"Theia, wake up."
Theia swore Nyx was speaking to her from beneath the waves. She felt the way they rocked her side to side, the sensation of weightlessness. He spoke again, her name, and she wanted to swim to him. Her legs kicked but she didn't move.
"Theia," Nyx spoke again, but this time it sounded more stern. Her body swayed in the water, and then the air came in. She sucked in a breath, blinking up at the male. Theia wasn't in the sea, Nyx wasn't under water. He was standing over her.
A lazy smile stretched across her lips, her arms reaching up to him. He wasn't smiling, though. His brows were pressed together and low, his eyes harsh. His eyes. There was a darkness to the one on the left, not inside but around it. Her smile dropped into a frown as she reached up, brushing her fingertips over his cheekbone. His eye twitched, his jaw tightening.
"What happened?" She asked, though it didn't sound like that. Maybe that whiskey was too much if she still felt like this after sleeping. She felt almost worse.
"Never mind that. Why are you drunk? And why was Azriel here?"
Theia smacked her lips together, turning her head. "How'd you know he was here?"
"I can still smell his scent. He was here no more than an hour ago," Nyx snapped. Theia turned her eyes back to him.
"He came here to get us, but you were training and I wasn't here," she answered in a blur of words. Nyx sighed and reached down, slipping his arms beneath her back and legs. Theia squealed as he pulled her up, her head dropping back.
"What happened while I was gone? Did he get you drunk?"
Theia scoffed, rolling her head back up to look at him. "Please, Nyx. He's a hard ass. I doubt he even drinks. I was drunk before I got here."
She heard his jaw pop, a frown taking over her lips as she reached up to run her fingers over his cheek. Nyx rolled his eyes and started walking, carrying her up the stairs and into his bedroom. Theia laughed as he sat her on the edge of the bed and kneeled down, his hands on her thighs.
"Tell me what happened when I left, Theia."
The stern tone in his voice had her hiccuping in a breath, her unsteady eyes trying to focus on his. In this light, with the window behind her, she could see the yellowing bruise on his eye and the drying blood on his lip. She ran her thumb over his bottom lip.
"I ate breakfast alone, and then I tried on all of your clothes. I liked these ones the best. Then, I decided to go back to my house to get my own stuff so I didn't look like this when we go to Velaris, but everything was gone." She whispered the last word, remembering the way she felt when she walked into her house.
Nyx's brows furrowed. "Gone? What do you mean?"
"I mean everything, Nyx. My clothes were gone, my soap was gone, my chairs were gone. My bed and my mother's bed were both thrown over. They even stole my undergarments."
Nyx shook his head, like he didn't understand what she was saying. He let out a breath and squeezed her thighs. "We will come back to that, but it doesn't explain why you're drunk. Keep going."
Theia sighed, leaning back on her hands. "Well, Silas was the only one who was really in my house much. He'd be the only one to know what would hurt to lose. So, I went on a rampage. I went to his house and kicked in the door. Some female was naked on his couch yelling at me to leave, but I tore his bedroom apart. I even flipped his bed. I didn't find any of my stuff."
Nyx's eyes widened. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, making Theia grin at him involuntarily. "You tore his house apart?"
Theia nodded. "And broke his door."
Nyx shook his head, fighting his laugh. It made her laugh, and Theia leaned forward. She bit her lip, taking the sides of his face into her hands. "That's not the best part."
"What's the best part?" Nyx whispered.
"I went to the tavern for a drink, after I stole some of Silas's coins, and Elena was working. She poured me a few glasses and then said some things about getting new clothes but hand-downs are too big when the other person isn't fit. I knew she ransacked my house, and I got mad. I threw my glass at her but I hit the bottles, then I took the bottle of whiskey and drank it, then through it at her. I don't think I can go back to the tavern."
Nyx let out a laugh this time. Theia laughed with him, hiccups interrupting her. He shook his head with a smile before rising to his feet and sitting beside her. Theia leaned into him, soaking in his scent.
"Tell me what happened when Az was here."
His voice wasn't humorous anymore. Theia frowned, running her fingers over the veins on his hand. Her eyes narrowed on the dried blood and yellow tone of his knuckles.
"I came home and he was here. He asked me why I was drunk, I asked why he was here. He said Rhysand knows we are back and expects us by tomorrow morning. If we aren't there, then Azriel will come get us."
Nyx turned his face into her hair, breathing deeply. He took her hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"Why is his scent on you?"
Theia sighed, pulling her hand away. "I tried to push him away and he grabbed my arms. Then he pulled me to him and trapped my hands. He told me that he thinks that I have something planned, that I'm not just simply in love."
Nyx was silent for a moment, making her lift her head to look at him. Then, he spoke; voice so gentle and quiet. "Are you?"
"Am I what?" Theia asked, leaning forward to nudge his face with a soft smile.
"In love?"
Theia stilled for a moment. Her face pressed against his cheek, the rush of his heartbeat so clear. She wouldn't have spoken so quickly if she were sober, but Theia brought her hand up against his cheek, pulling his face to hers. She kissed him softly, her tongue running along his lip.
"I am. I'm so foolishly in love with you. I know you could hurt me so easily, you have before, but every part of me wants to challenge that. I want to be hurt by you. You're all I think about, I constantly crave your touch. Your scent is my favorite, and I could listen to your voice all the time."
Theia cut herself off by kissing him again. She kissed him deeper, climbing over his lap. She straddled his waist, holding his face with both of her hands as she ground her hips down. Nyx grunted against her tongue, his hands squeezing her thighs.
"I'm in love with you, Theia. Fuck, I'm in love with you and I don't ever want to live another moment without you," he murmured against her mouth. Theia moaned at his words, gasping when she felt him harden beneath her. His clothes were too thick on her skin, and she reached behind herself to unbutton the shirt from around her wings. Nyx didn't seem to notice. Their kiss was growing more heated, teeth sinking into lips.
Theia pulled away, tearing the shirt from her body. She nearly fell backwards, but he caught her by the waist. Theia arched into his touch, moaning at the simple sensation of his hands on her skin.
"You're drunk, Theia," Nyx murmured, keeping his eyes on hers. She smiled at him, bringing her hands down to untie the leather on her pants. He caught her hand, making her frown and roll her hips. Heat pooled in her lower belly at the sensation of his length beneath her.
"So? I want you, Nyx. You know I always do," Theia cooed, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his jaw. His head tilted back, his throat bobbing. Theia smiled, grazing her lips over his newly trimmed beard.
"You had a rough day and you're drunk. I can't touch you like that until you're sober. When you're sober, I'll have you soaked for me again."
She practically purred at his words. Theia rolled her hips again, sucking in a breath. "I'm soaked for you now," she whispered.
Nyx groaned, moving his hands to her hips. Theia nipped at his neck, running her tongue along his pulse. He began to move her back, sliding her from his lap. She frowned, pulling her head back as he moved her to stand in front of him.
"I can't, Theia."
She glared at him playfully, stumbling back as she untied the leather strip. When it was loose, she shoved the pants down. Nyx sucked in a breath, keeping his eyes on hers. Theia bit her lip, climbing onto the bed side him and laying herself on the pillows. She slid her hand over her breast, squeezing slightly as her other hand slid down her stomach.
"I'll do it myself, then," she murmured, keeping her eyes on his. Nyx's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, surely inhaling the scent of her arousal.
Her fingers dipped, circling her nerves as her back arched. She let out a moan, her eyes falling closed as she imagined his hands instead. The bed dipped beneath her, Nyx's hand sliding beneath her back. Theia gasped as he brushed her wings, yanking her up. She was straddling his thigh, his hands on her waist. Theia opened her eyes, vision clouded with lust and alcohol. Nyx was looking at her face, his eyes darting from her parted lips to her eyes.
"Get yourself off on me. Soak my thigh," he groaned, his head dipping back when she rocked her hips. Theia grabbed at his shoulders, her fingers twisting in his hair as she began to move. A moan left her as the pleasure rocketed through her, the friction of his pants against her core.
Her moans grew louder, and Nyx brought one hand up to cup her jaw. He slid his thumb between her lips and Theia bit down, meeting his eyes as she whined. He couldn't decide between watching her eyes or her mouth, his own lip caught between his teeth.
"That's it, Theia. Good girl, make yourself come," he spoke low, nearly a whisper. Theia's legs began to shake, her hips moving faster as her eyes squeezed shut. She sank her teeth into his thumb to muffle her cries, her nails digging into his scalp and neck.
She loved that he didn't touch her or look at her more than what was necessary. He let her use him to finish, to chase the pleasure that both he and the alcohol fed her. Heat ran through her, her head dropping back as her muscles tightened. Her orgasm had her crumbling, a moaning mess as she rode his thigh. As she came down from her high, she loosened her grip on his thumb. Nyx pulled it from her mouth, running it over her lips as she panted.
"Cauldron, you're so fucking beautiful," he cooed. Theia blushed, leaning forward and pressing her face into his neck. She felt like it. Entirely naked, perched on his thigh while he was fully clothed. Theia felt beautiful, because Nyx showed it to her every chance he had. She kissed his neck softly, earning a soft moan from him.
Theia soaked in the aftermath, reveling in her pleasure under the heat of his body. She didn't register the sound of boots thudding on the stairs or Nyx lifting her and dropping her onto the bed. His door flew open, Theia yelping and grabbing for the blankets.
"Oh! Uh, training is out early. My father stopped by and wanted me to tell you that the High Lord is expecting you."