Page 99 of Shielded Heart

Arc’s lips peeled back to bare his teeth. “Ah, my precious flower… You are my undoing.”

His grip on her wrists tightened slightly as he forced himself up again. He drew back and slammed his hips forward, burying himself deep inside her, only to draw back and repeat it again and again, increasing his speed and force with each thrust. Feral grunts and growls escaped him, mingling with her soft cries. He took her hard; she reveled in it and begged for more.

The pressure that had built inside her throughout his slow, deliberate seduction was suddenly too much; Samantha shattered. In that same instant, Arc’s tendrils spread wide and pressed against her inner walls. Their bodies tensed in unison, and they both released strained, desperate cries as they climaxed. His seed gushed into her with enough force to send her into another crest.

Arcanthus released Sam’s wrists to gather her close, pressing his mouth to hers as their bodies spasmed in the throes of ecstasy. The pleasure coursing through Sam was pure and explosive. His deep kiss swallowed her cries, and she clung to him as though he were the only thing holding her together.

His lips moved from hers to trail along her jaw. She felt his warm breath against her ear as he released a low moan. Faint tremors flowed through their bodies as they drifted down from the heights of their passion, and, even when his tendrils reluctantly eased their pressure, Arcanthus did not withdraw from her body.

He affectionately nuzzled her neck and whispered, “Even when I was a slave, I never belonged so wholly to anyone as I do you.”

Samantha’s breath hitched. Her heart, hammering against her ribs, swelled. She could barely breathe with the emotion welling within her.

She turned her face toward him and looked into his eyes, but he kissed her again before she could speak. In that moment, Samantha realized she didn’tneedwords—she poured everything he made her feel into that kiss.

I love you, Arc.

I love you.

Nineteen

Six days passed without incident—no attempted communications from Vaund, no run-ins with the Syndicate, no sign of them taking action through any of the channels Arcanthus was monitoring. As grateful as he was for the quiet, he refused to grow complacent.

Somethingwas going to happen. Some move would be made. He often reminded himself that his home was safe, secure, and well-hidden, but he found no reassurance in those thoughts. He had too much on the line, now. Too much to lose.

It was only Samantha’s steady presence that prevented him from being consumed by dread.

And you’re not going to give in to it now, Arc.

Only one thing mattered in this moment—finding Samantha. His core crew had taken quite a liking to her, and she’d spent a lot of time with them while he worked. Arc hadn’t fully shaken his jealousy—the possessive, instinctual side of him wanted her all to himself, even though that would’ve meant locking her away in his bedroom, alone, for hours-long stretches—but he’d come to terms with it because she washappy.

Samantha had flourished during her stay here, faster than he’d ever thought possible.

The night after he’d spoken with Vaund, as he and Samantha had lain together in the dark of his bedroom, he’d turned his mind toward doing something just for her. They couldn’t leave—the Syndicate could access surveillance feeds from around the city as easily as Arcanthus could, and Vaund knew Sam’s face—so he wanted to give her something special to make up for it.

Though he couldn’t deny that part of him wanted to give her a gift to makehimselffeel better, to assuage some of his guilt for her being trapped here, he just wanted to see her smile that big smile—the one that made her eyes sparkle—more than anything.

With the boxed gift tucked beneath one arm, he strode through the corridors, heading to the place where she seemed to spend most of her time when she wasn’t with him—the lounge. His heart quickened with each step closer to his destination.

He knew their mating bond had something to do with her endlessly strengthening pull on him, but he knew, also, that this was something far deeper. Each time they were apart—even knowing that she was in the same building, never more than a few minutes’ walk away—he found himself longing to get back to her side. The more time he spent with her, the more time hewantedto spend with her.

Arcanthus was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on his work, and increasingly difficult to care. He knew it should’ve alarmed him, but…why? They’d find a new normal eventually, despite Vaund and the Syndicate, and Arc had credits enough to maintain his lifestyle indefinitely thanks to several passive income streams he’d established over the years.

He paused when he entered the lounge. The only person inside was Razi, who was seated upon one of the couches. Despite his hurry to find Samantha, Arcanthus walked up behind Razi and watched the screen that held the cren’s attention. It was a volturian show in which a handsome male and a beautiful female were lamenting the hostility between their bloodlines—one of seemingly several factors preventing them from outwardly professing their love for one another.

Arcanthus snorted. “And people call me overly dramatic.”

Razi started and spun to face Arcanthus with wide eyes, tipping the bowl that had been perched atop his lap. Dozens of assorted nuts scattered across the floor.

The cren scowled and muttered, “Not polite to sneak up on people like that.”

“I pay you to be vigilant, Razi. That comprises the majority of your duties.”

“Not when I’m on break.” The cren grumbled to himself as he turned away and gathered up the snacks that had landed on his thighs. “And it’s not overly dramatic. It’stragic.”

Arcanthus smirked. “There is certainly a tragedy unfolding before my eyes. Do you happen to know where Samantha is?”

“Tried to get her to watch with me. She said she was heading to the training room.”

---