Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #4)

Chapter 77

LOR

I press myself against Nadir, savoring every inch of him. He’s warm and solid, my rock and my home. He sighs as my hand slips below his waistband, where I find him hard and ready.

“Ruin me?” he asks, as I wrap my hand around him and stroke his cock, pulling out a ragged moan, his hips thrusting into my hand.

“Isn’t that what you said to me that night in The Woodlands?”

He gasps as I stroke him firmly again. “Fuck,” he hisses, his forehead dropping against the wall. “I did.”

“You did ruin me,” I whisper before blowing over the back of his neck. “In all the best possible ways.”

He chuckles just before he moans again. “It was my pleasure.”

I laugh and then kiss his neck again before I back away and take his hand, leading him towards the bed.

“Now it’s my turn. Lie down.”

He arches an eyebrow. “For what?”

“It’s payback time.”

His face breaks into a grin, and he crawls onto the bed before flipping over. Tucking his hands behind his head, he spreads out his legs and lies back with a cocky smile and a brow arched in challenge.

“Hold out your arms,” I say, and he spreads his hands wide.

“Show me what you’ve got,” he taunts. “Ruin me, Heart Queen.”

“You’re going to be so sorry,” I reply as I send out a sparkling line of crimson lightning. I circle it around one wrist and then the other before I pull his arms over his head and secure them to the headboard.

He looks up and then back at me, still sporting a huge grin, and then lets out a breathless laugh.

“Oh, I sincerely doubt that.”

I climb onto the bed and unbutton his pants before tugging them over his hips. His erect cock springs up, and I lick my lips before I peer up at him.

“I like this,” I say. “Having you helpless and naked under me.”

“Can’t say I mind it either,” he answers as I slip my bra strap down on one side and then the other. He watches me with a hungry look as I unhook it and then toss it away. Backing off the bed, I stand up and slowly peel off my underwear as his eyes never leave me.

“Lor,” he growls .

When I’m naked, I crawl over him and lean down to kiss him, driving my tongue into his mouth. He sucks on it, bucking against his restraints as I press my body to his, relishing the feel of his warmth and the hard lines of his chest and thighs.

Pulling up, I tap my bottom lip. “What shall I do with you like this?”

He tugs on the restraints, sitting up as much as he can.

“Sit on my face, Lor,” he growls. “Smother me with your pussy.”

My mouth opens with a gasp of surprise, liquid heat pooling in my stomach. I was supposed to be the one in control here, but I like the sound of that.

I drag my hand down his chest and then I move up, positioning my knees on either side of his head. With one hand on the headboard, I look down and he stretches up, but I hover just out of reach.

“Lor,” he snarls. “Stop fucking with me.”

I gasp and then lower myself with a whimper as his tongue sweeps out to lap my center. “Oh gods,” I whisper as my head tips back, and I grind myself against him. He feasts on me as I grip his hair with my other hand. My hips writhe back and forth as I seek friction while he sucks and nips. It doesn’t take long before I feel my release curling deep in my stomach.

“Give me my hands,” he begs, coming up for air. I release my magic with a snap before he wraps his arms around my thighs and then devours me.

We spend the next few hours exploring one another under the light of the stars and the aurora lights, finding each other over and over .

But he could never truly ruin me.

I think back to that night in the Aurora throne room when the Torch said we were destined for heartbreak and ruin.

At one point, I believed it. At one point, I vowed never to let him have my heart. But it’s his now, every last piece of it.

And he was never my ruin.

He was always my salvation.

Our footsteps crunch over the snow, the night so still and quiet, I can hear my heartbeat. Nadir squeezes my hand as we crest a ridge that offers us a view of The Aurora’s snowy peaks stretching out for miles.

A soft breeze tugs at our hair, but our Aurora magic keeps us warm. We’ve spent the last three days doing nothing but lying in bed and enjoying each other, just like I dreamed during that night in the cave in Herric’s arena. It’s been even more perfect than I imagined.

But it’s a clear night, and Nadir decided we needed to get some air.

I stare up into the sky at the aurora lights rippling overhead. They seem even more brilliant than usual, their colors so vibrant it’s hard to believe they’re real. I remember those nights I sat in the Hollow when this sight was the only thing keeping me together.

How far we’ve all come since.

I look at Nadir and smile, the edges soft.

He takes my breath away every single time.

“This was a good suggestion,” I admit.

“I’m full of them,” he replies with a smirk .

We continue walking a bit further until we ascend to another high ridge. The snow sparkles like a million diamonds, and the breeze tugs at the strands of my hair. I inhale a deep breath, filling my lungs with the crisp scent of this place that is now one half of my home. I stare up at the stars, thinking of Tyr watching over us, so grateful he gave me this life.

Nadir wraps his arms around me, and we stand together, two people who almost lost everything and then found the world.

“I love you, Lor,” he says, and I nod as my throat swells with the threat of tears. It feels like they’re always at the surface lately. I used to hide them and stuff them away. I spent so many years pretending they didn’t exist, knowing they would only be used to hurt me, but now I understand how much they’ve helped me heal.

These are tears of joy, not sorrow. These are tears that prove how strong I had to be.

These tears remind me that I finally learned how to trust. The lies and the secrets are no more. Finally, I can be everything I’ve wanted without the burdens of my past defining me.

And now I am free.

“Every time I think of how close we came to losing everything . . .” I say, looking up, and he nods.

“I know. But we’re here. And we’re together.”

“Forever,” I add.

He captures my chin in his fingers. “If I have to follow you into the very depths of the Underworld.”

I laugh. “Let’s hope we never have to do that again.”

We both turn to look at the sky and watch the lights. My eyes flutter closed as peace spreads over me, slipping between my ribs and settling into my heart with a steady, constant beat that will carry me anywhere.

“Do you remember that night in the Aurora Keep when we went on the balcony? It was a night just like this,” he says as I open my eyes to peer at him. “You rocked my entire fucking world that night.”

“You did a number on mine, too,” I say with a laugh. He draws me close and kisses my temple. Then I look up and pull his head towards mine, staring into the endless depths of his eyes.

“I remember,” I whisper softly against his lips.

“I remember everything.”