“I want you to remember who you are,” Merrick growled, fighting for his life to only thrust yet another inch, even if it felt like his stomach was on fire, everything within him screaming at him to consume her—to fill her. “I want you to know that whatever happens, you’remyqueen. My wife.”
“Fuck,” he groaned as Lessia arched her back, her hands wrapping around the railing as she speared herself onto his cock, stretching around his hardness until he slammed so deep inside her that he hit that spot that made her cry out so loud even his fingers couldn’t stop some of the sound from escaping.
“If… if so…” Lessia panted. “Y-you’re my king. My husband. My everything.”
She moved forward, and when the wet sound of his cock sliding out of her reverberated around them, Merrick couldn’t help it. He grabbed her hips and, with a hissed “Hold on,” he thrust himself inside her again, almost lifting her off the ground with the force.
“I love you,” he groaned as he started pumping his hips faster, sliding deep into her with every thrust, his hips slapping against her firm ass. “But… if you call me… your husband again, I’ll come too soon.”
“I… love you,” Lessia whined as she rolled her hips to meet him—to let his cock slide so deep he saw stars. “And I will be calling you my husband… for the rest of my life.”
Fuck. That did it.
“You asked for it,” Merrick growled, his vision blurring as heat swelled and burned in his groin, a primal need to claim his female overtaking his mind. “Keep those hands on the railing, wife, because I am about to fuck you so hard we might fall to our deaths if you don’t.”
He didn’t give her more warning than that as he squeezed her hips, using a foot to shove her legs further apart, and then Merrick fucked her, driving into her harder and harder, until her body moved up and down with his thrusts, her pussy becoming impossibly wetter every time he sank into her.
“My queen,” he hissed when her walls began quivering, closing around his cock.
“My wife.” He pressed into her, struggling against her contracting pussy, forcing his cock through the tightening muscles until it felt like she might cut off all blood.
“My everything.” The last words were jumbled, a choked-down roar, as Lessia came apart, her pussy heating so much around him, he had to drag her toward him to be able to thrust inside her one final time.
Merrick burrowed his face in her damp neck as he buried himself to the hilt, spilling deep within her as her pussy milked his cock, and he continued whispering “my wife, my wife, my wife” until they caught their breaths again.
When he had finally released her and they had cleaned up as best they could, they stayed silent atop thelookout, just watching the world change beneath them and breathing in the crisp evening air.
Lessia rested against his chest, her eyes sleepy as they found his. His chest nearly puffed out at the satisfied smile pulling her lips wide as she said, “I feel like I have everything I ever wanted.”
Merrick laughed a low laugh. “This is just the beginning.”
She nodded. “I… Somehow, I think so too. But if… if it’s not… Merrick, you’ve given me everything. More than everything.” Her gaze went out over the people again. “I’ve seen and experienced things I never thought I would. I’ve loved so much it should last several lifetimes… I don’t think I could ask for more.”
Leaning down, he kissed her—softly, gently, lazily, until another raspy laugh shook his chest as her scent became richer again.
“It’s good that I am much more selfish than you, then,” Merrick replied as he pulled back, watching her pout with a swollen bottom lip. “A greater male might have told you that if this is all we get, it’s enough. That it’s been my honor to stand by your side these past few months. That being your husband for a night is everything I’ll take. But I amnotthat male. It is not enough for me. It will never be enough for me, Lessia. I plan to love you through every lifetime, and whatever comes after that. Forever is not a word strong enough for how long my love for you will burn. I’ve already ripped apart worlds to keep you alive—and I will do whatever else I need to.”
He expected her to protest, but Lessia just smiled at him. “You know… I once said that people like us don’t get happy endings, and you told me that perhaps we only get endings, but that we should make that ending one for the books?”
Merrick nodded. He’d probably said “fucking books,” but that didn’t matter.
“I have a feeling our ending will be one that even the gods can’t escape.” Lessia shot him another smile. “I have this sense?—”
A horn—one of their own—blared a warning that made them whip their heads up, and Merrick only had time to reach for her dress as a ship slammed into their own, wood screaming and creaking as their vessel broke apart.
He roared as the fabric between his fingers ripped.
Nothing but emptiness filled his hands as he tumbled toward the dark water, screaming “Lessia!” with everything in him until water swallowed his voice.
Chapter 42
Kerym
The ship lurched before it broke apart, and it was so fucking lucky he’d been teasing Pellie, standing far too close, for his hammering heart, to her soft body and wide eyes as he crowded her against the railing.
As they fell into the water, he wrapped around her, and somehow—out of sheer damned luck or perhaps just the elements saving their guardians—she got ahold of Soria’s hand.
Kerym dragged the two sisters with him as more ships broke around them. Screaming and metal clangs and roars already filling the iron-tinged air, death folding around them like a blanket choking a flame and coloring the sea a deep red.
