The promise he wove in between each syllable was steeped in darkness, wrapped in a strength I wasn’t sure I wanted to fight. When my shoulders slumped in defeat, he trailed his fingertips over the skin of my lower back.His eyes twinkled and voice grew dangerously low when he said, “…good girl.”I wasn’t prepared for the rush of euphoria that tickled my stomach and made my head feel light and airy. On any other occasion, I would’ve narrowed my eyes and replied with a snarky comment I knew would garner a reaction, but it was different now that I could feel his emotions.Each one was a star dangling in the night sky. Some were larger and burned much brighter than others, but all were important.As the blush staining my face deepened, adoration swelled in his chest.Countless times I wondered why he stared so intensely, spearing me with his eyes as he refrained from blinking. It had been unsettling at first, and then infuriating. Now, I understood. From the very beginning, he was memoriz
The meaning of his words rang in my head like a symphony of bells, familiar yet the voice that spoke them felt unreachable. I couldn’t remember where I’d heard those words before, but vividly I relived the final moments I spent with the White Bull, along with the words I spoke before casting it out.“It was my choice to throw the White Bull out, that’s how I did it.” I murmured to myself, glancing up in time to see Dain’s lack of reaction to my realization. It didn’t surprise me that he already knew, not in the slightest. “If I’m so strong, then why did it take me this long to get rid of it? Why couldn’t I just choose to throw it out at any time?”“That’s a question only you can answer, as it’s different for us all. I couldn’t let go of my need for vengeance, just as Apollo couldn’t face the atrocities he’d committed and the lives he’d claimed. In the end, he helped me let go of enough rage to free myself. I like to think my forgiveness for his hand in my family’s deaths is what freed
He wanted to mark me now. Like, right now?I gaped at him, my eyes unblinking and heart fluttering in my chest like the rapid patter of a hummingbird’s wings. Even as I processed his words a second time, I couldn’t uncover the reason behind my stunned and slightly panicked reaction.It made no sense why I stood here, red in the face and on the verge of hyperventilating. We’d been planning to mark one another tomorrow during the mating ceremony. Not only was it tradition, but it would let Nadia know that the bond between us was very much real.The thought of Dain marking me, sinking his canines into my neck while hundreds of people watched, was nerve-wracking to say the least, but up until now I saw it as a task in need of completion—a necessity to help us win this war. We’d be connected on a soul-deep level, able to feel and communicate with each other whenever we needed. It was an advantage that could change the tides should Nadia decide to show.Standing in his suite, with only the
He held onto me for dear life, like a man stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing more than a makeshift raft keeping him afloat.I was what he needed—what he’d been waiting so painfully long for, the thing that kept his head above the waves, and allowed him his first breath of fresh air.With his forehead pressed against my own, and our chests rising and falling in sync, he smiled. It was full of joy and anguish, dripping with awe so pure that I wanted to freeze this moment and cement it deep within my memory.Never would I forget the way he looked at me, like I were the Moon Goddess herself fallen from the sky, and never would I forget the sweet words he whispered before he claimed my lips with a hunger that would rival my own.“I have wanted many things in my long life, darling, but you are the only thing I would die without.”I understood now why Dain had regretted not marking me sooner, before the Bull managed to slip into my thoughts. Nothing bad or evil could exist with
So, this is what it felt like to be a Queen.The feeling that spread through my limbs, gifting me an addictive sense of power that went straight to my head, had nothing to do with ruling an entire land of people, or enacting laws that would spread change like the currents of a rippling tide.It came from the King whose legs I knelt in between, the one losing every ounce of his sanity from something as simple as my lips wrapped around his cock.Even as tears sprung to my eyes and dribbled down my cheeks from the ferocity of his thrusts, I knew I’d never have enough of this. The burn in my throat was a dull pain, nothing in comparison to the pleasure that tickled every nerve ending, both his and my own.His large hands were tangled in my hair, holding my face still as he used those powerful thighs of his to thrust himself into my mouth. There wasn’t a single complaint he made. Even when my teeth lightly grazed his silky skin, he gave no reaction. Well, not one that would indicate pain.
Even with his husky command, I couldn’t seem to move.“My fiery little mate feeling shy? Oh no, that can’t do.”Dain’s laughter was warm, but only lasted a few short seconds before he placed his hands beneath my thighs and lifted me off his chest. I had no choice but to hold onto the headboard as he put me in the position he wanted. Bent at the knee’s, my thighs rested on either side of his head, while the most private part of myself hovered inches above his mouth.Feeling his heavy breaths hit my panties, I began to tremble.He made a sound of pure satisfaction deep in his throat, and much to my absolute horror, I swore I heard him inhale deeply. There was nothing rushed about the way he touched and teased me, dragging his fingers along the curve of my ass and down my thighs.“I can’t tell you how much I’ve thought about this moment, how much I’ve anticipated it.” He purred, his eyes twinkling as they peered up at me from between my legs. “I knew the moment you gave me that first tas
Seconds was all it took for him to undo my bra and toss it across the room.The crisp air that rustled the gossamer curtains, floating inside from the balcony, stiffened my nipples into rigid peaks. Its chill was chased away by the heat of Dain’s mouth as he took one in between his lips and licked hungrily.With glazed eyes shimmering with need and adoration, his hands roamed every inch of my bare skin, leaving no part untouched. They glided up the curve of my ass and over the flare of my hips, caressing my stomach and venturing higher to cradle my heavy breasts.He buried his face in them and continued his exploration, right down to the freckles sprayed along my shoulders and the faint stretch marks along my hips.“You’re so fucking soft.” He groaned, the weight of his voice muffled by my breasts, his tone low and worshipping. “It’s cruel we only have tonight. I could spend lifetimes learning your body and never once become bored.”I swallowed the emotion building in my chest and ran
Without elaborating, he guided me into a sitting position and said softly, “Turn around, beautiful.”I was clueless about how this would give me a better view until I turned and faced the headboard. Dain waved his hand and dark magic rippled in the air, shimmering like heatwaves under the baking sun.The headboard vanished, and so did the marble wall behind it. In its place was a mirror, one that climbed the walls and stopped a few inches short of the arched ceiling.I watched the blush creep across my face, staring tongue tied at my own reflection. Dain hovered over my shoulder, his eyes glittering with a wicked light. In between my legs was his cock, swollen and angry.He nudged my legs further apart, staring hungrily at my pussy through the mirror. There was no pain as he slid it through my folds and buried it to the base.With Dain’s hand on my breast, both toying with my nipples and keeping me upright, I arched my back to meet his gentle thrusts.He’d been right. Not only could I