Thornhill Academy. Chapter 94

**Allison**

The sound in his chest starts again, a deep, low rumble that vibrates through the air between us, and gods, it does something ridiculous to my body. It rolls through me like warm honey, settles low in my stomach, and my knees almost give out. It must be the bloody bond, has to be, because the logical part of my brain would never want to melt into the solid wall of muscle that is this man’s chest. I take a slow breath, will every ounce of self-control I have not to do something stupid, and instead of launching myself into his arms like some lovesick idiot, I just… take his hand.

The moment our fingers touch, the bond hums happily, warm and bright. It feels like a sigh of contentment curling beneath my ribs. He watches our joined hands like they’re some divine miracle, his expression softening in a way that’s almost unfair.

I clear my throat, loudly, trying to reel this back to reality. “If we’re going to do this,” I say, gesturing vaguely between us, “we need boundaries.”

He tilts his head, clearly confused. “Boundaries?”

“Yes, boundaries,” I repeat, firm. “Starting with this: I get to say when I come and go. We’re not—” I gesture at him, “—shadow-napping people, and we’re definitely not locking them away in kingdoms. I’m going back to school.”

He opens his mouth, probably to argue, but I hold up a hand to silence him. “It’s not like I want to go to that school, but it’s a council thing. If I ever want to be part of the mortal realm again, I need to finish my education, or they’ll send me off to war. And trust me, war is not on my to-do list.”

He frowns deeply, his tail twitching behind him like it has opinions of its own. “You do not need that realm,” he says, voice soft but stubborn. “You have our realm. You could live here, with me.”

I exhale, already anticipating this argument. “Yes, that’s very sweet, and I appreciate the offer, but did you miss the part where I have—” I pause, counting in my head and grimacing, “—three other mates?”

He raises an unimpressed brow. “You mean four other mates.”

“No,” I say quickly, “we’re absolutely going to go with three.”

His lips twitch. “You had four.”

“Three,” I insist, crossing my arms. “We’re ignoring one entirely, thank you very much.”

He studies me for a long, quiet moment, then asks, voice low, “Do you want them to be part of your life?”

The question hangs there, heavier than I expect. My hand drifts unconsciously to my chest, right over my heart, where the bond threads pull faintly beneath my skin. His eyes follow the motion instantly, pupils dilating, as though the act of me touching myself there is something sacred.

“The bond…” I start, the words slow, shaky. “The bond definitely wants them.”

He inches closer. “And you?”

I swallow hard. My voice is barely above a whisper when I answer, “I guess… I guess I want them too.”

"Then you will have what you want. I will make sure of that. I promise you in every lifetime that you will have what you want."

The weight of those words presses into my chest until my breath trembles. It’s… devotion. Unshakable and terrifying, and somehow, it makes my throat ache. The certainty in his tone, the quiet strength behind it, feels like standing before a storm that has chosen not to destroy me. Now I just need to find out if the others want me too.

I lift my gaze, the firelight from the sconces painting his skin in molten gold and shadow. “Can you take me back there now, please?” My voice comes out small. “It’s been hours since the festival. I’m sure a few of them are… worried about where I’ve disappeared to.”

He studies me for a moment, his eyes softening. His thumb traces idle, swirling patterns across the back of my hand, the way one might touch a relic they were afraid to break. “Time is not a thing here,” he murmurs. “What feels like hours to you has been but a blink in your realm.”

I blink, the logic of that struggling to land. “So… what? If I go back, I’ll step into the same night?”

“Exactly that,” he says with a faint smile. “But must you rush to leave?”

The question catches me off guard. His voice lowers, rough velvet over steel. “Would you stay with me here, a little longer?”

He looks almost uncertain when he says it, a strange sight for someone who commands legions. There’s a hint of vulnerability in his expression, and it does something absurd to me.

“I…” I start, but words fumble on my tongue.

The bond hums again, soft and coaxing, like it wants me to stay just for a little while longer, to see what it feels like to be with this mate of mine.

“Okay,” I say quietly, the word leaving me before I even realise I’ve decided. And when I look up, the expression that crosses his face is enough to steal the breath right out of me. That impossible, fearsome creature, the Demon King, looks purely, devastatingly happy. His tail moves before he does, sweeping around me in one smooth motion. The sleek, dark length coils gently at my waist and tugs me forward until my palms press flat against the hard planes of his chest. My breath catches. My thighs part over one of his, and heat rushes to my cheeks before I can stop it.

“Ah—” Rhaziel blinks, looking utterly mortified. “Apologies, my hummingbird.” He glares down at his tail as if it has personally betrayed him. “It seems my tail is… overenthusiastic.”

The indignant flick the tail gives in response makes a surprised laugh escape my lips. “So it does have a mind of its own,” I murmur, and that pulls the smallest, crooked smile from him, equal parts embarrassed and adoring.

“I will have words with it later,” he says solemnly.

But the warmth from his chest seeps into me where I’m still pressed against him, and before I can think better of it, I lean closer. My cheek brushes over his skin, and he goes absolutely still. Not a breath. Not a twitch. Just… stillness. Then, slowly, that deep, resonant purr starts again and vibrates through every inch of him, through me. It’s not just sound, it’s a feeling, safety and heat and something dangerously close to affection. His arms come up, strong and careful, wrapping around me like he’s terrified I’ll vanish if he holds too tight and I melt. Gods help me, I melt right into him. The tension seeps from my shoulders as my body gives in, sinking against his warmth. His chin lowers, brushing the top of my head, and his breath stirs my hair.

“I did not mean to pull you so close,” he murmurs, voice roughened with restraint. “But now that you’re here…” He exhales. “I find I do not wish to let you go.”