The Winged Serpent (The Order of the Oath) (36 page)

She imagined with a babe soon to come, there would be many changes, for her, for him, but they would face them together. They would face them as one.

The joining of their souls had been born out of pain and sacrifice, but now they were bound together out of love; they were bound together for life.

* * * *

When their heated kiss had threatened to burn out of control atop the altar of the temple, somehow Cyrus managed to convince Aurora there was a place for a man within Minerva’s temple. At least there was a place for the man soon to be wed to its high priestess, even if he could only join her that eve and would have to find more permanent quarters on the morrow, but for the
present
moment he’d found a place within her bed, where he planned to stay until they were both exhausted.

Cyrus held her within the circle of his arms, her back against his chest as his hand covered her belly, absently stroking the small mound where their child now rested. As soon as he’d seen her, he’d known she carried his child, and he’d been thrilled, overjoyed. In five months time he and Aurora would welcome a babe, and he
or
she would change everything for them, yet again.

Cyrus welcomed this child, and the changes to come. His life with Aurora was ever-evolving, but he would have been surprised had it not been. He still did not yet understand what it was she did, or the group to which she, Cornelia and Artemisia belonged, or even why they felt it necessary to live beneath Minerva’s temple. At some point he would question her, but he had a feeling she would not reveal much. Olympia had even cautioned him against it, saying only”

“There are things she may share, but much she cannot. If you truly love Aurora you must accept there will be secrets that will always shadow her. In time that may change, but be warned, it shall not be easy to love her, knowing there is a part of herself she will always be forced to guard from you.”

Easy loving Aurora? He smiled at that. Olympia need not have warned him. He imagined his life with Aurora would be fraught with an abundance of twists and turns, hills and valleys, but he welcomed such a life, because he’d once faced the alternative, and a life without Aurora would have been a barren, soulless existence.

With the subtle shake of his head, Cyrus shed all thoughts of the notion, grateful he did not have to suffer through a life without her. Instead, he embraced all the joys that lay ahead of them, starting with the child they’d created out of love together.

“Are you truly set on a boy?” he asked, returning to the
very
brief discussion they’d managed to have in between their arduous bouts of lovemaking and passionate caresses.

She yawned. “I am.”

“And have you thought of a name?”

They still had time to discuss such things, but Cyrus already felt as if he’d missed so much. He wanted to know everything—her hopes and desires for this babe, and certainly, what she wished to name him or her.

“I
have
thought of a name,” she said, but when she did not move to finish he peered down at her.

“And do you plan to share it with me?” he teased.

She stared up at him and though she smiled, he could feel the muscles tensing in her body.

“Kaden,” she said finally, and so softly that he’d barely heard her.

She watched him closely, searching his face for his response, worrying of what he would think, how he would react. He smiled down at her as he rolled her beneath him, his body already hot and hard for her once again.

“Kaden is a good name, a strong name. I like it,” he whispered, deciding then if they had a son, Kaden would be his name.

Although she did not say it, and probably never would, Cyrus knew how much this meant to Aurora, how important it was for her to honor the boy who would never see manhood.

“I love you,” she whispered in a voice heavy with emotion, her fingers trembling as they touched his jaw in a feather-light caress. Her eyes shimmered with the spoken emotion, the moisture within them touching his soul. She’d worried he might be upset at the name she’d chosen, but that could never be so. He wanted to see Aurora happy, not tortured by the guilt of her past, and if this helped her…

Cyrus took her fingers within his hand to steady them, his eyes riveted upon her lovely face, “And I you,” he replied gently, just before their lips met in a kiss, their tongues gliding together.

He moved to join their bodies then, filling her with the strength of him on a single stroke.

Cyrus could not seem to get enough of her, and he knew that he never would. What they shared went far beyond the longings of their bodies—their bond was nothing other than the perfect, harmonious union of what had once been two lost souls—but no longer.

As her body welcomed him, then closed snugly around his flesh, Cyrus groaned out his pleasure and shut his eyes, losing himself within her arms because he knew he was forever loved, he knew with Aurora, he was forever home.

About the Author

Nadia Aidan, lives, works and writes on the West Coast in the United States.

She writes interracial and multicultural erotic romance across all genres, from historical, to fantasy/sci-fi to contemporary.

In addition to writing erotic romances, Nadia enjoys reading other authors, playing flag football, studying muay thai, working out and competing in figure competitions, listening to music, scuba diving, and target shooting.

Her other interests include collecting Top Cow comics, especially Witchblade and Tomb Raider. She loves professional football and soccer. Her favorite teams are the Washington Redskins and Manchester United, respectively.

Nadia loves watching, reading about, and writing about strong, assertive heroines, which is why she is an enduring fan of Fight Girls, Xena, Buffy, American Gladiators—New and Old, and La Femme Nikita!

To learn more about Nadia visit her on
Facebook
, Twitter or drop her an email at [email protected].

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