Page 51 of The Umbra King

Her pussy clenched over and over, but the shadows didn’t stop. “Please,” she begged again. It was too much.

Another climax was building, and her stomach tightened, preventing her from catching her breath. She cried out through another orgasm, and her clit felt raw from the continuous vibration because it never stopped.

She never knew pleasure could be torture, and when she tried to press her legs together, more shadows pried them apart.

“Please, stop,” she breathed, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth, the shadows disappeared.

She squeezed her eyes closed as shame coated her cheeks, and the urge to ask him for more sat on her tongue. It was excruciating, but in the best way, and when he stopped, she regretted asking him to.

Her body went limp except for her heaving chest. Caius sauntered to where she lay sprawled on the ground and crouched down. “Do not challenge me unless you are prepared to lose, Aurora.”

He stood and disappeared through the arch as she lay panting on the ground, staring at the starry sky.

An hour later,Samyaza stepped into Caius’ office, and Caius said without greeting, “I need you to check on Aurora’s mother while you’re in Erdikoa.”

Sam adjusted the neck of his tunic. “What am I checking on, exactly?”

“She is aSibyl.” They both fell silent.

“And she doesn’t have a caregiver,” Sam guessed.

“Not to Aurora’s knowledge.”

“I will see it is taken care of,” Sam assured him as he clapped Caius on the back. “I will return when I have the information you’ve requested.”

Caius tipped his head as his friend opened the door. “Thank you.”

Shadows exploded around Caius the moment the door to his office closed as his restraint snapped, and he stabbed a hand through his hair.Why was he concerned with Aurora’s life before Vincula?

He was losing control where she was concerned. The want to touch her more than anything consumed him, but he knew the moment he had her, he would never give her up.

This all-consuming feeling after only a few weeks was egregious.

The way she fell to her knees was a sight to behold, and her mouth parting as she whispered his name almost broke his resolve. She was a fool if she thought he didn’t know she was seducing him on purpose, and he assumed it involved her sister’s death.

He rubbed the tension from his forehead as he looked around his office at the mess he’d made. A bone deep exhaustion settled over him, and he decided the mess could wait until morning.

17

ERDIKOA

Sam appearedin his arrival bunker at the palace in Erdikoa and quickly shifted into his discreet, wingless form. As anAngel,he could shift between several forms at will. He liked his true form best, but his many wings would reveal his identity to the citizens of Erdikoa, something he couldn’t allow.

Grabbing his street clothes from his closet, he padded to the bathroom, changed, tied his long hair into a low bun, and examined himself in the mirror. The citizens in the city would stare at him, knowing he was different, but they wouldn’t be able to put their finger on why.

There was more to Aurora Raven, and he was determined to prove she was not the black soul everyone believed her to be. Sam could tell Caius wanted her, but the king was holding himself back.

Caius was his best friend, and what happened to him all those years ago was unfair. Adila refused to hear him out and sentenced him immediately. Sam always liked Adila, but something about her treatment of Caius at his trial rubbed him the wrong way.

Sam left his bunker and found Lauren in the hall. She was one of the fewAngelsstationed in the realms, and she was stunning. The two of them weren’t dating, but they often kept each other company.

His hand twitched, wanting to run it across the smooth light brown skin of her exposed shoulders. Her dark hair had streaks of white framing her face, and the soft curves she sported made him want to yank her back into his bunker.

She was one of the best fighters he knew and was fiercely protective of those she deemed worthy. She had his respect and his bed. “Are you on your way back?” he asked.

She lifted on her toes and patted his cheek. “Why? Miss me?”

He nipped at her hand. “Always.” She helped monitor the inmates in Vincula, but instead of being in her winged form, she preferred to stay shifted to blend in. “What errand does Caius have you on now?”

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