The world blurs as Rhyland sweeps me to our bed, his sexy frame pinning me against silk sheets. Droplets glisten on his skin, each point of contact sparking electricity between us. His eyes devour every inch of me—savage need warring with tenderness.
His mouth claims mine, demanding and fierce. One hand tangles in my damp hair while the other blazes a path down my side, each touch replacing pain with passion. A growl rumbles through his chest when I arch into his caress.
"You're mine, Dani" he breathes against my lips, his voice dark velvet. "You hear me? No one else will ever lay hands on you again."
Our bond ignites with shared hunger. His mouth trails fire down my throat as I dig my fingers into his shoulders, desperate for more. He worships every curve with lips and tongue until I'm trembling beneath him.
"Please," I whimper, need making my voice crack. "I need you."
Rhyland locks his gaze on me, his midnight desire darkening it. "Look at me, baby. Keep those beautiful eyes on me—I'll take it away."
He knows without words what I need—to replace every unwanted touch with his claiming—to erase tonight's horror with his love until nothing exists but us.
He enters me with deliberate slowness, watching my expression. There's only completion, only the perfect fusion of our bodies that makes the world fade away. But his careful control isn't what I crave.
"More," I demand, nails raking down his back. "Make me forget everything but you."
"I don't want to hurt you, baby." His voice drops to that dark place that makes me shiver. "After what you've been through—"
"I wantyou," I cut him off, rolling my hips against his restraint. "Not this careful version. I want my possessive man, who knows exactly who I belong to. Who marks me, claims me, reminds me that my body is only his to touch." My fingers dig into his hair. "Make me forget everything but how it feels when you own me."
Something primal flashes in his eyes. His grip tightens in my hair, exposing my throat to his hungry gaze. "You want a reminder?" The dark promise in his voice sends heat pooling between my thighs.
"Yes," I gasp as his thick cock slides inside me slowly. "Remind me."
A growl tears from his chest as he pulls almost completely out, then he drives into me with devastating force, stretching, filling, claiming. My cry of pleasure echoes off the walls as he sets a punishing rhythm. Each powerful thrust erases another unwanted memory, replacing horror with pure ecstasy.
"This sweet little pussy belongs to me," he growls, skilled fingers finding my clit. "Every sound, every shiver, every drop of pleasure is mine to command." His touch sets my nerves ablaze while he drives deeper. "Tell me who owns you."
"You," I moan. "Only you."
He shifts his angle, hitting spots that make my vision blur. My walls flutter around him as pressure builds, turning my world to static and stars. His powerful body above me, inside me, consuming me—this is what I crave. My man is marking his territory, burning away the darkness with overwhelming ecstasy.
"Please," I beg, exposing my throat—needing his bite, his claim.
A feral sound rumbles from his chest. His pace turns punishing, the bed frame protesting beneath us. "You want my dark kisses, baby, while I'm owning this pussy?" His fingers continue to circle my clit with practiced skill, knowing exactly how to drive me wild. "Want me to mark you while you drench my cock like the greedy girl you are?"
The filthy words, combined with his possessive touch, make me whimper. This is my Rhyland—the perfect balance of degrading desire and protective love. Our bond pulses with shared understanding; he knows exactly what I need.
"Yes—fuck—" My words dissolve into a deep moan as his fangs pierce flesh. The sharp sting, mixed with his relentless pounding, hurls me over the edge. My walls clamp down as I shatter, my release gushing around his thick length.
"Goddamn—there's my girl." he groans, watching my pleasure soak him and the sheets. "I fucking love watching you fall apart around me." His thumb never stops its sweet torture. He licks the fresh marks on my neck, the gesture possessive and tender.
Another climax builds impossibly fast—the love pulsing through our bond creates pure magic. This is salvation—my man claiming every inch of me while his love wraps around my soul like armor.
After sleeping through an entire day—my overprotective Berserker using his body as my own personal shield unless bathroom breaks were required—we're finally facing the music. Rhyland decided on group story time rather than playing twenty questions on repeat. Smart man, even if he's being suspiciously tight-lipped about his vanishing act.
Somewhere between playing my sexy bodyguard and sneaking off to chat with his brothers while I was dead to the world, Rhyland drops another bomb—Apparently, they've got Damon locked up in the basement like some feral pet. And yeah, I get the whole baby-vamp-bloodlust thing, but that's my brother down there. Rhyland can growl all he wants about waiting, but we're definitely revisiting that conversation later.
Between psychotic vampire-makers, extraterrestrial disappearing acts, and my newly-turned brother locked in the basement, my stomach's staging its own rebellion. Pretty sure I'm about five minutes away from committing homicide for a grilled cheese sandwich.
I throw on my comfy armor—well-worn sweats and my favorite pink tank that's probably seen better days—and head downstairs. Not exactly runway ready, but after the night I've had? Fashion can kiss my traumatized ass.
The moment we hit the bottom step, I'm tackled by a crying squad of bestie fury. My guardian angel, rainbow-haired rebel, and sweet Sable—the trifecta of my girls create a group hug that threatens to squeeze the life I just managed to keep.
"Can't breathe," I wheeze, though I'm grinning like an idiot. "Unless the plan is to finish what those psychos started?"
"Don't even joke about that!" Seraphina smacks my arm, her eyes watery.
