It wasn’t easy, but I did it, and hell, there was no way I was going to last long. I wanted to. I wanted to stay deep inside her for fucking hours. She was so damn tight and hot that she branded me, and yeah, this wasn’t going to last long.

A powerful release rolled down my spine, and when she found hers her body contracted around mine in a way that tossed me right over the edge, burying my face into the side of her neck as I came. Like the one earlier, the release fucking wrecked me. It was never-ending, and by the time my pulse slowed down, I wasn’t sure I could ever move again.

“You all right?” I murmured against the back of her neck.

“Yeah,” she replied, reaching back and running her hand over my hip. “You’re not going to break me.”

The thing was, if I wasn’t careful, I would do that.

Knowing that gave me the energy to take care of the condom, and when I returned to the bed, I tucked her against my front again. She was out before me, but I quickly followed, dozing off despite where my thoughts had gone. When I woke again, a handful of hours later, it was dawn, and I was going to wake Josie again, but this time with the second best way possible.

With a plate of bacon.

Easing away from Josie, careful not to stir her, I slipped off the bed. In the dusky light streaming in from the window, I found a pair of sweats and slipped them on. I grabbed a Henley off a pile of clothing and walked into the bathroom. I quietly brushed my teeth and scrubbed my face before heading back out into the bedroom.

I got hung up staring at her for a moment.

Curled on her side, the comforter had slipped down to her hips, and a whole lot of peachy skin was on display. So was a dusky pink nipple, peeking out beside the arm folded across her chest. She was a damn goddess lying there, but it was the absolute peacefulness in her expression as she slept that held me immobile.

I never wanted to see her look any other way.

And I knew that wasn’t going to be possible. There was a lot we had to face, but I was going to lessen any blow coming at her.

Moving to the bed, I picked up the comforter and pulled it up, covering her. I leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek. I straightened and with my shirt in hand, I slipped out of the room. Out in the hall, I pulled the Henley on over my head as I walked toward the lobby. The place was silent, as it was too early for the students to even be up on a Monday morning, and after what happened yesterday evening, I doubted there’d be classes. I neared the lobby, a shiver of awareness skating over my skin, and I knew it wasn’t entirely empty.

I slowed my steps, frowning as I spotted Alex standing a few steps away from the entombed furies. She didn’t look over at me when she spoke. “This is weirdly familiar, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” A whole lot of shit was weirdly familiar. “Was kind of hoping I wouldn’t see these bitches again.”

Alex smiled slightly.

I stopped, running my hand over my chest. “Why are you up so early?”

“Haven’t really slept yet. Been helping with clean-up,” she explained, and I imagined that if I was a better person, I’d feel bad about not helping.

But I didn’t.

Not at all.

I looked around, expecting to find Aiden. “Where’s your shadow?”

“He’s still at the wall with Solos. The gate was damaged during the attack, so they’re staying out there until it’s repaired.”

“So responsible,” I murmured.

Alex faced me. For someone who hadn’t slept, there wasn’t a shadow under her eyes. “Solos didn’t make it sound like the University’s been having a lot of daimon problems, so the attack of such a sizable grouping is pretty bizarre.”

“Not really.” My gaze flicked back to the statues. “We have a bunch of pures here. A lot of halfs. An Apollyon. And three demigods. We have so much aether that . . .” My jaw worked. “That this place is like a damn buffet.”

“Good point. And it’s not like they don’t know this place is here.”

“Nope.”

“And what about these lovely ladies?” she gestured at the furies with one arm. “Solos is thinking it has to do with what’s going on between the halfs and pures.”

“What else could it be?”

Her gaze met mine and she raised an eyebrow.

She meant me.

Lowering my chin, I coughed out a laugh. “I’ve been behaving myself, Alex.” Sort of.

“That’s good to hear.” She paused. “Can I say something without you running off or interrupting me?”

My lips quirked up. “Depends.”

“I’m being serious.” Alex wound her hands around her hair, twisting it in the same manner Josie did whenever she was nervous, and man, that was weird to see. “I’ve never gotten the chance to thank you and you won’t let me, so please let me just say thank you.”

I opened my mouth, but snapped it shut as Aiden’s words resurfaced. I kept quiet, not because of him, but I figured the sooner I allowed Alex to apologize the quicker this would be over.

Alex drew in a deep breath. “Thank you for what you did for Aiden and for me. You sacrificed your mortal and afterlife for us.”

Turning my head to the side, I cracked my neck. Standing here, listening to this . . . No words.

“But I also want to thank you for that day,” she said quietly.

“What day?”

A moment passed. “When we fought Ares. I didn’t get a chance to thank you for staying with me when . . . well, you know what.”

“Gods.” I squeezed my eyes shut, but that didn’t stop the rush of memories of that day. They plowed into me with the force of a freight train. Her standing in front of me, tears streaming down her face as she begged me not to leave her, to hold on, and I did. I held her until she was no more. “Alex, you shouldn’t—”