A Surrender Of Hope (Umbra Hunters #3)

30. Creed

THIRTY

Creed

“ W here the hell were you?” Valen snaps, hot on my heels as I cradle Meyer close, rushing down the stairs and back into the safety of the castle.

“There were eighteen Wraiths on the lower levels of the rooftops. It took me a minute to get through them all,” I grind out, my heart beating so damn fast it hurts. I try to take a deep breath, then another, and calm down, but nothing helps.

When the bells started to ring, I waited, guiding the Legions on how to attack as the Ulama grew closer, but the moment they crossed over the outer wall and headed toward the castle, I turned over the control to the leading Legion and jumped the front wall, racing to the castle to get to Meyer’s side. What I hadn't expected was to find Wraiths swarming the castle, their magic corrupting the safety spells as they moved through the halls and glided up the passageways to the rooftops. Hundreds were already inside, and I knew I would have to scale the castle to get to Meyer.

“How’s mom?” I ask, trying to distract myself.

“I’m fine,” she answers.

“She’s lying,” Valen adds, then grunts when Mom smacks him.

“No, I am not. Set me down immediately,” she demands.

“No. Dad said to get you to the Royal corridors and lock the doors,” Valen says simply. I smile when Mom snarls in response, but it's not a happy one. She will not make this easy on us, but if Dad gave the orders, not even she could stop us.

“You will do no such thing. I need to find your father and stop him before he does something stupid!”

“Mom, you have to let Dad handle this,” I mutter, trying not to think about how Dad is currently handling Arch. If I think about it for too long, I might get sick.

“That was not your brother!” she snarls, and I sigh, closing my eyes as the pain in my chest increases. A soft, warm hand cups my jaw, and I look down, finding Meyer staring at me with concern.

“I’m fine,” I whisper, finally descending the stairs and turning toward our rooms.

“No, you're not,” she whispers, and I bite the inside of my cheek, not wanting to talk about it just yet. My mind is still reeling from watching Meyer fight Wraiths, and my adrenaline is pumping through my veins from the battle high.

“It was Arch, Mom. We all saw him,” Valen tries to say, then grunts again when Mom elbows him hard and twists from his grip. “Dammit!” he growls, eyes flashing gray as I turn in time to see mom rush back up the stairs we just came down.

“Get her! I’ll take Meyer to my room and lock it down until the bells and drums stop,” I grind out, frustration filling me as my mother's stupidity puts her back in danger. Valen hisses a curse and nods, running after Mom as I turn back to the grand staircase and rush up to our corridors. “I’m going to set you down so I can hold my weapons. The castle was breached, and if there are still Wraiths in here, I don’t want to risk dropping you,” I say between clenched teeth as I set her gently on her feet. “But if you try to pull the shit Mom just did, it’s not going to end well for you or your ass the moment I tell Nox.”

“Yeah, I’m not going to do that. Those bastards are freaky as fuck,” she adds and shivers as she reaches to my side and grabs my Kalis blade and winks at me. “But does Nox or Razar need help? What about your Dad? Wait! Where is Theo?!” she asks in concern and I shake my head.

“He’s fine. I hauled him off the wall with me and locked him in the guardhouse which is spelled against threats. And there were still Wraiths on the lower levels, but the ones on the rooftops were almost handled when we left so the rest of them are fine. The Phoenix have the Ulama under control, and Jes has the horde of Beastia cornered. It will take him longer to kill and scatter them, but everyone should be okay,” I whisper, dragging her so that she stands behind me. “You keep eyes on our backs while I lead us to my room,” I instruct, trying to keep my tone light but failing miserably.

“Yes, Sir,” Meyer mutters with a snort of amusement, and I frown at her, not sure if I’m frustrated at myself for not being able to chill the fuck out or turned on by those words coming out of her mouth. I shake my head, grab her free hand, and place it on my shoulder to feel her touch in hopes it might help calm me. Then, I move forward, thankfully weaving through the halls with no other encounter with a Wraith or other person. Once I push Meyer into my room, I slam it shut, bring the bar down over it, and secure the five charmed locks that are magically infused with protection spells to keep all magic users out of the room.

I gently push her toward my bed as I move to the windows on the other side of my room, flicking every enchanted lock there before walking back and double-checking the doors. Grabbing my swords, I toss them to a chair nearby. My eyes scan the room as I pace out my nervous energy, the drums and bells still sounding their warning in the distance.

“Creed?” I twist, looking back to Meyer where she sits, covered in blood and looking at me with big green eyes. “Are you alright?” she asks, and I move toward her, wanting to pull her back into my arms, but I stop. My arms feel heavy, and the air around me is hotter than normal. Lacing my fingers, I crouch in front of her, resting my elbows on my knees as I look at her beautiful face.

“Of course,” I lie, not sure why the hell I’m freaking out right now. I’ve been in battle hundreds of times. I’ve almost lost my life more times than I can count, so why am I reacting like this? Meyer glares at me, like she knows I’m lying and I briefly wonder if she can. I know that when Demons mate, sometimes some of their gifts can be shared with one another, but I’m not sure if Meyer has enough Demonic blood for that to actually work.

She opens her mouth to say something, then sighs and shakes her head, shoving off the bed and surprising me when she pushes me back, my ass hitting the floor as she crawls into my lap and curls up in my arms, head resting comfortably on my chest.

“Let's try this again,” she whispers after a moment. “Creed?” she asks sweetly. I close my eyes and try to take deep breaths, her weight on me helping more than anything else.

“Yes, Meyer?”

“Lemon Drop,” she corrects, and I smirk, opening my eyes to peer down at her.

“What?”

“You call me Lemon Drop, not Meyer,” she grumbles, arms tightening around me as she snuggles further into my chest. I chuckle, unable to help myself, as I finally draw the first full breath into my lungs, taking in Meyer's sweet citrus scent, then frown when the harsh smell of acid and Wraith's blood almost overpowers it.

“You’re right,” I agree, wrapping her up tight in my arms as I climb to my feet and move to the bathroom. “And yes, Lemon Drop. I’m okay,” I whisper, kissing her dirty hair as I move to the shower stall and turn both shower heads on. “I saw you and Mom fighting those Wraiths, and it took me longer than I thought it would to get to you and I…” I pause as I move her to the bathroom counter and set her on it, spreading her thighs so I can stand between them and keep her pressed to my chest. “I kinda freaked out, I guess,” I finally admit.

Meyer laughs softly and nods, looking at me with her adorable dirty face.

“Understatement. I thought you would pull your hair out there for a minute.” She reaches up and smooths my dirty hair off my forehead, and I can't help myself. I lean down, pressing my lips to hers.

“Sorry,” I whisper against her mouth. “I thought I was going to be too late like last time.” The vision of Meyer lying cold and motionless on the snow outside the North American Castle haunts my every thought, and having to handle her being in danger again so soon was like an arrow to the heart.

“Yeah, but you have to admit, I totally handled it up there! No damsel in distress moments,” she teases, and I grin, standing to my full height.

“That is true. If anything, Raz was the damsel and you his knight in shining armor.” I agree, then frown. “Do not pet his Beastia again. That creature is not Razar. I mean, it is, but Raz isn't in control in that form. You could have been seriously injured or worse.” She rolls her eyes and pushes at my chest, making me step back as she hops off the counter and moves toward the shower.

“No, he won’t. He likes me.” I laugh at that and shake my head.

“Uh, no. That Beast doesn’t like anything,” I correct. Meyer narrows her eyes at me, and I raise my hands in defeat, knowing that look. She will simply argue until I give in, so I might as well let Nox handle it. He gets off on their arguments; I don’t.

“Take a shower with me?” she offers, looking me up and down. “You’re dirtier than I am,” she teases, moving over and starting to unbuckle my holsters, her tiny fingers undoing the clasps faster than I could. “Jesus, you're armed up more than I was. I swear your mom added fifty pounds of weapons onto me before she made me run up a million flights of stairs.”

“Not the stairs,” I tease, knowing full well how much she hates running and stairs. Her endurance is still shit, despite working on it with her for weeks.

“It was awful,” she agrees, removing the last belt and setting it on the counter next to us as I gather her back into my arms. Leaning down, I rub the tip of my nose against hers, letting her calming presence settle the rest of my frazzled nerves.

“I love you,” I whisper, then freeze when Meyer stiffens in my arms and draws back, looking at me with wide eyes. Shit, I just said that out loud. The words were the truth. I knew I was in love with her weeks ago, but I had planned to do something romantic, maybe take her back down to the caverns or make her breakfast in bed before telling her, not just blurting it out while we were covered in blood after a battle.

“What?” she whispers and I swallow my nerves. No going back now, might as well go with it.

“I think I’m in love with you,” I admit, then curse and shake my head. “No, I know I am. I love you, Meyer. I fucking love you so much it scares the shit out of me.” I say so fast even I have a hard time keeping up. I start to panic when she blinks a few times, trying to digest the word vomit that just spewed from my mouth and cringe. “Like, not scared in a bad way,” I mutter, anxiety creeping in as I try to back peddle from the scared comment just as Meyer giggles and slaps her hand over my mouth.

“You know, I had to do this to Valen as well. Is it that scary to love me?” she teases and I shake my head, hating that I said that word. “It’s fine,” she whispers. “I love you too, Creed.” Her voice is clear and steady as she stares up at me, her bright smile making my shoulders sag in relief.

“Really?” I grumble from behind her hand, making her laugh and nod.

“Is it that surprising?” she asks, moving her hand off my mouth, sliding it to my jaw, cupping my face between her small hands before sealing her lips to mine. My arms band around her, pulling her up off her feet and kissing her with everything I have in me as I bask in her declaration of love.

I can’t imagine my life without this stunning girl in it. I live and breathe by her every wish and demand. My first thought when waking is always her, and the last spent wishing I was with her. My need for her is almost terrifying, and I know there is no escape for her now. Even if she tried to leave, I wouldn't be strong enough to let her go. Meyer is mine, and I’ll fight for her and earn her love every second of my life to prove to her I’m a worthy mate.

“In the shower,” she whispers against my lips, shifting in my arms. I nod and move us fully clothed under the hot spray of water, letting it rinse the filth from us as I continue to kiss her, not wanting to let her go anytime soon. Her legs wind around my waist, grinding her leather-clad pussy against my erection and making me groan into her mouth.

“Fuck, I need you naked,” I rasp, setting her on her feet and reaching up, tearing the dirty fabric of her shirt up and over her head, leaving her in a simple white cotton bra. Water pours over us, soaking my clothes as I strip her, letting the water wash the dirt and grime from her skin. Her tits are pressed together, her creamy skin begging me to lean down and taste as she smiles up at me.

How the hell did I get so lucky to have this infuriatingly stubborn but beautifully perfect woman in my life? Looping my finger under her bra between her breasts, I rip it in two, exposing her breasts to me and moaning as my cock throbs in response, wanting… no needing to be buried in her tight hot heat.

Meyer sighs and shrugs out of her bra, shooting me an amused look as she flings the ruined fabric from the shower. “This is the second bra you’ve ruined. You’re going to have to start replacing them if you keep it up,” she scolds, and I shake my head.

“No more bras means easier access. Why would I want these contained?” I ask, cupping her breasts as I lean down with a slight growl and nip at one of her tight pink nipples. I earn a pleasurable gasp from her delectable lips as her slim fingers weave into my hair, clutching me tight.

“Yeah, but you’ve never run around with no support for boobs. Bras are mandatory,” she moans, trying to press closer to me. I chuckle against her, releasing her nipple with a pop before moving back to her lips and kissing her until both our lips are swollen.

Her hands move under my shirt, yanking at the ties before shoving it up my chest, then she breaks our kiss with a gasp as she jumps up on her toes, trying to get my shirt off. Laughing, I duck down, helping her undress me, cock throbbing when she yanks at my pants, tearing them down until I’m standing naked before her. Her hands roam over my body, sending chills down my spine as I grab the waistband of her pants and tear them, sending the buttons flying around us.

“Oh shit,” she laughs, hands gripping my forearms as she braces herself, letting me manhandle her until she’s finally naked. “Wait, wait, wait,” she says, frowning and pursing her lips, then she’s gone, leaving me naked in the shower with the biggest fucking hard-on in my life, staring after her cute ass as she sprints out of the bathroom and into my room dripping wet.

“What the hell, Lemon Drop?” I groan, turning off the shower and rushing after her, wondering what the hell is happening. All the spells on my locks remain intact, so I know the room is secure. My hands move to Meyer’s hips, tugging her back to my front as I look around the room. “What is it?” I ask, and she nods to the windows.

“The bells stopped,” she says, smiling a little as a breath of relief rushes from me when I realize she’s right. The drums are still going, letting everyone know the battle outside the outer gates is continues, but for now, the castle fight is over.

“Nox and Dad must have secured the castle,” I tell her, turning her in my arms, eyes moving to her rock-hard, wet nipples which are pebbled.

“That's good,” she whispers, eyes hooding as she watches me and I nod.

“Very good,” I rasp, the need for this girl only growing as I no longer have to worry about her safety.

“Creed?”

“Yeah, Lemon Drop?” She reaches down, her fingers gripping my cock and stroking it firmly from root to tip, drawing a hissed breath from between my teeth as my balls ache with the need for release.

“I need you inside me… right now.”