Page 44 of Sweet Dreams

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Zaldi

Lulu wasn’t big enough to do any real damage, but stumbling back, letting her body impact all of mine, was the perfect excuse to slip further from my brother. And, while her arms wound around my torso, I found myself looking quickly from Bailey, who shrugged, to Traum who looked at my mate with a quizzical expression on his face.

“Lulu…what’s wrong?”

“I pushed you away, I’ve been running from this and now seeing you, it just all hit me,” her words were rushed, tumbling over one another as she sagged into my hold. “God, Zaldi, I almost messed everything up. All because I was too scared to talk to you about it.”

I laughed at that. “Welcome to the party, Lu. I’ve been terrified since the moment I first met you.”

Her head tilted up, tear-filled eyes watching me. “What?”

I smoothed her bangs away from her face, “Meeting the person you’re destined to share everything with is pretty intense. Not to mention the pressure to be exactly what they need all the time.” I sighed, “I’m sure if we were to go back, half of those dreams in college, I spent the entire time too scared to even respond to you.”

She gave a watery chuckle, “You always seem so sure.”

“I’m older than you and grew up in a world where every individual seeks out the type of bond we share naturally.” Her eyes lowered again and I could feel her anxiety rising back to the surface. I rushed to explain, “But, just because something is good, doesn’t mean it doesn't work. That’s really what will set us apart from the others.”

“And you want to do that with me? Every day…for as long as incubi live?”

I couldn’t stop the grin as it took over my face. “Absolutely.” Slowly, so that she could stop me at any point, I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her mouth. Her eyes fluttered shut, but I kept mine open, watching the way her face relaxed as the bond between us glowed, strengthened, soothed us.

Because we were more than a fated moment. We were real. And I would show her that. Hades, I wanted so badly to show her that.

As I pulled away, I glanced at my brother once more. Traum and Bailey were standing side by side at her desk, looking pointedly away from us. “Can I steal her for the rest of the day?”

“Sure, sure, you do what you need to,” Bailey said, fluttering a hand at us. Traum nodded too, his smile broad enough that I knew he’d be giving me shit later on. But I didn’t care. I knew what I needed to do.

“Lulu, can you pack an overnight bag?”

She blinked, “What? Why?”

“Because we’re going on a trip…to visit my family.”

Slowly, Lulu looked from me to Traum and back again. I chuckled, “Not Traum…my whole family.”

Her mouth made a perfect ‘O’. “In the Underworld? Can we even do that?”

I leaned in, bumping her nose with mine, “We sure can.”

She breathed into me, her body settling, the acrid scent of her fear drifting away. “I’m sure I could use one of those days off.”

I stepped back, interlacing our fingers. “Good. Let’s go get ready!”

Lulu’s jaw dropped, “Right now?”

I tugged her out and down the hall, back towards Main Street and her home. The thought of her bedroom made my cock thicken as I ran an anxious hand through my dark hair. I could not be thinking of that yet, not now. When we were in the Underworld, where I could take her out far from the rest, where she could scream my name all she wanted without anyone hearing…then, maybe, I could get back to this train of thoughts.

But first, we had to fucking pack.

My thumb raced over the obol in my ring, my mind immediately sending a brief message to the King of Dreams. “Lord Arafel, I am bringing my mate for a visit.”

There was no reply, not that I expected one. I just wanted to be sure that we didn’t arrive with a troop of reapers waiting to try to take her soul or something equally as decimating.

A few minutes later, I leaned against her door as Lulu put a few items of clothing into a slim backpack, her movements excited and jaunty. “It’s only one night, Lu.”

I earned a hard glare from that statement and then she reached up, selecting a part of lacy underwear that made my mouth actually water at the sight. “Oh, so I should put these back?”