Page 62 of All the Devils are Here

I didn’t care—I wanted the monster. I wanted the messy, dark part of him inside that matched mine. But my voice was frozen. The only sounds I could make wereyes, and things only the gods of pleasure understood.

Everything built on the last, the venom seeming to take deeper hold and throw me a thousand miles down into an ocean of sheer ecstasy. My nails dug into Laurent’s skin, and I tried to pull every part of him closer.

My mind was soaked in pleasure and lost in it. In this moment, I wasn’t fully human anymore. Just a being made of light and moaning, spasming around my mate’s cock.

Somewhere I heard his sounds, too. So fucking hot—words in my ear I wished I understood—and the sounds he made every time he thrust into me. It was harder, faster. Brutal in its beauty, and I closed my eyes, falling into one last nova. Magic shivered over my skin, breathless and violet, and not the malevolent force I’d learned it could be.

It was beautiful.

I felt Laurent’s heat, and the swelling at the base of his cock, stretching me and locking his body to mine.Knotted. Christine had mentioned this, but I didn’t know it would feel likethis. Like the knot itself was teasing my clit from the inside and like one touch of a breath could send me over the edge.

The venom was still swirling inside me, but he wasn’t going anywhere right now. It was a chance to take a breath, even if my body wanted more.

“Meg,” he breathed. “That was—”

Instead of speaking, he captured his lips with mine, tongue at once teasing and battling my own into submission.

He rolled, draping me over his body so I could lie on his chest with him still deep inside me. It felt like a contradiction to say a monster’s knot in my body was soothing, but it was. I wasn’t going anywhere. I had no options, and mymatewas here protecting me, stroking one hand down my spine as my body caught up with the exhaustion the venom had denied.

Ban shifted to his feline form and curled up next to us, his back warming one side of me. From where my head rested I saw Trin emerge from the water with his strange not-quite-human legs. I felt Ariel’s breath on my neck for a brief moment, though I didn’t see where he settled.

More. The venom in me made me crave, but my body wanted sleep. I wasn’t sure which to beg for.

Laurent’s warmth was lulling me, along with the steady movement of his hands. The thought occurred to me, and I still had no filter.

“Do you want to mark me?” I asked.

He stiffened beneath me before he relaxed. Arms wrapped around me and held me as close as he could. “You have no fucking idea, sweetheart. As soon as possible. As soon as you’re ready.”

When would I be ready? It was the thought that carried me down into sleep, perfectly content.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

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LAURENT

Meg’s body draped over mine as she relaxed, melting into me in ways I’d only dreamed of. Being inside her? Fucking heaven. My only wish was that none of the shit on this island was hanging over our heads so we could finally get to know each other. As mates and lovers. The way we were meant to.

The tension in the air was palpable as we waited to make sure she was asleep. Ariel pulled on pants, and Trin brought a blanket. As soon as my knot loosened, I slipped out of her and wrapped her in it.

I would be a happy man if I could stay inside her forever, but I didn’t know how long Trin’s venom lasted. If it was longer than she would be asleep, she needed as much rest as possible.

Ariel tossed me a pair of pants as I stood, and I shook my head, smiling. He was there when I was created, and now we shared the same mate. “That bothered?”

He frowned. “You’ve been living with humans for eight-hundred years. I assumed you’d be more comfortable in clothes.”

I winced. “Sorry.” It was an easy thing to think I still knew them the way I had, but I didn’t. Much had happened in the time I’d been gone, clearly. And I wouldn’t make assumptions about them. Especially in light of what Prospero had ordered Ariel to do.

“It’s fine.”

Glancing back at Meg, she was fast asleep, hair spread out over the pillow like gold. Ban still lay beside her, curled up. She was so fucking beautiful, and I didn’t know how to fully contain both the relief and joy at her being mymate.

The first time we’d met, I’d been stunned and attracted. And now that I knew, I wished I hadn’t waited. And yet, if I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here with the other three. I wasn’t going to pretend it would be easy to share her. But the four of us already shared so much, it was more natural than anything else.

“Ban,” Ariel called.

We would talk while she slept, now that we weren’t panicking, trying to find her and keep her alive. “This place is shielded?” I asked.

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