He gripped my chin softly, forcing me to face him. “I want our bond more than anything else in all the realms, Dilectus. Ihesitate because I am not certain you will still want me once you’ve seen my demonic form. You need to know fully what I am before you accept our bond; you must know what it is you are choosing. I planned to show you, but I must confess, I am afraid.”
My eyes widened with the revelation. Zypher had been a source of quiet confidence the entire time I’d known him. I couldn’t imagine the male beside me ever being afraid of anything. “Show me,” I whispered.
Worry flitted across his face, but he pulled away, standing to his full height. He looked down at me, sadness clear in his eyes.
“You think I’ll be afraid,” I said, interpreting the look on his face.
“I know you will not run,” he admitted, a humorless smirk tugging at his lips. “You are brave, but you are still human, and humans have been taught to fear my kind’s true form.”
I rose to my feet and craned my neck to look him in the eyes. “I won’t be afraid. Now, show me, Zypher.”
His smirk faltered, and I could tell by the press of his lips that he was gritting his teeth. Stepping farther away, he pinned me with his gaze. The air around him seemed to shimmer and wave for just a moment. The hair on my arms stood on end as power permeated the space between us. His unnaturally blue eyes seemed to glow in the twilight, alive with something both primal and eternal.
A sound like a bone-splintering crack and silk ripping all at once rent the air, and his horns lengthened. Smooth, ridged spirals arched back from his temples, dark as polished onyx. They were regal, deadly, and yet somehow fitting, like the crown he was always meant to wear. Broad, leathery wings unfurled from his back, stretching wide enough to block out the dying sunlight. They flexed once, sending a gust of wind across the blanket, before snapping closed and folding tight against his body with surprising grace.
A tail followed, long and sinewy, curling outward with a serpentine flick before wrapping lazily around one of his legs.But it wasn’t just the horns, wings, or tail. It was the sheer presence of him. He seemed larger, his features sharpened. Beautiful, terrifying, and unmistakably otherworldly. Zypher watched me take him in, vulnerable in a way I’d never seen, as if my reaction to this form held the power to undo him.
My body moved on instinct alone, launching toward him. His eyes widened in surprise before he dipped down to catch me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, trusting him to hold my weight, and grasped his face between my hands.
“You’re fucking amazing,” I breathed, crashing my lips against his.
For a split second, he went still, like I’d managed to shock even him. Then he responded with a hunger that stole my breath. His mouth moved against mine with a raw intensity, his hand sliding into my hair while the other anchored firmly at my waist, pulling me flush against the heat of his body.
The taste of him was fire and starlight, dangerous and intoxicating. His wings arched high behind him, flaring wide before curling in, cocooning us in shadow. The leathery brush of them against the ground made the world shrink until there was only him, only us. I moaned into his mouth, fingers fisting in the front of his shirt as if I could drag him even closer. His lips parted, deepening the kiss, and my pulse roared so loudly I barely registered when his teeth grazed my lower lip. A sting of pain, quick and sharp, followed by the warm slide of his tongue soothing it away.
When he finally pulled back, we were both panting, foreheads pressed together, his eyes burning with something fierce and unyielding. “Careful, Dilectus,” he murmured, his voice rough. “You have no idea what you just started.”
I smiled, breathless and trembling but certain. “Then don’t stop. Bond me, Zypher.”
Zypher shot me a devastating smirk and launched us into the air. My stomach dropped as the ground fell away in a blur of stone and grass, the sudden rush of wind stealing the breath from my lungs. I clutched at his shoulders on instinct, buryingmy face against the solid heat of his chest as his massive wings beat once, twice, propelling us higher.
Cool air tangled my hair, carrying with it the scent of earth and smoke that clung to him. Despite the dizzying height, I felt no fear. His arms cradled me close against his chest, firm and unyielding, his tail curling around my thigh in a possessive brace that made it clear I was not going anywhere unless he allowed it. I dared a glance down and gasped, awe chasing away the last of my nerves. The ancient halls and towers of Blackthorne stretched below like a living map, the stone walls glowing faintly under the enchantments woven into them.
Zypher’s wings shifted, angling with effortless precision as he banked toward Daemonium House. My pulse spiked with every tilt and dip, but the thrill of it lit something wild inside me. For the first time, I understood what it meant to be carried not just in his arms, but into his world.
He dipped lower, the shadow of his wings spilling across the upper windows before he landed on the stone balcony outside his dorm with predatory grace. His wings snapped shut behind him, and the moment his boots hit stone, he loosened his hold just enough to let me slide down the front of his body, steadying me with hands that lingered at my waist.
“You didn’t want to come in the front door and make sure your roommate wasn’t around?” I asked as he opened the balcony doors and motioned for me to step inside. I tried not to gawk as I truly took in the parts of Daemonium House that I could see for the first time.
“I’m a prince, Dilectus. These rooms are mine and mine alone,” he replied with a smirk.
“Oh.”
It was the only word that had a chance to leave my lips before Zypher bent down and captured them with his own. Our tongues tangled together as his hands dropped to my waist, and he guided me backward into the room. I was so consumed by him that I barely noticed the click of the balcony door shutting behind him.
My thighs bumped into the soft end of a mattress, and Zypher tore his mouth from mine. Straightening to his full height, he stared down at me. His eyes roamed over my body, heat ratcheting higher under his slow perusal.
“Strip and then lie back.” The words were a rumbled command that I was eager to obey.
Zypher took a step back to give me space to undress. His eyes never left my body as I tore off my clothes. The reverence in his gaze stole my breath, but the look on his face said he wanted to devour me, causing the space between my thighs to grow slick and achy. The moment my body was bare, I eased myself back onto the mattress, supporting my upper body on my elbows.
“You’re a goddess.” A growl of approval rumbled from Zypher’s chest, and he dropped to his knees. His large hands gripped my knees, wrenching them apart, and he licked his lips. “Use my horns to direct me, Dilectus. Do not be afraid to guide me in how to best worship you,” he ordered, his voice rough with need, before he leaned down toward my aching sex.
The first swipe of his tongue along my slit caused my back to arch off the bed. My hands moved to his horns, gripping them to anchor me as he worked me over with his skilled tongue. My fingers tightened around Zypher’s horns, their smooth, curved surfaces warm under my palms. His tongue, hot and relentless, traced slow, deliberate circles, teasing every sensitive inch of me. A shudder rippled through my body, my hips bucking instinctively toward his mouth. He growled again, the vibration sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my core.
His dark eyes flicked up to meet mine, glinting with primal satisfaction, as if my desperation was exactly what he craved. His hands slid up my thighs, fingers digging into my skin with just enough pressure to make me feel claimed, grounded, yet utterly at his mercy. Zypher’s tongue dipped deeper, exploring with a hunger that made my head spin. He alternated between soft, teasing licks and firm, purposeful strokes, eachone unraveling me further. My grip on his horns tightened, guiding him to linger where the heat coiled tightest. He obeyed instantly, his low hum of approval buzzing against me, amplifying every sensation.
“Dilectus,” he murmured against my skin, the word dripping with reverence and desire. “You taste like ambrosia.” His voice was a rough caress, and before I could respond, he sucked gently, drawing a cry from my lips. My thighs trembled, threatening to close, but his strong hands held them open, his dominance gentle yet unyielding.
