Page 27 of Blaze

“He... he did that on purpose?” Oh, that’s why she’s so angry—she didn’t understand. She thought Lady Death took Axion without his permission. Somehow, her rage makes me like her even more.

“Yes. We knew it could be a possibility when we captured you. We’re not sure how long our resistance to Lycaon will last and it took us longer than we hoped to catch up to you and convince you to join our cause. Lady Death’s kingdom is the fastest way to access Cyllene. We’re running out of time. Axion did what he thought was necessary. If we’d gotten to this point sooner, maybe it could have been avoided, but...” I shrug. “There’s no telling. Maybe he would have chosen this anyway. We want your world to win this war, because it brings us one step closer to freeing our own.”

More tears fall, and Blaze buries her face in her hands, letting out a sob. I steer her back toward the bed. It’s large enough for six men to sleep on without bumping elbows. Too large for one hellhound and a fragile-looking Chosen. Her knees buckle when they hit the mattress and she collapses onto it with another sound of despair.

“This is my fault then,” she says with a sniffle.

I brush her hair away from her face gently. The color is so mesmerizing and the texture feels like a female’s fur beneath my touch. With a start, I realize it’s almost exactly the same. Is it possible that she has a hellhound somewhere in her lineage? Is that how Ransom managed to bind himself to her? If that’s the case, then it’s not any wonder that we all found her so compelling. This is the closest we’ve come to touching a female of our kind in ages.

“It’s not your fault, Blaze,” I say, my voice soft. “It’s mine. All of this is my fault.”

She peeks at me through her fingers, and I can’t help but think that it’s cute, despite her puffy eyes and nose. I haven’t regarded anything as cute in a long, long time. What is this female doing to me?

“I don’t understand.”

I let my hand drop away from her as my guilt returns in full force. She won’t want me to touch her when she learns the truth. This whole bloody thing is my doing. She should hate me. Her entire world should try me for war crimes due to my negligence.

“You understand what I do, correct?”

She nods. “You’re an explorer.”

“And a prophet,” I add. “I get visions and premonitions. I knew that I should have stayed in our realm, but I was arrogant. I’d journeyed further than any other traveler in history. I was lauded for it. I wanted the recognition and the rewards that came with discovering new territories. I was the one who brought our people into contact with Lycaon. I got our goddess captured and doomed my people to a life of slavery and war. It’s my fault Lycaon used Ransom the way he has. Axion has been trying to correct my mistake for decades, and in the end, he died to correct it.”

I expect her to strike me and storm out of the double doors. What she does instead shocks me. Blaze puts her soft hands on either side of my face and turns me to face her. Her fingertips are damp from her tears and smell like salt. Her eyes are soft with understanding.

“It isn’t your fault,” she says.

“How can you say that?” I respond, seizing her wrists. I don’t deserve her pity. “I’m responsible for the ruination of your world.”

“And also responsible for my existence,” she whispers. “Ransom told me that one of my family members is a hellhound. Probably my mother. And without your people scouting our world, my father would have never met her. And if that had been the case, I wouldn’t be here. I owe my life to your meddling, Maddox.”

So, I’m right. She is one of our own. I don’t like thinking about what her father must have done to the unfortunate female, but I’m glad for it, if only because Blaze exists. I’ve never met anyone like her in all my years. For just a moment, it all feels worth it. Every hardship we’ve endured has brought us to this place. To her. I care for her more than I want to admit. We’ve watched her from afar, admiring her bravery, her ferocity, her determination to fight. It’s beautiful. Almost as beautiful as she is.

She runs her thumb along the line of my jaw in a gentle caress. For once this human shell doesn’t feel alien. It feels right to be near her like this. She surrenders with a small sigh when I slant my mouth over hers. She tastes like spice. Like home. It’s so delicious, I moan in spite of myself. She uses the opportunity to run her tongue over my bottom lip, the clever little appendage slipping inside to tangle enticingly with mine. She’s breathing hard when I pull away a moment later.

“You’re Ransom’s mate,” I pant. “I can’t just...”

“I’m my own person, Maddox,” she breathes. “I choose who I belong to and I belong to myself which means I make my own decisions.”

“Then you don’t accept the bond with Ransom?”

She shakes her head. “I do accept it, but on my terms. I care for Ransom, but I also care for you and in my own way, I even cared for Axion.”

“Which was why you were so angry when Lady Death took him.”

She nods. “Yes. The point is: I want this. But only if... you want me?”

At the very fact that she needs to ask, I let out a feral growl and seize the hem of her shirt. It smells like soup and sticks to her sides when I try to peel it off. She laughs when it finally comes free, the buttons flying to the four corners of the room. In the vastness of the chamber, I doubt they’ll ever be seen again. I can’t find it in myself to care. She smiles broadly when I shove her down onto the mattress, shedding my own clothing as quickly. I’m especially glad to be free of the trousers. I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything so constricting in my life.

Blaze sucks in a breath when my cock springs free. She strokes it wonderingly, sending a ripple of pleasure up my spine. Then she laughs.

“What a large cock you have. Are you all huge or is that just a family trait?”

I want to preen. Shifters on the whole are larger than humans, but Ransom says we’re considered especially gifted, only outdone by something as huge as a dragon.

“We’re all large, but the royals are more sizable than most.”

She’s gratifyingly wet when I line myself up with her entrance and thrust inside her. Her arms and legs wind around me, fastening her slender body against mine as she rises to meet my thrusts. She’s so damn beautiful. I can’t believe she wants me. Wants us, after all we’ve done. But there’s nothing on her face but ecstasy as I rut her. It feels right when I spill my seed inside her, knotting at her entrance. She doesn’t look disgusted when I can’t immediately roll off her, nor does she scream when my teeth unerringly find the side of her throat opposite Ransom’s mark. I don’t want to overwrite his claim, just add my own. And now that Blaze has told me how she feels, the drive to mark her is too strong to ignore. Too strong to think of the consequences. So I bite.

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