Lying on my back, my heart feels as if it rests within her chest. This is the first time we’ve been in the bed together since the night in the Phoka Village. And my body hums with awareness.
She’s hovering by the edge and I hate it.
Rolling, I pin her next to me, my arm finding her lush waist, the dip of her hip. She goes utterly still, no breath leaving her lungs. I should care I’m pushing her boundaries, but I don’t. Her body moldsto mine and I’m lost to the sensations. It’s the first time I’ve feltrightsince we arrived home.
“What are you doing?” she whispers. Gone is the fire and only apprehension. Still no terror, and I smile into the crook of her neck.
There’s no shame in what I’m doing. Let her hate me, because this is peace unlike anything I’ve ever felt. “Holding my mate,” I explain, fangs whispering against her neck. “It’s been too long since I’ve had her beside me.”
“Don’t get used to this.” She fights back, trying to shrug me off. My strength is better and thankfully, she doesn’t have her dagger. I’ve no doubt she’d use it if she could. “Fuck off, heir.”
“Only with you, kitten.” I nuzzle into her neck. “Rest. Save your strength. Who knows what I’ll do in the middle of the night.”
“If you touch me, I will take both our lives,” she vows.
Chuckling, I hold her tighter. She means every word of it. Strangely, I’m proud.
“Sleep.”
“How do you expect me to sleep? Like this?” She tries to wiggle, escape me, but I hold firm, her back to my bare chest, her hair tickling my nose.
Why does this feel so good? Why does my beast calm? I’ve pleaded, cajoled, anything I could do for rest. But only with the blood summoner in my arms do my eyes droop, and my body sink with relaxation.
“I’ll sleep very well like this.” She curses me out and I inhale, something clicking in my heart. A piece of it, fitting back together, the burning extinguished. “Goodnight, Max.”
She tries to move me again, but I don’t budge. I should feel guilt for claiming her, taking her, even holding her now against her will.
But I don’t. I want her. Mind, body, soul, heart.And I’ll fucking have it.
My lips brush her head and I lean back, taking her with me. “Rest,” I repeat and wait until her breaths even out before I allow slumber to take me.
Chapter
Fifteen
MAX
I’m ashamed at how quickly I fall asleep.
I should have fought harder, longer. I shouldn’t have closed my eyes. I shouldn’t have found his heartbeat against mine comforting, nor how his light breath stirred my hair mesmerizing.
The heir is a burning ball of fire at my back. Although the room is sweltering in heat, it’s the kind of warmth that infuses itself into your body, bleeding out the worry and pain until slumber claims you.
The prick knew what he was doing.
But thankfully, the need to escape was stronger than his aura. I awoke with a start, nightmares strangely absent, his hand around my waist, breath fanning my cheek. Glancing back at him, I take in his strong nose, those thick black eyelashes against sharp cheeks.
It’s not fair that this bastard is so handsome.
Slipping from the bed, I let his hand fall to the soft bedding, my lean form falling to the floor quietly. I stand, staring at him, waiting formovement.
Nothing. A slight snore, but no twitch, no ebony claw pulling me back.
Silently, I thankCella and Gerand grab my things.
I didn’t expect the heir this evening. After my walk through the gardens with Fee days ago, I let my mind focus on constructing an escape from the Black Palace.
I was done living in the dark, forced into this role, Kaden’s chained mate. Forced to allow him to dictate what I did, or who I was. I never asked to be queen, I never asked for a mate. I never asked for the danger of Zelos one day taking me, using me to harm the world.
