The small curve of her mouth shows she isn’t fully consumed by the dark, and reveals her amusement. I thought I’d taken control, but she’s taken it back.
Goddesses, you honour me with her.
“Choose,” she demands.
“Both—”
She tsks, then tugs the chain, jolting me even closer, and I become unbearably hard.
Tighten it, twist it, make the metal links rip into my skin. Squeeze. I need her to pull the chain harder, like I’m her beast—
“You need to choose one.” Slowly, she places her finger upon my bottom lip and I groan. The sound very nearly a growl.
Then she slides her fingertip over my fang.
“Please.” I’m losing my sanity. She moves to the other fang, ignoring my pleas as I gasp against her palm. “Let me have both, please. I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t. I don’t deserve to ask. But please…”
Logical words trail off until I’m whispering in French against her hand. Soon, I’m begging in every language I know, while she plays, touching my lips, my fangs, keeping a tight hold on my chain.
“You beg so well.” Her praise almost ruins me. She’s barely touched me, I can’t possibly get any harder. “You want both?”
I nod pathetically against her fingers.
“Then you’ll have to work twice as hard.”
She releases me. Dropping my chain, and leaning back until my hand falls from her throat.
The Dark Realm melts away at her will.
I don’t know when I started panting, but I am. Staring at her, I struggle to tear myself away, that devious smile still upon her face.
Without a word, I slip off my chain, and place it over her head. Her triumphant smile falters then, staring down at the dark crystal quartz hanging on the end.
Her fingers carefully examine it, twisting it in the light of the morning sun.
“Your darkness,” she murmurs, studying it still. Her eyes bounce back to mine. “Don’t you need this to stay grounded?”
“Not anymore.” My fingers can’t help but trace her jaw, one final touch before she ends this.“Not now we have you.”
A light flush decorates her cheeks at my internal words. How is this the same being who just had me pleading against her fingers?
She shouldn’t exist. Shouldn’t be ours.
But she does, and she is.
And I have to ensure we never take that for granted. To show her we could deserve her. Be worthy of her.
I’ve lived so many lives, but this is the only one I want to keep.
Chapter 26: Kane
“She demanded I give her my chain, she still wears Sai’s, and she was dressed in Ezekial’s clothing covered in your darkness, Kane. She’s using these things to ground herself. We need to ensure—”
Sai flits into Ezekial’s office in a flurry of crackles, dismisses us all and stands toe-to-toe with Julien when he asks, “Did she agree? To the sleepover? Can two of us stay?”
“Hello, mon ami.” Julien’s lips twitch when Sai leans closer, scowling at him like he’s the one being dismissive. “In a way, yes.”
Sai closes his eyes, stepping back to punch the air with a low, “Fuck yessss!”
