Page 95 of Every Shade of Shadow

From her position I know Cassandra can still see us, see the way his thick cock sits in the messy triangle formed between us.

A predatory gleam enters his eyes. "As you wish."

The kiss that follows is bruising, swallowing my moans as he drives into me. There's no tenderness now, only a rough, primal claiming. But it's everything I crave, this loss of control, of self.

I wonder what Cassandra must be thinking watching us. Is she scared? Curious?

Excited? my head questions.

I rake my nails down his back and wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. Harder. We move together in a frenzied rhythm, chasing oblivion, shifting in the dirt.

The pleasure crests high, blotting out everything but this moment. This man. The shadows pull around me, a noose, and I release around him with a broken cry.

Darkwood follows soon after with a hoarse shout.

We collapse together. Evidence of our passion trickles down the crack of my ass to the dirt below, and a wicked sort of joy unfurls within me. I've been well and truly claimed now—every orifice.

His.

There’s power in having a third party here, a silent observer. From her position Cassandra could no doubt see the way the Professor’s cock sluiced into me, watching helplessly as my cunt sucked it in with ease.

My eyes flutter open to find the Professor gazing down at me, something unreadable in his expression.

"You continue to surprise me," he murmurs. His fingers trail down my cheek in an unexpectedly tender gesture.

Heat floods my face. I glance away, suddenly self-conscious under the intensity of his scrutiny. "I—I'm not usually like this."

A wry smile tugs at his lips. "No? I find that difficult to believe." His hand slides down to grip my chin, forcing my gaze back to his. "I’m afraid you were made for this, Ana. For me. In more ways than you know."

His words ignite a dangerous warmth inside me, along with a flicker of unease. I open my mouth, unsure of how to respond, but he silences me with a searing kiss.

By the time he pulls away, I've forgotten what I wanted to say. Heavy sleep presses at my consciousness. My eyelids droop.

The last thing I feel before drifting off is Damien gathering me close, his breath stirring my hair. "Sleep now, little lamb."

A contented sigh escapes me. Why? But I'm too sated and drowsy to ponder it for long.

Shadows flicker in my mind—writhing, twisting shadows shot through with scarlet light. But the images fade into the darkness, and I surrender myself to sleep, the last thing I see Cassandra remaining fixed in the corner of the room, lips barely parted, a wet patch on the ground between her legs that looks like an inky Rorschach test.

*

I wake alone, disoriented and bleary-eyed. The cloying scent of sex and orchids in the air is gone, but the dull ache between my legs, in my ass, remains.

I’m back in my room.

I look to the corner, but there is no Cassandra there, no Professor waiting on the edge of my bed to soothe and comfort me.

Mortification floods me as scattered memories of our encounter flash through my mind. I bury my face in my hands with a groan, hot shame flaming across my cheeks.

What was I thinking? No, I clearly wasn't thinking at all. I allowed myself to get completely carried away under the influence of lust and magic and...whatever else that was.

The shadows. I rub my eyes, trying to recall the strange, writhing shadows I glimpsed before passing out. But the memory eludes me, shrouded in a haze of pleasure and exhaustion.

The power inside me? It has grown. Multiplied. There’s no doubting it.

When I finally drag myself out of bed, I notice a slip of parchment on the floor. I pick it up with trembling fingers, dread pooling deep in my stomach.

My dear Ana,

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