Page 24 of Wings of Desire

The moth gives me a wizened smile. His eyes crinkle. “No, we won’t hurt him. We just need to remind him of the importance of teamwork.”

Love is real

Within a few hours, Xakiras is awake, though frustrated and embarrassed by the mess he got us into. The hunters and I have all nestled around a blazing fire. They pass around a stick that they speared some grotesque looking meat through.

Xakiras hasn’t left my side, holding me so tightly to his body as if he refuses to have a single breath of air between us.

“When will you learn not to go off on your own?” the pink one, whose name I know is Paki, asks between chewing.

The group falls silent and Xakiras grumbles under his breath a slew of curses before answering them all. “I saved Echo fromAmae’siland the Krel.” I chew on my lip to keep from laughing, as he gloats unapologetically. “It was worth it that I broke protocol.”

The others don’t appear to agree with him, narrowing their eyes and glancing toward the commander, who I now realize was their magick user. He sits cross-legged, unperturbed by the lot of them, or their constant questions. He holds an air about him that feels relaxed but very serious.

“Who is she to you?” another asks. His name is Luxaris.

A blush creeps along my neck and up my cheeks, forcing me to hide the smile of embarrassment that teases at my lips.

“This is my mate, Echo.”

I want to hide behind Xakiras so that they can’t see me, but there’s no use, as Xakiras proudly responds. Without hesitation, he jerks me even tighter to his side, beaming at the party as if he has won the best prize at the carnival.

Silence falls over the camp as everyone ceases their chewing and the side conversations stop.

“Mate?” the commander asks, raising his brow in consideration.

Xakiras considers the questions so briefly I’m unsure he thought it through. He bobs his head in reply. “Yes, she is my mate,” he says, glancing down at me with tenderness and adoration in his gaze. “We will go to the caliphate and explain the situation shortly.”

“Well, congratulations, then. I truly hope you know what you’re doing.” Paki shoves a bite of food into his mouth as if to stop himself from asking more questions. The group immediately blares to life with multiple conversations happening at once, leaving me to wonder just what being his mate might mean.

After eating, even though I found it stringy and bitter, Xakiras and I head back to my commander’s tent. It’s the only one I recall seeing a cot inside, and I prefer sleeping there than on the hard ground.

“Echo, my beautiful flower,” Xakiras says, rubbing his fingers against my cheeks. “I’m so sorry I worried you.”

Now that we’re away from everyone else’s gaze, I allow myself to relax my shoulders and breathe. Meeting his hunting party was overwhelming but, what hasn’t been in the last few days.

“It’s okay. You didn’t mean to,” I say, burying my head in his chest. “Please don’t ever fucking scare me like that again, do youhear me?” I peer up into his eyes, feeling the anger lap at my gut again, yearning to have an outlet.

Xakiras delicately lifts my chin, running a thumb over my bottom lip sensually that nearly has me forgetting how angry I feel.

“I am a hunter Echo,” he says, holding his gaze with mine. “I am always in danger, but I assure you that I will never go off on my own again. I will always return to you.”

“You swear?” I want him to swear himself to me. The thought of losing him again has tears stinging at my eyes again just imagining that I’d find him hurt again.

Xakiras doesn’t hesitate in the slightest. His eyes show no sign of fighting within them and his tone is calm. “I swear to you on my life, I will never leave you.” He kisses the top of my nose, and then my forehead. “I love you,otoki, my little bug.”

My god, I love the sound of that. Tiny little goosebumps rise on my arms, and I smile up at him. “Why am I a bug?”

Xakiras smirks deviously as he ghosts his lips over mine. “Because I eat them, and I will eat you too. Now get on the cot.”

I don’t hesitate at all as my heart thunders in my chest and heat pools between my legs. The scent of his sweet pheromones swells around me, and instantly I’m yearning to have him.

Once I’m on the cot, I spread my legs wide for him, and like a beast, Xakiras is immediately between them.

His tongue laves down the sides of my thighs, kissing along the skin. “I am going to fuck you senseless. Are you ready for me?”

I barely nod as he pulls my waist, forcing me closer to him. His tongue finds my clit, licking it slowly enough that my head tilts backwards in ecstasy. Xakiras holds my hips while another set of hands roves under my blouse. I squirm, shuffling it over my head for him to get better access to me.

A purring sound comes from his mouth when he can touch my skin more easily. He glances up at me, only to stop licking. “I want you to watch me as I taste you. If your eyes close for even a moment, I will make you pay for it. Do you understand me?”

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