“I’m fine,” I replied. “Seriously, between you and class with Kiri, I am over my freakout. I’m just exhausted after everything, so I want a shower and then my bed.”
“Sounds like a solid plan. I’ll put a warding spell my sister taught me on our door as extra security, but Gabriel would have to be really desperate to bother you here. Consider it an upside to being in the same house as the asshole prince.”
“You will have to explain how those things are connected to me at some point, but not today,” I said, shaking my head as I turned toward my room. “Go, have fun. Like I said, shower and bed, that’s it for me tonight.”
“You’re the best, B! I’d tell ya not to wait up for me, but I already know you’re going to bed, so… I’ll see you in the morning,” Shadrie said with a soft laugh before returning to her own room to get ready for whatever her plans were.
Chapter Twenty
Bechora
The trail of blazing kisses left along my inner thigh heightened my desire. When his breath ghosted over my aching core, a whimper of need ripped from my throat, only to be met by a dark chuckle as he continued his path down my other thigh. My hands pulled at him in the darkness, trying to move him where I needed him, but he was always just out of my reach.
The mattress shifted as he pulled away, and I let out a sob of need. Before my pleas could leave my lips, his tongue licked a stripe through my soaked center. With one arm across my hips to hold me down, he lapped at me at a leisurely pace. It was enough to keep me on the edge of oblivion without ever letting me fall. Anguished whimper spilled from my lips as I writhed against his hold. The near-total darkness of my bedroom heightened every sensation he pulled from my body. Just when I was certain I would break under the weight of my need, he pulled away.
“Please,” I begged, unable to stop myself.
Without a word, he positioned himself at my entrance, and I let out a sigh of relief. His lips found mine in the dark as he pressed forward. My legs wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his backside, desperate to be consumed by him. His groan of pleasure against my lips as he slid fully inside me sent a shiver of arousal down my spine.
My hands slid along the lean muscles of his back and into his hair, my fingers tangling in the soft strands as I pulled him impossibly closer. It was enough to snap his control. His lipspressed against mine in a bruising kiss as his hips began to piston into me. I moaned against his mouth, and his tongue sought out mine in a brutal dance. The taste of myself on his tongue, combined with the strength of his own need, sent me hurtling toward oblivion.
Wanton sounds ripped from my lips, mixing with his masculine moans to fill my room. My hands moved from his hair to claw at his back as he thrust into me. He slammed into me like a man possessed until there was nothing except the feel of him. The pressure coiling deep in my belly felt bigger than anything I’d ever experienced. As if he could read my body, his hand slipped between us, and his thumb circled my clit.
“Come for me, Noctis Amare, my love, my mate. Come for me, now,” he whispered against my ear, his voice tight with his own nearing release.
His lips pressed against the juncture of my neck as he thrummed my clit in time with his thrusts. The sharp sting of his teeth breaking my skin followed, and I shattered completely, calling out his name.
“Gabriel!”
I woke up with a start, sitting up abruptly. I was alone, in my bedroom, the blankets tangled around my legs. It had been a dream, only a dream. I carefully untangled myself from my bedding, cringing at the lingering wetness between my thighs. It wasn’t until I swung my legs over the side of the bed that I felt the ache there, as if I’d actually spent the night in the arms of a man.
“There is something seriously fucked up in my head,” I muttered, forcing myself to ignore the sensations and climb out of the bed.
I made quick work of changing my bedding and putting on fresh pajamas before making my way to the small kitchenette in the space I shared with Shadrie. I needed coffee and a shower, in that order, to deal with whatever messed-up thought process had caused me to have such a realistic sexdream about a man who clearly hated me. The single-cup machine had just finished when Shadrie burst into the room, looking like she’d been attacked and holding a small package.
“Someone left you another gift,” she grinned, stumbling to the counter and setting it down.
“Oh, my God, Shadrie! What happened to you?” I demanded, moving to her side.
Her hair was a wild mess of tangles, her clothing was ripped, and there were bite marks and scratches covering every inch of her exposed skin. Combined with her mildly dazed expression, she looked like she’d been attacked by a pack of wild animals.
“Wolves.” She shrugged before waving her hand in dismissal and pushing the package toward me. “Open the package, I wanna see what’s inside.”
“Shadrie…” I started, reaching up slowly to touch a tear in her shirt. “Whatever is in that box isn’t as important as reporting whoever did this to you.”
Her brows dipped in confusion for a moment before she burst into laughter. “B, all of this”—she gestured toward herself—“was fully consensual.”
“What?!” I sputtered. “Shadrie, sweetie, you’re clearly injured. How in the hell could that be consensual?”
“I told you I had plans last night. Well, those plans just happened to include being the mage filling in a wolfie sandwich. Let me tell ya, those wolves sure know how to work their equipment, if you know what I mean.”
“Shadrie…” I started.
“Bechora,” she deadpanned back. “Listen, I know you’re new to all of this, but I promise, I enjoyed getting every single mark on my body. A girl has needs, and the pack took good care of me. Honestly, you’ll understand when you have the rest of your mates filling all your holes at once. I could even give you a few pointers to get you prepared.”
“The rest of my… what?” I asked, dumbly.
“Your mates, B. You have at least two more besides Zypher. Demons always mate in groups; it’s one of the few bits ofinformation that’s common knowledge about them.” Shadrie paused, taking in my shocked expression. “Didn’t Zypher tell you any of this?”
