Luca shifted his eyes from me. “Found her just in time.”
Yosef frowned, turning to Luca. “In time for what?”
Luca looked at us both with questioning eyes. “She didn’t tell you what happened to her?”
I could already feel my body tensing up. If Lila hadn’t told us, it had to be bad. “Tell us everything,” I said through gritted teeth.
Luca then went on to explain how he came to find Lila and what had happened to her before he arrived. Those Nodoorian bastards had put their disgusting hands on her. I wanted to rip them apart. “Tell me they’re dead.”
Luca nodded. “Of course, they are.”
Yosef rested his head on the back of the sofa. “She’s tough. We need to head to the court to report what happened. They’ll want to speak to her, but I’ll convince them to give her some time.”
“If it wasn’t for you claiming her, we’d never have gotten the others. You knew exactly where to be.”
Yosef rubbed his face, then winced, most likely aggravating a wound. “It was like I felt her right in front of me. I just couldn’t see her.”
I took another sip of my drink. I should have felt less anxious, but I wanted all the more to hold Lila in my arms. “It all worked out, but I need to be up there with her. I won’t wake her. I’ll shower first.”
Yosef narrowed his eyes. “We have some other things to discuss, but we do have to get to the court. You watch her while we’re gone.”
I rolled my eyes, getting up. “Was there a doubt?”
I went to the bathroom and showered as quickly as possible, ensuring I had no traces of other people’s blood on me. Then I walked quietly into her room and laid down beside her. I pressed my chest to her back, dipping my nose into the bend of her neck. Her scent was divine, but she didn’t even move. She really was exhausted. Still, holding her was enough. I could feel my body unwinding. I hadn’t realized just how tense I had become. And with that relaxation, I was finally able to rest.
Several hours later, I awoke to find we had shifted positions, and she was now resting on my chest. She was still there. It hadn’t all been a dream. One of many I’d had for the past week. I pulled her on top of me and slid her up until her face was parallel to mine. We didn’t say anything, just looked at each other in the dimly lit room. Streaks of daylight broke through the openings of the curtains, spotlighting her like an angel.
I touched her cheeks, traced my finger over her nose and jaw. It was as if my hands needed to touch her to make sure she was real. When I swiped my finger over her full lips, she trapped my index finger between her teeth, biting down only slightly. My stomach clenched, dick throbbing.
I grabbed the back of her head, pressing her to me, and our mouths explored each other, unconcerned about anything else. It was only us, tasting, feeling, wanting. I crossed my legs over her, trapping her to my body. I kissed her neck, nibbled on her earlobe, left a trail of kisses on her shoulder and arms. It wasn’t enough.
I flipped her on her back and kissed her again. She moaned into my mouth, and it vibrated into me. My hand found her breast, she was only wearing a thin tunic, but it still felt in the way. Her nipples were already hard and straining against the fabric. I felt her move her hand between us, finding my hardness quickly as I was only wearing loose pajamas, no underwear. She began to stroke me, and I ground into her hand, feeling myself already tightening from her touch. I wanted to be slow with her on most occasions. The foreplay was part of the fun. I still wanted some of that, but mostly, I needed to be in her.
I lifted her tunic over her head and tossed it off the bed, exposing those beautiful globes before greedily taking one into my mouth. Her skin tasted so silky and sweet, and the lustful noises escaping her mouth made my dick jerk in my pants. I went to her other breast, and she squirmed beneath me. My fangs dropped instinctively, and I grazed her areola lightly. She quivered, and I could feel the wetness between her legs seep onto my chest. I wanted to smear her scent all over me.
“Can fae bond?”
I paused, gazing down at her. That was the last question I expected to hear from her. I knew claiming and mating were things she was very much against. Had the others weakened her will? “No. We have unions in marriage, but that’s it. But I am a blood fae. I can mark you.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “What will that mean?”
I tweaked her nipple, and she gasped, tossing her head back. “It means not just anyone can bite you now. We will be connected so that I will know where you are, always.”
She gave me a hesitant look. Not one I was used to her from her. “Can I bite you?”
I flashed my teeth. “Anytime, pretty lady. My blood might give you a power boost.”
She leaned up and nipped my lower lip. “I don’t want you biting anyone else. Just me.”
“Deal.”
She gazed at me for a beat, not speaking. I couldn’t tell what was running through her mind, but I could see it working, her lavender eyes boring into mine with such intensity I stilled. Would she give me what I wanted? What I thought she would never give? Did she love me the way I loved her? She had to know that I had completely fallen for her. There would be no one else for me. “Say it.”
“Mark me,” she demanded, certainty in her voice.
I needed no persuasion. She was already mine, now everyone would know. The three of us had her, and we would never let her go. “Where?” I asked. I knew where, but I wanted her to say it.
She placed a hand on her other breast and gently squeezed her nipple, mouth parting in an O, eyes glazed. My lids drooped, stomach clenching with need. I needed to taste her. I wouldn’t push her anymore. Wasting no time, I traced her nipple with my tongue before sinking my teeth into her breast, sucking her nipple to the roof of my mouth while tasting her sweet liquid. It tasted metallic but also sugary. I pushed my magic into the bite, pressing her tighter to my mouth.
