease. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about the Veil, of duty, or the endless noise of souls waiting to be seen. It was just her. Ltilted my head slightly to look down at her. Somewhere between the laughter and the quiet, she’d fallen asleep. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, her lips parted slightly, soft snores slipping free in uneven rhythm. Then came the drool.

A faint dampness spread across my shirt where her mouth rested, and I couldn’t help the small laugh that rumbled in my chest. “Really, Mace?” I whispered, amused affection bleeding into my voice. “You’re gonna drool on me? Classic p>

But I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

Het weight rell right, like an anchor I didn’t realise I’d been missing. The smell of her hair, the warmth of her skiri through the fabric of her clothes, grounded me more than anything else in either realm ever had. Eventually, though, the leche in my back and the soft hum of the Underworld made me shift. I didn’t want to wake her, didn’t want to biesk

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You’re Going To Drool On Me?

whatever strange, fragile peace we’d found. So, I did what any logical, lovesick idiot with access to realms would do.

I opened a portal beneath us. The air shimmered faintly, swallowing us in a whisper of shadows, and the next breath was full of the faint scent of ash and sandalwood, my scent, the one that lingered in the air of my Underworld chamb We landed softly on the king-sized bed I’d upgraded to years ago, the sheets catching us like a sigh. She didn’t even s Her head rolled onto my arm, her snoring unchanged, one hand fisted gently in the fabric of my shirt like she’d tethe me there on purpose. I looked down at her, brushing a stray curl from her face, my heart thudding too loud in my che Every part of me wanted to stay right there, to hold her to bury my face in her hair, to pretend we were allowed to be close. But wanting something doesn’t make it right.

I sighed quietly, letting my hand hover above her cheek before pulling it back. “You need to want this too,” I whispere “You have to choose it. I can’t take it from you, but I want to watch you sleep, I want to listen to your breath. So mayt

we can sleep close p>

She didn’t answer, obviously. Just snored softly, utterly oblivious to the emotional hurricane tearing through me.

I gave a crooked smile, the kind that hurt at the edges. “That’s fine,” I murmured, lowering my voice to something alme reverent. “I’ll take that as a yes p>

Carefully, I shifted her off my chest, rolling her onto her side so she could stretch out comfortably. She immediately cur into the pillow, mumbling something incoherent that sounded suspiciously like “don’t move p>

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on it,” I said quietly.

I grabbed a few spare pillows and built a makeshift wall between us, lining it down the middle of the bed like it could somehow protect her from my thoughts. Then I lay back, head sinking into the pillow, and stared at her across the barrie

“There,” I said softly, half a grin tugging at my lips. “That’s respectful p>

The faint glow of the Underworld moon filtered through the curtains, casting her face in soft light.

And as her breathing evened out, I whispered to the dark, “Goodnight, Mace p>

Then I lay there for what felt like hours, wide awake, staring over that ridiculous pillow wall, listening to her breathe and pretending it was enough. Honestly, at this point, I would take and cherish any little crumb she would gift me.

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B:57 am P PMM

Goddess Of The Underworld

Juliet Zvayi

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