Page 42 of Reign

“Yes, and in Faerie names have power, so I will always call her Yellow, just as your mother is My Lady.”

Connor grunted and watched Som waddle away.

“What did he mean? That the Count could help?” I wasn’t sure who the Count was, but nevertheless, I understood he was powerful—and that Connor didn’t trust him.

Connor frowned. He glanced at the door to the kitchen then the door to the corridor. There were two simultaneous thuds as they shut and clicks as they locked. “Just so we’re not disturbed while we...talk about this,” he said and shuffled his chair closer. My skin tingled, and Mea released a low throaty greeting. Connor’s eyes flashed with ebony. He twisted my chair around to face him and laid his palms flat on both of my thighs, his fingers gripping me gently but possessively. I gulped as heat from his hands seeped into my skin, making it hard to concentrate on anything else.

“I’ve heard that original vampires, the most powerful of their kind, can see into your mind and your memories…” His gaze lingered on my neck, right where I knew my two scars were. His voice became gravelly, sending a shiver over my skin. “...when they sink their fangs in here...” He traced the forefinger of his left hand over my neck. I gasped. His pupils dilated. “...and drink your blood while your mind is weak with pleasure.”

“Really?” I whispered, unable to prevent myself from glancing at his canines, which had lengthened considerably. My heart banged against my ribs. Only it wasn’t in fear. Desire flooded me, weakening my limbs. I licked my lips, my voice going raspy. “And do shifters use these to give pleasure?” shivering with anticipation as I reached out and touched his chipped canine with a finger.

His smile was darkly sensual and full of danger. “Yes. When we claim our mate.” His tongue traced the sharp points of his teeth. “Though we can bring each other pleasure with our bite, too.”

Heat flooded me as his hand traced in a featherlight touch down my arm to my hand, and he intertwined his fingers with mine. Gently he tilted my chin and leaned in, brushing his lips across my scars. “These are my claiming marks.” He dropped more light kisses against my skin, and I grabbed onto his muscular forearms as sensation flooded me. Gods, he only had to touch me, and I was lost. “And the pleasure I will give you when I claim you again will be more than any other creature in any other world could ever give you because you are mine.” He took my skin between his teeth and sucked gently until I moaned. Gripping his forearm, I tried to urge the hand that rested on my thigh higher. I needed him to touch me, but I didn’t know how to ask with words. I gasped, a groan escaping me when he sucked hard, his teeth scraping my skin. That small amount of stinging pain only brought more pleasure.

Grabbing his hand, I whimpered as I tried to move it towards the juncture between my legs, unable to think of anything else but chasing the pleasure I knew only he could give me.

He released the skin of my neck with a small popping sound and grabbed my hair, tilting my head. “Tell me what you want.” His voice was husky, his eyes dark and full of lust.

“I want you.”

“And I want you, but you have to trust me first.” He kissed me, allowing me to taste him only to pull away when my tongue brushed his. “Do you trust me enough to do this?” He pulled back enough to watch my expression as he flicked open the button on my jeans. His breathing was rapid as he slid his hand down my gently rounded stomach and his fingers grazed over my panties. I groaned, lifting my pelvis towards his touch.

“More,” I demanded.

His throat bobbed, flames burning in his eyes. “Do you trust me enough?” he asked, his fingers stilling.

I looked him right in the eye. “I do.” It was true, with every part of my being. “I want this.”

“Then lift,” he urged me. I did. He quickly pulled my jeans and underwear down enough to give him free access. I gasped as he slid a finger down between my folds. His groan was shaky. “Fuck, Ember…you’re wet for me.”

I bit my lip and nodded, moving forward and rocking myself against his finger. His expression turned hungry. He held my head firmly, his knees on either side of mine protecting us from the sight of anyone who might walk in, despite the locked doors. But I didn’t care about being seen. I didn’t care about anything but the man touching me and the aching desire burning through my sex. “Does this feel good?” he asked just as he slipped a finger inside me.

“Yes.” And it did. So, so good.

“How about this?” Another finger.

“Connor! Oh, gods. Please…” I rocked my hips harder against his hand. He withdrew his fingers and thrust them in again, curling them in until pleasure mixed with a pleasurable pain that had me babbling incoherently. “That’s it, Firecracker. Ride my fingers…Let me give you this pleasure.”

He urged my head back with my fisted hair, and my eyes flew open. His face was dark, full of a rabid hunger, his canines down. “Do you want me to make you come, sweetness? Hmm? Is that what you want?” His fingers thrust forward. In and out with his words.

All I could do was nod and moan. “Yes. Yes.”

He gave a satisfied smile and looked down, the pad of his thumb rubbing gentle circles on my sensitive bud. “Then come,” he whispered hoarsely before his mouth devoured mine.

It was so easy to let go and allow the pleasure he offered to wash through my flesh and bones. It consumed me until I clutched at him, curling my fingers into his back to save me from floating away.

Chapter 15

Connor

At least thedamned rain had stopped. It was bloody cold and damp on these streets, though. I glanced at Ember. Her hand was in mine, and it was warm. Her skin was flushed with the cold, but she looked bright-eyed and happy, not scared. If anything, hunting seemed to exhilarate her. The last two demons Owen and I had ended had worked together to try and get to Ember, as if drawn to her. There was no way I would allow them anywhere near my pregnant mate, so they had died quickly.

It was a risk bringing her out to hunt demons with me, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave her, either, not yet, and I needed to work just as hard as my brothers to find the Rift. No one was exempt from helping, not even me.

Owen checked his watch. “It's nearly dawn. We’ll only need to be out for another half an hour or so.” He glanced at Ember and smiled, answering her question before she could ask. I smiled; Owen knew her well. Ember was always curious. “We don’t hunt so much in the daylight. The demons that are newly formed and from the Rift hate the sunlight. They tend to be more active at night, so that’s when we hunt. We use the shadows as effectively as they do. They are our friends when we hunt. We watch from them, and we wait in them.”

Ember huffed a chuckle and cocked her head, her jade eyes gleaming. “Shadow Sentinels. There to fight the demons and evil of this world.”

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