Drayven’s eyes flash, and he releases his grip on the throne. One large hand splays across my lower back, pulling me flush against his chest. The other snakes between our sweat-slicked bodies, finding my swollen clit.
“Is this what you need?” His thumb circles the sensitive nub. “My touch to make you come undone? Twice in a row like a greedy little queen.”
“Yes,” I gasp, grinding desperately against him. “Don’t stop, Dray. I need you…”
He strokes me harder and whispers praise in my ear as I bounce. The combined sensations are overwhelming, pushing me to the brink. My inner muscles clench around him, my body drawing taut as a bowstring.
“Come for me, Flori,” he commands. “Drench my cock with your sweetness. Let me feel you lose control.”
“Fuck, Dray!” My body tenses, teetering on the edge of oblivion. “I’m going to?—”
“That’s it, love. Come apart for me.”
His commanding tone pushes me over. With a low moan, I shatter, my body seizing with the force of my second orgasm. His hips continue to drive up, meeting my downward thrusts, hitting that spot so deep that stars explode behind my eyes.
“Gods, Flori, the way you clench on my cock…” he groans, still thrusting shallowly as I come down from my high.
I grip the backrest beside his head, and then he completely takes over, hands gripping my hips while he pistons his hips hard, fucking me through it, prolonging my pleasure until I’m sobbing and shaking against him.
He hasn’t come yet, but he’s close. His thrusts grow erratic.
“Fill me, Dray,” I moan against his neck. “Come inside me. Claim me completely.”
“Flori… you’re mine,” he growls, burying his face in my hair. “Always have been. Always will be.”
“Yours,” I agree breathlessly. “Now and forever.”
Thunder cracks and trembles the throne, as if announcing our proclamations to the world. With a final, powerful thrust, Drayven tenses and releases a low, drawn-out groan. His cock pulses, hot and hard, and he spills deep within my body.
“Flori.” My name is a hoarse, reverent prayer on his lips. His arms tighten around me, pinning me against him, ensuring we remain locked together.
In this moment, nothing else exists. Not the Labyrinth, not Kasaros’s game, not the empty throne beneath us—only our unbreakable bond.
Slowly, Drayven’s grip relaxes, his calloused hands stroking soothingly over my back.
I lift my head from his shoulder and meet his intense blue eyes. He cups my face, thumb brushing tenderly across my cheekbone. “I love you, Flori,” he murmurs. “More than anything in this world or any other.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I try to hold them back, but they spill free. After all these years…
“Hey,” he whispers, swiping them. “Why are you crying?”
“Because I’m happy, you fool.” A smile tugs at my lips. “I love you, too. I never stopped. Even when I thought you were dead.”
“I promise we’re in this together now.” His eyes search mine. “I thought staying away protected you, but I was wrong. You need me here. With you.”
His words flay me open. That’s all I’ve ever needed. Him. With me. Forever. Too overcome with emotion, all I can do is nod.
He captures my lips in a soft, lingering kiss, pouring everything into the gentle caress. When we part, breathless and glowing, I realize something has changed. That loud boom wasn’t thunder. We broke the throne—a crack has formed deep within the obsidian.
A warmth spreads through my chest, a sense of rightness settling deep in my bones. Glancing down, I gasp. The golden tattoo over my heart is blooming, the petals unfurling to reveal the most exquisite rose.
Chapter 21
Florienne
Fight like hell, and when you win, change the game.”
—A BOY ONCE SAID TO A GIRL, BEFORE A ROSE BLOOMED
