Blood and Ash Flesh and Fire

“The Maiden’s guards are good men.”

I lifted my gaze from the glass of whiskey I held to the mortal standing by the empty

fireplace. “Good men die all the time.”

“True,” the Commander of the Rise Guards replied. “But far too few good men are left in Solis.”

“That, we can agree on.” I watched Commander Jansen for several moments. “Is one less good man going to be a problem?”

His gaze met mine. “If it was a problem, I wouldn’t be here. I’m just saying, it will be a  shame to lose one of them.”

“Shame or not, I need to get close to her. Being on the Rise won’t help me. You know that. You also understand what is at stake here.” My head tilted. If the Ascended ever learned who Jansen truly worked for, he would be dead. He knew that. “And since there’s no current opening in those who guard her, we need to make one.”

“I do understand.” Jansen dragged a hand over his head, his shoulders tight underneath the plain brown tunic he wore. “That doesn’t mean I have to like what must be done.”

I smiled faintly at his response. “If you did, then you would be of better use to the Ascended since they enjoy pain and senseless death.”

His chin rose slightly at the reminder that we may be casually discussing the death of an innocent man. However, we were not the enemy. No amount of evil from me would surpass what the Ascended had done to my people and those of Solis.

“What do you know of the Maiden?” the Commander asked.

I knew her name was Penellaphe.

I knew she had a brother who’d Ascended.

I knew she was the Queen’s favorite.

“I know enough.”

Jansen stretched his neck from side to side. “She’s favored by many people, not just the Queen.”

“How is that possible?” the wolven who stood by the window asked. “She is rarely seen in public, and even more rarely does she speak.”

“He makes a good point,” I said, taking a drink. The smoky liquor went down far smoother than any other spirit this miserable land had to offer.

“To be honest, I don’t know. But many speak of her kindness,” he answered. “And her guards care for her. They protect her because they want to, whereas most of the Royal Guards protect their charges because it puts food on their family’s tables and keeps their heads on their shoulders. That’s about it.”

What he said wasn’t exactly news to me. There was little information to be gleaned about the Maiden, but I knew that those of the working and lower classes harbored a fondness for her.

Why was anyone’s guess. And to be honest, I hoped it was just their foolish superstitions that drove their feelings. I did not want nor need the Maiden to be kind. “And the same people believe she was Chosen by the gods — which is impossible. I’m sorry if I don’t necessarily trust their judgement.”

He gave me a wry grin. “My point is, when she goes missing, it’s going to cause a stir. Not just with the Ascended. People will be looking for her.”

“What will cause a great stir is my father’s armies descending on Solis and laying waste to every city and village he comes across. All in retribution for what the Ascended did to me and are currently doing to my brother,” I told him. “Now, tell me, which stir would you rather see? Questions about a missing Maiden? Or war?”

“What I want to see is the godsdamn Ascended eradicated,” Jansen snapped. The only reason I allowed that was what came out of his mouth next. “They killed my children, Prince. My first son and then my second—” He cut himself off with a thick swallow. “I will do anything to stop them.”

“Then give me the opening that I need.” I dragged my thumb over the rim of my glass. “Once I free my brother, I will kill the King and Queen. That, I promise.”

Jansen exhaled roughly, and it was obvious that he didn’t like this. My respect for the man grew. None of this business was pleasant. If someone enjoyed any part of it, they were living on borrowed time. “She walks the garden every night at dusk.”

“I already know that.” I’d stalked her and her personal guard through the gardens many times at nightfall, getting as close as I could without being seen. Which, unfortunately, wasn’t nearly close enough.

“But do you know she goes to see the night-blooming roses?”

I stilled. I didn’t know that. Oddly unsettled by the revelation that it was the roses she sought, I shifted on the settee. Throughout the day, I’d often found myself wondering what she found so interesting in those gardens.

“Or is it that they’re located near the jacaranda trees?”

A smile slowly tipped the corners of my lips. “Where a section of the interior wall has

collapsed.”

The Commander nodded. “The same part I’ve told the Teermans to repair a time or five hundred.”

“Lucky for me, they haven’t.”

“Yes.” Jansen moved from the fireplace. “Do what you must, and I will take care of the rest.”

“You’re sure you can secure his spot as a Royal Guard?” the wolven asked as he stepped out of the shadows.

“I can.” Jansen focused on me. “You have such glowing accolades from the capital,” he replied dryly. “And the Duchess finds you… pleasant to look upon. It won’t be hard.”

My lip curled in disgust as I looked at the wolven. “You know what to do, Jericho.”

The wolven smiled and nodded. “She’ll be less one guard after her next visit to the garden.”

“Good.”

“Anything else?” Commander Jansen asked.

I shook my head as my gaze returned to my drink but lifted as the men reached the door.

“No harm comes to the Maiden. Do you understand me?”

The Commander remained quiet as Jericho nodded.

I held the wolven’s pale gaze. “I mean it, Jericho. She is to be unharmed in this.”

“Message clear, Prince.”

Watching them leave, I admitted to myself that my demands made little sense. I planned to take the Maiden from everything and everyone she knew. By becoming her personal guard, I would have the closest thing to unfettered access to her. The only other way to take her would be to lay siege to Castle Teerman, but too many innocents would die in the process. The kidnapping wouldn’t exactly be pleasant business, but the idea of harming a woman made my skin crawl.

Even when I had to. Even when it was an Ascended.

But what I planned for her was far better than what my father would do if he had a chance — and he too was someone Commander Jansen would consider a good man.

“I don’t like him.”

Looking up from my glass of whiskey, I raised my brows. Kieran Contou leaned against the wall, his features set in an ever-present mask of indifference. He’d been so silent during the meeting, I doubted if Commander Jansen even realized he was there. The wolven couldn’t look more bored if he tried, but I knew better. I’d seen him look as if he were an instant away from falling asleep, and rip out the throat of whoever was speaking a second later. He was dressed just like I was tonight, in the garb of a damn Rise Guard, and I bet he couldn’t wait to set the clothing on fire.

“Which one?” I asked.

“Why would I have a problem with the Commander?”

“Jansen asked a lot of questions.”

“If he hadn’t, you’d rethink working with him,” Kieran replied. “I don’t like Jericho.”

“Who does? He’s reckless, but he has no qualms when it comes to killing.”

“None of us do. Not even you.” Kieran paused. “At least when we’re awake.”

But when we slept, a far different story could be told.

“I can kill Jericho,” he offered, his tone the same as if he were asking if I wanted to grab a bite to eat. “And take care of the guard.”

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I suspect he’ll end up dead at some point anyway.”

“I have a feeling that’s true.”

I smirked. Kieran’s feelings often had a way of becoming a reality. Just like his father.

“I’m going to see if the others have arrived.” Kieran pushed away from the wall. “You

staying here?”

“For a little while.”

“Expecting company tonight?” he asked as he moved to the door.

“No.” My gaze returned to the whiskey. “Not tonight.”

“The Red Pearl is a strange place to spend one’s evening alone.”

“Is it? I imagine you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be here alone.”

“As if you do?” he countered.

A tight smile twisted my lips. “Goodbye, Kieran.”

The wolven let out a soft, knowing laugh as he slipped quietly from the room. Anyone else would’ve thought twice about that laugh, but I didn’t with Kieran. And he was right. The Red Pearl was a strange place to spend your time alone. These rooms were used for the kind of meetings you didn’t want others to know about. Sometimes, words were exchanged. Other times, a different type of communication happened, one with far less clothing that usually didn’t end with discussions of the likelihood of someone’s death. Then again, those types of meetings had become few and far between, hadn’t they?

I finished off the whiskey, welcoming the burn as I tipped my head back against the settee.

A heavy restlessness settled into my bones. I stared at the dark ceiling, wondering exactly when a few hours of mindless pleasure stopped having the desired effect of shutting down my mind.

Had it ever really worked, though? For longer than a handful of seconds? I could occupy my hands and tongue and every other part of my body with soft curves and warm, hidden places, but my mind would always end up exactly where I sought to escape.

That damn cage with the unending hunger.

My brother.

The feeling of being dead yet still breathing. As if everything that made life about more than just existing was still in that cage.

Even now, I could feel the cold, bruising hands and hear the taunting laughter as the Ascended slowly sliced away a part of who I was. And Malik? He’d likely experienced everything I had and more. My grip tightened on the glass. They’d had him nearly double the time they’d held me captive. How could my brother even still be alive—?

Malik had to survive. Because he was strong. I knew no one stronger than him, and I was so close to freeing him. I just needed—

The sound of footsteps stopping outside the door snapped my head up and my eyes open.

The handle on the unlocked door started to turn.

I moved fast, placing the glass on the small table beside the settee and retreating to the shadows clinging to the walls. I curled my fingers around the hilt of one of the short swords I’d left near the door. None of my men would dare to enter the room without knocking. Not even Kieran.

Obviously, someone had a desire to die tonight.

The door cracked open just enough for a body to slip through. Immediately, curiosity washed away the tension creeping into my muscles as I watched the slight, hooded figure close the door. The cloak was familiar. I inhaled deeply as the intruder backed up, walking right past me. The cloak belonged to a maid I knew, but she—and it was definitely a she — didn’t smell like Britta. Everyone had a unique scent, something Atlantians and the wolven were sensitive to. Britta’s reminded me of rose and lavender, but the smell that teased me now was something else.

But who would be in her cloak and in this room? Annoyance flared as I watched her look around, but quick on the emotion’s heels was a looming restlessness. Britta or someone else, the unexpected intrusion at least offered entertainment. No matter how fleeting, it was still a reprieve from all the damn thoughts in my head.

From the memories.

From the… now.

Watching her, I let go of the sword. She started to turn, and I made my move. Even quieter than a wolven, I was on her before she even had a chance to realize that someone was in the room with her.

Clamping an arm around her waist, I drew her back against me. I dipped my head as she stiffened and caught her scent again. It was fresh. Sweet. “This,” I said, “is unexpected.”

And this didn’t feel like Britta, either.

The maid was of average height for a mortal, barely reaching my chin. But the hip under my hand was fuller, and the scent…

It reminded me of honeydew.

Then again, it wasn’t like I’d committed much about the maid to memory. The amount of whiskey I’d consumed when I met her last probably hadn’t aided in that. “But it’s a welcome surprise.”

She spun toward me, her right hand lowering to the area of her thigh as she lifted her head and then froze. The sharp breath she took was audible.

A long moment stretched as I tried to see within the darkness of the hood. Even with the thick shadows of the candlelit room, my vision surpassed that of a mortal’s. However, I couldn’t make out her features. But I could feel the intensity of her stare, and as foggy as my memories were of the hours spent with her, I did not recall her keeping her hood up.

“I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” I admitted, thinking of what Kieran would say if he returned. A half-grin appeared on my lips when I heard another soft inhale. “It’s only been a few days, sweetling.”

Her cloaked body gave a little jerk, but she said nothing as she continued watching me from the depths of her hood.

“Did Pence tell you I was here?” I asked, referring to the guard Britta knew that I often worked with on the Rise.

A moment passed, and she shook her head. Britta wouldn’t have known what room I could be found in. Each time I was here, I requested a different one.

“Have you been watching for me, then? Following me?” I asked, tsking softly under my breath as the annoyance flared once more. “We’ll have to talk about that, won’t we?” And we would, because that could not happen again. But now…? She was here. The memories and the restlessness were at bay for the moment, and she…she smelled so different. Good. “But not tonight, it seems. You’re strangely quiet.”

I did remember that Britta was the opposite of quiet. A chatterbox. Cute if a bit overwhelming. This was an entirely different side to the maid. Perhaps she sought to be more mysterious tonight.

“We don’t have to talk.” I reached for the hem of my tunic, pulling it over my head and tossing it aside.

She was incredibly still, but that fresh and sweet scent of hers heightened and became heavier, strengthening with her arousal. The promise of a quiet, primal pleasure was a lure that drew me toward her.

“I don’t know what kind of game you’re about tonight.” Gripping the back of her hood, I folded my other arm around her waist, drawing her against me. She gasped, and I liked the breathy little sound. “But I’m willing to find out.”

I lifted her up, and her hands — her gloved hands — landed on my shoulders. The tremor I felt course through her heightened my senses. Everything about her felt different, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much I’d drunk the last time I was with her. I took her to the bed, guiding us down and laying her on her back as I sank into her, suddenly caught off guard by the enticing mixture of hardness and softness beneath me. That was another thing I didn’t remember. I recalled Britta being slim, but there were curves here — lush ones I couldn’t wait to unwrap and explore.

And hell, as wrong as it was, a part of me was glad I’d been three sheets to the wind the last time I was with her. Because this…this felt new and not like a chore that was all about the end result. Those moments that washed away the memories. But already, I wasn’t thinking about those cold, bruising hands as I dipped my head, pouring my gratitude into the kiss, showing my thanks the only way I knew how.

Her mouth was soft and sweet under mine, and when she gasped, I deepened the kiss as much as I could without revealing what I was, slipping between those parted lips the way I hoped I would later between her thighs. I flicked my tongue over hers, drawing the taste of her into my mouth. Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she shuddered against me. And like lightning, it hit me then as the scent of her arousal rose, and I felt what could only be described as a tentative touch of her tongue against mine.

The body truly didn’t feel like what I remembered.

The taste on my tongue, and the sweet, fresh scent of honeydew wasn’t at all what I recalled.

There was nothing even remotely tentative about the way Britta kissed. That much I did remember. She kissed like she was starving, from the moment our lips touched to the very second our mouths parted. The female under me kissed like…

Like someone who had far less experience than those I usually spent my time with.

Heart thumping heavily, I broke the kiss and lifted my head. “Who are you?”

There was no response, and whatever game this girl was about, I was done playing it without knowing what cards I’d been dealt. I tugged the hood back, exposing her face—

Holy shit.

For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Caught in a state of shock that was so rare I almost laughed, I stared down at her face — at what I could see of her face anyway. She wore a white mask, as many did while in the Red Pearl, but I still knew whose body cradled mine, whose taste still tingled on my lips. I just couldn’t believe it as my gaze tracked over the wide mask that covered her from cheek to brow.

Impossible. But it was her. I’d recognize the curve of that jaw and that mouth — those full, bow-shaped lips the color of berries—anywhere. It was all that was ever visible of her. And the gods knew I’d tried to catch a glimpse of what she looked like beneath that fucking veil when I followed her and her Royal Guards through the gardens or the castle; when I watched her with her ladies’ maid. I’d seen her smile a few times. I’d heard her speak even less, but I knew that mouth.

It was who I’d just sat in this very room and discussed.

It was her.

The Maiden.

The Chosen.

The Queen’s favorite.

And for some reason beyond me or any damn Atlantian, she was very important to the kingdom. So much so that she was kept cloistered and well-guarded at all times. Somehow, she was the key to their Ascensions, and I knew that bitch Queen and bastard King would do anything to keep her safe.

Yet here she was, in the godsdamn Red Pearl, in a room with me—under me—someone she had to fear more than the gods themselves. Because there was no doubt in my mind that she’d heard the whispers about me, the name they’d given me.

I’d spent years planning to take her, had orchestrated so many deaths, and just sealed the fate of another, all so I could get close enough to take her. And she’d practically fallen into my lap.

Or I’d fallen into hers.

Whatever.

Another disbelieving laugh built in my throat because what in the wide kingdom of fucks was the unreachable, unseen, and untouched Maiden doing in the Red Pearl? In a private room? Kissing a man?

The laugh was never given life because something else snagged my attention. Her hair. It had always been hidden beneath the veil, but in the candlelight, I could tell that it was the color of the richest wine.

I drew my hand out from behind her head, noting how she tensed as I picked up a strand of hair, drawing it out. The tendril was soft as it slipped around my fingers.

The Maiden was a redhead.

I had no idea why that surprised me, but it felt like a discovery just as startling as finding her here.

“You are most definitely not who I thought you were,” I murmured.

“How did you know?” she demanded.

My gaze flicked back to hers. The voice, stronger and earthier than I’d expected the first time I heard her speak, was hers. Further confirmation I no longer needed but now had.

The shock of the situation forced an honest answer out of me. “Because the last time I kissed the owner of this cloak, she damn near sucked my tongue down her throat.”

“Oh,” she whispered, and what I could see of her nose wrinkled.

I stared down at her, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was the Maiden.

“Have you been kissed before?”

“I have!”

One side of my lips kicked up. “Do you always lie?”

“No!” she exclaimed.

“Liar,” I teased, unable to help myself.

The skin below the mask deepened to a rosy color as she pushed against my chest. “You should get off.”

“I was planning to,” I muttered, thinking she probably had no idea what that meant.

But then her eyes narrowed behind the mask in a way that told me she knew exactly what I meant, and that was another shock.

She had… the Maiden had a dirty mind.

The laugh that had been building broke free, and it was a real one that came from a warm place that I often forgot still existed. It shocked the hell out of me, filling me with emotions I’d long believed dead.

Interest.

Awe.

Genuine curiosity.

A feeling of… contentment.

Contentment? Where in the fuck did that even come from? I had no idea, but at the moment,

I didn’t care. I was interested. And, gods, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d been focused on anything but my brother. The warmth in my chest iced over.

“You really should move,” she said.

Her demand pulled me from the disaster my thoughts were veering toward. “I’m quite comfortable where I am.”

“Well, I’m not.”

I could feel my lips twitch, and I didn’t know if it was the desperation to reclaim those fleeting emotions or something else that propelled me to behave as if I had no idea who she was.

“Will you tell me who you are, Princess?”

“Princess?” She blinked.

“You are quite demanding.” I shrugged. “I imagine a Princess to be demanding.”

“I am not demanding,” she argued. “Get off me.”

I arched a brow, feeling that warmth again — that… enjoyment. “Really?”

“Telling you to move is not being demanding.”

“We’ll have to disagree on that.” I paused. “Princess.”

Her lips curved and then flattened. “You shouldn’t call me that.”

“Then what should I call you? A name, perhaps?”

“I’m… I’m no one,” she replied.

“No One? What a strange name. Do girls with a name like that often make a habit of

wearing other people’s clothing?”

“I’m not a girl,” she snapped.

“I would sure hope not.” Wait. I had no idea what the Maiden’s age was. “How old are

you?”

“Old enough to be in here, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The amount of relief was a warning. “In other words, old enough to be masquerading as someone else, allowing others to believe you’re another person and then allowing them to kiss—”

“I get what you’re saying,” she interrupted, surprising me yet again. “Yes, I’m old enough for all those things.”

Did she know what all those things were? Truly? If so, there was a whole hell of a lot I did not know about the Maiden. But I didn’t think that was the case. She didn’t kiss like someone who knew from personal experience what all those things were. “I’ll tell you who I am, although I have a feeling you already know. I’m Hawke Flynn.”

She was quiet for a moment and then squeaked out, “Hi.”

That… That was cute.

I grinned. “This is the part where you tell me your name.” When she said nothing, my interest only grew. It wasn’t like I expected her to admit who she was, but I was dying to discover what she would share. “Then I’ll have to keep calling you Princess. The least you can do is tell me why you didn’t stop me.”

Remaining stubbornly quiet, she drew her plump lower lip between her teeth.

Every part of me focused on that — on her mouth. And hell, that filled my head with all kinds of things my body was shamefully on board with. I shifted slightly, hiding my reaction. “I’m sure it’s more than my disarming good looks.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Of course.”

I laughed, surprised yet again by her — by myself. “I think you just insulted me.”

She winced “That’s not what I meant—”

“You’ve wounded me, Princess.”

“I highly doubt that. You have to be more than well aware of your appearance.”

“I am.” I grinned at her. “It has led to quite a few people making questionable life choices.”

I hoped it would lead her to make some questionable life choices, which, considering where she was, she wasn’t unfamiliar with.

“Then why did you say you were insulted—?” Her mouth snapped shut and she pushed against my chest again. “You’re still lying on me.”

“I know.”

“It’s quite rude of you to continue doing so when I’ve made it clear that I would like for you to move.”

“It’s quite rude of you to barge into my room dressed as—”

“Your lover?”

I stared at her for a moment. “I wouldn’t call her that.”

“What would you call her?”

Hell, how was I supposed to answer that? “A… good friend.”

She returned my stare. “I didn’t know friends behaved this way.”

“I’m willing to wager you don’t know much about these sorts of things.”

“And you wager all of this on just one kiss?”

“Just one kiss? Princess, you can learn a wealth of things from just one kiss.”

She quieted, and I… needed to know why she was here, at the Red Pearl, in this room, wearing a maid’s cloak. And where were her guards? I seriously doubted they’d allow her to come here. If so, I needed to know which one did so I could make sure that wasn’t the one who found themselves dead.

But I started with the most pressing question. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

As I waited for an answer, my eyes tracked over her mask and then lower, to where the cloak had parted…

It felt like a punch to the chest when I saw what she wore.

Or what she wasn’t wearing to be more exact.

The neckline was low, exposing the surprising swell of her breasts, and the gown, whatever silky material it was made of, was now my favorite. It was nearly transparent and thin enough that I thought for a moment the gods had woken from their slumber to bless me.

Why would the untouched, pure Maiden be at the Red Pearl — a notorious pleasure house in Masadonia — by herself? In a room with a man she believed thought her to be someone else no less? A man who had kissed her without one word of protest falling from her lips. Hell, she’d kissed me back. Started to, at least. And she was dressed…

She was dressed for utter debauchery.

It suddenly seemed hard to breathe as my gaze lifted to hers. A sense of understanding swept over me, quickly followed by disbelief. There was only one reason she would be here.

And I was more interested in all the reasons why than I had been interested in anything in… forever. I shouldn’t be. I had just been handed the golden goose. This was the perfect chance for me to take her. I could slip out of the city right now.

There’d be no need to continue the ruse of being a dutiful and loyal Rise Guard. No need to get close to her. Hell, I couldn’t get any closer than I was right now.

Well, yeah… I could.

I could get way closer.

But if I took her now, I’d never hear from her lips why she was here. And I needed to know that. If I made my move, I would lose the strange pounding in my chest. The warmth. The enjoyment. And I was a selfish son of a bitch when it came to something I wanted.

Besides, it wasn’t me who’d found her. She had found me. And in an instant, I was more than willing to let this play out as long as possible.

Because it would all be over soon enough.

“I think I’m beginning to understand,” I told her.

“Does that mean you’re going to get up so I can move?”

I shook my head. “I have a theory.”

“I’m waiting with bated breath for this.”

The Maiden… she had a mouth on her.

I liked that.

A lot.

“I think you came to this very room with a purpose in mind,” I said. “It’s why you didn’t speak or attempt to correct my assumption of who you were. Perhaps the cloak you borrowed was also a very calculated decision. You came here because you want something from me.”

She dragged that lip between her teeth again.

I shifted once more, lifting my hand to her right cheek. The simple touch sent a shudder through her. “I’m right, aren’t I, Princess?”

“Maybe… maybe I came here for… for conversation.”

“To talk?” I almost laughed again. “About what?”

“Lots of things.”

Fighting a smile, I said, “Like?”

Her throat worked on a delicate swallow. “Why did you choose to work on the Rise?”

“You came here tonight to ask that?” I asked more dryly than anything Kieran could’ve said, but it was clear by her stare alone that she expected an answer. So, I gave her the same one I gave anyone who asked. “I joined the Rise for the same reason most do.”

“And what is that?” she asked.

The lie came all too easily. “My father was a farmer, and that was not the life for me. There aren’t many other opportunities offered than joining the Royal Army and protecting the Rise, Princess.”

“You’re right.”

Surprise flickered through me. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, there aren’t many chances for children to become something other than what their parents were.”

“You mean there aren’t many chances for children to improve their stations in life, to do better than those who came before them?”

She gave a short nod. “The… the natural order of things doesn’t exactly allow that. A

farmer’s son is a farmer or they—”

The natural order of things? For Solis, perhaps. “They choose to become a guard, where they risk their lives for stable pay that they most likely won’t live long enough to enjoy? Doesn’t sound much like an option, does it?”

“No,” she said, sending yet another ripple of surprise through me. I hadn’t, even for one moment, considered that the Maiden spent a second thinking about those who guarded the city. “There may not be many choices, but I still think — no, I know — that joining the guard requires a certain level of innate strength and courage.”

“You think that of all the guards? That they are courageous?”

“I do.”

“Not all guards are good men, Princess,” I said, meaning the words.

Her eyes narrowed. “I know that. Bravery and strength do not equal goodness.”

“We can agree on that.” My gaze lowered to her mouth.

“You said your father was a farmer. Is he… has he gone to the gods?”

My father was a god among men to many. “No. He is alive and well. Yours?” I asked, even though I already knew.

“My father — both of my parents are gone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, knowing that her parents had died many years ago. “The loss of a parent or a family member lingers long after they’re gone, the pain lessening but never fading. Years later, you’ll still find yourself thinking that you’d do anything to get them back.”

Her gaze flicked over my face. “You sound like you know firsthand.”

“I do,” I said, refusing to think of any of that.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry for whoever it is that you’ve lost. Death is…” I tilted my head. “Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.”

“That it is.” Sadness colored her tone, tugging at a part of me that needed to stay deadened.

I lowered my head, noting the catch in her breath as my lips neared hers. “I doubt the need for conversation led you to this room. You didn’t come here to talk about sad things that cannot be changed, Princess.”

Her eyes widened under her mask, and I felt her stiffen under me. I didn’t need to know her thoughts to realize that she was battling what she knew she should be doing versus what she wanted.

That very same battle had raged very briefly inside me, except reckless curiosity had won out — as did my selfishness. Would she be the responsible one and end this? If so, I would walk away from this room.

And I would.

I wouldn’t take her tonight, even though that made more sense than leaving this room without the one person I’d come to this kingdom for. What stopped me was some kind of twisted sense of chivalry, as ridiculous as that sounded. But I knew why she was here.

The Maiden wanted to know pleasure.

And there was something so… innocent about that. Courageous. Unexpected. I didn’t know what had gone into her choice to come here, what she’d had to do or how she prepared herself or even why. And if I revealed who I was — who she was to me – in a society like the one th Ascended had created, where women needed to hide their faces when they sought pleasure and happiness, it could be seen as a punishment. As if this were what happened when you engaged in such behaviors, and I… I didn’t want to be a part of ruining that for her.

I sensed the moment she made up her mind. Her body relaxed under mine as she drew that lower lip between her teeth once more.

And gods, I didn’t expect that. I figured she would end this. She should have. But hell, I was a bastard because I was… too captivated — too intrigued not to follow through.

Drawing in a breath that felt strangely shallow, I drew a finger across the satin ribbon of her mask. “May I remove this?”

She shook her head no.

Disappointment sparked. I wanted to see her face and the expressions she made, but that mask… it was just a silly piece of cloth. Yet sometimes, silliness fed bravery, and who was I to judge? After all, I was constantly pretending. My life in this kingdom was a façade. Everything about me was a lie. Well, mostly.

I trailed my finger along the line of her jaw and down her throat, over her wildly pounding pulse. My fingers stopped where the cloak was fastened. “How about this?”

She nodded.

I’d never removed a cloak quicker in my life.

The shiver I saw, the sudden rise of her breasts as I skimmed the tip of my finger over the wonderfully indecent neckline, sent a bolt of raw, pounding desire through me. In a flash of heat, I saw that gown of hers in shreds, and me between her thighs, first with my tongue and then with my cock. And that desire was nearly as potent as the need to remain where I was — warm and interesting and alive.

I checked myself then.

Clenching my jaw, I willed the gathering throb to cool it. I was willing to go wherever this led, but not there. That was taking too much, and it didn’t matter if it was willingly given. I was a monster, but not that kind of monster.

But there was so much we could do.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, toying with the small bow between the sweet swells on her chest. “Tell me, and I’ll make it so.”

“Why?” she asked. “Why would you…do this? You don’t know me, and you thought I was someone else.”

It wasn’t like I could answer that question honestly, and it had nothing to do with who she was. “I have nowhere to be at the moment, and I’m intrigued.”

“Because you have nowhere to be at the moment?”

“Would you rather I wax poetic about how I’m charmed by your beauty, even though I can only see half your face?” I asked. “Which, by the way, from what I can see is pleasing. Would you rather I tell you I’m captivated by your eyes? They are a pretty shade of green from what I can tell.”

The corners of her lips turned down. “Well, no. I don’t want you to lie.”

“None of those things were a lie.” Tugging on the little bow, I dipped my head, brushing my lips over her. Her fresh and sweet scent heightened. “I told you the truth, Princess. I’m intrigued by you, and it’s fairly rare anyone intrigues me.”

“So?”

“So,” I said, chuckling against the curve of her jaw. “You’ve changed my evening. I’d

planned to return to my quarters. Maybe get a good, albeit boring, night of sleep, but I have a suspicion that tonight will be anything but boring if I spend it with you.”

It would be nothing short of a miracle.

“Were you… were you with someone before me?” she asked.

I lifted my head. “That’s a random question.”

“There are two glasses by the settee.”

“It’s also a random, personal question asked by someone whose name I don’t even know.”

Her cheeks warmed.

And I… I could understand her inquiry, couldn’t I? Her concern. “I was with someone,” I answered. “A friend who is not like the owner of the cloak. One I hadn’t seen in a while. We were catching up, in private,” I explained, and it shocked me. I rarely ever did such a thing.

But my response wasn’t exactly a lie. I hadn’t seen Kieran in a while.

“So, Princess, will you tell me what you want from me?”

Her breath caught again. “Anything?”

“Anything.” I slid my hand down, cupping the surprisingly full weight of her breast. The white robes I normally saw her in had hidden a lot.

But now, with the thin material of her gown pulled taut against her skin, I could make out the deep, rosy hue, and the oh-so-very-intriguing hardened peak. My thumb followed my gaze.

She gasped as her back arched, pressing her breast more firmly into my palm. My chest tightened with a surge of need.

“I’m waiting.” I swept my thumb once more, thoroughly enjoying the breathy sound she made and the curl of her body. “Tell me what you enjoy, so I can make you love it.”

“I…” She bit down on her lip. “I don’t know.”

My gaze flew to hers as I froze. Her words were a reminder. They were also a spark that lit a fire under the need I felt to show her exactly what she wanted.

“I’ll tell you what I want.” I moved my thumb again, slower, harder. “I want you to remove your mask.”

“I…” Her lips parted. “Why?”

“Because I want to see you.”

“You can see me now.”

“No, Princess.” I lowered my head. “I want to really see you when I do this without your gown between you and my mouth.”

Keeping my gaze on her face because I refused to miss a moment, I flicked my tongue over the tip of her breast. The silk was barely a barrier, and as I closed my mouth over the turgid peak, I could easily imagine doing something that rarely ever occurred to me when I was with a mortal.

I could see myself sinking my teeth into the plump flesh, discovering if she tasted as sweet as she smelled. I bet she did. My body answered the cry of pleasure that parted her lips, thickening and hardening.

“Remove your mask. Please.” I slid a hand over the lush curve of her hip and down her thigh to where the dress parted. Her skin felt like the silky material, smooth as I curled my fingers — around something hard. “What the… ?”

My hand closed over the hilt of a dagger. What in the hell? I unsheathed the blade, rocking back as she sat up, reaching for the weapon.

The Maiden had a dagger. And not just any ordinary kind.

“Bloodstone and wolven bone.”

“Give that back,” she demanded, scrambling to her knees.

My gaze shifted from the dagger to her. “This is a unique weapon.”

“I know.” A tumble of red-wine waves and curls fell forward over her shoulders.

“The kind that’s not inexpensive.” And one that carried a particular purpose. “Why are you in possession of this, Princess?”

“It was a gift, and I’m not foolish enough to come to a place like this unarmed.”

That was a smart decision. “Carrying a weapon and having no idea how to use it doesn’t make one wise.”

Her eyes narrowed with irritation. “What makes you think I don’t know how to use it? Because I’m female?”

I stared at her. “You can’t be surprised that I would be shocked. Learning how to use a dagger isn’t exactly common for females in Solis.”

“You’re right, but I do know how to use it.”

The confidence in her words told me that she spoke no lies. So, the Maiden knew how to wield a dagger. That was wholly and gloriously unexpected. Instead of concerning me, it made me all the more interested.

The right side of my lips curved up. “Now, I’m truly intrigued.”

Her eyes widened as I thrust the dagger blade down into the mattress and then went at her. I took her down to the bed, settling between her thighs and letting her feel exactly how intrigued I was—

A fist pounded on the door. “Hawke?” Kieran’s voice rang out. “You in there?”

I halted and closed my eyes, telling myself that I did not just hear his voice.

“It’s Kieran.”

“As if I didn’t know that already,” I muttered, and a small giggle left her. The sound opened my eyes and brought a grin to my lips.

“Hawke?” Kieran pounded some more.

“I think you should answer him,” she whispered.

“Dammit.” If I didn’t, he was likely to barge in. “I’m thoroughly, happily busy at the

moment.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Kieran replied as I refocused on her. The wolven knocked again. “But the interruption is unavoidable.”

“The only unavoidable thing I see is your soon-to-be broken hand if you pound on that door one more time,” I warned, causing her eyes to widen. “What, Princess?” I lowered my voice. “I told you I was really intrigued.”

“Then I must risk a broken hand,” Kieran replied, and a growl of frustration rumbled from deep within me. “The… envoy has arrived.”

Gods.

I cursed again, under my breath this time. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

“An… envoy?” she asked.

“The supplies we’ve been waiting for,” I explained, which was sort of true. “I need to go.”

She nodded.

And I did need to leave, but I didn’t want to. It took several moments for me to force myself to move. Standing, I grabbed my tunic from the floor as I told Kieran I’d be out in a few. He wouldn’t be waiting for me in the hall. He’d go somewhere quieter. I yanked the shirt over my head, glancing over my shoulder to see that she had retrieved the dagger. I grinned.

Clever girl.

I shrugged on a baldric and picked up the two short swords from the chest near the door, and it was like I had no control over what came out of my mouth. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” I sheathed the blades flat to my sides, realizing that what I said was the truth. I would come back.

“I swear.”

She nodded once more.

I stared at her. “Tell me that you’ll wait for me, Princess.”

“I will.”

Pivoting, I walked to the door and then stopped. Slowly, I turned back and soaked in the sight of her — that surprising mass of red waves and those parted lips, the way she sat there, clutching the edges of her cloak around her, brave yet vulnerable. It was an interesting mix, one I wanted to continue exploring.

“I look forward to returning.”

She was silent again, and I knew it was unlikely that she’d be here when I returned, but I would come back. I would look for her. And if she wasn’t here?

I would find her again.

Sooner rather than later.

She would be mine.

Blood.

I needed it.

But it kept leaking out of me, seeping from the ragged wounds across my chest.

Fucking dakkais.

I tossed the soaked towel aside, ignoring the scream of pain as the movement pulled at the skin that should’ve healed by now. I grabbed a new towel to ruin, dampening it.

Catching a glimpse of the mess the dakkais’ claws had made of my chest, I let out a rough laugh. I was in bad shape, and I…

I’d made her flinch.

Fuck.

I could still taste the sourness of Sera’s shame. And worse yet, the too-thick tang of her concern sat in the center of my chest, aching worse than the godsdamn claws.

Fuck.

How could she make it seem so real? Her guilt? Her worry for me — who she’d planned to murder? Wasn’t like I didn’t get her reasons. Fates knew I’d do damn near anything to protect my people — and I had — but it was a huge ass bitter pill to swallow. My failure to see what she was up to. How I’d begun to trust her. How I’d started to regret the loss of my kardia—

“None of it matters,” I muttered.

And it didn’t because Sera had likely always known that I could read emotions. She’d played that game of hers. Fates knew she wasn’t the first to become so skilled at manipulating her feelings. Wasn’t that the exact same shit that Veses had pulled? Still tried to? I wasn’t going to fall for it again.

But she had flinched.

“Fuck,” I roared, sending more blood I couldn’t afford to lose pumping out of the wounds.

Exhaling roughly, I lifted my gaze to the mirror. I barely recognized myself. My skin was pale, my cheeks hollow, and cheekbones too sharp. Shadows had settled under my eyes. Fangs protruded.

It was I who looked like a monster.

My head bowed then, my neck feeling a little too loose for comfort. The floor beneath my feet didn’t even feel like it was there. I gripped the vanity, grounding myself — or trying to. I’d been worse off than this. Body broken. Bones shattered. This was nothing. I repeated that, even as I felt my pulse slow. This is nothing. But…

It had been a while since I’d fed. I could feel the hunger gnawing at me. Had felt it for days, but the options were…

The options were a nightmare.

I dragged the towel over my chest, a hiss of pain escaping me. Damn, maybe this was a little more than nothing. A shudder went through me, and a white mist crowded the corners of my eyes. The only choice now was to sleep—go to ground and heal—but that would leave the Shadowlands unprotected. Leave her unprotected. I snarled. Nektas and the others could only do so much.

A soft hum of energy pressed upon the nape of my neck, barely noticeable beneath the pain, but I felt it.

Felt her.

Fates, no. I had to be hallucinating. There was no way she had gotten this close to me without me sensing her until now. There was no fucking way she was here.

“Nyktos.”

Every muscle in my body locked up at the sound of her voice. My grip on the vanity tightened. She couldn’t be here. Slowly, I lifted my head, and the silvery-blond cascade of curls pierced the shadows clouding my vision. She stood at the entrance of the bathing chamber, her chin lifted, shoulders straight, and feet planted like… like a warrior going into battle. I saw her.

Beautiful.

Her stance. The rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took, straining the tight lacing of her bodice. The unending curves of her body. Her defiance. That damn glorious hair. The lush mouth.

Everything about her was beautiful, even her lies.

The breath that left me was ragged, and I didn’t inhale as I stared at her, counting the seconds between when I felt my pulse beat. “I clearly recall telling Nektas to put you somewhere safe where you couldn’t get yourself into trouble.”

“Yeah, well, he thinks he listened to you.”

There were too many seconds between beats. “He did not.”

She swallowed, drawing my gaze to the delicate line of her throat. A sharp pang of hunger pierced my gut and chest. Muscles seized even further.

“You need to feed,” she said.

I almost laughed at the challenge in her voice, but that white shadow was ever-increasing in those now minutes between beats. It was an insidious lust for blood. A beast of a wolf, sinking its claws into my chest and mind, digging deeper and deeper until all I could see was the pulse thrumming in her throat. I counted the time between them, too. Steady. Full of life. Full of fire. I  inhaled then. “And you, the utter last person I want to see right now, need to leave.”

Sera stiffened, challenge growing in her stance. “You need to feed. That’s why I’m here.”

A misty, shivery wave of awareness went through me. Feed? My jaw throbbed. It wasn’t the only thing. So did my dick. It had hardened the moment she said my name — like it always did.

Marble began to crack beneath my fingers as the instinctive urge to strike rode me hard. As the wolf thickened and grew. I stretched my neck from side to side. “Did you not hear me?”

“I did.” Sera inched closer.

My lips peeled back. She was too near for the state of my mind. My head was a mess. The wolf was becoming more prominent. She was too close because the beast wanted at her.

She halted, providing a momentary, blissful reprieve. “But I wouldn’t be here if you fed like… like other Primals.”

I laughed. Or thought I did. The only sound I heard was a low, animalistic rumble. “And how would you know what other Primals do?”

“I… I don’t, but I imagine they’d make sure they weren’t weakened,” she admitted. “And are able to protect their people.”

The last thing she should be thinking about was the people, because protecting them was the last thing I was thinking of as I eased off the vanity and turned to her. She should be more worried about protecting herself, but that would require her to have at least an ounce of self-preservation. She never thought of the risks, did she? And yet, I was surprised. So was the beast.

It was surprised and thrilled. Foolish prey was the easiest to hunt and capture. Conquer and—

A thin breath parted my lips. “You truly have no fear of death, do you?”

“I… I always knew I would meet an early death one way or another,” she said, almost as if it were some sort of joke.

“How?” The misty shadow was invading my veins, flowing into the hollowness of my chest. “How did you know you would die?”

“I figured it would either be by your hand or one of your guards if I…”

“If you actually succeeded in weakening me? If I fell in love with you?” I drifted to the opening of the bathing chamber, picking up on a hint of tart, lemony unease. Not fear. Never fear. “If you managed to kill me?”

Sera nodded.

The wolf pressed against my flesh as I took in the way her lips parted. The shallow rise of her breasts. The beat of her pulse…

The brief taste of her — that tiny drop I’d stolen — still lingered in my senses, but that wasn’t all I needed. Fates, I needed her against me. Under me. Her blood was fire, but her flesh was paradise. A violent peace.

And I wanted it.

Needed it.

I could take it. Easily. The physical pain would go away. The emptiness would ease up for a little while. I could take it—

Not it.

Her.

I would be taking her.

Sera.

It would be her I’d be feeding from.

And I would likely kill her.

“You need to leave,” I told her.

“I’m not going to.”

The wolf roared its approval as I shouted, “Leave!”

Sera flinched — fuck, she flinched again, and I tasted… the bitterness of fear. Good. A low, guttural growl echoed from deep within my chest. She needed to be terrified.

But she didn’t move.

And I knew then that she wouldn’t. So did the wolf.

“If you don’t leave, I’m going to feed from you,” I warned, no longer feeling the beat of my pulse. “And I’m going to fuck you while I do it.”

Sera’s inhale reached me, as did the spicy, smoky hint of arousal. Every part of my being focused on her. Only her. My stare momentarily dropped to her mouth. I could think of other talents. My dick throbbed, wanting her as badly as I wanted her blood.

“Is that a promise?” She raised a brow. “Or just more talk?”

Lust for her blood and for her collided, fusing. There was no separating the two now. My chest rumbled. “Reckless.”

“I think you know that is one of my talents.”

“I may kill you. Do you understand that? I haven’t fed in… decades.” That was a lie but wasn’t. I hadn’t fed willingly in decades. “I don’t trust myself right now. Do you understand, liessa?”

The pretty flush of blood hit her cheeks. Her chin lifted. “You’re not going to kill me.”

So beautiful.

So brave.

“Foolish,” I purred.

“Maybe, but I’m still standing here.”

She was.

Sera stood there like a sacrifice. Or a gift.

And I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to. “So be it.”

I crossed the distance between us before she had a chance to change her mind. My fingers curled into her hair — her soft, silky hair — as I tugged her head back. I struck, sinking my fangs deep into her flesh. I jerked against her at the first drop of blood, and the beast howled its pleasure.

Sera’s blood.

Hot and smooth, it hit my tongue first and then coursed down my throat. She tasted of… everything. I drew her into me with deep, strong pulls. I drank and drank, moving as I did, caging her soft body between mine and the wall, my mouth moving hungrily at her throat. She gripped my arms, and the delightful prick of pain scratched my nerve endings as her nails dug into my skin.

She tasted of sweet fire and sunlight.

I warned her.

I took her into me, devouring the taste of her, reveling in it. Nothing tasted like Sera.

Nothing.

I told her what would happen.

I drowned in her taste, in the heat of her blood, in the feel of her sluicing through my veins.

She knew the risks.

I pressed into the softness of her body, sucking at her neck ravenously. Selfishly.

And yet, she stayed.

A sacrifice?

A gift?

I was at the breaking point. I could feel it—the beast creeping its way up the back of my neck, poising to take complete control. If I let it, I would take everything from her.

I didn’t want that.

In my haze of blood and desire, I knew that. I didn’t want to see the defiant spark snuffed out of her. I didn’t want to see the life fade from her steely gaze. I didn’t want to break her. It took everything in me to ease off. To loosen my grip on her shoulder. To slow my feeding. But I did it because I wanted her.

Alive and warm and under me…

I wanted in her.

And she wanted that, too.

Maybe as badly as I did because her blood was now smoky with her arousal.

Groaning, I thrust my thigh between hers as I drew my hand from her shoulder to the swell of her chest, curling my fingers along her bodice. She shuddered against me, letting her head fall back against the wall — giving in to me completely. And for a moment, the beast raised its head again. Giving in to it would be so easy. There was a dark sort of pleasure in taking a life. Feeling that last beat on the tongue. I sucked harder—

The tangle of her fingers in my hair snapped my eyes open. She pulled me closer to her, writhing against my thigh. I slowed at her throat as she came apart so exquisitely in my arms.

The wolf and I came together.

Her soft cry of pleasure tamped down the bloodlust. I slowed at her throat as she trembled against me, her hips rocking once more as she pulled on my hair, sending a fiery wave of pleasure across my scalp.

So wonderfully reckless.

Curling my fingers along the edge of her bodice, I tore the gown down to her waist. Her gasp was a sultry kiss in the air. The brush of her warm breasts against my chest overrode the need for her blood. I lifted my mouth from her neck. I wanted — no, I needed to see what I’d so greedily bared, but her head straightened. Our gazes locked, and I… I couldn’t look away from those beautiful green eyes.

So bold.

So brave.

I wanted to tell her that, but words failed me as she dragged her gaze from mine. I couldn’t look away from her face, from the smattering of freckles, but I knew the exact moment she caught sight of my arousal. Her breaths picked up, and the taste of lust exploded. She leaned back against the wall.

Slowly, my gaze lowered to the heavy swells of her breasts and the tight, hardened tips. I liked seeing my blood smeared on her skin, especially those little nipples. I brought her hair forward, letting the strands glide between my fingers as I drew the curls across her chest. I should’ve drunk from there. One side of my lips curled up. Her skin was so wonderfully warm and soft beneath my palm. So perfect. Her breath caught as my fingers trailed over her nipple. I cupped her breast. She moaned. My gaze flew to hers.

I knew she would let me taste her there.

She would hold my head to her breast just as tightly as she’d held it to her throat.

Sera’s lips parted as she swallowed. “Did you take enough?”

Her voice jerked me out of my dual haze of lust and need, forcing me back to reality. Did I take enough? I swallowed, groaning at the taste of her blood. I could use more, but the worst of the bloodlust had passed. I wasn’t quite sure exactly when it had. Before or after I tore her gown?

But I could feel the beat of my pulse, and the wolf had sheathed its claws.

“It will have to be enough.” I ran my thumb over a hardened nub of flesh, wanting her fiercely. But I was in control. I knew what I’d warned her about, but she wasn’t a sacrifice. She was a gift — a treacherous one, but a gift nonetheless. And I wouldn’t make her a sacrifice to both of my lusts.

I did one of the hardest things I’d done in a long time. I forced myself to step back from her.

“Has to be.”

Sera glanced at my chest, and her brow creased as if she weren’t sure I spoke the truth.

She was silent, though, as I soaked in her exposed flesh. Her beauty. My body hummed. My cock fucking ached in a way that told me my hand wouldn’t cut it.

Her gaze lifted to mine once more, and I saw it in her eyes all at once. Resolve.

Determination. I could’ve stopped her. I didn’t. She reached down, sliding the gown from her hips, baring herself completely—

Holy fuck.

“Sera…” I shuddered, watching her as she placed a hand between her breasts and lowered those slender fingers down her stomach. Nothing could make me look away. She halted just above her navel. “You haven’t taken enough.”

Then, I truly had no words.

“You promised.” Sera slipped her fingers between those lovely thighs and into the damp heat I wanted so badly to feel. I inhaled sharply. “You promised to feed from and fuck me.”

I went rigid, my pulse pounding. Her fingers disappeared into her—

The space between us vanished. I caught her hand, drawing it to my mouth. I closed my lips over a slick finger, sucking the taste off her. It was as decadent as her blood. My gaze locked with hers.

“I did,” I said, need thickening my voice. “I did warn you exactly what would happen.”

“You did.”

My gaze dropped to her breasts. One side of my lips curled up. Then I struck, sinking my fangs into the plump flesh as I wrapped my arm around her waist. I lifted her, taking her blood into me as I let the blood flow, drinking from her as I sucked on a hardened nipple. She threw her head back, but I caught it. Her pleasure nearly undid me as I turned us to the bed, lying her down on her back. Her fingers went to my hair as I shifted, shoving my pants down. I needed to stop drinking from her, but her taste, the way she gloriously gave in to the fire. Her willingness…

I lifted a hand to her cheek, running my thumb across her lip. Her head turned, and my cock jumped as her mouth closed over my thumb. She trembled beneath me as I drew my hand over her cheek.

Groaning, I shuddered against her, wanting to take my time. To explore every inch of her body. To discover what every part of her felt like against my lips and tongue. But even with what little experience I had in these carnal activities, I knew I was close to breaking. I ran my hand over her other breast and the sweet swell of her hip, need overcoming the want.

Instinct took over as I reached between us, my hand trembling slightly as I gripped myself and guided the head of my cock into her heat. I thrust into her, drawing deeply from her breast as she tilted her hips up, taking me.

Good Fates…

I stilled deep inside her, having never felt anything like this before. Slowing the deep draws at her breast, I swiped my tongue over her nipple. Her throaty moan drew my gaze. I lifted my head to find those green eyes locked with mine. I looked between us, seeing where we were joined. The sight was as amazing as she felt.

“Beautiful,” I rasped. A drop of her blood left my lip, hitting her other breast. I dipped my head, erasing the droplet with my tongue. And then I kept going, drawing the peak of her breast into my mouth.

Sera moaned, her hips jerking, dragging a ragged groan from me. Never had I felt this.

Fates, it was…

I shifted, watching our bodies as I withdrew and then pressed back in.

“Oh, gods,” Sera whispered, running her hands over my shoulders and arms.

A tremor worked its way through me as I cupped the back of her head. The tight grip of her body, the pleasure I tasted from her and mine were almost too much. It was. The hold on my more mortal form began to slip. Thick lashes lifted as Sera opened her eyes.

“Nyktos?”

I shuddered, struggling to hold back a different kind of beast. A Primal one that was far more dangerous than the wolf.

Sera touched my cheek.

Sucking in a short breath, I willed my pulse to slow. “I…I’ve never felt anything like this.”

Something sweet radiated from her as she whispered, “Me, neither.”

I stiffened, wanting that to be true. “Don’t lie to me now, even if you do so in such a pretty way.”

“I’m not lying. I’ve never felt this either. Never.”

She sounded so damn genuine. And, fuck, I wanted this moment to be ours, for it to be real.

Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t change that I needed this. Needed her. “I don’t have very much control right now. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that. I don’t.”

“You didn’t when you fed.” Sera smoothed her thumb along my jaw. “You won’t now.”

“Your faith in me…” Her bravery was nearly as foolish as her apparent trust in me, but still, it rocked me to my core. I curled my hand into her hair. “Is admirable but reckless.”

“Your fear is misplaced.” She drew her legs up and around my hips. I lost my breath. So did she. Her knees pressed against my sides.

Then she, a mortal, took control.

Catching me by surprise, Sera rolled me onto my back. The change in position was a shock in sensation. I was deep in her — as deep as I could go.

“But I am reckless,” she panted, planting her hands on my chest.

Thank fuck she was. “Good Fates…” I watched her lean forward, placing her hands on the chest healed because of her blood — because of her.

The edges of her hair danced over my chest, somehow as sensual as her stare. She began to move, rocking slowly. I groaned. “Is this…is this how you plan to kill me?”

“No.” She lifted until just the head of my cock remained inside her and then slid back down.

Another deep rumble left me. “You sure?” I gripped her waist with one hand as I gathered the strands of her hair with the other, holding the soft curls back as she rocked. I wanted to see all of her. The moonlight strands of her hair. The sway of her breasts and where we were fused together. “And I think I’m going to enjoy this manner of death.”

I caught sight of a faint smile gracing her lips before her head fell back. She took hold of the hand in her hair, drawing it to her mouth. She pressed a kiss there, and the hollowness in my chest gave an unsteady kick. I didn’t blink as she drew my hand down the center of her body to her slick heat, enveloping me. She pressed our fingers against her clit and then cried out.

“Fuck.” I groaned, feeling the curl of her pleasure. My hips reared off the bed. “You feel too good, liessa.”

Liessa.

Sera’s head snapped forward, and her eyes opened, bright like two polished emeralds. I kept my fingers where she wanted them, teasing the sensitive bundle of flesh. She rode me faster, and I gladly followed her lead, tasting the smoky spice of her pleasure. I knew she was close. It was in the faster, jerkier movements of her hips and the quickening of her breath. I could feel the spasms beginning in her. I watched avidly, obsessively, not wanting to miss a single moment of her finding release.

“Ash,” she cried out, trembling atop me.

Then I lost control. I didn’t know if it was the feeling of her coming or the name that spilled from her lips. Air left my lungs as I gripped her to me tightly, thrusting up into her, harder and deeper. Tension built. Holding her close to me, there wasn’t any space between us. I needed…

I rolled her, keeping myself nestled deep inside her. I braced my weight on one arm. She cried out as shocks of pleasure cascaded through the entirety of my body. I thrust deep into her silky heat. That was all it took. Release powered down my spine, erupting in a burst of stunning, breathtaking pleasure. My head fell to her shoulder as it took me hard, rocking me to my bones, and it seemed to go on for what felt like a blissful eternity.

And Sera… She took all of me.

She held me through it. I felt her everywhere. Running her hands through my hair, over my back, and down my arms. She held me until I was spent and then longer, and there was an intimacy to it I’d never experienced before. A closeness that felt…important. Monumental.

Feeling strangely weak, I lifted my head and looked down at Sera. Her eyes were half-open, partly hidden by a fringe of lashes so much darker than her hair. Sera was always beautiful, but the ever-present wariness that was etched into her features and eyes was gone. There was a softness there now. I’d seen it when we were at her lake and the other night on the balcony. It was so rare to see her like this. My stare snagged on the smattering of freckles. They were like a constellation, one yet to be discovered.

Her hands stilled on my back, and I opened my senses, feeling something airy and smooth.

But there was so much brewing beneath that. A violent storm of emotions barely curtailed, but I focused on the light taste. I knew what it was.

Contentment.

Because I felt that in these moments. Peace. And it was crazy to me. Like yesterday didn’t exist. Neither did tomorrow. There was only now. Her. Me. This. I found myself staring at her mouth. Those soft lips.

I… I wanted to kiss her.

I wanted that contentedness, for peace to be the only emotion she felt. I stared at her mouth, those lips that had spilled such lies.

Fuck.

I eased out of her and rolled onto my back, starting to close off my senses to her when I felt the tanginess of anguish. It seized my chest as I tilted my head toward her, wondering if what I felt from her was real or not. Wondering why I gave a damn. She hesitantly turned her gaze to mine.

“How?” I asked. “How can you be so convincing?”

She stiffened, the tang of sorrow increasing until I almost — almost believed her. “You’re reading my emotions.”

Sera wasn’t just bold and brave. She was also clever. And it was oddly amusing that she was angry with me reading her emotions. “All things considered, that act doesn’t even register against what you planned. Does it?”

“That doesn’t make it any less rude,” she retorted.

“I suppose not, but you didn’t answer my question. How are you so convincing? Were you also taught that?”

An acidic burst of anger radiated from her. “I was not taught how to force emotion.”

I doubted that. “But weren’t you? Tell me, Sera. Would that not be a part of the seduction? Of leading me to love you? To make me believe you feel something for me?”

A hint of sour shame tinged her anger. “First off, we didn’t know you could read emotions. If we had, then I probably would’ve been schooled on how to feel something so deeply that even I began to believe it was real. Secondly, why would I fake anything I’m feeling now? There’d be no point. It wouldn’t save my people, even if I succeeded. And, finally, need I remind you not to tell me what I’m feeling?”

That was the thing, though. I didn’t know what her family knew or didn’t, and emotions could be forced to the point that one began to believe them. They were perhaps the easiest thing to manipulate. It was something I’d learned the hard way.

But why would she fake them now?

My jaw clenched as I turned my head to the side. Why would she continue? The jig was up.

It served no purpose.

Silence descended between us. It didn’t last long before she spoke. “Did you take enough blood? Honest?”

“More than enough.”

“Good.”

I started to close my eyes but felt her move beside me. I snapped them open to find her sitting up, tangled hair falling over her shoulders. My gaze dipped to the curve of her breast and the mark I’d left behind. An animalistic surge of satisfaction bolted through me. I should be ashamed for feeling that, but I liked the sight of my bite on her. A lot.

Sera scooted away from me, making her way to the edge of the bed.

Muscles tensed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She looked over her shoulder. “To my bedchamber?”

My eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Why… wouldn’t I?” Her chest rose sharply. “Or am I supposed to be sent somewhere else? To those cells you referenced? If so, can I at least find some clothing you didn’t ruin?”

She thought… ?

Relaxing, I felt my lips curve up. “Yeah, I did ruin that gown.”

Sera was quiet for a heartbeat. “I’m not sure why you’re smiling about that.”

“It will be a favorite memory for years to come.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, but it’s not like I have a lot of clothes for someone to be tearing them off me.”

I looked at her, not needing to read her emotions to know she was irritated. The pink flush creeping across her cheeks told me what I needed to know. And fuck if I didn’t enjoy her when she was angry. It made me messed-up, but it also made me hard. I stole another quick glance at my mark on her breast. “You weren’t complaining when I did it.”

Sera’s eyes became thin slits.

My lips twitched. “If I recall correctly, you were quite eager to get rid of that gown

yourself.”

She stared at me, then her gaze dipped below my waist. The sharp spike in her arousal reached me, and I felt myself thicken. Looking at her breasts didn’t help, but I didn’t want help.

“You are sitting next to me, gloriously naked, and I am intentionally staring.”

“I can see that,” she snapped.

Eyeing the puckered bite, I dragged my teeth over my lower lip. “My mark on your unmentionables is quite fascinating to me.”

Her brows knitted, and then she glanced down, drawing in an unsteady breath. There was another burst of spicy lust. “Pervert.”

“Can’t even argue with that.” I turned my head away. “I’m not putting you in a cell.”

“You’re not?”

I should, but… “Why would I?” I closed my eyes, hoping my cock would take the hint.

“You should rest. So should I. We need to be prepared for whatever comes next.” 

She didn’t move.

“Rest means sleeping, Sera, which usually requires that you lay down, unless you’re able to sleep sitting up. I would find that impressive if so,” I told her. “But it would also be distracting.”

A moment passed. “You want me to sleep beside you?”

“I want you to rest. If you’re beside me, I don’t have to worry about what you may or may not do.” I reasoned with her, with myself.

She still didn’t move. “Are you not concerned?”

“About?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Me attacking you?”

I laughed, unable to stop myself. Did she really think she’d get the chance?

“I’m not sure why you find that suggestion funny.”

“Because it is.”

She remained upright.

I bit back a sigh. “Go to sleep, liessa.”

Silence greeted me, and I could feel it growing beside me. The violent storm. Her wild emotions shattered whatever shields I had up.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“You can go fuck yourself.”

My eyes snapped open. Did she just… ? I slowly turned my head toward her in disbelief. She truly had no fear. Or common sense. Her back was to me, and she was on her knees, about to leave the bed. It was almost as if she had forgotten what I was. Who I was. Or she didn’t care.

That would change.

I moved, so much faster than she. Catching her around the waist, I drew her back against my chest as I curled my hand around her chin, tilting her back. There wasn’t even a tiny burst of fear from her, and if that was what I wanted from her — I wasn’t even sure — it changed the moment her body came into contact with mine.

I wanted her.

Again.

“Do you want to know why I find your suggestion funny?” I asked, pressing my cock against her ass as I shifted my hand from her waist, slipping it down to her lower stomach. “Do you?”

“No.” The tip of her pink tongue dampened her lips, sending a dart of brutal lust through me. “But I’m sure you’re going to tell me. You do like to talk.”

I chuckled. Fates, she had such a mouth on her. I dipped my fingers between her thighs, finding that spot she enjoyed so very much. Her hips jerked, drawing a rougher laugh from me.

“You do like my fingers inside you, don’t you?”

She didn’t answer, but I knew she did. I watched the tips of her breasts harden as I drew a finger over her clit, and she rocked against my hand.

“I think there’s something else you like more than my fingers,” I murmured, parting her. “Isn’t that right?”

“So?” she challenged, her voice thick with desire. Fates, she was deliciously wet.

I pressed against her ass, and she rocked back. The friction caused the hairs all over my body to stand on end.

“And you know what I think?” she said. “You forgot what you were going to say.”

“Oh, trust me, liessa, I didn’t forget.” My breath coasted over the side of her neck and the bite mark there. I moved slowly behind her, following the rhythm of the finger I’d slid inside her until my cock bumped against my hand, as taut and hard as a bowstring. “I was just letting you forget.”

Sera stilled.

I pressed her down onto her hands and then her forearms and belly, keeping her ass up. A savage smile pulled at my lips as I stared down at the full curve of her ass, and the elegant line of her spine. She trembled as I worked my finger in and out, feeling her slick wetness. Her moan brought forth another surge of brutal satisfaction and…and anger at her. Mostly at myself.

Because I knew I shouldn’t want her. There were no excuses. No beast to tame except my lust. Desire that wasn’t fueled by feeding. This was all me.

“It’s funny because you cannot hurt me.” My mouth hovered over her bite, and I wasn’t sure if I was speaking to her or myself. “You can never weaken me to the point that you’d ever be a real threat.”

Her breath caught. Then she turned her head in my grip, toward me. “You sure about that?”

For fuck’s sake. Those four words…

My head snapped down, my fangs finding the two puncture wounds on her throat. I didn’t sink them in. I just held them there, an act of dominance, one answered with a flood of arousal from Sera.

She wanted this.

Like this.

She wanted me to dominate.

My lips curled back in a heated snarl as I drew my finger from her tight heat to that sensitive flesh and then thrust my cock deep inside her. Her cry of pleasure stoked my need. I didn’t need her to show me the way this time. There was no slow seduction from either of us. This was pure instinct. The angle. The way I held her. Fates, I was going to explode.

A sudden, sharp sting drew my gaze down. She’d taken my thumb into her mouth. The hellion had bitten me.

“Fuck,” I groaned against her throat.

A throaty laugh left her as she closed her lips around my thumb and sucked as hard as she had when that mouth was wrapped around my cock. And, fuck.

I stilled deep inside her, bringing my hand down on her ass in a light smack. “Very

naughty.”

And I learned that she liked that, too.

Sera moaned around my thumb, pushing back and grinding, and I lost control. I plunged into her hard and furiously. There was no thought. No teasing words. The only sounds were her soft moans and cries. My grunts and the slap of our flesh. I held her in place and took her, thrusting over and over. It was mindless. Raw. This was fucking…

But it felt like more than that.

Release took us in rapid succession, her first, and then when she clamped down on me, her spasms took me over the edge. With a hoarse shout, I came even harder than I had before.

Riding the aftershocks rocking her, I kept her body sealed to mine, bracing my weight on my arm. I didn’t know why, but I pressed my lips to where I’d bitten her before. I just did. She quivered beneath me, and this time, it was I who held her.

And I kept holding her.

Even after our bodies had quieted, and I eased us onto our sides, her back to my chest. I held on to her as she drifted into sleep. I didn’t let go. I didn’t sleep. Not for a long time. I just held her, feeling the beat of her heart, each breath she took. Minutes ticked by. Hours.

My hold on Sera didn’t loosen.

A featherlight touch to my cheek and then my brow stirred me awake. Rolling onto my side, I lifted my lashes. Vibrant amber eyes met mine.

Beautiful eyes.

Beloved ones.

The happy surprise of seeing him sitting on the bed beside me chased the cobwebs of sleep away. “Cas,” I whispered, breathing in the unique scent of spice and pine that was all him.

A slow smile spread across his lush lips, revealing a deep divot in his right cheek, then the left. A hint of two blade-sharp fangs appeared, sending a wicked, delicious thrill through me.

I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite smile, but I cherished this kind — the wide, real ones that warmed the striking lines and angles of his features. Especially now.

“My Queen,” he murmured, dragging the pads of his fingers down the side of my face to just below the scar on my cheek.

The light from the nearby lamp I’d left on cast a glow over him. He was still dressed from being on the road with Kieran, the buttery soft leathers he’d taken to wearing of late covered in a fine layer of dust. He had the collar of his shirt loosened, and I noticed the numerous weapons he usually bore upon his body were absent.

“I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

“Hmm?” He dragged his gaze from the path he’d been tracing down my throat to the thin strap of my nightgown. “I’m sorry. You called me Cas, and now I’m thoroughly distracted.”

I laughed. “Really?”

“You have no idea what hearing you call me that does to me.”

His gaze lifted once more to meet mine. “Truly.”

He was teasing, but I did know.

As did Kieran, who knew everything about the first time the Ascended had captured Cas. He had forgotten who he was, made to feel more like a thing than a person. Hearing himself be called Cas had snapped him out of the darkness. Anger rose in me just thinking about it, stirring the Primal essence in my veins, but I pushed it down before it could take on a whole new life because Cas was free. Safe. And most of those who’d hurt him all those years ago — and again in the not-so-distant past — had been dealt with. As would the rest of them.

Every single person who had ever laid a cruel finger on him would one day pay a grave price.

That was a vow I hadn’t forgotten.

The thin blanket slipped to my hips as I rose onto my elbow, cupping his cheek. The bristle of the short hairs was rough against my palm as I guided his mouth to mine. Still unused to the fangs, I was careful as I pressed my lips to his. Cas opened for me without hesitation. The sweep of his tongue was a jolt to my senses, and gods, I missed the taste of him, even though he hadn’t been gone that long.

A growl rumbled from deep within his chest as he shifted from where he sat and guided me onto my back. The weight and feel of him as he settled his body over mine whipped up a shiver of delight. He deepened the kiss as he palmed my hip, curling his fingers into the flesh there. I slid my hand into his damp hair, gasping as he flicked his tongue over one of my sharpened fangs. Another tight shiver curled its way through me, and my back arched, pressing my chest into his. I had no idea that my fangs could be so sensitive.

“That doesn’t help with being less distracting.” Cas dragged his lips over mine. “I think you missed me.”

I slid my hand over the nape of his neck. “I did.”

He rested his forehead against mine. “A lot.”

“Always.”

His lips curled into a smile against mine. “I missed you, too.

Pretty sure I was getting on everyone’s nerves talking about how I needed to get back to you.”

“Even Kieran?”

“I think he’s learned to just tune me out.” He kissed the corner of my lips, and I knew that was somewhat impossible. It had taken us a while — the three of us — to realize that no one had ever openly discussed certain things about the Joining. One of them being the fact that our bodies appeared to sync to one another’s. Or rather, their bodies synced to mine. But another thing was Cas’s and Kieran’s ability to not only pick up on each other’s emotions but also mine. And while Kieran believed that was an amusing bit of Karma, I found it to be highly annoying when they sensed the changes in my mood.

Especially when they decided to comment on it.

“I think Netta was about to bite me at one point,” Cas continued. “Just to shut me up.”

“She would never.”

“She would.” He kissed the other side of my lips. “And has.”

I laughed, but the sound quickly faded as I guided his head back so his eyes met mine. “Did you… find him?”

Did you find them went unasked.

“No,” he said quietly, squeezing my hip. “The city is huge, though. We still have large chunks of it to check, and he knows the layout and where to hide when he doesn’t want to be found — both of them do. But we’ll find them.”

I exhaled, long and slow, nodding as I let my senses stretch out to him. Cas had so many layers. The fading sweetness of his amusement. The rich taste of cinnamon — pride. Chocolate and berries: love. But underneath them all, I tasted the tart prickliness of frustration. “I could try to use—”

“Let’s not try that,” he cut in with a teasing grin. “We really don’t need a repeat of what happened the last time you tried to use the Primal essence for something one normally wouldn’t.”

“I would like to know who determined what the essence should and shouldn’t be used for.”

“Your grandfather?” Cas suggested. “Grandmother?”

My eyes narrowed. “Don’t bring logic into this conversation. That’s normally Kieran’s job. Or at the very least, Naill’s.”

Cas snorted. “None of us wants another impromptu visit from your grandmother.” Pausing, he shuddered. “Or Nektas.”

“I don’t think either of them likes being referred to as a grandparent,” I said, and it was weird to even think of them as such since neither looked much older than us. “And if Tawny can get over being momentarily frozen, so can they.”

He arched a brow as he stared down at me.

“Fine.” Letting my arms flop to the bed, I sighed. “I won’t try.”

Cas chuckled, dipping his chin to brush his lips over mine.

That quick, press of lips quickly became something infinitely more, leaving us both breathless and wanting.

“What is it with you and such silly, tiny straps?” Cas asked as he slid said straps down my arms, baring my breasts.

“I… I don’t know,” I panted as his lips danced over the skin he’d bared, licking and nipping, tasting. Warmth invaded my blood, and deep in my chest, the essence throbbed with heat instead of ice. “It’s just how they make them.”

“I think that’s a lie. You have them altered just to torment me.” His mouth closed over the tip of my breast, coaxing a ragged moan from me. “Fuck,” he groaned, lifting his head. The hollows of his cheeks stood out starkly as he dragged his fangs over his lower lip. “I do love them, though.”

A pleasant flush spread down my throat and over my chest. “I don’t think you’re still speaking about the straps.”

The dimple in his right cheek appeared as a slow half grin spread across his face. He glanced up at me through thick lashes, his eyes pools of liquid gold.

“You know what I’ve been thinking?” He reared onto his knees.

“Only the gods know what…” I trailed off as he reached behind himself, grabbing a fistful of his shirt at the collar and then pulling it over his head. The muscles along his shoulders and chest tightened as he tossed the garment aside. My gaze glanced off the delineated lines of his chest and the lean, tightly coiled muscles of his stomach as his hands went to the snap on his leathers. He shoved them down his hips. My lips parted on a sharp inhale as an indecent fluttering motion swept through me.

“Seems like I’m not the only one distracted,” he commented, the sugary-sweet burst of his amusement tickling my tongue. “Perhaps it will help you pay attention to what I’m saying if you refrain from ogling my man bits.”

“Man bits?” I choked on a laugh. “You were just staring at my breasts!”

“Does manhood sound better?” Cas countered as his hands went to the hem of my deep green nightgown. “And I was staring at the straps.”

“Liar.” I bit down on my lip as he drew up the hem of the gown, the rough calluses of his palms sliding over the scars on my thighs. “And, no, I would rather you didn’t call it manhood or man bits.”

“Then what—?” He paused to dip his head and capture the turgid peak of my breast in his mouth. “Your breast looked lonely,” he explained. “What would you prefer I call it?”

“Cock?” I whispered.

His gaze flew to mine. “Say that again.”

My cheeks warmed. “Cock.”

Cas’s grin was downright indecent. “How in the hell can you make such a word sound so… charmingly innocent?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know how or why we’re even talking about this.”

“You started it.”

“I did not.”

“Was it me, then? My bad.” His lips parted as he got an eyeful of the lacy undergarments I wore in the same color as the gown. “Pretty,” he murmured. My hips twitched as he drew his finger along the delicate, scalloped edge. “Very pretty.” Those heated eyes lifted to mine. “Do you like them?”

“The undergarments?”

He nodded.

“I suppose so,” I answered, thinking that was a strange question.

“Then I apologize.”

“What for?” I gasped as he tore the material with one quick swipe of his hand. “Cas!”

“I’ll get you a new pair,” he promised.

My heart pounded, and I knew his did, too. “You know, you could’ve just removed them like a normal person.”

“And what fun is there in behaving like a normal person?” A wicked smile appeared as his finger moved down the very center of me with nothing between him and my damp skin. He eased that finger inside me. “My Queen?”

My back arched, and my hands curled into the sheet on either side of me.

His laugh was rich, husky, and his stare as he watched himself slowly thrust his finger in and out was nothing short of scandalous. “Ah, now I remember what I was trying to tell you,” he said, doing something utterly devious with his thumb. “What I’ve been thinking about. I’m not sure calling you ‘my Queen’ is still appropriate.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what he was talking about. My hips lifted, matching the plunging of his finger before he added another.

“Especially considering you’re more than a Queen.” His hand still moved between my thighs as he stretched over me, his mouth dancing across the skin of my chest and the underside of my jaw. “Should I call you my Primal Highness?”

I shook my head.

“I believe that’s the official title.” Cas nipped at where my pulse thrummed wildly. “We should see how it rolls off the tongue,” he decided. “Your pussy is so wet, my Primal Highness.”

“Oh, my gods,” I half-laughed, half-moaned. “I can’t believe you just said that sentence out loud.”

“Believe it.” His mouth danced over my cheek. “Or how about… do you want my cock inside you, my Primal Highness?”

I clasped his cheek. “How about—?” My head kicked back as he pressed his thumb against the most sensitive part of me.

He stared down at me, his features a mask of innocence.

“How about what?”

“How… how about you just call me Poppy?” I managed.

“That seems inappropriate.”

“All of what you just said sounded highly inappropriate.”

“True.” He caught my lower lip between his teeth. “But you didn’t answer my question.”

Muscles deep inside me began to coil and tighten as I rasped, “W-what question?”

Cas’s mouth went to my ear, and he whispered, “Do you want my cock?”

A fire lit my blood, and I wasn’t sure if it was that or his question that heated my cheeks. Or my answer. “Yes.”

“Thank fuck.” He eased his hand from me.

I watched, my chest rising and falling rapidly as he brought those slick fingers up and closed his lips over them. I turned liquid inside.

“Honeydew,” he growled.

His mouth closed over mine then, and the taste of him — the taste of me — twisted my insides in a dizzying, heady way.

There were no more words, not for a while. There didn’t need to be as our hearts and bodies seized control. He hadn’t been gone long, only a few days, but it still felt like a small eternity since I’d felt him like this, on the tenuous edge of control as we came together. Within a few heartbeats, I was lost to him, all of him, and I knew he was lost to me. All of me.

Because I was drenched in the spicy, smoky flavor of his lust, drowning in it, right along with him.

Cas took his time. We took our time, my legs curled over his waist, and our arms wrapped around each other. There wasn’t an inch of space between us as he drove into me, and I rose to meet each decadently slow roll of his hips. There was no rush. No greedy hands or frantic thrusts. When release came, it found us together, and it was shocking and complete, leaving our bodies damp, and our hearts pounding in tune, our breaths mingling as we lay side by side, facing each other on the now-tangled sheets.

“Poppy?”

“Mmm?”

Cas fingers scooped up a few strands of my hair, tucking them behind my ear. “Did you think I wouldn’t be here? Today?”

Today? Confusion rose as I opened my eyes.

His gaze searched mine. “You’ve forgotten.” A grin appeared.

“Totally understandable. You have a lot on your mind. The upcoming coronation…”

Nervousness surged through me. The more official coronation and ball, which would be held soon in Carsodonia instead of Evaemon, but that was the least of the things occupying my thoughts. “We both have a lot on our mind.”

Cas nodded. “My brother.”

“My sister.”

He cracked a grin. “Your parents-in-law.”

“You mean, your parents.”

“Your grandparents.” He touched his thumb to my lower lip.

I ignored that. “The kingdoms that became a single kingdom.”

“The Unseen,” he continued, drawing his thumb to my cheek.

“The Ascended that are… different.”

“And the Ascended that are the same,” I added. “The Rot.”

His eyes met mine. “Kolis.”

“Kolis,” I repeated, shivering as I wiggled closer to him.

Cas folded over me, bringing our bodies close. And then there was what had been left unsaid.

The Primal power in me.

What it was doing.

To me.

To us.

To the three of us.

I pressed my cheek to his chest, squeezing my eyes shut. His arm tightened around me, and neither of us spoke for several moments. Not until the dread left us both. “What am I forgetting?”

“Today.” Cas reached between us, curling his fingers under my chin. He brought my gaze to his. “It turned midnight just as I arrived. April 20th. Your birthday.”

A ripple of surprise went through me as my eyes widened.

Good gods, I hadn’t been paying attention to the dates, and it had completely slipped my mind that I’d been approaching my self-designated birthday.

Cas smiled. Just one dimple was visible, and that surprise gave way to a sweet rise of love, so much love that it almost hurt for my heart to be so full of it.

“You remembered,” I whispered.

“Apparently, someone had to,” he teased, sweeping his thumb over my cheek. His eyes fixed on mine. “And I would never forget, Poppy. I will be with you for each and every birthday.”

I stared at him as a wealth of emotion swelled and crested.

The back of my eyes stung as tears crowded my throat.

“Don’t.” Cas rose onto his elbow to hover over me. “Don’t cry, Poppy.”

I smacked my hand over my face.

“Why do you keep doing that?” He laughed roughly. “It sounds like it hurts.”

“I’m trying not to cry,” I sniffled.

He took hold of my wrist. “I don’t see how smacking yourself in the face helps.”

“It does.”

“Poppy.” He drew my hand from my face.

“They’re happy tears,” I told him.

“I know.” He kissed my palm, right where a faint sheen of dampness smudged the golden imprint. “But your tears still kill me,” he said, his brows knitting as something small and hard suddenly poked at my palm. “Even when they turn into diamonds.”

I followed his stare to where two tiny diamonds shaped like tears rested in my palm. “Damn it,” I whispered. “I still don’t get how that’s possible.”

“Neither do I.” He plucked them from my palm and then stretched, placing them on the nightstand before settling once more beside me. “But it’s rather impressive.”

“Yeah, it… it kind of is.” I plastered myself to his chest. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that.” Cas kissed the top of my head. “And you probably won’t be thanking me later.”

“Doubtful.” I threw an arm over him, squeezing him as hard as I could.

“Remember that when Kieran arrives with cupcakes—”

“Cupcakes? Kieran has cupcakes?” I sat up straight, my eyes going wide. “Where is he with these cupcakes?”

Cas was clearly fighting a grin. “Remember this when Kieran arrives with cupcakes,” he repeated,” that Tawny and Emil insisted on making.”

My eagerness faded into confusion. “Tawny made them? I don’t think she or Emil have ever baked a thing in their lives.”

“Exactly,” Cas replied dryly.

“Oh.” My shoulders slumped but didn’t stay that way. “But it’s the thought that counts.” And that was the truth. To have any of them remember my birthday and do something to celebrate it made me want to cry again. “And that’s incredibly sweet.”

Cas arched a brow. “I’ve seen the cupcakes, Poppy.”

“What do they look like?”

“It’s hard to describe, but they look like they’d be better suited for throwing at the Craven.”

“Uh…”

His lips twitched. “However, Netta made a batch or two. Just let Kieran pick which ones you should eat.”

“Oh, thank the gods.”

Cas’s gaze dropped to my chest. “I’m thanking the gods right now.”

“Stop it.” I planted my hands on his chest as I started to climb over him.

He stopped me, palming my hips. “I know you’re excited about cupcakes and that’s all you’re thinking about right now…”

I glared down at him because that was all I was thinking about right now.

“But it’s the middle of the night.”

Oh. Yeah. It was. I sighed.

His grin kicked up a notch. “And while I have you all to myself, I’m thinking about other things I’d like to have in our mouths,” he said.

A fine shiver rippled through me as I curled my fingers inward, pressing my nails into his chest. My breath caught as his hands slid to my rear. “Like what?”

Cas chuckled. “How about I show you?”

And he did, long into the night and the early morning hours of my birthday.

Sitting across from the Queen and King of Atlantia and Solis, I clear my throat.

“Thank you so much for sitting down with me today, Poppy. I’m sure things are a bit... chaotic with your new role as the Primal of Life and Death. I mean, no pressure, right?”

Poppy laughs. “Yeah, no pressure is definitely one way to put it. Honestly, it’s been...a lot. A lot of responsibility comes with this role, but—” She glances at Casteel. “—you know, having him by my side helps a lot.” A small grin appears. “Most of the time.”

Casteel raises a brow as he leans back, extending an arm along the back of the oversized chair they share.

“Ah, yes. Casteel. Speaking of him, I hear he’s taken to calling you My Queen more than ever now that you’re a Primal. How are you adjusting to that?”

Her smile widens. “There’s something about hearing him say it.” She pauses. “It used to annoy me.”

“It doesn’t anymore?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No, because it has nothing to do with the title itself.”

“And what does it mean?”

“That’s between me and her,” Casteel interrupts.

My eyes widen as he turns his gaze on me. “Right, right. Of course. Anyway, let’s talk about becoming the Primal of Life and Death. That’s a pretty big change. How has it affected you so far?”

Poppy’s lips curl slightly. “Nothing and everything has changed. I feel the same — well, mostly. But I can sense things now. Like I can feel the life in others. And when it fades.” Her smile dims. Beside her, Casteel leans in so his shoulder is against hers. “That’s...a lot. And there are things I suddenly just know, which is weird and really annoys Kieran, so that part is kind of fun.”

“I think readers are going to love seeing you take on this new role,” I say quickly, feeling the stare Casteel is giving me, so I know not to push. “You’ve already got some pretty diehard supporters — especially for moments when you kick ass. But with all this new power, what’s next for you?”

“Not getting my ass kicked?” She laughs, but even I notice the edge to it. “There’s a lot we need to figure out. The kingdoms. The Ascended. Kolis. The...the things that have changed.” She glances at Casteel. “There’s just a lot.”

“Speaking of a lot,” I say, ignoring the stare her husband is now giving me. “You learned some pretty big things about yourself. How are you handling that?”

Poppy opens her mouth and then closes it. A moment passes. “I don’t think that is something I can answer because one moment I am dealing with it, and the next, I’m just not thinking about it.”

“It has to be hard to wrap your head around it all.”

“It is, but... I just remind myself that I am Poppy, and I control my fate.” Her cheeks flush. “I know that sounds silly.”

“It doesn’t,” I say. “Sometimes, something simple is all you need.”

Poppy nods.

“Well, I think you’re more than ready to face whatever comes your way, Poppy,” I assure her. “And, for all those out there wondering...what is in store for you, Casteel, and Kieran? Without giving too much away, of course.”

“Without spoiling it for people? Gods, that’s hard. Let me think.” She taps her chin. “Things have shifted, especially with my relationship with Casteel and Kieran. And what happens with them is going to surprise some people. I mean, it surprised me. So, let’s just say there are moments when everything feels like it’s falling apart, and then... well, you’ll see. And family.” She elbows Casteel, who ignores it. “That’s the big theme.”

“Interesting,” I tell her. “I just have one more question for you.”

“Okay.”

“What do you think of Attes?”

Casteel curses under his breath. “All right, this interview is over.”

Catching Poppy’s stare, I grin. She rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch. “Attes is... good.”

“Good?”

She lifts a shoulder. “I guess if you want to know more, you’ll just have to wait and see.”