Page 176 of Born of Blood and Ash

I obeyed, pulling them from his skin.

“That’s my Queen.” Ash’s hand fisted my hair. “Keepdrinking.”

I did.

My mouth sealed hungrily over the wound I’d created. Maybe Ireally had needed to feed. I drank deeply, my fingers pressing intothe taut flesh of his waist. Gods, there was nothing like his smoky flavor andhow the awe-inspiring power of his blood felt like a jolt to every sense,strengthening me. Empowering me.

But his blood was doing even more than that.

Each draw on his vein created a languid, thick heat. Ipressed against him, skin tingling all over as I moaned. My fingers dug intohis shirt. My blood hummed as it pounded through me. Heightened desire pooledbetween my thighs, and my body reacted. I strained to get closer to him,needing him.

“I know,” Ash groaned, the arm around my waist tightening ashe lifted me. “Don’t stop feeding.”

I drank, vaguely aware of him moving us to the settee. As hesat, I pushed on his shoulders, forcing him onto his back. A thick, huskychuckle stirred the hair at my temple and then ended in a moan as his rigidlength parted my flesh.

I had no idea how we’d gotten turned around on the settee orwhen he’d ended up flat on his back. All I could concentrate on was the feel ofhis cock filling me as the power of his blood did the same. The combinationdrove me wild. I ground against him, keeping him deeply seated in me.

“That’s it.” His voice was a sensual snarl as one handcradled the back of my head and the other fell to my hip. His fingers pressedinto the flesh there. “Ride me.”

His demand fanned the flames. I fucked him, drinking anddrinking. And, gods, I wanted to keep drinking. I wanted to drown in his taste.I felt my release barreling down on me, but I knew where that could lead—evenfor a Primal. Especially a newly risen Primal.

Bloodlust.

Though it wasn’t easy, I forced myself to lift my head. WhenI did, Ash wrenched my mouth to his. Our lips and fangs crashed together as Icame, and he followed with a thrust of his hips.

“Do you need more?” he asked after a few moments, his voicericher.

“No.” A fine sheen of sweat dampened my brow as I drew backand opened my eyes. Two small, angry red marks marred his flesh. Instinct tookover once more. I nicked my tongue with a fang and then licked the wounds. Ashshuddered as I sealed the punctures.

My grip on his shoulders relaxed as I wiggled down, restingmy cheek on his chest. “Thank you.”

“I feel like I need to be the one thanking you,” he replied.

A tired smile pulled at my lips as a faint quiver dancedfrom muscle to muscle.

“I want you to make me a promise,” he said after a moment.“That you won’t run off and start searching every inch of the palace for mypaintings the first moment you get.”

“I wasn’t planning to do that.” I lied because that waslikely exactly what I would do.

“Liessa,” he murmured,his voice heavy with knowing amusement.

“Whatever,” I muttered. “I won’t go searching for them.”

“Thank you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Iwant to be with you when you see them.”

The quiet way he said that and the fact that he wanted to bethere when I saw them eased my impatience a whole lot. I smiled up at him. “Ilove you,” I told him. “Even though I’m thoroughly jealous of this hiddentalent of yours.”

He laughed softly. “I’m sure I can help you improve.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain of that.”

“Trust me,” he murmured, smoothing his fingers over my hair.“I will have you drawing straight lines in no time.”

Smiling, I turned my head and dropped a kiss onto hischest—his cold chest.

Concern sliced through the pleasant fog in my brain. I satup. His eyes were open, and the glow of eather wasbright behind his pupils. He looked the same. The hollows of his cheeks weren’tstark. His features weren’t drawn, but…

“Do you need to feed?” The moment the question leftmy lips, a messy mix of emotions swept through me once again. There wasblade-sharp anticipation, partly due to the sensuality of the act itself butalso because I wanted to give him what he’d given me. Power. Life. But therewas something else beneath the longing. Something oppressive and choking.

---