Tameka awoke to a strange sound, but considering how many people straggled by the rumpus room, ignoring it was the best option. Curled on the white leather couch, surrounded in Xelan’s musty book and spearmint scent, she purred against her arm and tried to fall back asleep. Big day tomorrow and all. Before her lashes fluttered shut, the sound came again, muffled but—

“Hello?” Tameka called out.

“It’s just me,” Xelan whispered from the floor.

She jumped off the couch and knelt beside him. “What’re you doing down there, baby?”

“I didn’t—” A small sigh escaped Xelan. “I didn’t want to wake you,” he finished with a sniffle.

Curling up against his side on the squishy carpet, Tameka said against him, “Always wake me. Always.” The darkness made it difficult to see his face, but with her ear pressed to his chest, she confirmed he’d set himself into a fit of tears. He draped an arm around her, and she snuggled closer.

Be there for him.

After a long while of his gentle crying, Xelan confessed, “I think I failed all of you.”

Tameka sat upright and gave him an incredulous look, hoping he saw it through the dark. “How can you say that? Look at us. We’re here, together. We’re fighting and making strides in our accomplishments. We wouldn’t be alive without you.”

Roughly, Xelan smudged the heels of his palms across his face, wiping away the tears. “I don’t think I prepared you enough for what this world would be like if Nox won the initial invasion.”

Tameka placed her hand on his chest. “No one could do that. And once you knew which strategy he’d use, you weren’t given time or access to us. Xelan, you’re one Icarus. An amazing, sexy god of an Icarus, but only one. No one is expecting you to save us all.”

“I am,” Xelan muttered and looked away.

Tameka climbed over his legs and straddled his lap to put her face right in front of his. “Tell me. What’s really bothering you?”

Xelan stared at her for a long minute.

She added, “And don’t say it’s about the Shadow because we’re doing a kick-ass job at this. Is it Rayne?” When Xelan tried to break his gaze away, Tameka brought his chin back around to her. She kissed his nose and said, “You don’t have to betray her confidence and tell me the details. Just give me the gist. We can’t cover for our leader’s weaknesses if we don’t know them, and god knows she’d never tell us.”

Xelan pressed his forehead to hers. In a thin voice, he confirmed Tameka’s worst nightmare, “I think Nox broke her down until she’s no longer capable of killing him.”

Tameka didn’t hesitate. “She was never killing him alone, anyway.” He snapped back and stared at her as she continued. “The four of us—Rayne, Sagan, you and me—we’re killing him. He’s paying for what he’s done, and we’re bringing him to his knees, together.”

Xelan’s warm hand cupped Tameka’s cheek, and she leaned into it. He said, “You are such a surprise. All fire and flames. Tumu’s right. I believe you could bring any army to its knees.”

After another moment of losing herself in his deep eyes, Xelan took Tameka’s lips with his. The kiss was yearning, demanding a distraction.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Tameka happily thought of one, grinding against Xelan. He groaned, but not in the way she wanted to hear.

Breaking their kiss, he apologized, “I depleted my energy stores fighting Nox.” Her brows shot up, and he held up a hand to stave her off. “I promise to tell you the entire story. As much as I know of it, anyway.” He rubbed his neck. “Bastard gave himself some upgrades.”

Tameka admonished him, “Not lessening my concern.” Then an idea occurred to her. “You need blood.” Her excitement funneled into her voice, and she did not care.

Xelan chuckled, asking, “Are you making a request? On my behalf?”

“No. On mine. I’ve thought about this every night since I met you. And you’d better take that as a compliment.” Tameka jabbed him in the chest, and he winced, rubbing the spot. Faker.

“You’ll be tired if I drink from you. As in unconscious.”

Tameka said, “I’ll sleep on the plane. Russia is hours away.”

Xelan glanced away as he licked his lips, sending her pulse hammering against her veins as if knocking to let him in. He placed the flat of his palm against her chest, slightly higher than her heart, which pounded for him. His eyes settled there.

Tameka dared not breathe as Xelan said, “A nacre makes a feedback loop. As I take, you provide, we serve the purpose of each other.” He met her eyes. “It’s pure sex.”

Breathless, Tameka swallowed and hoped he didn’t hear her gulp.

Xelan moved his hand to capture a loose red tendril. “Although I’ve never experienced it myself, supposedly Progeny blood increases dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin like—”

“Ecstasy.”

He peered at her with a raised eyebrow before continuing, “Drinking from you could hinder me. And without a nacre, I’m afraid it might hurt you.”

“Let me—”

Xelan released the strand of hair and pressed the same finger to her lips. This meant a lot to him. Tameka dampened the initial instinct to break his finger for shushing her and nodded for him to go on.

“That said, I promise to make you feel so good before we start that you won’t care as long as you promise to keep me in here if I start trippin’. I don’t want Tumu to have any new stories to tell.”

From her position on his lap, Tameka knew Xelan’s body upheld the promise in his words as if she ever doubted him. He removed his finger with a smirk. As soon as he let her speak, she whispered, “Do you smell bergamot?”

As Xelan roughly tore out of his overshirt, he answered, “Yes, and it’s intoxicating.”

Tameka laughed, full, happy as she stripped out of her shirt. “Boy, you are so cheesy.”

He laid her back on the black carpet with a grin. “And I know you love it.”

She lifted her ass to let him pull her shorts off as she spared a glance at the closed door. “What if someone comes in?”

“Let them come.”

Xelan’s ministrations left Tameka questioning her grip on reality. Questioning reality in general. How could one man do all that? Now, as she clung to the edge of the void, she feared breaking into pieces if she fell. She cried out for him, clawing at his back. In his soothing tenor, he reassured her, “Let go, Tameka. I won’t let you fall.” Then he scraped a sharp tooth over the thin skin of her neck.

Tameka let go with perfect trust in Xelan to anchor her.

At the same time, he pierced her skin and tapped into her carotid. She arched off the floor, and he lifted her from it with a moan against the stimulated nerves. With her pulse racing into his lips, she let go again.

Xelan needed Tameka’s strength, and she gave it. He needed her love, and she willingly granted it. He needed all the hot, rushing, searing life leaving her, and she allowed it. She wanted something of her inside him.

As Xelan drew from Tameka, he caressed the muscles of her back, shoulders, and nape. Gentle, comforting motions. He purred, vibrating his lips in rhythm to her lashes fluttering closed. She trusted him to take what he needed without draining her dry. Her arms fell away from him, and she lost her grip.

So heavy. Everything felt so heavy.

Xelan retracted his fangs and licked the wounds. Tameka moaned at the light contact.

Higher.

She went higher now.

Tameka’s arms and legs went useless to her. They draped as Xelan carried her to the couch. Opening her heavy eyelids one last time, she caught him measuring her with his beautiful Icarean eyes. They glowed in the unlit room. She offered him a faint, reassuring smile. Everything was okay. She just needed a nap.

Xelan laid down with Tameka in his arms, spooning together against the poofy leather. His fingers feathered down her arm with him whispering, “So soft.”

Then Tameka let sleep take her, happy Xelan always kept his promises.