"You belong with me," I say, the possessiveness in my tone surprising us both. "Here. Where I can protect you."
She studies me, something shifting in her golden eyes. "Is that the only reason? Because I'm yours to protect?"
The question hangs between us, loaded with truths neither of us has been willing to address. The air feels suddenly charged, like the moment before lightning strikes.
"No," I admit, the truth dragged from somewhere deep and long buried. "That's not the only reason."
I reach for her, unable to resist the magnetism that has been building since that night in my bed—the night everything changed. My hand cups her cheek, thumb brushing across her lower lip in a touch far gentler than I've allowed myself before.
Her breath catches, pupils dilating as she leans into my touch rather than away from it.
"What are we doing, Malakai?" she whispers, her voice carrying a vulnerability I've never heard from her. "What is this becoming?"
"I don't know," I answer honestly, dropping the mask and armor I've worn for centuries. "But I can't stop it. Can't stop wanting…"
I break off, unwilling to voice the dangerous need that grows stronger each day.
"Can't stop wanting what?" she presses, stepping closer until our bodies nearly touch.
"You," I admit, the word torn from somewhere I've kept locked since Julia's death. "All of you. Not just your body. Not just your submission. Everything. Your fire, your defiance, your strength. I want to possess every breath you take, every thought in that brilliant mind."
The confession is too honest, too raw, too vulnerable. I expect her to retreat, to reconsider the strength of her enemy. Instead, she rises to her toes and presses her lips to mine.
The kiss ignites something primal between us. Her lips are soft but demanding, meeting my hunger with equal fervor. There's no hesitation now, no questioning—only the raw need that's been building like a storm beneath our careful facades.
My hands find her waist, pulling her against me as the kiss deepens. She makes a small sound in the back of her throat—not quite a moan, but something more vulnerable, more honest. Her arms wrap around my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as she presses herself more firmly against me.
The shadows around us respond to my desire, darkening the forest and creating a cocoon of privacy. Within moments, the world outside ceases to exist—there is only Seraphina, her body warm and yielding against mine, her mouth sweet and demanding.
I kiss her again, unable to find words for the storm of emotions her admission creates. This time, the kiss turns hungrier, more demanding. Her body responds instantly, arching into mine as if we were created to fit together.
I lift her without breaking the kiss, carrying her back toward the waterfall. She clings to me, legs wrapped around my waist, her shift riding up her thighs. The water is cool against my skin as I step beneath the cascade, Seraphina still in my arms.
"What are you doing?" she gasps, laughing as the water streams over us both.
"Taking what's mine," I growl against her throat—against my mating mark. "Unless you want me to stop?"
In answer, she tugs at my clothing, impatient fingers working at clasps and ties until my chest is bare beneath her hands. "Not a chance," she breathes, her eyes dark with desire. "I want you. All of you."
The shift she wears tears easily in my hands, the thin fabric no match for my urgency. I rip it from her body with deliberate force, enjoying the way she gasps as the cool water hits her newly exposed skin. Her nipples harden instantly against my chest, tight peaks that make my mouth water.
"Gods, look at you," I murmur, drinking in the sight of her naked body, water cascading over skin that gleams golden even in the twilight. "So fucking perfect. Made for me. Every curve, every hollow."
My hands map her body with possessive hunger, palming her breasts roughly before sliding down to grip her ass, pulling her harder against my throbbing cock. She can feel how much I want her through the thin barrier of my remaining clothes, and the way she grinds against me drives me to the edge of madness.
Her hands are just as busy, pushing my remaining clothing down my hips with desperate need until I'm as bare as she is. When my cock springs free, thick and heavy between us, she wraps her fingers around my length with a hunger that makes me groan.
"Fuck," I breathe as she strokes me beneath the waterfall, her grip firm and sure. "You're going to kill me, woman."
"Tell me what you want," I command, pressing her back against the stone wall, my body caging her in. One hand slides between her thighs to cup her sex, finding her hot and slick despite the cool water. "Tell me how much you need me inside you."
"I need you," she gasps as my fingers tease her entrance, sliding through her wetness with possessive strokes. "Inside me. Filling me. Please, Malakai—I'm aching for you."
The desperation in her voice, the way she spreads her legs wider for my touch, undoes me completely. I position myself at her entrance, the head of my cock pressing against her slick folds.
"Look at me," I demand, gripping her chin to force her eyes to mine. "I want to see your face when I claim you."
Our eyes lock as I thrust forward, burying myself to the hilt in a single, powerful movement that makes us both cry out. She's so tight around me, her inner walls gripping my length like a velvet fist, that I have to pause to keep from coming immediately.
