Page 92 of A Court of Bones & Sorrow

“Do you want it to be?”

Draven looked out the window to the lightening sky and then at Vail. “How much time do we have before the next part of your scheme comes into play?”

Silver eyes met red ones. Confliction flashed across Vail’s face before he answered. “Thirty minutes.”

“That’s not nearly enough time.” Draven prowled towards me, and suddenly I felt very much like prey. “But I’ll make it work.”

The whip at his waist uncoiled and wrapped around my wrists before I could react. I exhaled sharply as it yanked my arms above my head and held them there. I looked at where the end of the whip had wound itself around the beams running across the ceiling, then jolted at finding Draven in front of me.

“Not only do we not have time for this . . .” I fought to keep my voice even. “But we were discussing how to keep you safe.” My words probably would have been more convincing if they hadn’t come out so breathy.

I shivered as he trailed a sharp claw along my collarbone.

“It’s Lunaria. Any of us could die at any moment, so we have to seize any opportunity we can, even the inopportune ones.” Draven kept his eyes on mine as he tugged at the lacing that ran down the front of my tunic. “Perhaps after I’ve feltyou come on my tongue, I’ll be feeling more motivated to stay alive.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Draven captured it with his. There was nothing tender or coaxing about it. This kiss was demanding and possessive. I clicked my teeth shut, refusing to let him in, but his fingers finished unlacing the tunic. A second later, he’d tugged my shirt down, unhooked my chest band, and he circled my nipple with a claw. My lips parted in a gasp, and his tongue darted in.

Any remaining protests I had fled as his kiss seared me.

I kissed him back, my tongue playing with his, and I wished I could wrap my arms around him. Feel his hard muscles beneath my fingertips. He laughed darkly against my lips when I tugged hard on the whip.

“You were right earlier when you called me possessive, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to share.” Draven spun me around so my back was to him, and I met Vail’s heated stare from where he still stood across the room, watching. Draven kissed my neck before whispering into my ear, “Let’s find out just how much the Marshal and I can make you scream.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Draven

This had been a bad idea,but the rational side of me had fled the minute Samara had taunted me with Kieran and Alaric fucking her together. I’d known she’d been with them in that way ever since she’d walked into the room where the Heirs had been waiting—with Alaric’s and Kieran’s scents woven around her. More than one night, I’d woken up with a raging hard-on because I’d been dreaming about Samara writhing between me and Kier.

Or Kier taking her while I took him.

My dick hardened further against my pants. Samara thought she could save me, and I loved her even more for it. It helped me make peace with the fact that I likely wouldn’t survive the day. If the Moroi Queen got ahold of me, she would yank out every thought from my head before killing me or, worse, turning me into one of her mindless Strigoi hunters.

This might be my only chance to be with Samara, and I wouldn’t fucking waste it. It was selfish of me, but I would take this moment, however short it was, and enjoy every second.

I would have preferred to have her all to myself, but if I told Vail to leave, he would have refused. The Marshal was stillstanding across the room, unmoving, focused entirely on Samara. I almost felt bad for him. Conflict was etched all over his face. Whatever had happened between the two of them was complicated, and he was clearly still hung up about it.

Not my problem. He could stay or he could go. Didn’t matter to me.

My only concern was making Samara scream my name until she forgot about every single one of her worries. We would both get our moment of peace before reality crashed back in.

“Drav,” she breathed out and pulled harder on the whip binding her arms above her head.

I nipped her neck, and she let out a hiss of pleasure. “Yes?” My hands trailed down her breasts to unlace her pants and tug them down her legs, but annoyance flickered through me when I couldn’t get them over her boots. I wished we were already naked in that pool Kieran and I had used, that would have made this much easier.

“You’re taking too long,” Vail growled.

“You could help.” I shot him an annoyed look.

“We shouldn’t . . .” Samara’s protest trailed off when Vail stalked over to us. For a second, I thought he was going to attempt to cut through my whips, and I readied myself to lash out at him. He would not ruin this for me. Not when he likely had his whole life ahead of him.

One with Samara, if he wanted it.

But instead, he knelt on her other side and yanked one of her boots off before glaring at me and dropping his eyes pointedly to her other booted foot still in my hands. “We have less than thirty minutes, which means this is going to be rough and fast. You’re wasting time.”

Samara inhaled sharply as I pulled off her remaining boot and helped Vail take off her pants and undergarments until she was standing in only her shirt that I’d pulled down toexpose her full breasts. I took a step back to admire her. Some people might have shied away from being mostly naked and bound like this, but Samara just arched an eyebrow at me like she was still in control of this situation.

The fabric was bunched up beneath her breasts, and I wanted nothing more than to bury my face between them. Choices, choices.

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