The Knight's Rose

Chapter Forty-Three ~ The Saving of a Rose ~ Part Two

Chapter Forty-Three ~ The Saving of a Rose ~ Part Two

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⤝O⤞

Rose's POV

It was quiet as Nikolai retracted the sword from Levon's chest. He held it in his left hand as he stood up from the still body. Slowly, he turned to look at me, and we stared at each other for a minute before he was running towards me.

Briefly, I heard the sound of his sword hitting the ground with a small thud.

In seconds, Nikolai was on his knees and I was in his hard brawny arms as he pulled me into his chest. He hugged me tightly, desperately, as if he had no plans of letting me go. He held me as if I would disappear at any second. As if he was trying to memorize every curve and arch of my body.

I breathed in his scent which was mixed with the fragrance of war and sweat. My eyes pricked with tears at the familiarity of being in the arms of the man that I loved.

"Rose," he whispered, his grip tightening so much it became hard to breathe and suddenly I fell in love with him all over again.

I couldn't believe I was in his arms.

His forehead rested on my shoulder, as his arms banded over each other around my waist. He crushed me to his chest, and I could feel his loud heartbeat against my own.

"Mifowai," I attempted to say his name, but it came out muffled as I still had the fabric around my mouth. Much to my dismay, Nikolai pulled away from me. He kept one arm wrapped around me while using the other to remove the fabric from my mouth.

"Nik-" I began trying to say his name, before I was cut off by his lips. It felt like the world fell away from existence and the only thing that was there was him. He kissed me like he was a starving man, and I was his only sustenance. As if he were thanking me for being alive, for staying alive.

His big hands covered my cold bruised cheeks, as his lips moved against my own. He tasted of winter and love, a passionate mix that had my body growing hot. It became harder to breathe.

I pulled away, my expression daze, my mouth forming the word 'wait' before I was cut off.

"Not enough," Nikolai growled, his hand touching the back of my head as his lips collided once more with my own. His left hand caressed my cheek, his thumb brushing softly over my cheekbone. This time the kiss was hard and rough, as his hand got tangled within my brown curls.

I tried to frantically keep up with his advances, my body pushing against his to get impossibly closer. I wanted him to know how much I loved him, how much I missed him, how I had yearned just to be in his arms once more.

The harder he kissed me, the more sparks I felt as though there was a fire between us. Burning me, destroying me, then rebuilding me just to start the whole entire process all over again.

"Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose," he muttered harshly against my lips, over and over again. He released my lips and pressed his forehead against mine, the soft tendrils of his brown curls brushed against my cool skin. His eyes were closed as he breathed heavily, trying to regain air back into his lungs.

He slowly pulled away, and I was left staring into his cerulean blue eyes that had melted into pools of desire. I found myself in an unflattering position of me straddling his hips. But I could care less.

I wanted to touch him, to reach for him but my hands were still tied behind my back.

Instead, I cried like a baby.