State of Grace Bonus Scene

This bonus scene takes place between between the final events of book five (Saving Grace) and the epilogue. It contains spoilers for State of Grace series, and is suitable for readers 18+

WILD

“Have you all forgotten we’re having a training session?” I asked, joining the others in the living room of the country cottage in Beuil we’d been borrowing for the past few weeks, having moved north after a few months traveling around the Mediterranean. For the very briefest moment, I’d raised my hands to sign the question before remembering I no longer needed to. 

None of my little family looked even remotely ready for a workout. The only person who wasn’t some version of lying down was Quinn, who was sitting on Riot’s stomach, pretending to feed him wooden fruit.

“Dibs on Quinn duty,” Riot said instantly, noisily pretending to eat a pink pear.

“I think I should—” Grace began, but Riot’s laugh cut her off. 

“Stop trying to get out of it. We agreed you’d learn some basic self-defense, Gracie.” 

Grace sighed heavily, lying flat on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. “I know, I know. It’s just that I’m terrible at it.” 

She shot us a withering look when no one objected. Grace, my darling, was wonderful and talented and incredible in every way. She was not a fighter, though. Last time we’d tried to spar, she’d ended up with a bruise on her ass from tripping over her own feet. 

“We’ll keep it simple this time,” I promised. I’d kept it simple last time too, but I could drop it down a few steps. I’d trained plenty of newbies in my pre-Grace days, though most of them had an appetite for violence which helped. Once we were done with training, I’d write Onyx another letter, checking in on things back in Milton. Sometimes I was able to give her useful advice, though she was far too proud to ask for it unless I offered first.

Bullet was the first to stand, twisting to each side a few times as he waited for Dare and Grace to join him. His reintroduction to this world had been a baptism by violence, and he was always the first to show up for any training sessions. I was both proud of him and sad that he knew it was necessary to be prepared for anything.

“You’re with me,” Dare whispered loudly to Grace, draping his arm over her shoulders and kissing her loudly on the temple. I almost protested, as they were so unproductive when paired up, but I couldn’t argue with the burst of joy from Grace through the bond. Dare brightened any dark task for her, just with his presence. 

Bullet grinned, walking alongside me as we made our way out to the garden, the other two trailing behind. “They’re both lovers rather than fighters, you know that.”

“Dare and Riot are just lazy,” I grumbled with no heat. “They’re both forces to be reckoned with when they’re in the mood to take it seriously.”

“They’re not those kinds of daimons.” Bullet shrugged. “Unfortunately, we can’t all have your ferocity.” 

We came to a stop in the center of the sheltered yard, turning to face each other. 

“It’s not unfortunate. For a variety of reasons, I’m glad you’re not all like me.” I didn’t even hate Riot and Dare’s laziness, really. Much like the moments where they ganged up on me on purpose, purely for the joy of antagonizing me, I appreciated that they were idiots, but they were my idiots.

“I don’t think Grace would be able to handle four Keres daimons,” Bullet agreed, his gaze firmly trained on her and a small, relaxed smile playing around his mouth. Smiles that came more easily each day. 

Grace laughed breezily, attempting to dart out of Dare’s arms as he snatched her around the waist and failing miserably. 

“They’re not going to get anything done,” I sighed, lips twitching as I attempted to hide my amusement from Dare at least. Grace could sense everything I was feeling. “Let’s warm up.” 

We went our separate ways to warm up, jogging the length of the garden while Dare waltzed Grace around a large, shady oak tree, humming loudly while she smiled dreamily at him, happiness radiating down the bond, making it very difficult to get in the mood to throw punches. 

“Ready?” I asked Bullet, bouncing on the spot and giving him a minute to catch his breath. 

He pulled off his t-shirt, using it to dab at his forehead before tossing it aside, and I almost lost track entirely of what we’d come out here to do. 

By the fucking gods, he looked good. 

With each training session, Bullet gained a little more definition, highlighting his lean muscles. It wasn’t like I couldn’t touch him—I did. As often as I could, while not putting any pressure on him for more. 

“Ready.” 

I checked out his form as Bullet got into position, giving him an approving nod. We danced around each other, and I mostly hung back, encouraging him to attack. He was a good learner but was still figuring out how to trust his instincts rather than remembering the lessons I’d given him word-for-word.

Grace laughed at something Dare said, and I took advantage of the distraction to sweep Bullet’s feet out from under him, catching him before he fell with the intention of lowering him gently to the ground. 

Except he didn’t let go, and I went down with him, barely catching the bulk of my weight on my forearms on either side of his body at the last minute, both of us grunting at the impact.

Maybe—maybe—on our own, it would have been nothing. Just a quick blip that we both immediately brushed off before resuming our task. But we weren’t on our own. Grace was watching us, and whatever she was feeling, we would then feel through the bond.

And apparently, Grace quite liked the visual of me pinning Bullet down in the dirt. 

Bullet grinned up at me, responding to Grace’s spike of appreciation or perhaps to my cock, which had twitched to life directly next to his thigh. 

“Distracted?” he teased, fingertips ghosting over my hips. 

“Almost always,” I admitted, unsuccessfully telling myself to get off him while the devil on my shoulder insisted that he smelled so fucking good and felt so fucking good and why should I get off him, really? 

Bullet’s breathing grew a little choppy as the light press of his fingers on my hips turned gripping, pulling me down tightly against him. “I don’t want to train today, either.” 

“No?” 

“No.” 

I dipped my head, running the bridge of my nose over his lightly stubbled jawline. “What do you want to do?” 

Bullet laughed lightly, his hands sliding up to rest on my ass. “I swear, you don’t need half as many hints when Grace wants to get in your pants.” 

“The bond does half the work for me,” I pointed out, keeping my body as rigid as I could to stop myself humping his thigh. It was mellow and content now, which probably meant Grace and Dare had snuck back inside. 

“We both know that’s not the only reason.” Bullet leaned up, brushing a kiss against my jaw. “I’m not made of glass. You don’t have to be quite so careful with me.” 

“I know.” I captured his chin and dragged his lips to mine for a kiss. The moment we’d almost lost Bullet forever would be ingrained in my mind until my dying day, but it wasn’t ingrained in his mind. He wanted to find some normalcy, and I wanted to give him that. 

 Bullet chased after me as I pulled back, keeping his chin firmly in my grip. “Let’s skip training for today then. Come on.” 

I lifted myself off him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. Grace and Dare were nowhere in sight, but I still led Bullet around to the side door of the cottage so we could sneak in without bumping into anyone. 

This moment felt important and precarious all at once. Bullet was communicating his needs to me, and I didn’t want to let him down. 

We headed straight for the master bedroom, a low-ceilinged room with exposed wooden beams and off-white plaster walls that Grace had been swooning over since we’d arrived. 

There was a small attached bathroom, and we both headed in there to use the cold water from the rain collection tank that fed the gravity showerhead to wash off the sweat and dirt. 

“I miss hot showers,” I muttered, shucking my clothes and scrubbing myself clean as efficiently as possible. Though I didn’t mind the view of Bullet doing the same. 

“So you all keep saying,” Bullet teased, having forgotten the conveniences of the old world. “Though I can think of a few ways to keep you warm.” 

I laughed, slightly startled by his boldness. “You’re feeling flirty today.” 

“Like I said, you weren’t taking my hints.” He paused for a moment. “Unless that’s because you’ve changed your mind—” 

I had him pressed against the cold tile before he could finish that sentence, grabbing his wrists to push his hands back against the wall. 

“I haven’t changed my mind,” I growled. “I’m never going to change my mind about you, Bullet.” 

My mouth crashed down on his in a clumsy, messy kiss, my self-control fraying around the edges. He was already hard, his cock pressed against my thigh, begging for attention, and I felt my way to the shower lever to shut off the trickle of cold water without breaking our kiss. 

“Don’t hold back this time,” Bullet panted, pulling back and pinning me with the full force of those violet eyes. “I want all of you. And I want you to have all of me.” 

He flattened his palm over my chest where the bond with Grace sat, and the absolute trust and adoration in his eyes took my fucking breath away. 

“Dry off,” I rasped, already fumbling for a towel. We were a stumbling mess of towels and limbs, but eventually made our way out of the small bathroom, seemingly unable to stop touching each other for even a moment as we crossed the small bedroom to fall onto the bed. 

I wrapped a hand around the back of Bullet’s neck, dragging him toward me and encouraging him to straddle my hips as my tongue explored his mouth. Without missing a beat, Bullet reached over my head to the nightstand, where the glass bottle of Aphrodite-blessed lube had taken up permanent residence. 

The goddess was so happy to be free that she handed out lube like candy. She seemed to be on a mission to ensure every household on earth had a bottle. 

He sat back on my thighs, and I kept my hands to myself, admiring the view as he first coated his own cock, pumping his shaft a few times to spread it evenly before dripping the warm, heavily scented liquid over my straining erection. With a confident grin, Bullet wrapped his hand around my length, squeezing just the right amount as he stroked me. 

“Don’t tease,” I rasped, quietly amazed at how okay I was spread out beneath him like this. It was a vulnerable position, and I didn’t generally do well in those.

But I trusted Bullet. 

We were safe with each other. 

Looking very pleased with himself, Bullet released me, leaning forward again for another kiss, his cock sliding easily against mine. 

“Oh fuck,” I gasped before biting down lightly on his neck, thrusting upward for better friction. Every time we did this was better than the last. Bullet was so fucking addictive. So unpracticed in his movements and so unabashedly enthusiastic—it was an intoxicating combination. 

Ceding control to someone else was only comfortable for so long, and I rolled us both until I was on top, bracing my weight on my forearms and rolling my hips with a little more intensity. 

“I want you to fuck me,” Bullet demanded, a challenging glint in his eye, as if I’d forgotten his request. 

I grinned down at him, not tempering the slightly feral edge to it like I had been. “All in good time.” 

But I didn’t tease him much longer, sitting up and grabbing the bottle of lube to pour some over my fingers. Surprising me with his confidence, Bullet bent his knees, his feet flat at the edge of the bed, and I took a little longer than strictly necessary to admire him. 

He was all laid out for me. It would be rude not to. 

“If at any point you change your mind—”

“I’ll let you know,” he assured me, lazily fisting his cock as I ran slick fingers down his inner thigh, communicating with him through both words and touch.

I wanted the bond with Bullet more than anything, but Grace and I had both wanted that to be something he initiated when he was ready. 

We had our whole lives; I could wait. 

I massaged his back entrance, adding more lube and gently exploring, watching Bullet for any signs of discomfort. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, stroking himself and letting his eyes fall shut. Usually a positive sign. “Stop teasing.” 

I wanted to tell him that the tease was my favorite part, but I was barely holding onto my sanity. Wrapping my hands around his thighs, I tugged him down to the edge of the mattress before grabbing my cock and lining it up at his entrance. 

“Are you—”

“You better not be asking me if I’m sure again,” Bullet groused, squeezing the base of his cock as he looked up at me through long lashes. “I can’t think of any more ways to express how ready I am.” 

I snorted, grinding slightly against him. “If it any point you change your mind—”

“You’ll know about it. Are you teasing me on purpose? I can’t tell.” 

I pressed my cock to his ass, sliding the slippery tip around his tight hole. “You’ll know when I’m teasing you.” 

Bullet sucked in a breath, arching back slightly. 

“Lift your legs up for me,” I commanded gently, testing the waters. I’d seen Bullet with Grace plenty of times—he was more than happy to do anything she asked him to do and then some. But I was a big bastard, and this was a much more vulnerable position for him. 

Bullet grabbed the back of his knees, hitching his legs up and opening himself up to me. So fucking trusting. So fucking beautiful.

“I’m going to make you feel so good,” I promised quietly, pressing my cock forward. “Relax for me.” 

Bullet grinned up at me. “I know what to do. I’ve used toys, you know.” 

I paused, my cock twitching. “When?” 

“With Grace. We’ve been training.” 

I closed my eyes, a pained groan escaping me. “Do not put that visual in my head or I’m going to come before I’m halfway in. By the fucking gods. Let me watch next time.” 

Bullet didn’t give me a single moment to recover, squirming down the bed and attempting to impale himself on my cock. 

“If this is over quickly, it’s your fault for being so damn tempting,” I told him solemnly, gripping the back of his thighs and rocking forward slowly. 

“I think this is going to be over quickly for both of us,” Bullet gasped. 

There was a good chance that I was going to leave finger-shaped bruises on the back of his thighs from how hard I was gripping him, but Bullet didn’t seem to mind. With each shallow thrust, his breaths grew more raspy, and I changed my angle slightly so I could wrap my hand around his cock, squeezing the base slightly as I thrust all the way forward, my hips pressing against his ass. 

“Move,” Bullet ordered breathily. “Fuck, you feel good.”

“You feel like you were made for me.”

Our conversation descended into broken groans and desperate gasps for air as I picked up my pace, movements stuttering slightly when sunlight streamed directly through the window, bathing the room in gold. 

Sunset. 

Bonding hour. 

I didn’t need to ask if Bullet was sure about this; his answer was in every line of his face, every writhe of his hips, every arch of his spine. 

This was the moment we’d both been waiting for. 

“Pístis, elpís, agápē,” Bullet panted, beating me to it but only by a second. I was already repeating the words back to him, desperate to feel the bright coil of the bond connecting us, tying us together in a soul-deep way. 

Perhaps because we were both daimons, the bond felt slightly different from the one I shared with Grace. She’d described the sensation before as like “moonlight” rather than the burning hot sunlight I associated with her, and that’s what it felt like to be connected to Bullet. There was a sultry darkness to it, tinging the love and desire Bullet was feeling with the greedy possessiveness of the daimons.

That aspect was probably coming through a lot stronger on his end, but I’d never pretended to be anything other than greedy when it came to him.

“I love you,” Bullet mumbled, eyes unfocused as my own arousal heightened his. 

“And I fucking love you,” I growled, pressing his legs back a little further and losing my self-control completely. Being able to feel how much he enjoyed it; feel exactly where his comfort level was incredibly freeing. 

“Fuck,” I cursed as Bullet sucked in a breath, a crash of lust hitting us straight into the chest. Grace had probably been feeling wound up from the double dose of desire she’d been getting from us and dragged Dare somewhere to work it off. We were on a closed feedback loop of horniness and undoubtedly going to bear the bad mood of a sexually frustrated Riot later. 

“I can’t—” Bullet gasped, hot cum spilling over my hand as he writhed beneath me.

I’d meant to last longer—there were about fifteen positions I wanted to try all at once—but I couldn’t do it. Seeing Bullet so lost to his pleasure was so fucking satisfying, so fulfilling in a way that was more than just sex, that I was helpless against it. 

I pulled out, my cum mixing with his in a mess on his stomach, pooling in the grooves of his hips and abs. 

“Wow,” Bullet whispered, staring down his body. His finger trailed through the mess we’d made, and I groaned in tortured agony. 

“And you say I’m the tease.” I laughed, still breathing heavily. “I’m going to get you a cloth.”

“You don’t have—”

“I want to.” Actually, I wanted to collapse on the bed, but I wanted to take care of Bullet more. I emerged from the bathroom with a couple of wet cloths, gently cleaning him up first before taking care of myself.

The feeling of his shy contentment radiating through our new bond was like a soothing balm to my soul. I’d already been happy. Bonding with Bullet had never been a guaranteed outcome, and I’d been content with what we had because what we had was fucking beautiful.

But this was better. This was everything.

“You feel so happy,” Bullet whispered as I laid down next to him, pulling him in close. We were lying on our sides facing each other, and I couldn’t have looked away from his awed face if I’d tried. 

“I am so happy.” 

“You’re not disappointed that it took so long?” 

“Never. This—” I tapped the spot on his chest where the bond sat. “This is precious. It’s worth waiting for.” 

We alternated between chatting and dozing, legs intertwined the entire time, neither of us wanting to break the spell. Eventually, we’d have to get up. We had responsibilities. Grace was giving a speech this evening. Riot probably needed some time to himself to jerk off. But we could stay here just a little while longer. 

Neither of us turned to look as the door quietly creaked open, knowing from the wave of love and affection that flowed from Grace’s end of the bond exactly who had just walked in. 

“Should I go? I don’t want to interrupt—”

“Come here,” I ordered at the same time as Bullet twisted to reach for her. 

I attempted to drag Grace into the middle of our cuddle pile, but she laughed, darting just out of the way, and I couldn’t help but grin. She’d picked up a few tricks in our training sessions, after all. 

“No way, I just showered, and you’re both all sticky.” She climbed on the bed behind Bullet instead, spooning him and interlinking her fingers with mine against my chest. “I’m meant to give a motivational speech tonight, and you two have me feeling all dopey and relaxed. It’s lovely,” she sighed, maybe a little high on happiness. 

I grabbed the watch on the bedside table, checking the time. “We’ve still got an hour before we need to leave. We can relax a little longer before we need to get our shit together.” 

Grace was a sensation—it didn’t really matter what she said. People just wanted to see her and the gods, who often popped by to visit when she was in town. But she was also a perfectionist, and she’d hate to give a subpar speech. 

“How are the others?” Bullet asked, his eyes already drifting closed again. 

“Dare is giving Quinn dinner. Riot has gone for a run.” Both Bullet and I smirked at the amusement in her voice. “He’s already made me promise to sleep in his bed tonight,” Grace added with a laugh. We rarely all fit in the one bed wherever we were staying, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Quinn still didn’t sleep through, and rotating night duty was good for everyone’s sanity.

“I bet,” I snorted, languishing in the easy happiness of it all. Of Bullet’s bond with me, his bond with Grace, my bond with Grace. Of Dare and Riot’s bonds with Grace, and the way they easily, happily accepted the different dynamic Bullet and I had. And the way we all loved Quinn and worked together to care for her. Parenting had once been an abstract and terrifying concept to me, but parenting with the others made anything feel possible. 

Grace sighed happily again, pressing a kiss to Bullet’s shoulder blade and giving my hand a gentle squeeze. None of us spoke, but we didn’t need to. There was nothing we could say that compared to the bliss of what we were feeling. 

We were happy, and we’d fucking earned it.