Page 119 of A Dawn Of Blood

“That sounds like a threat,” I quip, but I’m all breathless and my mind is going blank because his fingers are already sliding inside me, slowly, torturously.

“It is,” he leans to whisper in my ear as he starts pumping his fingers in and out of me. “And I have everything planned out. I’m going to make love to you, then I’m going to fuck you, then I’m going to make love to you again.” His voice is thick and choked-up when he asks, “Would you like that?”

“Yes,” I mutter, my hunger for him growing with each stroke of his fingers.

He pulls his hand out and starts unbuckling his belt. Losing my patience, I roll over so I’m on top of him.

He wraps his arms around me and we breathlessly stare at each other for a moment before we start fumbling around his zipper.

“Gods, Anna,” he mutters when I take him in my hand. It makes me bite my lip in anticipation, when I press his hot, hard length against my throbbing core. I slide him inside me, lettingout a moan at the same time he mumbles a string of barely coherent curses.

He grabs me tighter, he crushes me to his chest and we start moving together, until we’re falling apart in each other’s arms, flushing and giggling, happier than we’ve ever been.

Chapter 83

Almost a year later, I find myself looping my arm through Jaeger’s and starting the walk down the improvised aisle. The reason it took us so long is simply the fact that we didn’t want to throw a wedding while chaos was still reigning — vampires being murdered left and right, shifters breaking out of camps, cities burning in revolt after the Emperor’s death.

But now that things have calmed down a little…

I’m finally getting to marry the love of my life, it’s in the home Jericho built for me that we’re having the ceremony and we have Nymeria acting as the ring-bearer.

It’s all making my heart burst with happiness, especially when I see everyone gathered for the wedding lovingly gazing at me from the two rows of seats I’m walking between.

But nothing beats the moment my eyes get drawn to the floral arch, where Nimueh is waiting to marry us, and I see him staring at me, the intensity of his gaze making my breath catch andmy mind flash with the images of my weddings to Jericho and Orpheus.

I keep walking, wondering how it is that I keep landing such a gorgeous, capable, smart, strong, secretly tender man.

My lips tugging into a smile that’s at the same time silly, shy and a little hot and bothered, I come to a stop in front of him. Without tearing my eyes away from him, I let go of Jaeger’s arm and sense her step back.

For one long moment, we just keep getting lost in each other’s eyes. Then I see his gaze dart to Nimueh and I hear him clear his throat.

The impatience with which he does it makes me almost let out a chuckle.

As if snapping from her ruminations, Nimueh starts, “Ah yes.” She clears her throat as well, raising her voice. “Well, we’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of Anna and Alexander, two people who have come to love each other despite all odds.” She pauses for a moment, her voice growing pensive. “I’ve been watching these two for months now and all the while, I’ve been wondering about the nature of love as such. After all, there’s nothing in this world that can bridge as many gaps as this seemingly simple, yet incredibly mysterious and powerful—”

Cain clears his throat again, more impatiently this time. I hear chuckles from the audience.

“Ah yes, apologies,” Nimueh says. Then she turns to me with a tender smile on her face. “Anna…”

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I nod.

“Do you take this man to be your husband, Anna?”

I turn to look at Cain, my heart melting when I see all the love and tenderness in his eyes. “I do.”

He smiles.

“And Alexander, do you take this woman to be your wife?”

His eyes dive deeper into mine. “I do,” he says, softly but with such determination, my heart skips a beat.

This being her cue, I see Nymeria appear with the rings tied to her back. There’s more chuckling from the audience as she lets us take the rings and intently watches us put them on each other’s fingers.

“Thank you, Nymeria,” I whisper, and she contently comes to sit next to Cain.

“Well,” Nimueh starts as soon as she does, “since you’re being so impatient… I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss.”

Smiling, we step closer to each other, Cain takes me by the waist and we kiss, the people all around us starting to cheer.

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