“Come for me,” he demanded.
I didn’t have a choice. My orgasm ripped through me, my body trembling as waves of pleasure crashed over me. He didn’t stop, fucking me through it, his pace relentless as he chased his own release. With a final, brutal thrust, he came, filling me, his groans muffled against my neck. He collapsed on top of me, his body heavy and warm, his breathing ragged.
“You’re perfect,” he murmured, his voice softer now, but still laced with that fucking dominance that made my pussy clench around him.
And just like that, I knew I was his, completely and utterly.
After laying there sated for only minutes, he turned to face me, sliding his hand down the curve of my waist, resting it on my hip. “Did you cast a protection?” His thumb traced lazy circles against my skin. “Or do I need to find moonseed tea?”
I breathed out a quiet spell, feeling the familiar tingle of magic settle low in my belly. “Taken care of.”
“Get some sleep while you can. I don’t trust whatever’s coming from this nightmare of a city.”
“Are you sure we should wait for a summons instead of looking for Vitoria?” I propped myself up on one elbow, frowning. “That’s not very hunter-like of you.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s strategic. If we go barging through this city demanding answers, we’ll get thrown out, or worse. Better to let them make the first move. See what they want from us. We can’t do anything without the Phoenix’s blood. Can’t break the oath, can’t end the hunt, nothing. We’re stuck until we find Vitoria.”
“And she’s here. She has to be.” I sat up fully, pulling the sheet with me because modesty felt important when discussing hunting my best friend. “The sprite gave us Dyssara’s initials, not a person’s name. DeC. Crimson was telling us where to go, not who summoned Vitoria at night.”
“And the Erelith is obviously prevalent here.” Wickett sat up too, his tactical mind clearly moving again. “Floating in chalices, burning openly. Only the Phoenix can touch it without dying. Why would they have that unless...”
“They feel differently about her here than the rest of the world does,” I finished, the realization settling like lead in my stomach. “She’s not a criminal here. She’s protected.”
“Makes the whole thing significantly harder. Even if we break the blood oath somehow, there must be a reason we were granted access instead of being forced to break it and move on. They want us here for something.”
“You think it’s a trap,” I said.
“I think there’s more to this puzzle than we understand. And I can feel the jaws closing. We just don’t know what we’re caught in yet.”
Wickett stood, dressing as he spoke. “I should go back to my room. Before someone notices and adds it to whatever intelligence they’re gathering on us.”
“You think they’re watching?”
“I think this city knows everything.” He leaned down, kissing me once more, soft and lingering and full of unspoken promises. “Get some sleep. You’ll need it.”
Then he was gone, slipping away like we hadn’t just torn down every last wall between us.
I lay back, staring at the ceiling, trying to quiet my mind and my swelling heart.
We were so close. Vitoria was somewhere here. And I just had sex with the hunter who’d marked my life as his to take. I lifted my palm, studying the raised marks for the millionth time. I was either the world’s biggest idiot or the world’s most optimistic fool. Possibly both.
Sleep came eventually, dragging me under despite my spinning thoughts.
A knock woke me.
Not soft. Not polite. Insistent and loud enough that I jolted upright, disoriented and reaching for water that wasn’t there.
The door opened before I could answer. Wickett hadn’t locked it.
Calder stood in the hallway for a second before letting himself in and closing the door, with Silas at his side looking thoroughly disgruntled. “Your familiar was growling at my door. Figured he wanted back in here.”
Silas pushed past him immediately, checking every corner of the room with suspicious intensity before settling near the bed with a huff that said more than enough.
“Thanks.” I tried to sound like I’d actually been sleeping alone and not thoroughly debauched an hour ago.
Calder’s expression said he wasn’t buying it. “We need to talk. About?—”
Another knock. Different. More hesitant.
