Page 17 of Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three

She laughed when I tossed her onto my mattress with a bounce. “I think that was a new record of getting me into bed,” she said, fisting the sheets and bringing them to her nose. She inhaled and her eyelids fluttered closed. “Mmm…”

Seeing her take in my scent made my already rigid cock stand to attention. The inferno in me was primal, and it wanted to claim.

I was already shirtless, but my pants were a sudden restriction that needed to be removed. Instead of slipping them off, my flames ignited and seared over my skin, burning what was supposed to be a fireproof garment.

Claire’s eyes flickered with blue fire as her element responded to mine, and her gaze dropped in appreciation. “We really need to invest in some better fireproof wear for you,” she said as she tilted her head and licked her lips.

Sensing what she wanted, I stepped to the edge of the bed and groaned as she wrapped her plump lips around the head. I fisted my fingers through her gorgeous hair, urging her to take me deeper while cautioning her at the same time.

“Careful, Claire. I won’t be able to last long if you keep doing that,” I warned, flames licking down her shirt and leaving a trail of ash as my element played with her nipples.

She gasped, then ran her tongue defiantly up my shaft, making my legs go weak. Her gaze snapped up to mine, full of fight and challenge. The embers in her eyes glazed over with a sparkle of ice, and she let out a long breath directly against my cock, one of cool mist that mixed a foreign element into our play. She skimmed her tongue over the delicate skin, sending a new blast of heat that had my cock throbbing as startled nerves ignited back to life.

“Fuck, Claire,” I growled, then grabbed her by her hips and unleashed a wave of fire over her, burning all remnants of her clothes. I spun her so that her back was to me, then I wrapped one arm around her chest and cupped the space between her legs with my opposite hand. She tossed her head back onto my shoulder and grappled at my arms as I pinched her clit. “I’ll punish you for that little ice trick,” I vowed, my tone playful.

She writhed against me, her need palpable. “You’d better punish me harder,” she said as her ass rubbed up against my throbbing shaft in clear provocation.

I shouldn’t have obliged her, not yet, but my hips adjusted to match her entrance and then I was inside her, thrusting hard—just as she’d requested.

“Titus,” she cried as her body clenched around mine.

She was different now that Exos had ascended to the spirit throne. I could sense the shift in her, the aching need that demanded she connect with all her mates. Perhaps part of her desire for me was because Exos’s second element was fire and it would be a natural progression for her to seal the bond with me next.

In time, I would claim her completely, but the fires that threatened to consume us frightened even me.

So I enjoyed the burn and lost myself as I tipped over the edge with her into blissful oblivion.

Well, the room was destroyed, but I didn’t care. In fact, I admired the licks of fire scars across the walls followed by permanent streaks of ice that refused to melt.

Claire lazily rested against my chest as her fingers explored mine. “I think we need to have sex in a metal stronghold,” she mused on a chuckle. “This is

getting ridiculous.”

“I kind of like the look,” I said, grinning at the pattern of destruction that was uniquely beautiful in the way ash and ice spiraled over one another across the damaged room.

When she sighed, not out of satisfaction but a subconscious sound of discontent, I shifted to look into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

She blinked up at me. “What? Oh, nothing.” She grinned, that discontent disappearing behind her love for me. She ran her fingers over the short stubble of my chin and pressed a kiss to my lips. “You gave me exactly what I needed, Titus.”

I stroked her hair from her face. “And what’s bothering you that you needed a fire-fuck to get your mind off of it?” I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t hide your problems from me, Claire. I’m more to you than that, aren’t I?”

Her eyes widened. “Of course. You mean more to me than anything. I didn’t mean it that way; I just—”

I chuckled and sealed her mouth with a kiss. “I’m just teasing, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?”

She trailed her tongue across my lower lip, trying to distract me.

I tsked, running my thumb across her cheek, and gazed into her eyes. “None of that, Claire. Talk to me.”

A small smile quirked at the side of her mouth. “Stubborn,” she grumbled, then rested her head against my chest once more. “It was just a lot to take in, you know? The whole Spirit Kingdom and meeting all of the Spirit Fae.” Her eyes fluttered closed as if she were reliving the past few days. “I glimpsed what they should have been like, but I know that Exos’s coronation was a rare cause of happiness among them.” Her fingers clenched into a fist. “My mother took so much from them, Titus. And I don’t feel like she’s done.”

I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight. I would protect her from whatever would come, give my life for her if that would take away even a fraction of her pain. “You don’t need to be afraid, Claire. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

She hesitated, then burrowed into my neck.

She didn’t say anything, but I knew her true fear.

It wasn’t her own life she was worried about. My Claire wanted to save the world.

---