As Sophia packed her weapons into her traveling bag, she chuckled to herself. Her men thought she was having a bath, not sitting on the stairs listening to their conversation. She chomped at the bit to leave, fully intending to go into the mountain by herself to fulfill her destiny. She figured it was better this way, since she’d gotten Edric, Andreas, and Ezekiel into enough trouble. They would never be able to go back to their previous lives. Forever, they would be labeled traitors, unless she could find the heirs and restore them to the throne. After that, they could be pardoned for their crimes. The crimes they had committed for her.

Besides, if she were to perish in the mountain, that would be her fate to accept. She couldn’t allow harm to befall her men because of her. They may never understand, but she couldn’t stand the thought of her men dying slow agonizing deaths by the poisonous mountain magic.

She shoved another one of her knives into the bag, along with her leather wrist bracers to protect her skin from the string of her bow. Her eyes caught the tattoo on her forearm and imagined what Haris would think about what she was doing. Would he think she was running away? Or protecting her men? Maybe it was a little of both.

Andreas chuckled and said, “Going somewhere?”

She didn’t turn as Andreas stepped into the room. She wasn’t surprised she hadn’t heard him approach. He moved as silent as a ghost. They had that in common. And so much more.

Finally, she said, “I can’t stay here anymore. It’s best I go.”

“Best for whom?”

“You. And Edric, and Ezekiel. I’ve brought you all nothing but trouble.” She shoved another pair of leather pants into the bag. They were padded, better suited for climbing over hard terrain. They wouldn’t easily rip or tear on rocks or tree branches.

“If you left, I would follow you,” he said, as he moved even closer. His voice was calm, yet dark. Soft, yet deep. “To the ends of the world and beyond. Whether you like it or not.”

She sighed, knowing full well he would, despite all her protests.

“Edric and Zeke would, too,” he added.

That was true. The men she’d chosen were just as stubborn as she was. Albeit occasionally more. She smiled. She knew she couldn’t live without her men. She loved them too much.

Andreas pressed into her back. The heat from his body soaked into her, warming her skin. “It’s my duty to protect you, Sophia.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into him just a little. Smiling, she said, “I can protect myself.”

“I know. Probably more than most. Well, definitely more than most. I have yet to meet another woman that could handle a sword as well as you. You even come close to rivaling Edric.” He chuckled as he gently squeezed her upper arms. “Just don’t tell him I said that.”

She giggled and leaned into his comfort a little more.

They were both outsiders within the city they loved and called home. He knew what it was like to be persecuted. To be thought of as an outsider. He understood her on that level. She appreciated that despite hating that he lived under such terms.

“Indulge me. Let me help protect you,” he whispered against her neck, sending a pleasant tingle through her body.

With a sigh, she leaned into him even more. His hands slid down her arms, linking his fingers with hers. He pressed a soft kiss under her ear.

“You don’t have to do anything by yourself anymore. Not with me around. And I, for one, will never leave your side. None of us will.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes, angling her head to allow Andreas to nibble at her neck. His loving touch brought her so much comfort and eased the frayed nerves from the stress of living under the weight of the accusations placed on her and her men. She was grateful for him being there for her. For all her men.

Even though she’d always gone solo for years, she had a team now. Men she could rely on. Andreas was right. She didn’t have to do anything alone anymore. Her men would truly run to the ends of the world for her and not think twice about it. She was grateful for them, thankful to have them with her. They were family—but even moreso, her loves. She felt whole and less broken with them. Without her men, she would be lost, lacking control of her magic and ever on the run from herself more than the world.

He sucked on her earlobe, and need pooled between her thighs. She slid one hand into his hair as his kisses on her neck turned bolder with more heated passion. He moved his hands up her body, caressing her belly and then her breasts. He stroked her nipples through the fabric of her shirt. A groan left her lips. She ached to be touched. Skin on skin.

As though he sensed her need, Andreas pulled at her shirt, lifting it over her head. He tossed the garment to the side and set his hands back on her breasts, circling his fingers over her nipples. She angled her head back to capture his mouth, kissing him hard, tasting his mouth with her tongue. Andreas’s hand moved to the ties on her pants. He untied them and slid his fingers under the fabric, massaging her clit that swelled with each stroke.

He buried his fingers inside her. She moaned and bucked against him. Her ass pushed against his hard erection. She wanted him so desperately, she could barely breathe. This was the release she’d longed for since everything had become a chaotic, tangled mess.

Andreas nudged her toward the bed while pulling at her trousers with his hand. He tugged at the leather until it slipped over her ass and down her legs, collecting in a bundle at her feet. He untied and pulled down his own pants, freeing his firm cock. Sophia bit her lip at the sight of him.

So strong and beautiful. Her wraith lover.

She raked her fingers along his torso, from his shoulders to the base of his stomach.

He bent forward and kissed her deeply, pushing her back onto the bed as she pulled her feet free from her pants that surrounded her ankles. His hands explored her body with hungry need, and she clutched at his head as his tongue moved with hers.

His fingers dipped inside her again, sending tingles through her body and bringing the edge of her release forward.

He pulled away, panting for breath and cupping the side of her face as he stared into her eyes with so much depth that it took her own breath away.

“I would be empty if you left, Sophia,” Andreas said, emotion clear in his voice. “You’re a piece of me now.”

She knew that much was true. He held a piece of her soul. He was just as much a part of her as she was a part of him. She smiled and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him fervently.

He kissed her back and settled himself between her legs. The tip of his cock teased her entry before sliding into her wetness, filling her completely. A moan escaped her mouth. His thrusts were slow at first but picked up pace and force with each movement.

Sophia wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to fill her even more. He tucked his arms under hers, gripping her shoulders, digging his fingers into her skin. And she wrapped her arms around him even tighter as her climax drew ever closer.

The release came as she melted into the bed, moaning. Andreas groaned, almost a primal growl as he allowed her to finish her climax before pulling out and forcefully flipping her to her stomach. She got onto her knees, clutching fistfuls of the fur blanket that covered the bed. He ran his fingers along her back, raising goosebumps along her skin. An electric sensation covered her skin.

“Sophia…” His voice was full of awe.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw tiny blue sparks sizzling up her back. Andreas hovered a hand just above her skin, his eyes wide as he watched the sparks move along her skin. She thought the sight was different as well, but that was the least of her concerns.

“Don’t stop,” she panted. “

Andreas met her gaze and his lips stretched into a wicked smile. As he entered her again, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the moment. To Andreas.

He wrapped his hands around her body, filling his palms with her breasts as he buried himself deep within her. She could hardly breathe with the intensity of emotions and sensations cascading around her like a whirlpool. It almost made her dizzy. She pushed against him with each thrust, and pressure built in her apex.

As he moved, he slid one hand down and flicked at her sensitive clit. She gasped as his fingers made circles against her swollen mound. The pressure increased as her orgasm began to crescendo.

The muscles in her legs tightened, and her breath hitched in her throat. Release found her and pushed her over the edge of her threshold, into a pool of pleasure, drowning her in every delicious sensation. Everything around her exploded with color, sound, and texture. Her hands glowed blue, and the very air seemed to caress her like a lover.

Andreas’s thrusts quickened, until he groaned and collapsed on top of her. Sweat slicked his skin. Once he stilled, he kissed her on the shoulder. “I think you did indeed kill me.”

He chuckled as he pulled out of her then lay on his back on the mattress. She softly laughed and curled into him, draping her arm over his torso as she rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her.

She found herself caught in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She sighed, feeling even closer to him. Closer than she thought she could be. In that moment, she knew she could never leave him, Edric, or Ezekiel. They were each fundamental parts of her. She couldn’t live without them anymore than she could live without her heart or breath to fill her lungs.

She angled her head to look at him. Tendrils of dark hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks, and there was a completely satisfied grin on his beautiful face. His eyes were focused on a spot on the ceiling before they shifted to catch her stare. She lifted herself up enough to kiss him on the cheek and lay back on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her, his hand making its way back down to her ass. “Give me a minute and we can go again.”

She smiled and shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.” Her lips found their way over his chin and down to his chest. A sound caught her attention, setting her nerves on guard. She waited for the sound to happen again.

It did. Shifting armor. She knew that sound well.

She looked to Andreas. A crease had formed in between his eyebrows and he pulled from her into a sitting position. “I think that second round may have to wait.”

“Agreed,” she said and sat.

Andreas stood from the bed and started pulling clothes from the floor, handing Sophia hers. They both dressed and prepared for the worst.