Page 45 of King of Pride and Talons

His hips bucked involuntarily into her touch as she teased him. He caught her wrist and thrust into her hand, letting out a moan.

He reached for her then, pulling her up to his chest. His mouth met hers in a searing kiss as he pulled her body down onto him, groaning as her wet flesh gripped around his shaft.

Her bare skin was set aflame where it touched his heated flesh. His fingers traced flaming trails over her curves as their tongues tangled passionately.

Thorne rolled over until she was underneath him again. He trailed kisses from her lips down to her neck and collar, slowly rocking his hips into her.

His large hands slid down her sides and gripped her hips, guiding them to match his rhythm. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. Thorne quickened his pace, thrusting hard and unyielding as he drove deeper. Breya cried out as he hit a particularly sensitive spot, pleasure ricocheting inside her like a lightning bolt.

His hand snaked between them, digits finding her pulsating core. He traced light circles against her, the barely-there contact driving her to madness.

"Thorne." She gasped out his name as a plea, desperate for release.

He complied immediately, fingers picking up speed as he worked her into a frenzy.

Her world shattered as she came undone beneath him, waves of ecstasy washing over her in one intense burst after another. Her nails dug into his back as she rode out the high, her body jerking uncontrollably against his.

His eyes, once full of that wicked glint, now held nothing but raw hunger. He grunted as he moved within her.

His fingers dug into her hips as he leaned down to press his lips against hers again, swallowing her moans and cries. His taste was intoxicating, sending her senses spiraling out of control.

Suddenly, Thorne stilled above her, his breaths ragged, his eyes hazy with pleasure. He drew back only to plunge into her once more with such force, it sapped the breath from Breya’s lungs. She felt him pulsate within her as he spilled with a strangled cry, clawing at her hip and marking her as he came.

The pain was brief, and Breya knew that it meant she would forever bear his mark on her hip. Everyone who saw it would know she was his mate. There would be no question of where she belonged.

The idea flooded her with warmth, soothing the initial sting of the action.

Exhausted but satisfied, Thorne collapsed onto Breya. His heart hammering against his ribcage mirrored the rhythm of her own racing pulse. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and breathed deeply.

“Are you in pain?” he murmured seriously. “I tried to be gentle.”

“I’m fine,” she replied, stroking his hair with her free hand. “I’m yours.”

TWENTY-FIVE

EPILOGUE

BREYA

The rich pastures of the Savanna-Wyeberry Kingdom twinkled under a glaring sun. Breya had grown used to the polarizing state of the climate in the area after three glorious months as the blended realms’ future queen. She had been unshakable in her commitment to get the new kingdom on its feet, playing her part as both shifter and earth healer.

She found herself slipping into the role once Thorne had marked her, the business with Queen Cassia having been swiftly and fittingly dealt with. All of her woes about the people of Savanna not warming to her had been abolished once she started embracing her true self on the heels of Thorne’s confidence and support.

Breya, the healer-witch, soon-to-be queen of the realm, moved into each day with a dreamlike grace and charge. She was eager to help the people of Wyeberry, and with the acute aid of Thorne’s wealth and recovery plans, they did just that. Cottages and shops were rebuilt from the ground up. The logging workers returned as spruces and evergreens flowered. It was slow going, but Breya and her king never lost faith.

At the same time, Breya’s love for Thorne deepened. As she flourished in her commitment to healing, he thrived as a caring and generous king.

What she found in him was a good man, a man who was destined to lead a massive kingdom of lions with a healing queen by his side. She relished every day of her good luck. Breya had never felt more invigoratingly sexy, even when she was bouncing around on a rainy day in her pajamas.

But the wedding was coming up as was Breya's coronation. Because the population of the realm had swelled, the numbers having nearly doubled, the witch was starting to feel nervous.

Thorne comforted her with his words and actions, never falling short of his own ability to temper her anticipations. Breya had returned to the human village only a week after she had been marked and informed her parents and Anya about all that had occurred.

"Your family is going to be there,” Thorne said. “If you become intimidated by the crowd, try to look at them. Or me, of course."

He flushed with that handsome smirk. Blue and silver mingled in his eyes with equal vividness. Every once in a while, she could catch a glimpse of the gold that exposed his animal within. She had grown quite fond of his lion side as much as his human side.

“And where will you be?” she asked tentatively.

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