Page 112 of The King has Fallen

With a gasp and a“Oh fuck, yes!”Melek pulled out of me, then plunged back in and pushed that wave higher, deeper, pushing me completely over the top… and my body gripped him so tightly, he was yanked over the edge with me.

The roar that tore out of him was so loud it vibrated in my body as he pulled out and thrust, pulled out and thrust, his body twitching and jerking, completely out of control. As my orgasm eased away, I watched him in awe, so abandoned, so unleashed… for me.

And then, with a groan, he slumped, catching himself as he covered me, clamping that free hand on the pillow and taking his own weight so that he wouldn’t crush me as we lay there, tangled and sweaty, both of us panting.

He leaned his forehead on mine, locking eyes with me as our panting breaths mingled, and he stared at me, wide-eyed and trembling.

“Yilan… I…love you,”he rasped.

I sobbed. Tears pricked my eyes, though I didn’t know why because I’d never been happier. And yet, the moment those words were spoken I could feel the profound shift happening within me—and within him.

The pressure building in my chest. The rumble as if a great weight was moving towards me, picking up momentum as it rolled down on me.

And then, as my pulse throbbed in every part of me—but especially where we joined—and my blood flared and fizzed, and suddenly that space in my chest that had been so tangled and vulnerable, so open and so filled by him, began to contract—first only a tug, a pressure… but pressing into pain and leaving me gasping.

“Yilan,beautiful!”he croaked, clinging to me, pulling me against him, our bodies curling together as we were rocked from within—spiraling, rushing power that expanded my ribs, stilled my heart, and threatened to suffocate me.

“Melek—what’s happening?” I wheezed, clinging to him.

“Mine,” he growled, curling that hand over my head again, covering me with his bulk and pulling his knees up to curl me into the cavity of his body. “You cannot take her, she ismine!”

I closed my eyes, trying desperately to inhale as it felt like my body was pummeled, clawed. As if an enemy had descended and threatened to pull me from Melek’s grip. His hand bound to mine squeezed and pressed, grounding both of us as he twitched, grunting, holding me as tightly as if he fought for me, as if the unseen enemy tried to tear us apart—and he would not allow it.

“NO!” he snarled. “She ismine!”he roared and wrapped himself around me, lifting my hips off the bed, pulling me up into his lap so we could not be separated, embracing me with his free arm and covering me with his body, trembling, growling, flinching as if he were taking blows.

I gasped his name, clinging to him with my free arm, confused and afraid, but utterly unwilling to be apart from him, shaking my head and holding so tightly I feared I would bruise his ribs.

And then, as quickly as it started, that sensation was gone.

We were left, Melek kneeling, curled over me, holding me, covering me, both of us panting.

I could breathe again, thank God.

I wasn’t sure how long we lay there catching our breaths and blinking back to reality, but eventually he sighed heavily and lifted his head to look at me, without moving away.

“Are you… well?” he whispered, then pushed a strand of hair back from my face.

I nodded, clamping my hand to the back of his neck. “What wasthat?”

I was almost crushed as Melek took a massive breath, then let it out and shook his head.

“I don’t know who you are, or why, Yilan… but Lucifer himself did not want us to complete that bond.”

I blinked. “Wait… what?!”

Melek shook his head again and sighed. “I don’t understand any more than you do. But that was the power of the dark coming for you.” His eyes took on a gleam and he cupped my face. “But I will not let it take you.Ever.”

Then he kissed me as if my breath was oxygen.

And I kissed him just as desperately in return. So deeply that my skin began to prickle again.

Melek had just groaned and rolled to his side, pulling me with him, murmuring about needing me again soon when the tent flap snapped aside.

Melek jerked and his wings appeared, one snapping open to fold over me as he pushed up, ready to throw himself against whoever had appeared—but then he froze, his eyes wide and mouth open.

I couldn’t see beyond his wing, but I heard Jann’s voice clear as day. And there wasn’t an ounce of the sunny friendship, or flirty warmth he usually brought into this tent. His voice was dark, hushed, andangry.

“Seriously, Mel? You actually took her?Seriously?”