46
" the NetMind 'knocked' ... ageless and childish. Today she caught the tumble of roses it threw into her mind in its version of hello, and laughed ... its roses were followed by torrent of images Faith could barely process ... She showed the NetMind a hand, palm-out, their by-now familiar signal for 'slow-down' ... Worried, she sent it an image of a woman colored in darkness ... The image she'd sent was returned to her, but with the DarkMind scrubbed out ... An image of a thousand tears overlaid the snapshot of the PsyNet.
The PsyNet was dying ... She sent the NetMind an image of arms outstretched, an offer of help.
The response was of a globe, but a globe colored in the shades of the Net - white stars against a background of black velvet. Around that globe was a shimmering shield that repelled her hands.
The Net wasn't ready for help.
But there were cracks in the shield. She touched a finger to one crack, and knew that was Judd. The one next to it, Walker. And not far from them, Sascha. So many fine, fine cracks. "
― Nalini Singh , Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling, #6)
50
" Riley?"
Of course she'd known he was there - she was a sentinel. And in some part of his soul, he's counted on that. "Don't ask me any questions tonight, Mercy." He didn't look at her, feeling vulnerable in a way that panicked his wolf.
"All right." Soft footsteps. "But would you like to come inside?"
Wary of her agreement, but needing... something, he walked in. She took his hand, her golden eyes luminous in the dark. "Come on, wolf."
He let her lead him to the bedroom.
"Boots off," she said, and crawled beneath the blanket.
Sitting on a chair near the vanity, he took off his footwear and just watched her, not sure he could do this. She'd given him her word so she'd ask no questions, but she'd know, she'd see too deep, to things he kept hidden because they shamed him so utterly.
"No questions," she said again after an endless moment, and lifted up the edge of the blanket.
Man and wolf both hungered for the simple beauty of her touch. He had no power, no will, to resist. Standing, he crossed the carpet to slide into bed beside her, fully dressed. And when her arms came around him, when her fingers stroked into his hair, he buried his face in the curve of her neck and let the unexpected tenderness heal the wounds of the night. "
― Nalini Singh , Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling, #6)
51
" Take off the T-shirt," he murmured against her ear.
"Pushy." But she gave him what he wanted, surprising him once again.
Mercy, he thought, was an intrinsically generous woman. He'd known that, but today, he saw another facet to that part of her nature. She was angry with him for fighting with Joaquin, but even so, she was giving him what he needed. She could've made him beg - he was so starved for her, he might just have done it. Instead, she'd allowed him into her bed, allowed him the most intimate of skin privileges.
That truth made something in his heart unsnap, unlock, and he wasn't quite sure what it was. "
― Nalini Singh , Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling, #6)