Funny how her surroundings were now reflective of what she’d been harboring in her heart for these past couple of months. All stemming from the same creature, too: Perfidious. The demon who had turned her world upside down, then thrown a loopty-loop in for good measure.
But even as Asmia sat on the hard dirt floor, surrounded by titanium bars, more earth, and a solid wall of rock, she felt no more alone now than she had when Taayin had turned his back on her, walked away without giving her a chance to apologize. Maybe this was her punishment for betraying him the way he believed she had.
Or perhaps this was the damnation she’d always heard about, the one strictly reserved for Fae, God’s cast-outs.
It hadn’t been enough that she’d been enslaved to the angels, handed to them on a silver platter to maintain their existence, keep them strong? That had been God’s punishment, right? His means of extracting vengeance for the sins of her ancestors? Well, it hadn’t worked out too well for Him. Somewhere along the way, Asmia had found pleasure in that subjugation, a place she belonged, a family who cared.
Maybe God hadn’t approved of that. Not enough pain to be considered penance. Better to be enslaved to the damned. After all, her life was to be one of servitude, wasn’t it? Only now she would be chained to a demon for the rest of her existence.
From outside the cell, she could hear voices, though Asmia had no idea who they belonged to. Well, other than Perfidious, that was. His dark tenor was unmistakable. When she’d first gotten here—hours, days, however long ago that had been—she’d heard a shrieking female, but thankfully, that one had exited the building. Whether she’d been pissed to leave or upset Asmia was there, she didn’t know. Nor did she care.
Truth was, Asmia didn’t care about much of anything at the moment. When she closed her eyes, she still saw Echo’s pained face, and she could only imagine the agony he was enduring believing he was responsible for her being taken. He was a good male, he didn’t deserve to bear the brunt of that. Thankfully, time would ease his torment, give him new memories to crowd out the pain of the past.
She briefly wondered what Taayin thought. Had they even told him? Did he even care? More than the others, that was. She knew he cared. He was a noble male, one who did not shirk his duty. Because she was a member of the fiestreigh, he would be searching for her if they asked him to. But aside from that duty, was he concerned? Did he miss her?
Because she missed him. More than she wanted to admit.
Asmia expected tears to fall but they never came. Perhaps she’d simply cried too much lately. Not once since Perfidious had walked her out of that apartment had she felt the urge to spill tears. Granted, the anger was building, and God forbid that demon stroll in here with his arrogant ass. She was saving every last ounce of her strength so she could take it out on his hide. If Perfidious thought she was a helpless female, he had another think coming.
And if he thought keeping her naked down here was going to intimidate her … well, he could get fucked, as Eclipse would say. Thinking of the male made her smile sadly. She hoped that things were going well for him and Orianna. She’d sensed how good they were together, how much they cared for each other even in the short amount of time since they’d met. Then again, it wasn’t time that made the heart grow fonder. No, that was absence, or so she’d heard. At some point, she figured she’d look back on the family she’d left behind with fondness, remembering the good times without the sorrow equated with not having had the opportunity to say goodbye.
Footsteps sounded on the hard-packed earth, and Asmia knew who was coming before Perfidious made an appearance. That haughty air of his was stifling, circling him, choking out all the air in the room. He believed he’d won even though no one else had been playing the game.
“How fare thee, gorgeous?”
Asmia didn’t bother looking up. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, she sat on the ground, legs crisscrossed. She was naked, and this position gave him a glimpse of all her private parts, but it didn’t matter. He thought he’d beaten her by stealing her clothes. Truth was, she didn’t care. Not if he looked, not even if he touched. This was merely a vessel she was encapsulated in. Her soul was elsewhere, her heart safeguarded because it belonged to another. He could physically hurt her, he could force her to touch him, but he could never take what was most precious to her.
She’d been a victim of his mind control before, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he trapped her within the confines of it again. Before long, Asmia would be his slave in every sense of the word. She had no illusions that she was getting out of here anytime soon. This was her own fault, so she was going to get used to it. And when he forced her into his bed or wherever a creature like him laid his head, Asmia knew she would have no say in the matter. But she refused to let him win.
Before he could begin to break her with his magic, Asmia would lock up all those memories, those good feelings, and tuck them deep within her heart, hidden from him. Even if she remained in his clutches for the rest of her immortal life, he would never take those from her.
“Stand up and greet me appropriately,” Perfidious ordered, the door swinging open.
Asmia bided her time, remained where she was, head down, fingers clasped in front of her.
“Did you hear me?”
Oh, she heard him. Unfortunately.
A firm hand curled under her chin. She took a deep breath, then another as Perfidious slowly lifted her head so she was forced to meet his eyes.
She gave him what he wanted. Her lips curled up in a smile, and the instant she saw approval in his eyes…
Asmia lashed out, dragging all of her nails down both sides of his face, scoring his flesh, his precious blood seeping out of the wounds, essentially ruining the human suit he was wearing.
That would teach him.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m thinking we should hit the hay, regroup at sundown and…”
The rest of Aphotic’s words were drown out by the roaring that suddenly filled Eclipse’s head. It was compounded by the blistering heat that slammed into him from all angles.
“I… Oh, fuck…” He didn’t even bother with an explanation as he disappeared himself, resuming form in his private quarters. There, reclining on the leather chaise lounger, was the most luscious female he’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. Her eyes were wide, her body writhing as though trying to scratch an itch but not quite making contact.
“Eclipse … what is going on?”
He could feel the heat pulsing through her, knew her body was aching for his, so he didn’t waste time with the whole undressing ordeal. Instead, he willed both of their clothes off as he moved toward Orianna, then used the power of his mind to ignite the flames in the fireplace. Partly for warmth, more so for ambience, because on some level, he was still trying to impress the girl. Granted, he wasn’t sure Orianna noticed anything as she writhed and moaned, her hands sliding over her bare skin, which, Heaven help him, was almost too much.
“Come here, sezari,” he crooned as he joined her, lying on the chaise lounge and sliding his hand behind her head, pulling her mouth to his.
Instantly, Orianna’s tongue sought entrance as her fingers slid into his hair. Shards of pain morphed into a delicious pleasure as she jerked him closer, her breaths rasping against his mouth as her lips mated with his. She was liquid fire in his arms, rubbing herself against him in the most delicious ways.
Filling his hand with the smooth warmth of her breast, Eclipse pressed up against her. The flash boil that had been his hormones dropped to simmer in an instant, offering a modicum of relief and an opportunity for them to explore. Not that it lasted long. The moment Orianna’s hands began to slide over his shoulders, down his chest, wandering and teasing, the flames licked at him once more, but this he could handle. This he knew what to do with.
“I don’t know what that was,” Orianna moaned, tilting her head to the side as he dragged his lips along the smooth column of her neck. “I felt li
ke… It just hit me all of a sudden. I needed you. Desperately.” She cupped his head, holding his mouth to her neck. “And then there you were.”
He groaned low in his throat when those deft fingers on her other hand curled around his shaft, stroking him firmly.
“Careful,” he warned, sliding his lips along her jaw. “It’ll be over before it gets started.”
“I need to feel you,” she moaned, trying to get closer. “Inside me. It’s… There’s an emptiness…”
“We’ll get there,” he assured her.
Orianna pulled back, glared at him. “Now, Eclipse. Right now.”
He laughed when she attempted to take over, pushing him to his back as she threw one leg over his hips, positioning herself where they both wanted her to be.
Using the chair’s contour to his advantage, Eclipse shifted so he was reclining, able to see every glorious curve of her body, every sinful shift of her as she guided his cock between her thighs. His gaze dropped lower, another rumble sounding in his chest as her slick heat coated the sensitive tip seconds before she angled for penetration.
“Fuck…” he groaned at the same time she whimpered.
The smooth walls of her sex clutched him intimately as she eased over him, a slow, steady blanket of heat coating him, the glorious caress tightening his muscles, pleasure assaulting every nerve ending. Fucking hell, she felt good like this, owning him as she worked herself down inch by amazing inch. His groin tightened, the intensity of her heat surging through him. It wasn’t until he was buried to the hilt that she relaxed somewhat, her movements slowing as her eyes locked with his.
“This what you need?” he asked, planting his hands firmly on her hips and rocking her gently so as not to let the friction abate.
“God, yes.”
Eclipse could do nothing more than watch as she took her pleasure from him. Orianna maintained control, swinging her hips forward and back, slow and easy at first, her eyes caressing his chest as she found a rhythm that suited them both. He didn’t move to rush her, simply chose to observe and enjoy. It had been a hectic, emotional night, and this … being with her like this was more than he could’ve ever hoped for. Which, now that he thought about it, was the same thing he reflected on anytime he was with her. Such a treasure she was, and his life … he could no longer imagine a world without her in it.
Careful not to affect the rhythmic thrust of her hips, Eclipse slid his hands upward, beyond the curve of her waist, pausing to knead her full breasts. Her skin was so warm, so soft, but it was the way she leaned into him, encouraging him to take what she was offering that stole his breath.
“Yes,” she whimpered. “Touch me. Don’t stop touching me.”
“Never, sezari.”
Eclipse would’ve been content to do this for a lifetime, watching her ride him, working herself on the thick ridge of his erection, using his body to sate hers. He’d never experienced anything like it before, never felt so fucking complete until she’d walked into his life. Now that she was here with him, Eclipse knew there was no going back.
The minutes stretched out as she ground herself on him. No rush, only unadulterated ecstasy warming them both, causing perspiration to dot their skin as the sensations intensified.
When Orianna tipped her head back, her hand sensually sliding up her neck, he was fixated on the movement, the way her fingers gently caressed the puncture marks he’d left the last time he’d fed from her. His fangs elongated, his jaw throbbing as hunger took over. It wasn’t so much that he needed to feed, but there was a desperation that bordered on bloodlust. What he’d taken from her recently hadn’t been nearly enough to sate him, and it seemed his brain was kicking over to survival mode.
Dropping his hands to her hips, Eclipse focused on guiding her movements while rocking up into her.
“More,” he urged. “Take more of me, sezari.”
She opened her eyes and looked at him. It took tremendous effort and ridiculous strength to hold her stare rather than pull her toward him so he could sink his fangs into her neck.
As though she knew what he needed—and perhaps she did—Orianna slowed the delicious grind as she moved her hair to one side.
“Will you feed from me?” she whispered.
He swallowed hard, his fangs throbbing incessantly.
Her blue eyes were as hot as gas flames, her words a rough rasp against his senses when she said, “I want you to feed, Eclipse. And I want to feel you come inside me when you do.”
A desperate growl raced up his throat, but he managed to hold himself back, keeping his hands firmly on her hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh.
Orianna leaned forward until her breasts were crushed to his chest. She rested against him, her forehead on his shoulder, her hips once again undulating. Her back arching and bowing, a sensual flow as her body glided perfectly along his. It wasn’t until her hand slid behind his head, guiding his lips toward her neck, that Eclipse opened his mouth, his fangs descending more as the thrum of her blood in her veins beckoned him.
“Hold still for me,” he growled.
Orianna’s hands went to his shoulders, her body pressing tightly against him as he wrapped one arm around her back, securing her in place. He inhaled her sweet lavender scent, kissed the soft skin over her pulse, but then his hunger for her took over.
Eclipse didn’t hold back this time as he pierced her neck. Her blood filled his mouth, warm and rich, intoxicating him as he took what she willingly offered. With his fangs buried in her vein, his cock in her sex, he gripped her hip with his other hand and began driving up into her. Her soft whimpers and moans spurred him on until he was too far gone to stop.
Her sex clutched him, pulsing as her orgasm crested from the euphoria that came with him feeding from her. He drank her down as he punched his hips upward, driving in deep, retreating slowly. Wanting to make her come a dozen times.
Seconds turned to minutes, but he didn’t stop until the hunger abated completely. Only then did he seal the wounds he’d created before shifting their positions, forcing her backward so she reclined at the opposite end of the chaise, her head hanging down. He took advantage of the new position and the control it offered him. With his feet on the floor, he took control, owning her body as she lay out before him, a sexual offering. He shifted her legs over his thighs, her ankles digging into his lower back as he pumped his hips, filling every inch of her.
Orianna cried out his name over and over as he pressed his thumb to her clit, circled it lightly at first, then added more pressure. He continued the bump and grind, a rapid thrust and retreat as he slammed his hips forward, burying himself in her slickness, feeling the walls of her sex grip him until his spine tingled, the electricity shooting through every nerve.
“Orianna … oh, fuck…” It was too much, the intensity overwhelming him, sucking him into the vortex, suspended somewhere between sheer ecstasy and mind-numbing pleasure bordering on pain.
Eclipse drove into her once, twice … on the third, he threw his head back and roared, his release barreling through him, shattering his sanity for precious seconds.
And when they were finished, it was Orianna’s contented sigh that brought all his pieces back together, made him whole once more.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Christ Almighty,” Kaj rumbled, kicking the blankets off his legs. “How the fuck do they handle this shit?”
He fisted his cock as he flopped onto his back, that dreaded sexual energy slamming into him, pulling him from a deep, peaceful sleep. He was no longer curious as to what caused it—Obsidian had so kindly filled him in via a warning that it would likely occur frequently—but that didn’t mean he could ignore it. Oh, no, he was powerless against the onslaught of sexual heat that burned his body from the inside out.
Fucking angels. If he didn’t like them so much, he would damn them all to Hell.
He grunted, gripping his arousal firmly, dragging his palm up and down in an attempt to assuage the beast.
Kaj. I need you, Kaj.
Lifting his head, he scanned the darkness, looking for Acadia, whose voice was beckoning him. He knew the words had been sent into his mind, but he’d hoped to find her standing there at his bedside. She wasn’t, but he sensed she was close, likely in her own bed, touching herself the same way he was.
I’m here, balisra.
Come to me, Kaj. I can’t…
It took effort—like walking against hurricane-force winds—but Kaj managed to get to his feet, intent on answering her plea. Vanishing wasn’t an option, his mind plagued by the urgent need to come making it impossible to focus. Since he was relegated to taking the long route, he snagged his boxers, dragged them on even as he took the steps toward the bedroom door. Another blast of heat drove him back a step when he reached the hallway, but he forged ahead, intent to get to his female. His body led the way, his cock like a metal detector, seeking the one and only thing that would ever sate him fully.
The trek down the hallway was like trudging through quicksand, but he finally made it to Acadia’s door. He’d raised his hand to knock when the door flew open. Inside, Acadia was on her bed, gloriously naked, back bowed, breasts thrust upward as she whimpered, her hand tucked between her thighs as she attempted to ease herself.
Whether it was his sheer will or the sexual energy abating, Kaj didn’t know, but the rest of the trip was easier. He crossed the threshold, shut her door with a thought, then stalked toward her as he disposed of the damn boxers. Acadia’s amethyst eyes opened, hot and glowing as she watched him. He didn’t waste time, knowing exactly what she needed when she spread her thighs and invited him to join her.
Kaj crawled onto the mattress, inching closer, his mouth dropping to her knee, sliding higher, over her thigh. He would’ve stopped to savor her sweetness, but Acadia had other plans for him, her small hands clutching at his hair as she dragged him up her body.
“You sure, balisra?”
“Yes,” she hissed, arching her back once more as he dragged his aching cock through her slick folds.
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