Page 42 of Releasing Darkness

I couldn’t take the emotions, both those that I was feeling as well as those of my brothers, so I retreated into myself. I found that place I had lived in for the last few thousand years and allowed it to consume me again. I knew I was kneeling on the floor, felt the hard, cold wood under me as I tried to force myself to feel nothing. To drown myself in the cold, empty nothingness where I couldn't feel my world shattering.

But no matter what I tried to do, the sight of my mating brand kept my attention. I stared at it and remembered.

Sasha, when she stepped through the prison, and that searing pain flashed across my skin.

Sasha, as she carried me away from the dungeon.

Sasha, covered in blood as she dragged a carcass larger than she was into the cave just to feed me, knowing it would bring me back to health.

Sasha, as the heat entered her glowing yellow eyes, and looked at me with a soul deep hunger.

Sasha, with a look of rapture on her face as I sunk into her warm depths for the first time.

Sasha, laughing as I ran my soapy hands over her breasts.

Her smile, her warmth, her touch, her bravery.

I knelt there as Juliette screamed, cried, and cursed. As Valen bellowed his rage. As Varek whispered how sorry he was over and over.

When I heard her soft voice call my name, I thought I was imagining things. I couldn’t fathom a world without her in it, and then I couldn’t believe that she had returned. Even as I checked my mating brand again, seeing that it was still black and that she had yet to perish, I still couldn’t believe that she was alive. Not until I touched her beautiful face and felt the warmth of her soft skin under my palms.

“I thought I lost you,” I rasped out as I carried her through our room and into the bathroom. I set her on the wash basin andbegan peeling her sticky, wet clothing off before tossing them into the waste receptacle as Max trilled and brushed his body against our legs.

Sasha picked up her pet, nuzzled her face into his soft fur, scratched behind his ears, and then set him gently on the ground. She watched as he walked back to the bed to lay down on her pillow. She turned to me with a sad smile.

“I’m so sorry I made you go through that.”

I took her hand and pulled her into the shower. “Don’t ever do that to me again. That’s three times now I thought I’d lost you forever.”

I placed her under the warm spray, ignoring my own blood stained body. I had healed quickly once the arrows had been removed. I wasn’t even sure when it had happened. Perhaps while I was kneeling on the floor, wishing for death to take me instead of my mate.

I pumped soap into my hand and began to carefully tend to every wound that was still visible. Many had closed, but there were still a few that were healing, including the deep gash on the back of her thigh.

“Where did these come from?” I asked as I washed away the blood as tenderly as I could.

Sasha sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. “The General was waiting for me. Whatever that invasion was, it was clear that he planned to take me back. He made it obvious how much he hated me. How much he hated all females, really. He was also pretty upset about how easy it was to rescue you from the dungeon. I wish we knew who had set all this up and how.”

Sasha closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. “I guess I never wanted to believe that he truly hated me. He was my father, Varos.” She opened her eyes and looked at me with sorrow.

I rubbed my thumb over her cheek before placing a soft kiss on her lips. “He was a monster, princess. A demon like that is incapable of love. Look around you. Every person you meet cares for you and your kind heart. You’re impossible not to love.”

I heard her quiet intake of air as she blinked up at me. “Does that mean thatyoucould love me one day?” she whispered as she searched my eyes. I opened my heart and soul to her, not realizing that I had never done so until that moment. I let her see what was there—what I had never intended to hide from; I had just forgotten to show it.

“I think I loved you from the moment you dragged that beast into our cave so that you could feed me. I have never met a more selfless, caring being in all my existence. All that you did to bring me back here to my brothers. Even if we weren’t mates, I believe I would have fallen in love with you. You’re beautiful and compassionate. You’re brave, and you're fierce. I am sofuckingproud to be by your side and will thank the Fates every day that I am alive for gifting me with such a treasure.”

By the time I was done speaking, Sasha was shaking in my arms as she wept. “I love you, too! Gods, I love you so much, Varos! I can’t put it into words the way you did. Maybe one day I’ll be able to tell you all the amazing things about you that I love. But I do, I love you.”

“That’s all I need to know, mate,” I said gruffly as I took her lips with mine, tasting her tears on my tongue. I wasn’t planning to mate with her at that moment, knowing that she was still healing from her ordeal. But Sasha made the decision for us both. She hopped up, wrapping her strong legs around my thighs and taking advantage of the erection I always had when she was in my arms. Sasha shifted her hips until she found the perfect position. Then she slowly lowered herself, letting out a breathy moan as she engulfed my cock in her warm body.

“Fuck,” I growled. I spun us around and slapped a hand against the wall beside her head. The claws I hadn’t realized I released along with the rest of my demon form dug into the strange material, causing pieces to fall to the ground. “Mine!”

“Yours,” she agreed with a scream as I shifted my hips and drove into her harder. My mind seemed to forget all the terrors from the day, and nothing but lust and love remained. Madness seemed to overtake me, just like in the cave when it seemed I couldn’t get close enough to her or deep enough inside of her.

Without thought, I pulled from her depths as she protested with a moan. “Varos, what…”

I kept a firm hold of her hips with one arm and slammed the door to the shower open with the other. I only had one thing on my mind—the need to be as deep inside my mate as possible and to claim her in every way. I strode to the side of the bed, where I dropped her down on her back. Max gave out an angry, high-pitched trill and scrambled from the bed.

I lifted Sasha’s legs and placed them over my shoulders, lined myself back up with her entrance, and drove in deep with one thrust. As I relished the feeling of being in her tight heat again, I threw back my head and bellowed to the ceiling.

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