Page 64 of The Dark Rises
It’s much later when I wake, and the warmth of Rivan has been replaced by a darker, earthier scent. I open my eyes and find Madoc staring down at me. His steel-grey eyes are full of worry, and his usual snarl is absent.
I run a finger over his lips. “Hello, friend.”
The corner of his mouth twitches, but he bends down and nibbles on my lips in a sweet kiss. “Hello, friend.” Deep grooves line his face. He appears worn out.
“She has waited almost a thousand years for this revenge,” I remind him. “Why? Not for love scorned. Or power. What did Nyssa have to do with it? She was the Prime. I doubt she even cared about Denir.”
He tilts his head to consider my words. “But she owed him a huge favor, right? For helping her get the crown. Maybe he came to collect. But for what? We continue to circle back to that one point.” He drops his head back with a sigh.
“Do you want to be king?” I ask.
He’s done all this to get his crown back, but is it because his kingdom was stolen from him, or because this is what he really wants?
He stares across the rooftop at the city lights around us. “All my life, I was groomed to be king. Forced to sacrifice friends, spend hours of my day learning diplomacy, military strategy, combat, cultures, and traditions. Riding with my father to meet the people. Hearing disputes in the court. I didn’t really question whether I wanted it or not. It was my duty and privilege.”
“What about now?”
His eyes fall to me. “Yes, I want it. Not because it’s mine by birthright or because it was stolen, but because I’ll be a good king. My people deserve to have someone with their best interests on the throne. With the Lesser Fae rising and the light Fae in turmoil, we cannot let the Dark Fae Kingdom fall to the revolution. There’s more at stake than their rights.”
“There is one way to get this out of me,” I begin, but his mouth cuts off the rest of the words.
Usually, his kisses are sweet and demanding, but this one is hard and tinged with anger. At me or the situation, I’m not sure, but there is a lot of emotion simmering under his surly surface.
He moves us from the chair to the ground, where he’s conjured a fluffy quilt for us to lie on.
“I don’t want to hear you say it, much less think it,” he retorts with a fierce expression. His hands are busy, stripping the clothes off me. “All I want to hear are sweet moans when I sink into your body. Or the word yes, falling from your lips.” He stares down at me. “Take my clothes off.”
I wave a hand and remove every stitch. “Mmm, I like this side of you.” My hands tiptoe up his shoulders and across the many scars on his body. “Are all these from the monsters below?”
He stills. “No. Training to be king isn’t for the weak. Or so my father used to say.” He eyes me closely. “Are you sure they don’t bother you?”
“The abuse bothers me,” I return angrily. “Not the scars.” I rise and kiss the ones nearest his heart, paying extra attention to the ones with the smooth edges.
“Say my name,” he demands, his voice hoarse with emotion.
“Madoc,” I murmur, then gasp as his mouth and hands descend on my body.
“Again,” he demands, plunging his fingers inside me.
“Madoc,” I cry out, scoring my nails across his broad shoulders before reaching down to grip him in my hand. Soft, velvety skin with a steel core. Using a little magic, I make my hand slick to glide up and down his shaft.
Inhaling sharply, he pulls it away from his body and laces his fingers with mine. “Not that way. I want to feel you wrapped around me. Say yes.”
“Yes,” I moan, wrapping my legs tightly around his body.
Instead of thrusting, he slowly sinks into me. “I want you to know every inch of me.” His hand pushes against my inner thigh to spread my legs farther apart. “Mmm. So deep.” He flexes inside, making me gasp.
His eyes meet mine. “I never expected you,” he tells me with a serious expression. “You’ve irritated me from the moment we met. Fae. Human. You act like both. Making friends with every dangerous stray you meet. Me. Lux. Aamon. You show fierce loyalty to those in your circle. Tolerance to those outside it. You live life without absolutes like good and evil. You hate being unique, but you defy the norms. You ask for little, but demand everything.”
Lips suckle as his tongue dips into every crevice.
Arching, I offer myself up to him. “You’re no better. Surly. Content to be in the shadows, yet you yearn to wear the crown. Loyalty to Aamon and the few you deem important. Fae. Monster. You act like both. Unyielding integrity packaged in an uncivilized beast with fierce emotions. You ask for little, but demand everything.”
He pulls out and slowly pushes in again, and I moan at the feeling of us joined together.
“Oh, and you’re an incredible lover.”
“Mm, I especially like that last one,” he drawls with satisfaction. “I can’t get enough of you and your delectable body. You might say I’m obsessed.”
