Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 205(@200wpm)___ 164(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Julien needed some damn sleep. They’d left his home in the middle of the night to come here, and all the adrenaline that had surged during the fight and the worry over Emory’s wounds had drained him. An elf named Alaric had come to the house with the clean-up wizards and had miraculously healed Emory. He was certainly handy to have on staff.
But watching that fight and being afraid that Emory would be killed had flipped some kind of switch in Julien. He’d been utterly terrified for Emory, which meant he’d caught feelings. And the way Emory had held him in William’s office after the earthquake made him think Emory had as well.
He looked at the angel, who’d showered off the blood right before they’d left. His hair was still damp and falling about his face—a face that was still too damned pretty. Julien would never tire of looking at it.
Emory looked back at him now, a faint smile pulling up one corner of his mouth. “Why don’t you get some sleep. Take the master bedroom. I’ve stayed here before, and the bed is nice.”
“Where will you be?”
“Out here, keeping watch.”
“I thought you said nothing could get through the wards.”
“Nothing can, but I’m still too hyped up to sleep.”
Julien stared at him for a moment, then said softly, “Then come to bed with me and not sleep.”
Heat flared in those gray eyes, but he shook his head. “You’re wiped. I can tell. You need to sleep.”
Julien nodded but took a step closer. “I do. I’d prefer to sleep while holding you.”
Emory didn’t say anything at first, then he slowly nodded. “I’d like that.”
They took their bags to the master bedroom, which was surprisingly big with a small, separate reading area with more shelves of books. Julien could read the room and knew that Emory was going to insist on him sleeping, so he changed into his favorite silk pajama pants and crawled into the bed. He watched, fascinated, as Emory retracted his wings. It was kind of wild to watch them disappear into his body. Emory got into the bed and pulled the covers up over them both. Julien tugged him close, smiling when Emory wrapped an arm over his chest and settled in.
“I like this,” Julien whispered. “You feel like you belong against me.”
Emory didn’t respond, just tightened his arm. They were quiet for some time, Julien surprised he didn’t fall asleep right away. This moment felt too big. They weren’t being ruled by passion and the shared affection felt large somehow. The room was dark, the street outside quiet so only the occasional bird call filled the night.
It was the first time in Julien’s life where he didn’t feel alone. Like he was a part of something important and as he lay there, that feeling just grew. A flood of warmth in his chest that made him feel connected to Emory in a way he’d never experienced.
“You’re not sleeping,” Emory said softly, his breath brushing over Julien’s chest.
“No,” he breathed. “Mind’s too busy.”
“Are you thinking about that rakshasa?”
“I’m not.” He swallowed back the lump that had gathered in his throat. “I’m thinking about us. That I want to keep seeing you after this is all over.” He held his breath, waiting for a response. He knew he was a difficult person and not always friendly. That he was a control freak, who preferred his life perfectly organized. His past relationships had failed for those reasons. Emory was like a shining light, and he was afraid of dimming that light, but his desire to explore this relationship further drowned out that fear. “I’m not the…easiest person to be around,” he warned.
“I haven’t had any problems around you, Julien.”
“But if we’re to explore this, actually date, you’ll probably get fed up. I know it hasn’t been long, but what I’m feeling is already more than anything I’ve felt with others. It feels bigger. Stronger. I’m not sure how to explain it exactly, but it feels more—” He broke off, struggling to find the right words.
“It feels more permanent, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” He swallowed again because that lump was stubborn. “But I can sense that you’re concerned about something. Every now and then, you get this look in your eyes.”
Emory sighed and shifted his head closer, resting his cheek on Julien’s chest. “That’s because I’ve been feeling more for you as well. My kind can form a different sort of relationship that’s very, very permanent. We can actually bond with some humans.” He lifted his head and looked down at Julien. “We can form permanent bonds with someone who is our soulmate.”
“What does that mean?”
“A soulmate is someone just for us. The bond is for life. And I do mean life. The human will live as long as I will.”
Stunned, Julien just stared back at Emory as he thought about what that would be like. He was sure he was in love with Emory. His feelings were deep and completely out of his wheelhouse. Were they strong enough for a long lifetime spent with him?