Page 38 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

Caius groans, the sound vibrating between our mouths, tongue dancing with mine. The feel of him, the smell of him, and the warmth of his body merely feed the flames of my desire and my hands explore his muscled shoulders and chest as our tongues tangle in a slow dance. His fingers wrap around my thigh, and he pulls me closer until I'm straddling him, right above where Aggonid stokes him. Where my clothes went, I don’t know, but I don’t care right now.

My breath catches as he maneuvers me lower, exposing me to Aggonid. Caius swallows my gasp, just as Aggonid grips my hips, sliding me against Caius's length, skin against skin.

The cool bite of metal hits the small bundle of nerves hidden between my folds, and I glide over the bars, back and forth in a steady rhythm, the pleasure building, punching me with sharp need. My lips hum against his as my head falls back in utter surrender, and Caius kisses the column of my exposed throat. If I were to adjust the angle just right, he'd spear me, but I'm not ready for that leap.

Instead, his canines drag against me, and my hips buck as the bliss that floods through me is too much, and I come undone. I’m too raddled with lust to feel any shame or guilt.

I slump against him, the pleasure, and our combined scents, a drugging mix that leaves me languid and groggy.

The heat of Aggonid retreats, but he doesn't go far because the slack remains in our chain. Caius holds me close, face in my hair. After a few long moments, he pulls away, and I open my eyes to find him watching me with a smoldering hunger, his hand twined in mine.

"I'm going to keep this," he murmurs, his eyes bright with emotion.

"What?" I ask dumbly.

"You." His fingers tighten around mine. "Your heart, your soul, my eternal flame." His accent rolls through each word like a prayer.

I swallow, unable to deny the thrill his words send through me. My beast purrs and preens inside of me, rolling over, desperate to be taken care of by him.

Then reality comes crashing in as my thoughts turn to what Wilder would think, and I scramble off his lap, already missing the fire between us. Shame creeps in my chest.

Aggonid watches us with a knowing smirk, lounging lazily against the headboard, but I don't care.

I turn back to Caius, determined to make him see sense. "Caius," I urge him, willing him to understand. "You and I can never be together. I don't belong here."

He shakes his head, the intensity in his gaze growing until it almost burns me. "You belong here with us more than you could ever imagine."

I force myself away, but Caius catches my arm and pulls me close once more. Angrily, I wrench myself away, pushing back until I meet the wall, and I slump down, folding my arms over my knees and hanging my head.

Like a whirlpool spinning out of control, my thoughts drown me.

Wilder is inprisonbecause of me, and I’m in bed with the devil and his lover. The same devil who killed me without a thought or care. He didn’t know I’d regenerate here, but he killed me anyway, all because Caius wants to fuck me.

And why the hell was I about to give in? To them both?

Holding tight, I try hard to suppress the tears that threaten to overcome me. But no matter how much I fight it, the pleas for me to return to bed push me over the edge. By the time they roll down my cheeks, I'm burying my face against my thighs, heaving quiet, quaking sobs.

CHAPTER TEN

CAIUS

My chest aches, the beast clawing desperately to take over, to tend to her needs. Hour after hour, my pleas for her to come to bed remained unanswered as she lay broken on the floor, despair wracking her body in fits and convulsions of silent sobs. Finally, when exhaustion had taken hold of her and lulled her into a deep sleep, I carefully picked her up and brought her back to my side of the bed.

A pale light streams in through the curtains, though she doesn't stir. Not even when Aggonid speaks to me.

"I need to prepare for the hunt, so I'll need Azazel to remove the key from her stomach."

My beast rears its head inside of me, knowing what this signifies. Morte will no longer be chained to Aggonid, so I won't be able to keep a close eye on her. And with the hunt coming up, she'll be at risk. He prowls at the back of my mind, daring anyone to come close, so he can sate his growing hunger to protect her.

"When were you planning on telling me it wasn't you who chained her?"

He swallows, and I run my fingers through Morte's hair, desperate for touch.

"I think it was her beast who did it."

I nod. Sometimes, they have a will of their own, though I'm not mad. I'm glad she tethered herself to him. She can't get away.

"She would've, you know."

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