Page 38 of Lifeblood

“‘Chilling out’ won’t solve the issue with the Blackthorn Court.” He grunted. “Neither will it stop further attacks from threatening us here. From threateningyou.”

“Yes, yes,” I said as I sipped from my wine again. “The precious lifeblood. You’re very concerned about that, too.”

Gareth’s eyes flashed with… annoyance? “You’re my mate.Ourmate.” Although he certainly didn’t sound any happier about the sharing part than he had the other day. “Regardless of how we met, Ava, this is the situation now, and wewillkeep you safe. But we also have to deal with the Blackthorn Court.”

He kept talking, but my brain had nearly short-circuited when he’d said my name. What was it aboutthisdemon king that had my brain frizzing and my core already throbbing just from wine and conversation? Not evensexyconversation. Just his voice, his words. His demeanor.

His kiss. Because that memory came to me in that moment. Of his hot mouth on mine.

I nodded mutely, too distracted to talk.

It was Gareth who broke the silence. “Did you intend to steal from me that night?”

“No. Notyouspecifically. I thought someone else was staying there. I wouldn’t have tried to steal from a demon king.”

He nodded, as if that were a satisfactory answer, which was also a one-eighty from before. “Well, you nearly succeeded. So, well done.”

For some reason, his praise not only made me smile, it also turned me on more. “Thank you.”

Gareth’s gaze roamed hot over me. I wondered what he was seeing. Or hearing. Did he have increased senses like a dragon? Could he hear my pulse racing?

“I should give you my blood,” I said as his gaze stayed wordlessly on me. “Before anything else happens.”

Whether that was an attack or me completely losing my mind and jumping him, I wasn’t sure. My body felt on fire in his presence. More than just some prey drive, more than attraction. Maybe it was because I’d met him first that our connection inside the larger mate bond was stronger.

Or maybe it was just straight lust. Unfinished business from the park.

Gareth nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course.” I’d already done so for the other kings. Why would I stop now?

“I just wanted to make sure,” he said as he stood and held a hand out to me. “Because I intend to mark you at the same time as any dragon would their mate.”

I swallowed hard at the seriousness in his voice. The low way in which his voice rolled over me. “‘Mark’? Mordred said—”

He smiled in the corner of his mouth. “Mordred says a lot of things. He considers himself a king of kings. But I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

I didn’t know what marking a mate meant. But I knew that my trust in all of the these kings, in our mate bond and what it meant, was growing stronger with every hour we were in this palace together.

“Let’s start with blood,” I whispered—why was I whispering? Maybe it was because Gareth had closed the distance between us, and now all that separated us was my heaving chest as my breath quickened. “Your mark can come later, if that’s okay.”

Gareth was the most imposing of the demon kings. He was bulky and built, his beard adding to the visage of strength. He was muscular in ways the others weren’t. And then there was the way my body just seemed to recognize the draconic predator in him. Which I was beginning to realize didn’t quite scare me as much as excite me.

Iwantedthe danger.

The realization sent another charged shiver straight to my core.

“As you wish,” Gareth said as he, like the others, withdrew a knife from a hidden sheath on his person. Demon kings were never unarmed, it seemed.

My attention kept jumping between Gareth’s eyes and the overall, completeawarenessof everything Gareth was. Those burning eyes with such weight in them, I wondered if I’d ever unpack it all. Right now, they reflected only desire. For my blood. For me. For all of this.

Gareth lifted one of my hands. I guided the knife with my other to cut across my palm. I’d healed the other cuts, and I’d do the same after this. But it didn’t stop the hiss from rolling off my lips as Gareth made the cut.

He licked his lips as he watched my silver blood spill forth. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing. Being this close to him again, alone, made me want to kiss him. To hold him. To press our bodies close together again. Especially now that he was no longer angry with me.

Gareth set the knife aside and then proceeded to bring my palm to his lips and run his tongue along my skin. It tickled where he touched and, despite how kind of weird and gross lapping upbloodwas, his motions were almost sensual. All I could think of was how his hot tongue would feel elsewhere on my body. My core clenched at the thought.

A moan filtered between us. It took me a moment to realize we hadbothreleased one, his ragged and desperate.

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