“Go to sleep,” he grunts.
“I love you, too.”
“Must I choke you on my cock to get a moment of peace in my own bed?”
“This is peace,” I tell him, poking him right in the heart. “Soak it up, because this is what it feels like.”
“How in Alioth’s name is this peaceful?” He grabs my hand and holds it there against his chest so I can feel the gallop of his heart. Then he pushes it down so I can feel his cock getting hard again. “I can never get enough of you. It’s like I’m starving no matter how much I consume. I’ve always had at least a pretense of patience, and you’ve destroyed it completely. Destroyedmecompletely. What am I now, Alara, but your puppet, mere pieces strung together and animated by your will?”
“I love you,” I tell him, squeezing his shaft until he groans. His fingers slide into my hair and twist, forcing my head back. He skims his teeth over my neck, a purr in his throat that makes goosebumps raise on my skin.
“I could tear your throat out, and you’d let me,” he says.
I swallow, scratching myself on his sharp incisors. It’s true. But that’s love, isn’t it? Baring your neck, welcoming the bite.
We fall asleep like that, vulnerable to each other. A mutual threat.
Chapter 24
Lyro
Iwatch her dress in one of my svelis with equal parts fascination and resentment as each fold of fabric disguises another part of her tempting form. I want to tear them off again, pin her underneath me and make her come until she cries. But I know she will reject me if I suggest it. Her precious eggs are waiting.
She knots her sash, adjusting the neckline to hide the swell of her small breasts. I feel like a jealous greenling, angry with her for taking away my toys. But if I can’t see the lines of her body, neither can anyone else, which is a cold comfort.
She scoops her hair into one of those infernal bunches on the back of her head. A tail, she calls it. The style exposes the pale column of her throat, marred with a purple-and-red bruise around my angry claiming bite. I feel oddly victorious that she’s not trying to hide it, even though I’m already twitching with agitation with every swish of her hair that makes me want to knot its length around my fist.
“I’m ready,” she says brightly, tossing her head. The tail brushes the tops of her shoulders. There’s no way I can endure the taunt of its swing all day without using it to yank her into a ration closet. But I need to stay focused to get through all the final checks on my ship.
“I told you not to wear your hair like that,” I growl, stalking toward her. Her eyes widen and a smile follows as she darts away from me with a squeal. I catch hertailwith one hand, reeling her in. The other, I wrap around her throat, careful not to dig my fingers into her wound. “It looks too much like a leash. You should take it down unless you want me to drag you back into the furs right now.”
Oh, she likes the idea. Her scent tells me so. But she whispers, “Okay, I will.”
“Good pet.” I loosen my grip so she can obey me. Turning toward me so she can meet my eyes, she reaches up to tug loose the fastener. Her pale mane tumbles down in a cloud, concealing my claim. I already have regrets. I want everyone to see it.Iwant to see it.
“Better?” she asks, smirking at my hungry expression.
“I’ll survive,” I tell her coolly. I can count the hours until I’ll have her to myself. She has left me only shreds of patience, but they will last me until then.
I pick up my cloak from the bed. Lena makes a face when I hold it to my nose, drawing in our mingled scents. She doesn’t know how good we smell together. How it settles something in my bones. But she’s right. The cloak is too stained and creased to wear.
“Want to hit the cleansing unit on the way?” she asks. “I probably need to, my thighs are practically stuck together.”
“To clean the cloak only. You will not step inside.” I want my little traitor smelling like me.
She rolls her eyes. “Let’s go, then.”
“Bring your insect.” I unloop the shell pendant from its hook on the wall and hand it to her.
She takes it, tilting her head curiously. “Why? He’s fine in here.”
“He doesn’t like to be separated from you.” She doesn’t need to know that I mean forever. I worry she will not forgive me if we leave this place and do not take him with us, and I don’t intend to return to this room.
While she humors me and coaxes the bug into its makeshift home, I gather the cloak and the furs I brought from my ship. Cleaning them is as good an excuse as any to take them all with us. We certainly made a mess of them.
I toss the whole armful into the cleansing unit, hitting the default cycle before I shut the door and spend the short minutes devouring her mouth. I want her panting for me all day, desperate enough that she can’t refuse me when I tell her we’re leaving.
“Wow, what was that for?” she asks when the sound-cycle ends, and I break away to gather the sadly scentless items from the cleansing unit’s floor.
