“Hush, demon. You are so near to something wonderful, andyouare ever the obstacle barring your path. You have a great deal toponder, Nyte. Do not flee from it.”
“Damn it, Starling.” He opened his eyes, but the sprite was already gone. She always ensured she had the last word, with no consideration for how infuriating that was for him.
His tail whipped the air as he twisted to glance up toward the top of the stairs. That ache persisted in his chest, even more raw and potent than before, and he massaged it distractedly.
There was nothing to contemplate, nothing to consider. The only thing he was drawing near to was the next full moon and the end of this summoning.
All he’d shared with Ember was…sex. Nothing more. And that was all it would remain. They’d granted one another mutual release, and they would not do so again. A couple more weeks of resolve and he’d be free…
He would not again submit to temptation, would not open himself to the potential pain.
Not when so much of it lingered in him after four centuries.
Chapter Sixteen
The sweetest of dreams faded away as Ember woke up to the sound of rain. Her lashes fluttered open. The morning sky outside her window was overcast, gloomy with dark clouds, and the rainwater streamed down the glass panes in rivulets.
She smiled.
What she’d experienced last night hadn’t been a dream. She recalled every kiss, every touch, every word that had been spoken. Recalled the feel of Nyte beneath her, over her, inside her, recalled the light in his eyes and the brilliant shine of the stars on his skin.
But most of all, Ember recalled the intense, bestial way in which he’d fucked her.
Her skin tingled and her core clenched with the memory. He’d possessed her body, mastered it, had laid claim to it, but it was the demand he’d made of her that had held the most dangerous, tempting promise of something more. Of something deeper, something profound.
Say you are mine.
It had been more than she’d dared hope for.
With a soft moan, Ember closed her eyes, rolled onto her back, and stretched, the blanket sliding down her breasts and brushing over her sensitive nipples. Her body was sore, and she could feel the stings of the small wounds Nyte had left behind with his teeth and claws, but she loved it. It was further proof of what they’d shared. Most prominent of all was the sensation in her pussy and ass. Both were tender with echoes of the pleasure his cocks had wrought.
God, but Ember wanted him again.
Today was her day off, and she was in absolutely no rush. She wanted to relish this moment and all the delightful aches and pains that had come from a night of euphoria.
Ember brushed her hand over the mattress beside her, seeking Nyte, but she found only unoccupied bedding that was cool to the touch. Turning her head, she opened her eyes. She was indeed alone on the bed.
That he wasn’t there with his arms around her, holding her while she slept, sent a pang through her chest and sapped some of her joy. But that was ridiculous. Nyte didn’t sleep. She couldn’t expect him to lie with her all night, bored out of his mind.
Yet that knowledge didn’t diminish her disappointment and the accompanying loneliness.
Ember sat up and blinked. It wasn’t her blanket draped over her, but one formed of shadow. Had Nyte done this after she’d fallen asleep?
It’s pretty obvious, Ember. Who else can summon and shape shadows?
Her lips curled into a smile. She could almost feel the phantom touches of his shadows like they were still moving over her body, stroking her intimately and binding her. But this? Covering her with a blanket made of those very shadowsto shield her and keep her warm as she slept? It was incredibly thoughtful and sweet.
She picked up the shadow blanket, moving it aside as she shifted her legs and scooted to sit on the edge of the bed. Her breath hitched. Warm liquid seeped from her pussy.
Ember looked down. The bitemark left by his fangs and the bruising around it were stark against her skin, but that wasn’t what caught her attention. Sparkling silver glitter was smeared all over her inner thighs. She reached between them, dragged a finger through her sex, and raised her hand. Thick, glittery cum coated it. Her brows shot upward.
Well…that makes sense. He is a night demon, after all. Why wouldn’t he have stardust in his jizz?
She glanced at the bedding. The dim morning light shone upon it, revealing more sparkling evidence of what they’d done last night. She wiped her finger over the blanket.
Her first day off was usually laundry day, anyway.
Turning her face back toward the room, she sought out her demon. “Nyte?”
