Luc didn’t wake up for two days. Two days of chaos where Babette and Elspeth had to explain to their Golden king what had happened. Stand witness as Joanna, who’d betrayed her Sept, received her punishment, and Elspeth’s mother appeared, thinking she was going to drag her daughter home.

“I’m not going with you,” Elspeth told her mother while standing outside Luc’s bedroom door.

“You can’t stay here. With him. The king hasn’t made a decision about him yet.”

“Either he kills Luc, or he doesn’t. Either way, I’m not leaving.”

“He’s a demon. Not a dragon.”

“I know.”

“He might try and use you.”

To which Elspeth replied, “He’s my anchor in the storm.”

At that, her mother’s lips pressed together, and she nodded. “Are you certain this is the future path you wish to take?”

More than anything. If he woke up. Elspeth wasn’t sure yet when or if that would happen. She’d gone back on her meds, not easily she might add. The temptation to know what the future held was a powerful thing.

However, it also took some of the surprise out of it.

Elspeth might have to numb her emotions about a lot of things, but when it came to Luc, she wanted to feel everything. Even the fear that he might not wake up.

She kept close, snuggling him, talking to him, even bathing his still body.

On the third morning, as she returned from the kitchen, she squeaked as she was grabbed and hugged. The biggest and bestest hug of her life.

“Luc!” she exclaimed.

“The one and only.”

“I was so worried. The Silver physician couldn’t figure out what was wrong with you.”

“Magic overload. I funneled too much, too quickly, and burned out. Did it work?”

“Maedoc is no more.”

“And Eogan?”

“We’ve not yet found his body, but given the violence of those tunnels and the current, it seems unlikely he survived.”

“If he did, then he will require lots of time to heal.”

“How do you feel?” she asked as he turned her in his arms.

His steady, blue gaze met hers, and his lip curled at the corner. “Well-rested. And you?”

“Happy now that you’re awake.”

“I wouldn’t leave you now that I’ve found you.”

“Promise.”

“My life for yours.” He lifted her off the floor and squeezed her tightly, swinging her around, cracking something in her spine.

Her entire body loosened, and she laughed. “The future is going to be epic.”

“Did you see it?”

“Nope. I don’t have to. I just know it.” She kissed him, a soft embrace of hello.

He took her greeting and turned it into a more carnal one, the kind with tongue.

He frog-marched her back toward the bed, but rather than lay her on it, he turned her so that her buttocks pressed into his groin. He murmured against her ear.

“I heard you while I was recuperating.”

“Oh. What did I say?”

“More like what you promised to do.” His hands were deft as they stripped her. When he had her naked, he pushed her toward the mattress.

She crawled slowly onto it, presenting her posterior, warming his groin.

“Are you just going to look?” she said coyly.

His hand rubbed over her butt, and he said softly, “Are you sure I’m what you want?”

“Very sure.”

“I heard your mother while I slept. Your king hasn’t made a final decision.”

“I don’t care. You are my mate.”

“Are we? Mated, that is?” He drew nearer, his hand pushing down his boxers, revealing himself, hard and long and ready.

“In my heart, we always were.”

“We should make it official.”

“How does a demon mate?” she asked.

“I’ll show you.”

He crawled onto the bed behind her, and she remained on her hands and knees.

He ran his hand down the length of her spine, right by the cleft of her ass and then dipping lower.

She caught her breath. He touched her again.

Her head dropped as he slid a finger into her. Then two.

The honey of her sex eased his way and slicked his wet digit over her clit.

Her face ducked low enough that her cheek pressed against the sheet. Her fingers fisted the bed linens while her lush ass presented itself to him.

Luc positioned himself behind her, the tip of him probing. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the other on her hip as he pushed himself into her. Then he slammed his cock into her welcoming sheath, and she felt the wet glove of her sex tightening around him.

“Yes,” she hissed as he pounded into her willing flesh.

He woke her body, and she loved that he wasn’t gentle about it. His passion ran as hotly as hers. As he kept thrusting into her, the tension in her tightened.

He murmured encouragement. “That’s it, my beautiful mate. Sing for me.”

Sing? More like high-pitched cries and ragged breaths as she neared climax.

“Are you ready?” he panted.

“Yes.”

At the moment of ejaculation, he whispered it, that most powerful word of power. A word a demon could only use once in their lifetime. It was binding.

A tie between them.

Pure love in its most beautiful form.

When the spell finished twining, she gasped his name. “Lucifer. I claim you, too.” Then she turned her head and bit the hand on her shoulder.

He yelled. She laughed.

But it was done. A dragon and a demon, mated. The world trembled. However, she didn’t feel it, cuddled in his arms. Her haven from the storms of the future.