“You’ve done well getting that information about the Prince and his father’s beatings from her. Nice to see you haven’t lost your touch,” Reth murmurs.
What?
A piercing anger shoots through me at Domanikk’s betrayal, but beneath it, something far worse—a crushing humiliation that makes my chest cave inward. I feel like a fool for trusting him, for believing every gentle touch meant something, for falling for what I now recognise as his practiced seduction.
Every moment we shared replays in my mind, now tainted and twisted. I’d been so desperate for connection, so starved for someone to see me, that I’d let myself believe it was real.
The shame burns hotter than the anger. I’d let him in. I’d wanted him. And he knew exactly what he was doing.
“When the heat between those thighs keeps you warm, it’s not a hardship,” Domanikk drawls, and the words slice through me like a blade.
Reth’s eyes flash open, and he shoves Domanikk away, turning his back—towards where I’m still watching.
Domanikk stares after him, his mouth twisting into a smirk. “Is that it? Do you long to warm yourself inside her?”
Reth remains silent, but I see his fists clench at his sides, his shoulders tense and hunched.
Domanikk chuckles. “You know, you don’t have to ask permission. What’s mine is yours.”
Reth’s power surges with so much force I stagger backwards. The Shift is swift, blue mist still lingering as his stunning white Horse Form rears up, neck arched, front legs pounding the air.
Domanikk Shifts in a blinding surge of yellow light, but he’s much slower. Reth barrels into his side just as he makes Horse Form, sending him staggering to his knees. Reth’s large teeth clamp around his neck, his front legs stomping at what they can reach. Their high squeals and pounding hooves echo through the trees as Domanikk scrambles to his feet. They charge and buck around the clearing, teeth bared and snapping. Red seeps into Reth’s white coat, and blood drips from Domanikk’s shoulder.
When they rear together, legs striking and entwined, the beauty of their violence resembles a fierce dance. They continue until their sides heave, sweat and blood matting their coats, nostrils flared red.
When they Shift back in unison, Reth starts to leave the clearing, but Domanikk grabs him from behind, hands splayed on his chest, pulling him close. He rises onto the balls of his feet and rests his head on Reth’s shoulder, his mouth near his ear.
His voice is low and husky, but I just catch his words.
“Let me ride your obsession; tame it like a wild mare,” he murmurs, his voice honeyed. “You’ll find it can be controlled with gentle hands and other such delights” His fingers trace a deliberate path downward, slipping beneath the waistband of Reth’s trousers with practiced ease.
Reth’s breathing turns erratic, shallow and quick, his chest heaving. His eyes flutter closed, lashes dark against flushed cheeks. The tension in his shoulders finally breaks, and he sighs—a sound somewhere between surrender and relief.
“Ride me,” he breathes.
As they start undoing their trousers with fumbling, urgent fingers, I take that as my cue to leave. This moment belongs to them alone, and I have no desire to intrude further.
I slip away as quietly as I can, my footsteps soft against the forest floor. When I reach the winding path back to Heartwood, the cool evening air fills my lungs. Behind me, carried on the breeze, I hear Reth cry out—a release full of pent-up tension and raw desire, echoing through the trees before fading into the night.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Reth
I wake to a tight hand gripping my dick and a hot Fae grinding her wet pussy on my belly and I know it should feel like I’m still dreaming but this morning it’s just irritating.
I grab Ceria by the hips and throw her off onto the bed beside me, then sit up and swing my legs over the edge, placing my feet on the cold wooden floor. I run my hands through my hair and pause as she presses herself against my back, her arms snaking around my chest.
“I’m not playing your fucked-up games today, Ceira.”
“Just trying to help,” she purrs.
“If you want to make yourself useful, take Rawson and Domanikk out scouting today.”
“Anywhere in particular?”
“Just do it,” I sigh. “Keep them out for a few hours.”
She lets me go, and I hear her rise and walk towards the door.
