“With what happened yesterday, don’t you think you should?”
“I don’t owe anyone anything,” I said, suddenly defensive. “Blake is—I’ll never see him again. It’s not worth talking about him with the others.”
Dimitri shrugged. “They’ll start wondering where and who your two last mates are. It’d be good to at least inform them that the group will never be complete.”
Damn him, but he was right. It was just cruel to let them hope for a fully binded group when they already had to deal with the fact that I had no soul for them to bind to.
“Fine,” I conceded. “I’ll tell him. Soon.”
Dimitri and I both went quiet after this. Him, carefully lathering soap on every inch of my body. Me, happy to let him do so, enjoying the feel of his hand on my sore muscles.
Things had been hectic since we found each other again, and Dimitri was usually big on after care. Cuddling me, cleaning and washing me. Whispering soft praises in my ear as he did all of that,especiallywhen he was being a little rough.
My core clenched and I bit my lip, trying to ignore the butterfly taking flight in my lower stomach and the delicious shiver climbing up my spine.
Roughly-losing-control Dimitri was my favorite, almost on the same level with the soft-love-making one. I couldn’t count the number of times we had to stop whatever we were doing for an intense quick fuck because he made the mistake to kiss me a little too hard or whisper something dirty in my ear.
“Whatever you’re thinking right now, you need to stop,” he said darkly.
I avoided his gaze, biting my lips in embarrassment. “I’m not thinking about anything.”
“Tell that to my cock. I can sense your arousal,zhizn moya. If feathers feels it too, you’re in for more than what happened last night.”
Hell yeah. I did want that…
“Take that look off your face. I’m in no condition to go easy on your ass.”
I bit my lip harder, clenching my thighs together.
“Stop being a brat,” he growled, squeezing my ankles. “Tell me about that little love bite on your neck instead.”
“Nothing much to say about it.” I rolled my eyes, ready to pout at his dismissal. “Turns out my blood quiets the voices of Carter’s Fallen curse. Think that’s a mate thing?”
Dimitri seemed to ponder it for a moment before he shook his head.
“Nah. I think it’s an Astral thing.”
“Why do you think that?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Because for whatever mate's ability to exist or settle, the bond needs to be fully formed. Which isn’t the case with you and any of your mates.”
I frowned, confused. “How do you even know anything about mate stuff?”
He grinned. “Because I read,zhizn moya. And I happen to have an unconventionalsoullessmate. So I did lots of research about the whole binding mess and mates over the long life I’ve lived.”
“What makes you think it’s the Astral blood then? I’m not anAstral anymore, I’m—”
“A demon, I know,” he interrupted. “But even without your soul, your blood still has…let’s say it retains your heritage. You’ll always have a bit of stars in the darkness.”
I glared at him. “Okay, youpoet.”
He gave me a knowing look. “Stop making fun of me, or you’ll get spanked.”
I snorted, wiggling my eyebrows and my toes in front of his face.
“You’re right. You’d like that too much…” he said, smirking playfully. “What I’m trying to say is, your blood does help with the madness too. I can feel it quieting every time I bite you. So, I’m not surprised it does something for Carter’s curse as well.”
I let out a long, satisfied sigh as his fingers moved to the underside of my foot. “Great. I’m like a medicine bag.”
