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It’s a strange feeling, but all my doubt, all my hesitation has vanished. All that’s left is this powerful attraction between us that I’ve never really been able to resist. And I feel something new, a sense of security that I can’t describe in words. Since Ayden transformed into that fiery being in the gym, I’ve felt this sense of certainty. There’s something between us that leaves no room for doubt: We belong together.
“I love you so much,” I murmur. I see his eyes widen a little, and I can no longer hold back. I seal his lips with mine again, find his tongue, and sling my arms around his neck.
Ayden moves, steering me back a few steps without letting go of me. I feel a cool wall press against my back, but I pay no attention to that. I’m far too busy trying not to lose my self-control as Ayden’s fingers push up past my waist and reach my bra. I sigh when he pushes it aside and finally touches the skin. He caresses me, teases me, almost drives me out of my mind. I throw my head back, looking up into the night sky and wishing that this moment would last forever. When his right hand wanders along the inside of my thigh, I reach for the button on his pants.
But Ayden seems to be in less of a hurry. He takes his time, tormenting me, touching me through my clothing. Finally, he opens the button of my jeans, but even that he does deliberately slowly. He pushes them down a little, cups my ass, and slowly works his way forward. He runs his fingertips gently along the inside of my thigh. I gasp, and I only want one thing.
I hook my leg around his hip, and I’m so glad when he finally frees himself from those annoying layers of fabric. We make love as the moon and stars dance above us.
Chapter 19
Inestle against his chest, breathe in his scent, and run my hand over his firm belly. Ayden is lying with me in his bed, and he looks breathtaking. His tousled hair – the disarray of which I’m responsible for – his toned muscles, his smooth skin…
“You’re staring at me,” he says with a grin as he turns his face toward me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in close.
“You just look so dangerously good, and I have to say, it’s pretty unfair the effect you have on me. I hardly recognize myself.”
He caresses my neck, and the smile on his face is oh so seductive. “Hmm… I’d be lying if said I regret that.” He kisses me in that way that instantly ignites a fire in me.
I nestle against his chest again. I still can’t quite believe everything that happened last night. I’m back with Ayden; we’re closer than ever before, and we’ve professed our love for each other and can start over. And although I’ve gained so much, I’ve also lost a lot. I failed the destiny test, and soon I’ll be in the custody of the Fabricis. The thought makes me shiver. Ayden seems to notice, and he pulls up the covers around me.
“You okay?” he asks softly.
I don’t know what to say. I couldn’t feel more conflicted. On one hand, I’m over the moon, and at the same time, I’m scared of what awaits me. And then there’s the guilt when I think of Noah.
“Tess,” Ayden says, cupping my face tenderly in his hands so that I’m forced to look at him. “Whatever it is, I’m here for you. I know the test is weighing on your mind. But we’ll get through this.”
He looks at me, and the warmth in his eyes envelops me and makes me feel a little better. And yet…
“I failed, and now I have to move away from here. I’m in the Fabricis’ hands now. I doubt they’ll make it easy for me.”
When I think of Alfredo… He holds me responsible for his brother’s death, and he’s going to make me feel his wrath.
“You’re strong,” Ayden continues. “You proved that in the test and afterward. You didn’t transform.”
I don’t want to scare him, so I refrain from telling him that that was mostly thanks to his intervention. I can hardly believe how close I came this time.
“And you won’t let the Fabricis grind you down. Plus, you’ll still spend a lot of time in school, and I’ll always be here for you.”
He kisses my temple, and his words actually soothe me a little. He’s right. But I have to go live with the Fabricis. And I ache at the thought of it – now more than ever because I could be spending my time with Ayden after classes.
My mind wanders back to the test. What could I have done differently? What was my mistake? I get goosebumps, and Ayden wraps his arms tighter around me and kisses my temple again.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I hesitate. I’d prefer to put it all behind me and not think about it anymore. But I can’t just shake off the experience. It’s bothering me, and so in the end, I tell him everything. And I realize how good it feels to talk to him about it.
“I just don’t know what went wrong. What could I have done differently?” I sigh deeply and think of the moment when I lunged at the harbinger. I was so sure that the tip from the book would help me. “When I touched the harbinger…” I shake my head and try to somehow describe the experience. “I was gripped by this powerful force. It knocked me off my feet and it was like the creature’s essence was pouring into me and trying to rip me apart. I can’t think of a better way to describe it.”
“Those books contained a lot of information from different sources. I guess there was no way of telling which parts were accurate and which weren’t. None of the writers had ever been put through that test. It’s all just observations, conclusions, and assumptions. Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t fail. The fact that you defeated seven hunters is really impressive.”
“But unfortunately, it made no difference. That wasn’t enough to convince the Council.”
Ayden thinks for a moment. “Maybe it’s more that some of the Council members never wanted you to pass.”
My eyes widen, and I look at him in surprise. “You mean, I had no chance at all?!”
“I mean, there are probably a few Council members who considered your performance acceptable. At least enough to let you keep living here.”
