Page 74 of Darkest Heart

“Like?” he asked with a smirk. “Then I guess I fell for you first.”

“Here?”

He nodded. “I fell in love with you before I even knew what it was.”

My heart beat in sync with his, and for a minute, we were one. The water sang to me like it had once I’d first entered the birthplace of the god. It was a melody only I could hear, filled with enchantment. My magic purred, reinvigorated, as the residual energy from Laveniuess replaced the exhaustion.

His eyes twinkled under the starlight. Sebastian belonged to the night; he was an embodiment of it. From his deep blue eyes to his midnight-black hair and wings. I ran a finger over the top of his left wing, thankful that he was okay and every part of him was intact. He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, dragging my gaze back to his. The winds rustled through the trees in the distance, the lake surface undisturbed.

His fingers passed around my waist, tracing the side of my thigh. My lips parted, inching closer to his hot breaths. We communicated without words. I pressed my mouth to his, his kiss urgent as he deepened it, blinking back tears. He gripped me, his touches frantic as we held onto each other, the buoyancy of the water easing our movements.

I broke the kiss, arching my back as he sliced what was left of my dress from my body, flinging it into the lake. It floated away from us, droplets covering his perfect form. He looked at my exposed breasts, nipples hardening from the cool breeze, and let out a low groan. He grabbed my ass as he pulled me up. I had been starved of love, of him, and now I wanted it all. I wanted to give him my entire heart, because I could feel the ache through our bond. We’d both walked through hell.

I kissed him again, wanting him to know I couldn’t live without him. He was what kept me holding on when it was easier to give up and fall into darkness. With him, I’d never felt stronger or safer.

Desire built between my legs as I reached down, realizing he must have entered the lake naked. His hard length pulsated as I touched it, his body quivering as I stroked, rubbing up against him. The pressure intensified, an ache begging to be satisfied as he tugged me against him, placing me over his cock, filling me up. I tensed around his length, gripping his cock as he bounced me up and down.

The feel of his body quivering heightened the desire building between my legs. A shock of pleasure rippled through my stomach as he thrusted slowly inside of me, the water moving with us. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he tilted his head toward the sky. I ran my hand over the muscles in his back, as he fucked me harder. Lifting my ass up above the water, he held me with ease. He nuzzled into my neck, his fangs grazing my skin as a strangled breath left my mouth. An orgasm built, and all the tension and anger suppressed inside of me channeled into the release. My nails dug into his shoulders as I tightened my grip around with my legs, almost toppling us both into the water, but he kept us upright.

Water dripped from the ends of my hair over my breasts, beading drops on my skin. He glistened under the moon, the pale light illuminating his muscles. I still couldn’t believe he was mine. Carnal need sharpened his features as he pulled back, staring at me with primal want. “My wife,” he said, his eyes widening. “My love,” he added, the words reaching me through my haze. The restraint snapped.

His lips were hard against mine, our tongues moving in sync. Want rippled through my body as he rocked an orgasm from me.

Dizziness consumed me as we made love under the stars. I screamed his name, bouncing as he held me tighter, his loud moan tipping me over the edge. It started at the apex of my groin, then sent shockwaves down to my toes. I writhed against him. His wings twitched as he stiffened, letting out a brief gasp, followed by a long, low groan which he buried into my neck.

Heat enveloped me as the orgasm shredded through my body. Hot cum erupted inside of me, his hands gripping my ass cheeks as he rocked slower. Sparks danced all over my body as I shut my eyelids. His body wet against mine was too much. I gripped his hair as he pulsated, almost collapsing.

After a moment of holding each other, catching my breath, I bit my lip. “Take me somewhere, anywhere. I need you more.”

Our soulmate bond rippled with approval, and he lifted me in his arms, carrying me out of the lake.

***

Erianna spotted me after me and Sebastian emerged from an inn close to the lake. I held onto his arm, not wanting to let him go again. “Liv!” She pulled me away from him, and into her arms.

I breathed in her jasmine scent, and let out a small sigh, embracing her back. “I missed you.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” She tugged me back at arm’s length. “More than okay, it seems.”

My cheeks heated. Neither of us had showered after spending the last five hours making up for lost time. “Where’s Zach?”

“Feeding. He’s been with me and Astor for most of the night.”

Rage returned, and Sebastian was at my side in a heartbeat. “You should go rest. I’ll take care of him.”

I shook my head. “I want to see him.”

His brows furrowed, but he didn’t argue. Erianna nodded, then took my hand. “We can talk after.”

Sebastian grabbed me by the waist and kissed my forehead. “I’ll find Zach and meet you over there.” He gave Erianna a look, and she nodded. I could sense his depletion of energy through our bond. He needed to feed. “I won’t be long,” he promised.

“I’ll be okay,” I assured, and followed her down the stairs. We crossed the street and headed into a dark building. I didn’t know they were so close. The small, abandoned store was filled with empty shelves, broken apothecary bottles, and torn open books. Blood-stained, peeling wallpaper, and I picked up in a residual terror. Similar to what I felt with the aniccipere. “What happened here?”

“Murders,” she said simply, then walked me down to the basement. “He’s a little tired. We’ve been chatting all night.”

I could only imagine what that meant. Stab wounds, from her dagger I assumed as they weren’t healing as fast, covered his legs. He climbed his eyes from the ground to look at me. Struggling against the restraints in the chair, he let out a groan. I could have laughed at the irony if it wasn’t so sad.

“Well, well,” I said, feeling like some villain archetype as I paced the area in front of him. A light flickered, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Barrels leaked in the corner, pipes creaking as the walls of the house groaned from the winds outside. “How the tables have turned.”

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