Valkyrie's Sacrifice (Academy of Immortals 3)

His body stiffens as I slam into him, and his lips part in confusion. I cup the sides of his face in mine and kiss him—I just kiss him—not gentle, not hard…just incredibly, indecipherably right.

It takes him a moment to react, his body ridid. He’s afraid, I know that. Of his father, of his mind, of the Immortals. I lick into his mouth and slide my hands behind his head, whispering, “This is the right thing.”

Whatever’s been holding him back slowly begins to crumble, and his hands cinch around my waist. His tongue reacts to mine and his responding kiss starts slow, then shifts, growing deeper, stronger, until…

Crack!

A bolt of lightning zig-zags through the air, sending a current of electricity coursing between us. We jolt apart, but I feel the current in the center of my chest, coiling round and around the already existing bond. Luke looks at me with hooded, lust-filled eyes. Thunder rolls around the ring of the eye, vibrating against

my bones.

Luke reaches out for me and yanks me back against his chest. He tilts my chin upward. “Real?”

I feel the raised bulge in his pants, and I have no more uncertainty. “Very, very real.”

Again, his mouth crashes against mine, while his fingers dig into my skin. Suddenly it’s not only just real, but it’s consuming; like a roaring fire. My only thought is how did I not see this before? See him? I’d been so focused on my mission that I’d missed out on what was right in front of me.

The first drop of rain lands on my cheek, then another slides between our noses. That’s the last warning before the deluge begins, sheets of rain lashing at the two of us. I move away but his arms wrap tight around me and he lifts me off my feet. “You’re not going anywhere,” he says, “well, at least without me.”

I smile, the gaping, psychic wounds from the day starting to heal, and let him carry me off the deck. If Lucifer thought he could stop this from happening, from the fulfillment of destiny, he’s less powerful than I thought.

32

Luke

One kiss was all it took.

One.

That’s how I knew Hildi was right. I’d tried to pretend my desire for her was simply that—desire. I’m male. I’m young. She’s beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want her? But the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach had been growing day by day—growing larger even when she wasn’t around. And there was no doubt that other women did not make me feel the same way.

Then she kissed me.

Gods, it was like I was suddenly, truly alive.

Now we stand before one another, shivering just inside, soaked from the rain. My hands tremble; I’d like to say it’s from the cold, but it’s from being with her—from the heat of her mouth, to the soft touch of her hands.

I’d known but I didn’t see.

I’d felt but I ignored.

I’d wanted but abstained.

Not anymore.

Hildi needed another weapon in her arsenal. She needed another man to bolster her strength. I think…I think I was afraid I wasn’t enough compared to her other Immortal lovers. I realize now that I’d been drawn to her from the beginning for a reason—a purpose. She peels the wet shirt off my shoulders and I know. I just know.

I am man enough for the Valkyrie.

Taking her face into my hands, I pull her close, lowering my mouth to hers. I lick her lips, coaxing them open. Our tongues meet, the kiss deepening. I feel her hands exploring the muscles of my chest, her fingers grazing the hair on my lower belly. My cock hardens and a deep growl comes from my throat when her hips press against me.

“Gods almighty,” I breathe into her mouth, pushing the wet hair off her cheek. “I need to get you to a bed.”

She shakes her head. “Here, now.”

I look around, we’re in a narrow hallway that leads beneath the boat. There’s little room, but a rumble of thunder reminds me that the storm continues outside. It isn’t a normal storm. It’s one brought on by us changing the game. A warning. A wave knocks into the side of the boat, making the vessel whine and surge. I steady myself against the wall, but focus on the woman before me; slowly I untie the strings on her vest, revealing the soft curve of her breasts. My belly bottoms out, and I graze the pads of my fingers over her nipples. She shudders, squirming from the touch. I push my tongue into her mouth and run my hand down her body, feeling her hips buck.

“You feel so good,” she whispers, blue eyes shining bright.