Darkness Seduced (Primal Heat Trilogy #2) (Order of the Blade) by Stephanie Rowe Page A
Authors: Stephanie Rowe
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that grabbing her wasn’t an option. Not with her, not now.
Instead, he kneeled in front of her and bent his head so his cheek was right next to hers. “Lily.” He kept his voice as soothing as he could, having never tried to be soothing in his life. “I won’t hurt you.”
Gideon was aware of Ian moving around him, searching for signs the Calydon had been there, but he didn’t look up. He was too consumed with the woman in front of him, desperate to ease her pain. “Lily,” he repeated. “Nate’s dead. It’s over.”
A strangled sob escaped. “He’s really dead? Truly? I can go home? ”
“Yes.” Fuck. The anguish in her voice tore at him. He felt her pain in every cell of his body, in each breath, and in the very beat of his heart. He was so accustomed to feeling no emotions and never setting roots. He was simply a shadow, slipping through life but never connecting. Emotions were destructive. They caused chaos at best, and death at worst. He knew that. He’d been there. And he’d learned. As an empath, he’d had to shut down not only his ability to sense other’s emotions, but his own. There was no way to do his job and feel, and he had to do his job.
Gideon was used to living in a precise, controlled void, but Lily was delving right past his shields. He could feel every agony within her, every torment she’d suffered, every vulnerability. It was like this miasma of bright colors flooding his senses, and he couldn’t stop it. It was as if he’d come alive, truly alive, for the first time ever, and it shocked him. It felt brilliant, and at the same time, violently dangerous and out of control.
Gideon knew he had to pull it back, to get her out of his body, to reclaim his steady state, but he couldn’t. Not with her beautiful, earthy scent drifting through him, her slim shoulders trembling so violently, and her heart beating so wildly to survive. Instead, he instinctively accepted her turbulence and sent out his own calming energy. He gave her his strength, his power, and his confidence that he could handle anything.
“Lily,” he said softly. He didn’t know how to comfort her. He’d never tried to offer support. He’d never been comforted. It made no sense in his world. To need comfort or offer it was weakness and vulnerability in a world held firm with protocol and duty. And yet, he had to do it. Now. For her.
Gideon grasped her shoulders, intending to support her, but the contact shocked him. It was like an electric spark leaping from her body to his. Lily sucked in her breath and she stared at him in shock. Her skin was hot, so decadently soft, so feminine and alive beneath his hands.
Her eyes widened, and he felt her sudden flush of desire. It was the same crash of physical awareness that had hit them both at Nate’s house. It was more intense now, so much more, because of the physical contact between them. Fear rippled through her, and Gideon tensed, certain she was going to pull away. Every impulse in him roared with refusal to allow her to pull back, his unwillingness to lose contact with her.
But she didn’t retreat.
To his shock and utterly male satisfaction, she leaned slightly into his touch, accepting his offer.
Gideon immediately closed the distance between them, sliding his hands down her upper arms. He could feel every curve of her muscles and the angle of her bones. She was so thin, but at the same time, there was power vibrating beneath her skin. Lily was far from human, pulsing with power that roared through him like great temptation.
There was the thud of footsteps as Ian suddenly took off across the pavement and sprinted into the desert. Gideon didn’t follow, knowing Ian would have let him know if he needed help. He stayed right where he was, shielding Lily with his body, accepting her violent emotions, and running his hands over skin that was too precious to be marred with so many bruises.
“I’ve got you,” he said simply. There were no more words to say.
Instead, he kneeled in front of her and bent his head so his cheek was right next to hers. “Lily.” He kept his voice as soothing as he could, having never tried to be soothing in his life. “I won’t hurt you.”
Gideon was aware of Ian moving around him, searching for signs the Calydon had been there, but he didn’t look up. He was too consumed with the woman in front of him, desperate to ease her pain. “Lily,” he repeated. “Nate’s dead. It’s over.”
A strangled sob escaped. “He’s really dead? Truly? I can go home? ”
“Yes.” Fuck. The anguish in her voice tore at him. He felt her pain in every cell of his body, in each breath, and in the very beat of his heart. He was so accustomed to feeling no emotions and never setting roots. He was simply a shadow, slipping through life but never connecting. Emotions were destructive. They caused chaos at best, and death at worst. He knew that. He’d been there. And he’d learned. As an empath, he’d had to shut down not only his ability to sense other’s emotions, but his own. There was no way to do his job and feel, and he had to do his job.
Gideon was used to living in a precise, controlled void, but Lily was delving right past his shields. He could feel every agony within her, every torment she’d suffered, every vulnerability. It was like this miasma of bright colors flooding his senses, and he couldn’t stop it. It was as if he’d come alive, truly alive, for the first time ever, and it shocked him. It felt brilliant, and at the same time, violently dangerous and out of control.
Gideon knew he had to pull it back, to get her out of his body, to reclaim his steady state, but he couldn’t. Not with her beautiful, earthy scent drifting through him, her slim shoulders trembling so violently, and her heart beating so wildly to survive. Instead, he instinctively accepted her turbulence and sent out his own calming energy. He gave her his strength, his power, and his confidence that he could handle anything.
“Lily,” he said softly. He didn’t know how to comfort her. He’d never tried to offer support. He’d never been comforted. It made no sense in his world. To need comfort or offer it was weakness and vulnerability in a world held firm with protocol and duty. And yet, he had to do it. Now. For her.
Gideon grasped her shoulders, intending to support her, but the contact shocked him. It was like an electric spark leaping from her body to his. Lily sucked in her breath and she stared at him in shock. Her skin was hot, so decadently soft, so feminine and alive beneath his hands.
Her eyes widened, and he felt her sudden flush of desire. It was the same crash of physical awareness that had hit them both at Nate’s house. It was more intense now, so much more, because of the physical contact between them. Fear rippled through her, and Gideon tensed, certain she was going to pull away. Every impulse in him roared with refusal to allow her to pull back, his unwillingness to lose contact with her.
But she didn’t retreat.
To his shock and utterly male satisfaction, she leaned slightly into his touch, accepting his offer.
Gideon immediately closed the distance between them, sliding his hands down her upper arms. He could feel every curve of her muscles and the angle of her bones. She was so thin, but at the same time, there was power vibrating beneath her skin. Lily was far from human, pulsing with power that roared through him like great temptation.
There was the thud of footsteps as Ian suddenly took off across the pavement and sprinted into the desert. Gideon didn’t follow, knowing Ian would have let him know if he needed help. He stayed right where he was, shielding Lily with his body, accepting her violent emotions, and running his hands over skin that was too precious to be marred with so many bruises.
“I’ve got you,” he said simply. There were no more words to say.
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