Avenging Angel (The Fallen 4)

“Marna!” He yelled her name and rushed toward her. Most of his hunting had been done in panther form, but when he’d finally caught her scent—ash and innocence—he’d shifted back to the body of a man. He’d stolen some clothes, and raced after her.

He hadn’t wanted her to see him as a beast. Not this first time. She’d be scared enough as it was.

Marna turned toward him. And just stared blankly. Not with fear or love. With no recognition.

Then she turned away and kept walking.

No. No. Tanner ran after her, grabbed her in his arms, and held her tight. “You aren’t alone.” She’d never be alone again.

Marna began to struggle in his arms. He held her tighter, being careful not to touch the wounds on her back. “It’s me.”

She kicked against him. Clawed with her small nails.

Tears trickled down her cheeks. She broke his heart.

“I can fix this,” he promised her. She had to be hurting. Those wounds on her back . . . he’d heal them. Heal her.

Heal her.

That was it. Sam had said that the angels needed time to heal after their fall. He could heal Marna right now. She wouldn’t need any time. He could take away all of her pain.

He would take it away.

His fingers hovered over her wounds. The power began to bleed through his skin and pulse through his body. He pushed that power at her, and Marna stopped struggling.

She gasped and her eyes—so blue—widened.

“My name’s Tanner Chance.” His voice was ragged as the healing energy drained from him and slid into her body. “And I’d die for you.”

Her eyes held his.

“I love you,” he told her as he gave her all the power he had, “and by some freaking miracle, you love me, too.” Enough to fall.

Her breathing had steadied. The paleness in her cheeks wasn’t so stark. He kept pushing his magic and energy into her. “Remember me.”

She shook her head.

“Remember.” And he pressed his lips against hers. His hands were on her back now, hovering over the slashes there. Carefully, he put his fingertips on her. As he touched her, the skin scarred over, the blisters and burns fading, as her flesh healed—as much as it could, anyway.

Her lips were closed, but so soft and silken beneath his. He kept kissing her. She had to remember him. Pain and pleasure. Fire and life. Hope.

Love.

“Please.” He breathed the ragged rasp against her lips. He was as close to breaking as he’d ever been in his whole life. “Just remember . . . me.”

Her lips parted. Her tongue snaked out. Touched his. Tentative. So uncertain. He forced himself to stay controlled. To kiss her gently when—

She pulled away from him. Marna’s eyes searched his. “How many times . . . ?” Her voice was weak, as if she’d broken it. When she had been falling? And screaming for him?

I’m here.

“How many times . . . ” she whispered again, “do I have to tell you . . . I want to stay . . . with you?”

His heart almost jumped right from his chest.

Marna smiled up at him. Stared at him with eyes that knew and said, “I . . . know you. I . . . love . . . you.”

Tanner’s control snapped, and he pulled her as close as he could get her. His mouth took hers, wild, hot, desperate.

He’d found the one woman in this world who could make him whole. Who could make him be more than just a monster.

She’d chosen him over heaven. Brought him out of hell.

And he’d spend the rest of his days making sure she never suffered again. No more fire. No more pain.

Only pleasure. Love.

Life.

“You gave it up,” he whispered against her mouth as he lifted her into his arms. “You came back to me.”

Her arms wound around his neck. “I wasn’t letting you . . . get away.” Her voice was weak, but growing stronger. Just as she was. “Someone told me . . . guard what I want . . . the most.”

She was the only thing he wanted. He’d take her back to his home. Their home. He’d get her in bed, and he’d kiss every inch of her body and make absolutely sure this wasn’t just some desperate dream.

“For the rest of my days, I’ll be . . . guarding you,” Marna told him, her lips curving in a faint smile. “I don’t need to . . . have my wings . . . to be your guardian.”

A killer shifter, with a guardian angel always by his side? Maybe fate was playing a game of makeup with him. Whatever was happening, that plan sure sounded fine to Tanner. Damn fine.

An angel and a shifter together forever. Hell, yes. He kissed her again. Curled his body over hers.

And knew that even heaven couldn’t be any better than this.

Nothing could ever be better than holding his angel tight in his arms.

Together, forever.

He’d found his paradise.