She shifted in my arms so she could look at me fully, one hand resting over my heart. “Kastiel.”
“I knew the moment I saw you. I was ready to burn my entire life down for you right then. Suddenly, I wanted something more than duty and survival. You made me want a future.”
Her breath caught, and I felt the tremor that ran through her. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but the same depth of emotion I felt shone from her green orbs.
I cupped her face in both hands, my voice dropping to a raw whisper. “I love you, Isolde. I love the storm in you. I love the woman who was brave enough to let me see it. I love every part of you, even the ones you’re still learning to trust.”
I had never said those three little words to anyone in all my centuries. They felt like the most honest thing I had ever offered her.
Isolde’s hands came up to cover mine, her voice trembling but clear. “I love you too, Kastiel. I love the man who was willing to walk away from everything for me. And the demon who makes me feel safe enough to stop hiding. I love all of you, shadows and scars.”
The mate bond flared even brighter, as if the words had unlocked something that had been waiting for permission.
Isolde’s fingers traced over my heart again, her touch light. A smile of pure satisfaction curved her lips. “I learned something else today.”
“What’s that, my little spark?”
“Lirael would’ve told me sooner if she’d realized how completely lacking my succubus education was.” She twined her arms around my neck. “Then I wouldn’t have resisted the pull for so long.”
My brows drew together as I tried to guess the point she was about to make, but I couldn’t come up with anything that would leave my gorgeous mate feeling this smug. So I waited for her to explain.
“When a succubus is fully bonded to her fated mate, her allure can only be wielded on purpose. Not accidentally.”
I stroked my palm up her side to cup the underside of her breast, right where my demon wanted to mark her. “You buriedthe lede, baby. I’m thrilled as fuck you’re getting more control over your powers and your relationship with your father healed a little today, but if you’re about to tell me I can brand you…”
The rest didn’t even need to be said. She knew how badly I wanted her to bear my mark.
“But then I might’ve forgotten everything else,” she teased. “So I saved the best news for last.”
“Fucking amazing news.”
“You’re smiling,” she murmured, her voice soft with affection. “It reaches your eyes and everything. I think I like this version of you best, Kastiel Skaithe. The one who doesn’t scowl at the entire world.”
I felt the unfamiliar pull at the corners of my mouth and realized she was right. A genuine smile had slipped through without me noticing, but I had a very good reason. “Only you could make me soften.”
She wiggled on my lap. “Or harden, as the case may be.”
“I’ll always want to sink my dick in your sweet pussy, Isolde.” I brushed my lips against hers. “No allure needed. Just you.”
She laughed, showing just how comfortable she had become with me. And her powers. “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but we both know my aura will only make our passion burn brighter.”
“And so will our brands.” I rolled us so she was beneath me, my body covering hers without crushing her. “Every good thing I’ve felt in centuries started the night I saw you.”
The mood between us was now laced with hunger. I kissed her, pouring every ounce of the love I had just confessed into the press of my mouth. My hands roamed her body with deliberate care, mapping every curve as if memorizing her all over again. I wanted her to feel cherished.
Isolde arched into me, her hands sliding up my back, her nails lightly scoring my skin. “Show me how much you worship every part of me. Then brand me. Please, Kastiel.”
I kissed my way down her throat, across her collarbone, and over the soft swell of her breasts, taking my time until she was trembling beneath me. When I finally settled between her thighs, I entered her slowly, savoring the way her body welcomed mine as her aura rose to meet me in warm waves.
Our rhythm built gradually, from slow and deep to hard and fast. Every thrust was a promise. Each gasp she made was answered with a whispered word of devotion against her skin. “Your power is so damn beautiful, baby. I could never fear your storm, not when it’s part of the woman I love.”
At the height of our connection, the branding happened instinctively.
Isolde’s power surged, and a beautiful lightning-shaped mark seared lightly over my heart, glowing silver-blue before settling into my skin, a deliberate claim that made the bond sing. At the same moment, my shadows rose and left their own mark on her collarbone—a delicate swirl of midnight darkness, like a protective shadow forever etched into her luminous skin.
With our demons closer to the surface, our pleasure heightened to a level I hadn’t known was possible. Isolde gasped my name as her release crashed over her, her body tightening around me, her aura flooding me with warmth and light. I followed her over the edge with a low groan, burying my face in her neck as pleasure and the completed bond overwhelmed my every sense.
When the shudders finally subsided, we collapsed together, our hearts pounding in sync. I rolled us so she lay draped across my chest, my arms wrapped securely around her.
