I dropped it, sauntered toward him, and slid onto his lap.
My whole body came alive as he dove his tongue into my mouth. Whimpering, I closed my eyes and pressed my body against his, feeling the hard planes of his chest. His cock dug into my thigh as he ground against me. Within moments, his trousers were soaked with my need for him. He’d have to find a replacement. But I found I couldn’t care. Not right now.
All I cared about was him. His hands, his lips, his cock. I wanted every single part of him to be touching me, stroking me, taking me so hard that I forgot about the looming war and all the death we’d soon face.
So that I forgot about my death, too.
His teeth nipped my neck when he pulled back. My nipples tightened, and the ache between my thighs intensified. With a possessive growl, he tasted my breast, teasing and sucking and taunting me with each exquisite stroke. Shuddering beneath his touch, I dropped back my head and moaned.
Gently, he shifted me off his lap and stood.
“Don’t you dare move,” he said before lifting his shirt over his head, and quickly followed it with his trousers. Even though I’d seen him so many times by now, I couldn’t help but stare. His entire body was corded with pure muscle that rippled as he moved. Mist stormed off his glistening skin.
He tenderly pushed me back onto the soft mattress, his lips trailing across my skin, his fingers digging into my hips. My whole body shivered in anticipation as he stroked my core with his cock. Then he gently pushed inside me. His hard length almost filled every inch of me.
“That okay, love?” he asked, clearly still concerned about how little time I’d had to heal. Leaning down, he brushed soft kisses against my cheek and forehead. I nodded, trembling. He was being so gentle, so kind. But I did not want to stop now. I was still tired, yes, but I was coming alive beneath his touch.
Slowly, he pushed deeper inside until his cock hit the back of me.
He pulled back, then thrust harder. My muscles tightened around him as my pleasure began to build. Arching my back, I opened my legs wider, wanting him deeper—wanting to block out everything in the world but him.
His thumb brushed my cheek, and his eyes cut through me, chasing away all the pain and fear. What had happened to me no longer mattered now. Against all odds, I was still here. I was alive and in the arms of my mate.
Not even death could rip me away from him.
“I love you,” I whispered, tears spilling down my face.
His thumb brushed away the tears. “I love you so much I cannot breathe when you’re not around.”
He thrust harder, deeper. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more.
“Take me as hard as you can,” I whispered. “I need you to not be gentle with me. Make me feel alive.”
He slowed. “Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
Kalen’s eyes sparked. He pulled out and flipped me over, my knees digging into the bed. He slid his hands into my hair and pushed the side of my face onto the bed. The tip of him brushed my core. A feral groan spilled from his lips as he cupped my thighs, and a thrill went through me. He thrust inside me once more, this time so much harder. Moaning, I lifted my backside higher so he could get the angle just right.
And he did. His pace quickened. He thrust harder and deeper. My pleasure built, my heartbeat loud in my ears. I clutched the blanket, clinging to it as we rocked so hard the bed creaked. He was taking me as his; he wasclaiming me.
Fuck the gods. Fuck the prophecies and visions and impending doom that threatened to tear us apart.
He was mine, and I would never let go of him.
He gripped my waist and shuddered. My desire built to a roaring crescendo. And as we came together, our cries of pleasure filled the empty house. He kept himself inside me as he leaned forward to wrap his arms around me. His breath tickled my ear, and his finger grazed my nipple. Despite myself, it tightened again at his touch. Desire still roared inside me, insatiable. For Kalen. For my husband. For my mate.
And so I flipped over and pulled him toward me. This night might be the last we ever shared like this. I wanted to make the most of it.
Forty-One
Tessa
We walked up the hill hand-in-hand, the castle backlit by a setting sun. Albyria had never looked more glorious, its shades of crimson and gold glittering beneath the golden light. In another life, this place could have been a different kind of city. One where laughter filled the streets, and humans and fae mingled together like friends and family. With the nearby mountains, the lake down the hill, and the chasm mines, there were so many ways for it to prosper, so much for it to trade.
“What are you thinking about?” Kalen asked me as we approached the guarded gates.
“The economy of Albyria and its potential trade partners. If things were different.”
