“Yes,” he answered, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “I am sorry.”
I wasn’t about to let him apologize for this.
“I’m not,” I said.
His shocked eyes came to mine. “You’re not?”
“No. Because I talked to Guldan this morning and decided that I’m staying here. With you.”
“But why? I thought all you wanted was to return to your home?”
I realized it was time to admit what I was feeling out loud. Not just to him, but to myself.
“Because I’m falling in love with you.”
God, it was scary to say that out loud. To let myself be vulnerable with someone who could easily hurt me. Not physically, but emotionally.
His hands cupped my head, cradling it gently. “You are?”
He sounded surprised. But not upset.
“Yes.” I bit my lip as I looked up at him. “Since you bit me and I’m wearing a mating mark now, I’m hoping you feel the same way.”
“I do.” His lips touched mine reverently. “I have since the moment I saw you.”
The nerves dancing in my stomach eased. He was in this as deep as I was. Maybe even deeper.
“So, what do we do now?” I asked.
“Now, I take you upstairs and make love to you in a bed rather than on the dirt.”
Hours later, after a bath, food, a nap, and more orgasms, I lay naked on top of an equally naked Bokkan, my hands folded over his chest and my chin resting on the backs of them. His head was propped on a pillow, and we were looking at each other.
“Are you sad that I can’t brand you?” I asked. “Is that even a thing female daemons can do?”
His fingers combed through my damp hair, smoothing the strands down my bare back. “Female daemons do brand their mates.”
His other hand moved to touch his chest, where I bit him. Surprisingly, the mark I left was still there. It had healed quickly, but the scar in the shape of my bite remained.
“You bit me as a daemoness would. It triggered the beginning of the bond for me. As Guldan said, you will continue to absorb magic the longer you live here. Perhaps you will be able to brand me in time as well.”
I wanted that. I wanted him to wear my marks for all to see. Because I wanted all the female daemons, like Venna, to understand that he was mine. Otherwise, I would spend too much time fighting for my mate rather than fucking him.
And the fucking was much more pleasurable.
Speaking of the bitch Venna…
“You realize Venna was the one who convinced Talus to kidnap me, right?” I asked Bokkan.
His eyes flared red. “Yes.” A growl edged his voice when he answered.
“What are we going to do about that?” I asked.
Though he looked pissed as hell, his hand never stopped stroking my hair down my back. “Wearen’t doing anything. Guldan and I will handle it.”
I tensed, lifting my head from my hands. “Excuse me?”
I would have laughed at theoh shitexpression on his face if annoyance hadn’t already reared its head.
