Page 60 of The Onyx Covenant

The contact is electrifying, overwhelming. I forget where we are, forget the danger that drove us here, forget everything but the feel of him beneath me. I trace my fingers up his powerful biceps to his shoulders, then skate them up his neck and into his wet hair.

His mouth finds mine again, more demanding this time, one of possession and hunger. His hands cup my face, holding me steady as he devours my mouth as if he could consume the very essence of me. And I let him, opening to him, matching his desire with my own.

I’ve missed him desperately. For all our differences, for all the reasons we shouldn’t be together, there’s always been this undeniable pull between us. Like gravity. Like fate.

“I’ve thought about this every day,” Theron admits against my lips, his voice rough with emotion. “Every fucking day since I lost you.”

The confession strikes deep. “I’m still struggling with that pain, still angry, still broken that you chose your pack over me,” I admit, unable to keep the hurt from my words.

Something shatters in Theron’s expression. He’s usually so guarded, but now it reveals everything—the agony, the regret, the raw longing that’s been eating him alive. His hands tremble slightly as they cup my face.

“I would apologize for every star in the sky, and all the ones we can’t even see, if it would earn your forgiveness,” he whispers. “Seeing you that night, watching you witness that charade with her, gutted me.”

His warm breath flutters on my lips.

“I made the choice to protect you, not because I didn’t want you. Never that. I knew what my father was capable of, knew I needed to stay in his good graces to ensure I got into the Harvest Ritual. To finally find a way to end his torment.”

He pulls back just enough to stare at me, his thumbs brushing away tears trickling from my eyes.

“And it came at the devastating cost of losing you. Something I’ve never forgiven myself for. I’m so sorry, Lyra.”

“Fate had other plans,” I whisper.

“Fate,” he agrees, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Or my stubborn refusal to live without you any longer.” His hands slide into my hair, cradling my head. “I think it was fate that chose you for this ritual with me. To have you by my side, to be saved by you from death.”

His attention drops to my lips.

“To finally claim what’s mine.”

The possessiveness in his tone should anger me, but instead, it sends heat spiraling through my body. We’re like the twin moons—forever circling each other, forever pulled apart, but always drawn back together.

“Our families will never accept this,” I whisper, even as I lean closer to him.

“Then we’ll change the fucking world,” he growls before capturing my mouth with his.

The kiss is desperate, savage with need and the knowledge of how easily we could lose each other again. His hands grip me like he’s afraid I’ll disappear, and I match his brutal love, pouring months of longing, hurt, and hope into every touch.

The cool blanket beneath my knees does little to ease the heat building inside me. Theron’s stare is locked on me—stormy silver and filled with a hunger that takes the air from my lungs. The firelight pulses over his bare skin. His chest rises and falls, each breath heavier than the last.

“You’re shaking,” he murmurs, his voice low and edged with something dark and dangerous. His fingers trail lightly over my arms, leaving a path of heat in their wake. “Are you afraid, Lyra?”

I swallow hard, my body betraying me with the way I instinctively lean into his touch. “No,” I whisper, my voice barely above a breath.

“Good. Because I don’t want you afraid.” His head dips, lips brushing against my collarbone. “I want you desperate… aching for me.” His tongue slips out and licks along the top of my breasts. I gasp. “Just like in the hall.” His tone is pure sin, a dark promise that has a buzz traveling across the apex between my thighs. “When I whispered in your ear… I felt how close you were. You almost came… didn’t you, Lyra?”

I can’t speak, my throat tight as my body remembers the heat of that moment. My fingers dig into his arms as I nod, my breath coming faster.

“Say it,” he commands softly, his teeth grazing my earlobe before he sucks it gently into his mouth. The sensation sends a bolt of pleasure right to my core.

“Yes,” I breathe, barely holding back a moan. “Fuck, it was so good.”

A dark chuckle rumbles in his chest, and his fingers thread through my hair at the back of my head, drawing me closer until our lips are a whisper apart.

“Good girl,” he murmurs, his breath hot against my skin. Then his expression shifts, something darker, more dangerous flashing in his eyes. His grip tightens.

Before I can react, Theron shifts beneath me. His hands leave my waist long enough to guide me back slightly as he shuffles to no longer have his back to the cave wall and slides down to lie on the blanket, staring up at me.

“Come here,” he rasps, his stare filled with sinful intent. His fingers curl slightly, beckoning me forward as he lies sprawled out.

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