Chapter 166: Only Us

(Umbros)

The steam curls around us, silvered by the faint moonlight that filters through the high windows. Lyra leans back against my chest, her body heavy with exhaustion and relief, and I feel every ounce of it through the bond. I feel the slow unwinding of tension and the quiet gratitude that she no longer has to hold the weight of the day alone. My arms are wrapped around her beneath the water, one hand resting just below her ribs, the other laced with hers. The floral scent of the bath oil rises with the heat, soft, calming, and soothing her.

I press a slow kiss to her temple, tasting the faint salt of dried sweat and the day’s lingering strain. She sighs quietly, and something deep in my chest aches with how much I love her. I have waited lifetimes to be allowed to carry even a fraction of what she carries. Tonight, I will carry it all if she lets me. For long minutes, we simply breathe together, the water lapping gently against our skin with every small shift. Her fingers tighten around mine and then relax again. The bond hums low and steady between us. I can feel her silver light threading through my shadows, warm where they meet.

Then Lyra turns in my arms, and slowly the water sloshes softly around us as she moves to face me. Her knees settle on either side of my hips, straddling me in the wide tub. The movement brings her breasts brushing against my chest and her face inches from mine. Moonlight catches in the droplets on her lashes and along the curve of her shoulders. She looks luminous even in exhaustion. She is so beautiful. Her hands come up to frame my face, thumbs brushing over my cheekbones with a tenderness that steals my breath. I search her eyes, reading the quiet need there, the vulnerability she only ever shows me. “Lyra…” I murmur, voice low and careful. My hands settle at her waist beneath the water, holding her steady but not pulling her closer. “Today has been long. If this is too much—” She leans in, forehead resting against mine. Her breath brushes my lips, warm and sweet. “I need you, Umbros,” she whispers, the words trembling just slightly but full of certainty. “Make me feel something more. Something that isn’t the day. Something that is only ours.”

The plea sends a shiver down my spine. I feel the echo of her need through the bond. I feel her deep, bone-weary need to be reminded that she is not only queen, not only goddess, not only the one who holds everything together. She is mine, and I am hers, and in this moment she wants to feel loved, wanted, cherished in the simplest, most physical way. I slowly cup the back of her head with one hand, threading my fingers through damp strands of hair. “Then let me love you,” I say softly. “Until the only thing you feel is us.” I lean in to kiss her, soft and unhurried. Our mouths brush gently, before pressing, then parting on a shared breath. My other hand slides up her back in a slow caress, fingertips tracing the delicate line of her spine. She melts into me, a small sound escaping her throat as her arms wind around my neck. The water moves with us, warm and silky, cradling every shift of our bodies.

My lips trail from her mouth to the corner of her jaw, then lower to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. She tilts her head, giving me more access, and I reward her with open-mouthed kisses, tongue tracing lightly. Her hips rock once, instinctively seeking me, and I feel the heat of her against me, already slick and ready despite the long day. Still, I check. “Tell me if it’s too much,” I murmur against her throat. “It’s not,” she breathes. “Don’t stop.” I reach between us with careful fingers, stroking her slowly, teasingly, until her breath hitches and her nails dig lightly into my shoulders. Only when she’s trembling and pressing closer do I guide myself to her entrance. I ease into her inch by careful inch, watching her face the entire time. I bask in the way her lips part, the flutter of her lashes, the soft glow that brightens along her skin as the bond flares warmer and brighter. When she’s fully seated on me, we both exhale shakily. The feeling is overwhelming in its quiet perfection: tight, warm, wet heat surrounding me, the soul-bond singing with shared pleasure that doubles every sensation. I feel her relief, her joy at being filled, her need to be close like this. I hope that she feels my adoration, my fierce protectiveness, my overwhelming gratitude for her trusting me with her exhaustion.

I rock into her with slow, rolling movements, deep, languid drags that make the water ripple gently around us. Each motion is deliberate, meant to soothe as much as arouse. My hands roam her back, her sides, cupping her breasts with reverent palms, thumbs brushing over sensitive peaks until she arches with a soft moan. Lyra’s forehead stays pressed to mine, our breaths mingling in the steam. Her hips move with mine in a slow dance, meeting every gentle thrust. The bond pulses in time with our heartbeats, silver and shadow weaving tighter, pleasure echoing back and forth until it feels like one continuous wave washing over us both. I whisper against her lips between kisses, all the things I need her to know. “I’ve got you.” “Beautiful.” “Mine.” Her fingers dig into my shoulders as her head tips back, quietly, beautifully, her body tightens around me in slow, rolling pulses. My mouth swallows her soft cry, and I hold her through it, rocking her gently until the tremors ease. Only then do I let go, following her over the edge with a low groan, spilling deep inside her as shadows curl around us both like a protective embrace. The climax is soft and prolonged, more like a slow bloom of starlight than a crash.

Afterwards, I keep her close, still joined, my arms wrapped tight around her while the water cools slowly around us. I press lazy kisses to her shoulder, her neck, her temple, and I bring one hand to stroke damp strands of hair back from her face. “Better?” I murmur. She nods against my chest, a small, sleepy smile curving her lips. “Much better. I love you, Umbros.” I kiss her forehead, holding her until the steam begins to thin and the moonlight outside grows brighter. The day is gone. The night is ours. And for as long as she needs, I will keep carrying whatever weight she cannot.