Page 55 of The Horde King of Shadow

“I can feel you,” she whispered. A soft sigh escaped her, like she was pleased about that. “It’s nice.”

I could only grunt. I was beyond words, my tongue heavy like a boulder in my mouth.

I hissed when I dragged my length out of her, lowering my hips. I was still half-hard, and we both watched as our combined come dripped into the water. I lowered my forehead until it touched the nape of her damp neck, breathing her in, while I tried to catch my breath.

The worst of the desire was fading with the orgasm. Control was slowly starting to return. But with it came realization of what I’d just done. With it came the pinching prick of shame.

Slowly, I unwound my arms from around her and kept her steady as I rose. Water sluiced off my body, and Klara turned to look over her shoulder at me.

My lips pressed together, seeing her glassy, half-lidded eyes and reddened lips from my kiss. Kneeling in the pool, naked, she looked like every erotic fantasy I’d ever had come to life.

But when I helped her stand, I saw her knees were red and raw from scraping on the stone. I caught a brief wince when she stepped from the water, likely a twinge between her thighs, coupled with the sting of her rider burn. The bandages were soaked with water.

Anger rose. Not at her. At myself. When I handed her the dress, silently, I did it with more force than I realized, the broken chain of the strap whipping at her exposed skin, making her flinch.

Which only made me angrier. The chamber walls felt like they were closing in on me, the darkness now oppressive, onlylit by the glow of heartstones. And as I tugged on my own pants, catching Klara looking at me out of the corner of her eye, I caught a streak of pink blood on my cock. And I remembered.

“You were untouched?” I asked quietly.

I forced myself to meet her eyes, though I knew my expression was tight. This was wrong. It was all wrong. I hadn’t wanted this and neither had she. But neither of us expected forthisto have been Lishara’s blessing. Or else…or else I might’ve waited to bring her here, even if it had delayed mymysarfulfillment to Elysom.

“Yes,” she said quietly, her tone suddenly uncertain. Because I was acting like a cold bastard and I knew it.

Hearing her confirmation felt like one more strike against me. I’d been rough, unable to control my lusts. We’d both enjoyed it, yes…but this hadn’t been either of our choices. This had been forced on us with magic. And the self-loathing that I’d hurt her, that I could’ve been gentler, that I could’vestoppedthis ran deep.

I didn’thurtfemales. Ever.

“Get dressed, Klara,” I said quietly, doing everything I could to control my tone, to keep it steady and even so I didn’t scare her.

“Are you…are you angry with me?” she asked.

I turned from her, squeezing my eyes shut as I shrugged on my ripped vest. Because I’d torn through the clasps in my need to feel her skin against mine.

“No.”

She didn’t say anything else, and I listened to the rustle of her hatchling-scale dress as she pulled it on while I tried to regulate the maelstrom of emotions swirling in my chest.

And as we left the chamber, ascending the darkened stairwell that would lead us back above ground to the lake, I realized…

She was mywifenow.

Queen of the Sarrothian, of my people.

And once reason returned, once the reality of what had just happened hit, she might hate me.

When we made it back up to the lake, I guided us down the path, water lapping at my ankles. Zaridan, Feranos, and his Elthika were waiting in the grassy area beyond the rocky shore.

My commander eyed me carefully as we approached, his brow raising. When his eyes darted to Klara behind me, it took everything in me not to growl and step in front of her, to shield her from his view so soon after we’d mated.

Which was new…

The feeling of animalistic possessiveness sweeping through me, discomfort threading through my veins at the thought of him so close to her after what had happened in the temple…it didn’t sit well. And Feranos was one of my oldest friends.

I stepped up to Zaridan. I placed a palm on her snout, briefly glancing at her missing scale, the flesh exposed. Her sacrifice for this ceremony and for her rider’s bond. It would grow back, though slowly, and it would never be as strong as the scale that now lay in the bottom of Lishara’s pool. Over time, the heartstone magic would slowly dissolve it, and Zaridan would forever be part of this place. But she would also be forever vulnerable.

Behind me, Feranos asked, in Karag, “Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” I replied, tone clipped, making it clear I wasn’t in the mood for further questions. Feranos went silent, and I turned from Zaridan to peer over at Klara.

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