But for now, I was Riven's. And that was exactly where I wanted to be.
The heat continued to spike throughout the day—or what I assumed was a day, time blurring together in the dim light of the cave. Riven took me again and again, fierce and demanding, wringing orgasm after orgasm from my willing body.
Between waves, I nested.
I rearranged his weapons into more pleasing patterns, creating walls of bone and steel around our nest. I pulled the softest furs to the center, building a cocoon that smelled of both of us. I took the scrap of fabric from my old dress and wove it through the handles of his knives, marking his weapons with my scent just as he'd marked me with his.
Riven watched it all with dark, satisfied eyes.
"You're claiming my territory," he observed as I repositioned a spear to better frame the entrance.
"It's our territory now," I corrected, and the possessive growl that rumbled through his chest made my omega instincts purr with satisfaction as he gave another low growl and continued to watch me continue rearranging his cave without another word.
Chapter Thirty-Two
LILY
I woke to music.
Not the harsh call of sirens luring sailors to their doom, but something softer—a melody that wound through my mind like silk, easing me from sleep into a gentle awareness. The tune was hauntingly beautiful, filled with longing and love and a tenderness that made my heart ache.
"Vale," I breathed, recognizing the song in my soul before I even opened my eyes.
"You're awake." His voice was warm, musical even when speaking. I opened my eyes to find him watching me, his silver-blue scales gleaming in the soft light. He was the most beautiful of my mates—delicate features, luminous eyes, hair that flowed like liquid moonlight. "I was singing to you through the bond. Trying to ease you into waking gently."
The heat stirred in my blood—not the sudden surge I'd experienced with Kaelan and Riven, but a slow build, like a tide rising. Through the bond, I could feel Vale's desire—patient and worshipful, tinged with an artist's appreciation for beauty.
"The heat," I murmured, feeling it spread through my veins.
"I know." He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch feather-light. "I've been watching it build in you. Feeling it through the bond." His eyes darkened with desire, but his voice remained gentle. "Let me take you somewhere special. Somewhere I can worship you properly."
He lifted me in his arms, and I marveled at the strength hidden in his slender frame. His scales were cool against my skin as he carried me through the tunnels, past the main cavern, past Riven's weapons cave, to a place I hadn't seen before.
The cave he brought me to was breathtaking. Crystals studded the walls, catching the bioluminescent light and throwing rainbows across every surface. A shallow pool filled the center, its water so still it was like a mirror. And everywhere—on the walls, the floor, even the ceiling—were intricate carvings. Images of sirens swimming, of lovers entwined, of songs made visible in swirling patterns.
"This is my sanctuary," Vale said softly, lowering me into the shallow pool. The water was warm, heated by some underground source, and it lapped against my scales like a caress. "I come here to compose. To create. To dream." His silver eyes met mine. "And now, to worship you."
He slid into the pool beside me, his silver-blue scales shimmering beneath the water's surface. His hands found my waist, pulling me close, and I felt his arousal pressing against my tail—hot even through the warm water.
"I've imagined this so many times," he murmured, his lips brushing my ear. "Bringing you here. Laying you out beneath the crystals. Making you sing for me."
"Making me sing?" I repeated, my voice already breathless.
"Oh yes." His smile was beautiful and wicked. "I'm going to play your body like an instrument, Lily. I'm going to find every note, every chord, every harmony hidden inside you. Andthen I'm going to make you come apart in the most beautiful symphony."
His mouth found mine in a kiss that was soft at first—gentle exploration, patient discovery. But as the heat surged in my blood, the kiss deepened, his tongue stroking against mine in a rhythm that made my whole body tingle. His hands explored my body with an artist's attention to detail, tracing lines and curves like he was memorizing me for a sculpture. When his fingers brushed over my nipples, he paused to feel them harden under his touch, then circled them slowly, watching my face for every reaction.
"So responsive," he breathed, satisfaction coloring his musical voice. "Every touch makes you gasp. Every stroke makes you tremble." He rolled one nipple between his fingers, and I cried out at the sharp pleasure. "That's the first note. Let me find more."
His mouth replaced his fingers, drawing one nipple between his lips, sucking gently while his tongue swirled around the sensitive peak. The sensation was electric—different from Kaelan's thorough attention or Riven's fierce claiming. Vale was studying me, learning me, cataloging every response.
"Tell me how it feels," he murmured against my breast, his breath warm against my wet skin.
"Good," I gasped. "So good. Your mouth is?—"
He switched to the other nipple, drawing it into his mouth with a little more suction, a little more pressure. The pleasure spiked higher, and I moaned.
"Better?" He released my nipple with a wet sound, looking up at me with silver eyes dark with desire. "I want to know exactly what makes you scream. What makes you keen. What makes you shatter."
