Page 40 of Deliverance

Something snaps in him, the thin grasp of control he had disappearing. Suddenly, I am in his arms, and in the blink of an eye, I am pressed against the wall. His kisses are savage, and his touch is fevered as his hands find my nipples, tweaking them until he draws gasps from me.

My hands are pinned against his chest, stopping me from exploring his body like I want to, but as I try to move them, he grumbles into our kiss and presses against me tighter. My legs wrap around his waist, only my underwear covering my most intimate parts from him. As though our thoughts are connected, his hand comes up to cup me, and he makes a noise of annoyance at finding a barrier between us. With a flip of his wrist, he rips my underwear clean from my body, reminding me just how strong he is. Although I know he wouldn’t hurt me, it adds an element of danger, only making this whole experience more intense.

His fingers finally touch between my legs, and my eyes roll into the back of my head simply from the feel of him alone. Chuckling deeply, Alaric coats his fingers in the slick that has gathered there, evidence of how much I want him. His thumb finds my clit, circling the bundle of nerves and pushing a finger inside me.

A wanton moan slips from my lips, my body moving in a rhythm of its own as he makes appreciative noises and pushes a second, then third finger inside. There will be time for us to explore each other properly, but right now the two of us need this. I feel his cock pressing against me, begging for attention, and I cannot wait a moment longer. He is holding himself back in an effort not to hurt me, but he doesn’t need to. I wantallof him. I need him.

“Stop holding back,” I murmur against his lips. “I’m not a doll.”

Growling low at the challenge in my voice, he readjusts his cock so it presses against my entrance, and with a fast thrust, he fills me with his cock.

“No, but you aremine.” Pushing deeper to emphasise his comment, he fills me completely.

The shock of the sensation, of stretching, of being so fucking full makes my back bow, giving him better access to my breasts and neck which are still receiving his attention. It hurts a little, his movements deep and getting faster with each thrust, but I relish the pain, as it makes this moment all the more real. My walls clamp down on him as he thrusts in and out of me, making me his.

Our ragged breathing, grunts, and moans fill the room with the unique music of our love. It’s rough, claiming, and perfect. Neither of us speak, focused fully on each other’s bodies. My arousal is building low in my abdomen, and I know I am not farfrom climax. Given the heavy breaths and bucking of his thrusts, I would say it’s the same for Alaric.

The light scrape of his teeth against my neck is the only warning I get before I feel the sharp pinch of his bite. Crying out in both pleasure and pain, I fall over the edge, and my orgasm comes crashing down on me. Pleasure like I have never known floods my system, every cell in my body alert. Blinded by it, all I can see is a glowing light in my mind, and as I reach towards it, I realise that it is my and Alaric’s connection. What was just a concept is now something visceral and whole, connecting us together.

I feel the moment Alaric finds his release, his final jerking thrust within me as my walls press against him, encouraging his cum to fill me.

Opening my eyes, I find his face only a hairsbreadth away from mine, his eyes locked on me with that predatory focus despite his chest heaving like he just ran several miles. One hand is braced against the wall behind me, and with the other, he holds me up. I’m sure I look just as exhausted as he does, and I don’t even want to acknowledge that we just fucked with Blaise in the bathroom. He probably heard us, which is mortifying. However, I cannot take my gaze off Alaric, feeling the strange urge to stay wrapped around him forever.

“Mate.”

I freeze. Did Alaric really just call me his mate? My heart thumps in my chest, unsure what this will mean for us. With how strong the connection feels, I would guess that it’s a strong possibility.

“About fucking time!” Blaise shouts from the bathroom, sounding both amused and pissed off at the same time.

Yes, he definitely heard us.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nyx

Iris mated the fucking prince of the Seelie Court.

Creatures in a ten-meter radius drop dead around me as I lose control of my dark power. Birds, butterflies, deer, and even the fae who are unlucky enough to be within my power’s reach simply fall to the ground, never to rise again.

I take a deep breath and release it with a low snarl, my hands balling into fists as I hover in the darkness. Calm, that is what I have to be. I need to have better control of my emotions, or I might accidently hurt Iris, and that is the last thing I want. I would rather smite myself than injure her.

Fury doesn’t even start to explain how angry I am—not at Iris, never her. No, it is the meddling gods who saw it fit to decide that Iris and the Seelie prince should be fated to be together. If they thought that would keep me away from her, then they were wrong. Damn the consequences, I will make myself the villain of this story if it means having Iris at my side.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Iris

The Seelie Court is gorgeous. Spiralling towers made of pristine pale wood rise above us, creating a living, constantly growing city. The trees here are much older and larger, and the farther we go towards the centre of the city, the more the terrain changes as we seem to enter a valley. Finally, the castle comes into view, a sparkling spectacle taking pride of place at the back of the rocky valley. Although the trees have fallen back, there is still greenery everywhere.

I want to gape and take in the sights around me, but the tension between Alaric and Blaise is so tight that I am worried a fight might break out at any moment. My eyes stay on the two of them instead of the amazing city, although it is the prince who is the risk at the moment. He has been hugely overprotective of me since we fucked and the mate bond snapped into place, something I get the impression is common for male fae afterbonding. I haven’t had time to ask much about it thanks to our hurried exit from the inn, but they spin around in my mind.

My mate’s leg brushes against mine, and tingles erupt from the point of contact. We are lucky that our horses are happy enough to walk this closely together, as Alaric wasn’t going to let me out of arm’s reach. If he had his way, I would be riding his horse with him, but that is not the first impression I want to give when we arrive at the castle.

On my other side, Blaise rides silently on his horse. He seems frustrated, and I know he wants to say something but is keeping his mouth shut. Usually, he would ride in front or behind us, but today, he insisted on being by my side. This hasn’t helped the tension between them, and my neck is starting to hurt from swinging my gaze one way and then the other.

I cannot take this much longer.

“Blaise, maybe you should ride ahead?” The suggestion is a subtle plea for him to go. It is the only way I can think to break the tension. Besides, will he not want to warn the castle of our arrival?

---