Her lungs heaved and a rush of air flew into them. Her chest rose and her heart began to beat faster and stronger. Her limbs began to warm as the damaged tissues, cells and bones began to heal. As she watched, the jagged skin of her wound knit together until only a faint scar remained. It was the equivalent of supernatural CPR and then some.
As the pain receded and her brain began to fire on all cylinders, she understood what was happening.
Roric was giving his life essence to her.
She knew what the light was now. When the curse had finally been broken, Hades had lost. By the terms of the curse, Roric was now free. All the powers he’d had but lost were restored to him. He was a being of light, of immense power.
A breath caught in her throat as the last of her internal injuries was repaired. It was an amazing and scary thing. Roric bowed his head, his body swaying. She realized that the more alert she became, the weaker Roric got.
She hadn’t given her life for him just to see him kill himself saving her. Wrenching away from him, she rolled out of his reach. The band of light connecting them stretched and then snapped. Aimee cried out as the unexpected backlash ricocheted through her body.
Roric gave a yell and toppled over, hitting the cold ground with a heavy thud.
Aimee scrambled over to his side, calling his name. “Roric! Roric! Don’t you do this to me,” she commanded as she patted his cheeks with her hand. “If you die, I’ll kill you.” She knew she wasn’t making any sense, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was that Roric lived.
His eyes remained closed, but one corner of his mouth kicked up in a lazy grin. “I wouldn’t want you to have to kill me.” Then he opened his eyes and met her concerned gaze.
She didn’t know whether or not to smack him or hug him. He deserved the smack, but she was so damn happy she flung herself on top of him. He caught her in his arms, closing them around her. Aimee felt as though she’d come home. She started laughing and crying at the same time. “You’re okay. You’re alive.”
He sat up, taking her with him. Rotating his neck, he flexed his arm muscles. “So it seems. And better than ever.”
“What did you do to me?”
He cupped her face in his large hands. “I shared my immortality with you. You are my mate. The tiger knew it even if I wouldn’t admit it to myself.”
Suddenly shy, she ducked her head downward, but Roric wasn’t having any of it and tilted her head up until she met his gaze. “Did you mean what you said?”
She knew what he wanted and gave it freely. After what they’d been through, there was no place for anything but absolute honesty. “Yes.” She traced her fingers over his jaw, feeling the muscle jump. “I love you.”
“Be with me. Forever.”
“What about the Lady? What about your fellow warriors?” She knew Roric well enough to know he couldn’t just abandon them.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and finally, her lips. “We will continue to search for a way to free them all.”
We. She liked the sound of that.
“Our home base can be here. You can continue your work, and we will search for the others. Well?”
He was waiting patiently because he already knew her answer. There was only one she could give him. She’d sealed her fate when she’d climbed onto his back to ride him. “Yes. Yes, I want to be with you. Yes, I’ll love you for eternity.” She kissed his very sexy mouth, unable to resist.
Roric surged to his feet with her in his arms. The man’s strength was incredible. He carried her into the house and kicked the door shut behind him. Aimee rested her head on his shoulder. Their life together was just beginning.
Chapter Nineteen
Aimee stared at the ceiling, totally exhausted. Light was beginning to brighten the room, a sure sign that dawn was breaking. Roric had been insatiable since he’d brought her up to her bedroom last night, laid her on the bed and stripped her naked. She’d lost count of the number of times they’d made love. It was as though he couldn’t get enough of her.
She curled her toes and smiled. Not that she was complaining. Roric stirred beside her. She rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her hand, ignoring the sheet as it slithered down around her waist. She didn’t bother to pull it up. He opened his eyes and she smiled at him. “Good morning.”
The corners of his mouth turned up into a sexy smile. “It is a very good morning.” He clamped his hand over her hip and tugged. She gave a yelp of surprise and landed on top of him.
He cupped her ass in his hands and pulled her close. His erection was hot and hard against her belly. “Now it’s even better.” His low, suggestive tone set her heart pounding.