War of Hearts(88)

“I should never have compared our mating to what happened to me with Ashforth. I didn’t mean it to come out like that and I hate that it did.” Tears shimmered in her eyes and the intensity in Conall’s was no longer icy. “For a … for a long time, I’ve been alone, and not just physically alone, running from Ashforth.” She swiped impatiently at a tear. “I gave up on love years ago. I never thought I’d love anyone, and I never imagined that anyone would love me again.”

He moved toward her. “Thea—”

She cut him off, holding up her hand to stop his advance. “You have to remember that the idea of finding a mate is new to me. There are still parts of my life that are very human. Finding out we’re mates … you’ve just accepted it. And it’s not that I don’t believe that we are. I know”—she pressed a fist to her gut—“I know deep in here”—and then her chest—“and in here that’s it true. It’s just taking me a little longer to understand what it means. But I don’t want to walk away from this. Yes, my fear wants me to because I’ve watched the people I love die around me, and moving on with my life has been impossible every time.” She took a step toward him, her heart hammering so hard he had to hear it. “But when I saw that vampire plunge the silver into your neck, when I felt you dying in my arms …” Her tears fell freely now. “I wanted to die too. Running from Ashforth was just about surviving until you came along. You woke me up, Conall. You gave me a reason to fight instead of run. After everything I’ve lost, you terrify the shit out me”—she laughed through her tears and his gray eyes darkened with tenderness—“but the thought of losing you terrifies me more.” She gasped when he moved, crowding her against the door.

He pressed a hand to her breast, right over her heart. “Say it,” he demanded, guttural.

Thea nodded, trembling with the feeling that overwhelmed her entire being. “I love you, Conall. I love you.”

His answering kiss was ferocious with need and Thea met him, searching lips against searching lips, hungry tongue against hungry tongue, as their hands roamed each other, devouring, loving.

“I need you.” Thea broke the kiss, panting, as she fumbled for his belt buckle. “I need you.”

“I need you. I love you,” he breathed harshly against her mouth, unzipping her jeans as she worked on his.

Thea pushed them down with her underwear, kicking off her boots so she could free her legs. As soon as they were, Conall grabbed her by the ass and lifted her up against the door. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and she felt him hot against her. Then he thrust in deep with a battle cry that excited the hell out of her.

Thea held on tight, groaning against his mouth as pleasure zinged down her spine and legs. Their eyes locked as he drove into her in powerful, primal glides.

“Ceannsaichidh an Fhìrinn,” he growled against her mouth.

He’d said that before, just before he shifted to wolf back in Germany. “What does that mean?” she gasped as he moved, faster, deeper, harder inside her.

“‘Truth conquers,’ Thea.” His wolf eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “And this is our truth.”

She loved that.

God, she loved him.

“Yes,” she agreed, her fingers biting into his shoulders as his hips thrust faster, more desperately.

He kissed her, swallowing her gasps as she masked his groans, and the tension built and built and built—

Thea froze as it split apart inside her, and she couldn’t contain her cry of release as she throbbed around Conall in delicious tugs. He came seconds later, his roar buried in her throat as he shuddered through his climax.

Surrounded by his scent, spice and earth, feeling his hot breath on her skin, her arms wrapped around his powerful shoulders while he was buried deep inside her, Thea never wanted to move. This was a kind of bliss, happiness, she hadn’t expected from life.

She would fight for it until her dying breath.

“I love you,” he murmured against her neck before lifting his head slowly to look deep into her eyes. That love was open and clear for the entire world to see. “There are no words for how much I love you, Thea Quinn.”

Gratitude and exultation flooded her as she clasped his face in her hands and whispered, “I don’t think there is a word for this much love. It’s too big.”

Pleased, he kissed her slowly, his grip on her almost bruising. When he finally pulled back, it was with obvious reluctance. His eyes turned molten when she let out a little gasp as he withdrew from her body.

“When we get home, we’re spending an entire week in bed. No. A month.”

Thea chuckled as they set themselves to right, unable to look away from each other as they dressed. She loved that to him, his home was already her home. Thea was excited to see the beautiful place he’d described to her so lovingly.

And then she remembered something else she had to apologize for. “Conall, I shouldn’t have asked you about changing me … knowing the risks involved.”

He clasped her face in his hands. “I would give you anything in the world, Thea love, I just … I cannae lose you. And certainly not by my own hand.”

“I know.” She sought to reassure him. She reached out to touch the scar on his neck from the silver blade. “Believe me, I realize now what I was asking. And I’m sorry that I did. We never have to talk about it again.”