Page 18 of Releasing Darkness

I looked away from her as she stretched, her breasts pressing against the fabric of her top enticingly. My cock thickened in my torn trousers as if I hadn’t spilled my seed three more times in the night as she slept. Each time I gave in and stroked myself to completion it was to the memory of the way she arched her body as she came, the little sounds that escaped her plump lips even though she desperately tried to bite them back, and the way her eyes glowed a brilliant yellow as she fed from me. If anyone would have told me that I could find yellow eyes sexy, I would have ripped their tongue out through their arsehole.

“What’s this?”

Without looking back at her, I rose to my feet, taking the opportunity to stretch my wings, feeling the tightness in themas the tendons moved and flexed after being held so close to my body for such a long time. The bones had healed, just like my ribs had, but I still wasn’t at full strength yet.

“I went foraging this morning. I thought you could use some food. The beast you killed was good, but it’s no longer fit for consumption after being out all night.”

I heard her pick up the fruit as I looked down at my hand, which had already healed from the numerous cuts the vine had caused as I stole from it. “Is it safe?” she asked hesitantly. I didn’t fault her for the question. Not much in the Underworld was safe. But the fruit from the kedgie vine was not only safe to eat, it was also nutritious and tasted quite good.

I called over my shoulder as I headed into the pool room for a drink and to cool my heated skin. “Don’t worry, princess. If I wanted you dead, I could have taken your head while you were sleeping.”

I chuckled to myself as I heard her grumble under her breath something along the lines of keeping her alive long enough to reach my brothers before she moaned softly. I could imagine her delight as the sweet juices from the kedgie burst over her tastebuds.

I knelt beside the pool and cupped my hands, filling them before tossing the chilled water over my heated skin. A soft, high pitched trilling sound came from beside me and I glanced over to see the small furry rodent that Sasha named Max sitting next to me.

“Thirsty?” I cupped my hands again and offered the makeshift bowl to the little beast. “Bite me, and I drown you, got it?” He eagerly hopped closer, dipped his head, and lapped at the water for several seconds. When he was done, I rinsed my hands in the pool before taking another helping of water for myself.

When I was done drinking, I sat back, one hand braced on the floor behind me and the other resting on one raised knee.“You like our little princess, don’t you?” He cocked his head at me and gave that same soft trilling noise. “You see yourself as her protector, right. Make sure she’s safe, and I’ll make sure you live.” I reached out and scratched behind one of his ridiculously large round ears. “Do we have a deal?” The rodent nuzzled into my palm with a soft trill. Then he clamped his teeth down on my thumb.

“Why, you little…” I pulled my hand away and shook the sting from it as I glared at him. I studied my hand to see that he hadn’t broken the skin. “Okay, okay. I get it. I promise I won’t hurt her either.” I stood to my feet and adjusted the trousers that were barely hanging on after the way I ripped at the ties last night in my desperation to free my cock. “Just saying, furball. That’s my mate in there. She needs to be our priority.”

Max hopped to his feet with a sharp trill and ran towards the other room. I followed at a much slower pace. I got the feeling that the little fur ball and I had just come to an agreement. I also thought that my life might have just been threatened by a tiny rodent.

When I stepped back into the room it was to see Sasha bent over sliding on one of the long black boots she had as foot wear.

“Going somewhere, princess?”

When she stood back up, I lost the breath from my lungs. While I had been having a serious discussion with her vicious pet, she’d taken her hair down from the braid it had been confined in. Deep red hair, the color of freshly spilled blood, flowed over her shoulders and breasts down to her waist. It was wavy from the braid, but I had a feeling it would be very straight naturally.

I curled my claws into my palms to keep from reaching out and running them through all that lovely, thick hair. I ached to see if it felt as soft as it looked.

“We probably shouldn’t stay any longer than is necessary. The guards from the dungeon have undoubtedly found you missing by now. The longer we stay, the more in danger you become of being found.”

I could no longer resist the temptation and drew one finger through the hair at her temple. I ignored her gasp as I watched as my claw slide down until I reached her waist, and then I spread my hand wide before gripping her and yanking her into my hard chest. “And what about you, Sasha? What will they do to you?”

She blinked up at me, her lips parted, softly panting, her pupils wide as she took me in. “I’m more worried about you,” she said softly. “You can’t go back there. Not after everything you have already lived through.” She hesitantly placed one open palm on my bare chest over my rapidly beating heart. “Your brothers don’t know it yet, but they are waiting for you on the other side of that portal. That’s my priority.”

I brought our faces closer together, close enough to feel the warmth of her lips and taste the kedgie fruit on her breath. “Tell me, mate. Tell me what your father will do to you if he catches you?”

“I don’t think—” She started to turn, her hand sliding away, and I wanted to howl at the loss of her heat.

“Tell me! What will he do to you?” I snarled, yanking her back into me so her breasts were flattened against my chest, and my hard cock was pressed against her stomach.

“He’ll kill me! Okay? He’d never forgive a traitor. I already tried to take my sister away long ago. Taking you? I’m as good as dead if he gets his hands on me.”

I involuntarily flexed my claws, needing to rip into his throat and spill his blood at the mere thought of him hurting my mate. She didn’t make a sound as I pricked her delicate skin.

“But if you get to survive and make it to your brothers? It will be worth it.”

At her words, the world around me burst into a multitude of reds. A feral growl erupted from my chest, and without further thought, I slammed my lips to hers, drinking in her surprised gasp.

What I did to her mouth could only be described as a devouring. There was no finesse in the way I kissed her, only need. Need to claim her as mine. Need to to prove to the High General that she was no longer his. The bastard may have owned her once, but she was mine now. Even before I was ready to admit it, she was mine. I was already going to destroy him, but now I needed to make it painful and slow.

I tore my mouth away from hers and took a step back. We were both panting heavily, our chests heaving with barely suppressed emotion and the need for oxygen.

“Know this, mate. You will be by my side when I see my brothers. You are never to speak of your death again.” I leaned in so I could capture her gaze and so she could clearly read the intent in mine. “In no lifetime will your death ever beworth it.”

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