Page 116 of His Darkest Desire

Vex drew back, cupping Kinsley’s jaw to prevent her from following. She opened her eyes. His blazing crimson gaze locked with hers, his desire plainly written within its depths.

“Join with me tonight,” he said, voice low and gravelly. “Join with me in the way of my people, beneath the moon and stars. Join with me in the mating hunt.”

Kinsley’s brows rose. “Mating hunt?”

Vex chuckled and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It is not the sort of hunt that must’ve come to mind. It is an ancient rite my people have performed since time immemorial. My clan held their ceremonial hunts during the equinox each spring and autumn. The females would gather, and those ready to seal their mating bonds were adorned with paints of their chosen color.

“When the moon reached its zenith, the females would run into the forest, and the males would give chase. It is a…primal affair. Instincts reign, and passion heats the night. I did not understand when I was young. I knew only disappointment, for I could not join the game. But many years later, I watched from my tower as the clans who sheltered within my realm held their hunts.”

His fingers flexed, and his claws grazed her skin, making it tingle. “And I yearned to one day partake with my own mate.”

Her heart ached for him. She’d witnessed how he’d held himself apart from everything. She’d seen his loneliness, his isolation, his longing. And she understood now. After what had happened to his clan, he’d secluded himself for protection. He hadn’t allowed anyone close besides the wisps because his fear of loss was too great.

“Should a male and female return before the morning light with her paint smeared upon their bodies, all the clan knew they were mated and bonded forever,” he continued. “And I would perform this rite with you. Tonight.”

“But it’s not the equinox.”

“I care not. This is our realm. We dictate its customs.”

Something wicked coiled low in her belly at the thought of participating in this tradition with him, and she thrilled at the idea of being hunted down by him.

Yet there was much more to what she felt. It was in the way he’d said our realm. He’d infused that phrase with such devotion, such dedication, such adoration. This would be more than sex. It would be the coming together of two lonely, wounded souls, in the way he’d always longed for. With his mate.

With her.

But there was one lingering worry, one thing she could not forget.

“What about the barghest?” she asked. “Are there more of them out there?”

“No. I scoured the forest to be certain.” The glow of his eyes intensified into a dangerous, fiery light. “And should any more unwelcome beasts enter our realm, they shall never touch you. I vow it.”

Kinsley smiled and brushed the tip of her nose against his as she turned her hand to lace their fingers together. “Then let’s get freaky in the forest.”

Vex laughed and shook his head. “Though that is a curious way to describe what we intend, I will embrace it. But first…” His wings withdrew, tucking neatly against his back, and he turned his head to look at the table. Releasing her, he pushed the wine bottle farther away. “You require real sustenance. You’ll need all your strength for what is to come. After we eat, I shall prepare you.”

“Prepare me?”

He leaned back and raked his gaze down her body with a hunger that made her nipples ache. “We’ve no clan to aid you, so I shall paint that delicious body of yours.”

He gripped her hips and slid her closer until her knees were on either side of him. Kinsley’s eyes widened, and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

Vex’s lips curled into a sinful grin. “Let every stroke, no matter how tiny, remind you, Kinsley… You are mine for the taking.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Vex couldn’t stop himself from glancing at the bathing chamber door. Kinsley was on the other side of it, bathing and preparing for the hunt. Preparing for him. She would emerge at any moment and present herself to him.

His limbs itched with restlessness, and his heart pounded. He kept the maddening heat from flooding his veins only through force of will, and that willpower would only last so long. All that passion, anticipation, and desire had to be saved. He could let it build and build, but he could not release it until the hunt.

He couldn’t release it until he’d captured his prey. Until he was claiming his mate in full.

He turned his attention to the small table he’d moved to the foot of the bed. It bore deceptively mundane items—a jar of freshly mixed silver paint, a paintbrush, and a cloth. Simple tools with which to enact the most important rite of his life.

But when he lifted his gaze to survey the rest of the bedchamber, he frowned. Conducting this ceremony with Kinsley was right. He harbored no doubts; he’d never been more certain of aught in all his existence. Honoring his people, who he’d lost so long ago, and uniting with his mate…it would be a profound occasion. Yet initiating it here seemed almost too ordinary.

“Does something trouble you, magus?” asked Echo, who hovered nearby along with Flare and Shade.

Vex grunted, still studying the chamber. “It is not right.”

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