Page 13 of Chained to the Devil's Daughter

“Readjusting to society will be a journey. I don’t want to use you as a crutch.” A shadow flickered through his blackened features. “So long as you don’t regret what happened earlier.”

“I’ll never regret a single moment with you inside me.” Though my words were true, my behavior the last night we shared flickered through my memory. “I’m s—”

He silenced me with a bruising kiss, the kind of kiss that banished any other though, let alone the ability to form words.

Chest heaving, his voice allowed no argument when he said, “Never. Never finish that sentence.”

He waited until I nodded assent to wrap his arms around me and fall back to the bed. We allowed time to tick past that way, him drowsing in and out as I traced his conduit lines.

“You have black flames now,” I mused when he woke from another mini-nap, his hand absently stroking my side from knee to breast.

“Hmm?” His movements became intentional, fingertips grazing my waist, hand whispering over the fabric under my bust. “Yes. A product of the implant, I assume. It seems to let me control the heat as well. Sometimes.”

“That sounds incredibly useful.” I shivered when his thumb explored the spot where my nipple lay under too much fabric.

“You have new friends.” He observed. “Some in brothels, apparently.”

I tittered at the secret knowledge that Elodie had shared with me. As a popular breeder in the skin districts of Ring Six and the most compassionate person I’d ever met, she was the only person who knew of my and Ash’ren’s adventurous love life. The only person who’d seen my tears for what they truly were.

Ash’ren put a stop to my inside joke with a graze of his thumb over my sex. I hissed in a breath and bucked. The towel scooted down an inch, giving my clit a luxurious thrum of friction.

“Elodie was in Fyre last I checked, a plaything no longer. Safe, hopefully.”

“Another of yours, then.” The low rumble of his chuckle vibrated my breasts where they pressed against him. “Dear Firefly, ever the savior of lost ones.”

“You weren’t lost, and I’ve kept you around.”

“I wasn’t lost because you found me.”

“Technically you found me and then just never left me alone—ahh,” I writhed as his left leg lifted onto the mattress, driving his length against my core. The towel was split wide open and his precum left a trail against my navel.

7

Ash’ren

“Not slow enough, princess?”

I smirked, feeling no shame. We would spend plenty of time apart, even while surrounded by people. Right now, she was mine.

“It seems about right,” she panted. At her encouraging whimper, I squeezed her ass against my cock so roughly I hoped it would leave an imprint.

Before she could rescind, I claimed her mouth, my hands getting braver around her perfect tits. From her peachy ass to her soft center, her body had filled out fucking perfectly, made for sin. I couldn’t help picturing the goddess-like visage she would paint while round and full of milk for our young.

Breathlessly, she pulled away. I gnashed my teeth in protest, but something darkened her features. “What is it?”

“I have some things to take care of. You’re welcome to join, but. . .” She bit her lip and averted her gaze. “You should know that others will share the warlord’s view.”

“That I’m your pet?” I shrugged. “Let them. You’re my queen, and I’m your pawn.”

“More than that. The reports we received about your jolly jaunt through Hell weren’t taken well.” She slid her arms aroundmy waist and sank into my chest, my arms caging her close. “Some will say you’re a liability. Others that you should’ve been used as a secret weapon. If you’d been warned as we’d planned, perhaps we would have decided on that path together.”

“Warned?”

“Your door was unlocked days after my father left. If that reckless warlord hadn’t started that battle, a messenger was supposed to tell you of your freedom. To offer you a choice.”

“What choice?”

“Escape to safety in Fyre, or return.” Her shoulders tensed as though still carrying the heavy burden. “Everything went so wrong. I couldn’t visit myself, and sending anyone else would have provoked suspicion. My hold on the nobility is tenuous now, but it was cobwebs then. Devil’s spies are everywhere. Even now, we intercept messages.”

---