Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

Kiyo’s expression darkened as he stepped into the shower. “I can look after myself.”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” Niamh huffed in exasperation. “But I don’t understand why you can’t just walk away when things are this uncertain.”

“Last time, I made no promise to fight. This time I did. I honor my promises. Without my honor, Niamh, I really am just a soulless bastard.”

She flinched. “How can you say that? We wouldn’t be mated if you didn’t have a soul. You couldn’t feel anything for me.”

“Right now, I’m feeling impatience. I fight, I win, and then I’m entirely free from the pack.”

“And if Astra attacks during the fight?”

“Then we fight back.”

“This is idiotic!” Niamh had hissed in outrage. “What about the promise you made to Fionn to protect me? Is that less important than your promise to Sakura?” She’d known it was jealous and childish as soon as she said it, but Niamh was too frightened to care. She’d hurried out, slamming the door behind her. She fought back tears as she glared out the window at the city beyond.

The bathroom door opened seconds later.

He didn’t say anything.

Just pulled her back to his chest, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed a tender kiss to her temple.

“I didn’t mean that.” Her tears leaked as she covered his arms with hers. “I’m angry at myself. I’m supposed to be one of the most powerful beings on this bloody planet, and I can’t even protect my own mate.”

He squeezed her. “That’s not your job.”

“She’s stronger than me, Kiyo. I can’t find her, I can’t get into her head—”

“Shh.” He turned her in his arms and she sank into his embrace, uncaring that his skin was damp from the shower. “We’ll find the pendant and then we’ll get out of here and go where she can’t find us.”

Hours later, it was time to leave for the fight and Niamh felt no more reassured than she had this morning.

“Come here,” Kiyo repeated, his hand still held out to her.

“No,” Niamh said. “I’ll fall apart.”

Anger flashed across his face as he stood. “So, your plan is to punish me for going through with this.”

“If you think that, then you don’t know me at all.”

He cut her an exasperated look before striding into the sitting room. “Then the problem is your faith in my skills as a fighter.”

Ugh, men.

“I know you can kick the arse of every supernatural who’ll be at that fight tonight. Except for one.”

“Astra.” Kiyo shrugged into a leather jacket, looking way too handsome and distracting in it. “We’re on our guard. We go there expecting her to turn up. It’s better this way than her catching us completely unaware.”

Niamh felt irritated that there was a kernel of common sense in his words.

“Fine,” she huffed, striding past him to their breakfast table. Lifting her hands over the surface, she gathered her magic to the fore.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh. I’m concentrating.”

Seconds later, three pure iron blades gleamed atop the table. Lethargy crawled through her.

Kiyo crossed the room to peer down at them. “What’s wrapped around the hilt?”

“A protective covering. I can handle it without burning myself. I’ll still feel weakened by it, but it won’t leave me with any scars if I wield it.”

“Where did you get them?”

“Somewhere. Who knows? Same with the protective covering on the hilt. I just think of what I want and my magic retrieves it for me.”

“And where are you planning on concealing them? We’ll be checked for weapons before we enter the gardens.”

“I’m not taking them with me. I’ll leave them here. If Astra does come to the fight, I can conjure them to me.” Niamh stepped back, her legs weak. “But I think we better leave the room now. Forgot how much of a toll that bloody iron takes.”

A forbidding scowl marred Kiyo’s brow, and a wave of feeling flooded from him. Startled by it, she followed him quietly out of the hotel room. The weakness faded almost as soon as they shut the door. Kiyo, however, strode down the corridor, pulsing with self-directed recrimination.

And guilt.

Hurrying to catch up with him, Niamh slipped her hand into his.

He quirked a brow at her. “Now you want to hold my hand.”

“Don’t be spiky just because you feel guilty for breaking my neck twice and trapping me in a room filled with iron.”

His emotions flooded her, including annoyance, but Niamh didn’t care. She’d forgiven him for that ages ago and he should know it. He tried to pull away, but she held on tight. “Kiyo-chan, it’s in the past. Let’s leave it there. I know you’d never intentionally hurt me.”

He whirled on her, grabbing her face in his hands to pull her to him. He crushed her mouth to his, his wild abandon way too sexual and hungry to be happening in a public hallway.