I merely nodded, unable to stomach the discussion of everything that had been done to him. Or the fact that our bond and his rider’s blood oath were probably the only reasons that he was still alive. Most other fey would have been extinguished if their magic was carved out of them.
“Are you hungry?” I asked him, wanting to distract myself from such dark thoughts.
The curve at one corner of his full mouth made me flush instantly. Especially when his eyes dropped again to my exposed collarbones.
“You are naked.”
“You know I like to sleep naked,” I reminded him with asmirk, and he gave a contemplative grunt as his hand slipped over the curve of my waist above the blanket. Those devious fingers teased the length of my spine as his hand swept up my back and into my hair.
“And I see that all my marks have faded,” he added as his hand tightened on the back of my neck possessively.
I stared at him, trying to control my rising anticipation because there was still faint bruising under his eyes. I had every intention of claiming my mate fully, just as soon as we were both healthy enough for it. But I did not want to risk hurting him, regardless of how much my heart and body were aching for him.
“Do you think you could walk to get food?” I asked in an attempt to divert us both.
Sage nodded distractedly while his fingers continued to massage the back of my neck. Those breathtaking eyes remained so intent on my unmarked throat that his resolve was completely unmistakable. He wanted me, I couldseehis desire right there plainly on his face. And there was a carnal promise in his eyes that had not been there before. Not even in the hot springs.
“I had time to reflect on my regrets,” Sage explained as if he could see my confusion at the stark change of his demeanour. “And the one that cut deepest was that I never got the chance to claim my mate.”
My heart was pounding so hard with excitement that it felt like it could burst from my chest. But I forced myself to calm down for the sake of his injured body.
I want that too, but I want you to be healthy,I insisted firmly through our bond.
“I do not need my full strength in order to please you,” Sage objected to my stipulation aloud, and my eyes grew wide as I stared at him in surprise. It was not the first time he had hinted at a desire to make me feel good. I did not think I had ever met another male who seemed to crave my pleasure even more than his own.
“No?” I asked, and he smirked as he shook his head onceagainst his pillow while his gaze trailed down to the tops of my breasts. His hand traced my curves to my hip, pulling me closer as his attention shifted even lower with an intensity that made me squeeze my thighs together.
“I want to hear you losing your breath,” he told me as his thumb traced a circle on my hip, his eyes still lowered between us. “Taste your ecstasy on my tongue.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at such unexpected words from this modest male. Although he had already proven that he could be much more scandalous than I would have given him credit for. But hearing him speak like that to me still felt deliciously forbidden.
“Alright then,” I began breathlessly, trying to calm my racing heart as I leaned against him and nipped at his lips. “Butafterwe both bathe,” I insisted in a whisper.
Sage gave a soft snort of amusement, but he nodded in agreement even as his hand shifted around to the front of my neck to squeeze slightly.
“At least allow me to renew my marks,” he bargained, his voice even more gravelly as he squeezed me gently. “The thought of you walking around this camp with this beautiful neck unmarked all this time makes me crazy.”
The commanding pressure of his grip around my throat should make me feel nervous, but it always did the exact opposite. It made me feel wonderfully soft and trusting under his hands.
“Then make sure everyone knows who I belong to.”
Sage rumbled, a deep and hungry sound of approval that had my skin prickling in anticipation as I tilted back my head to expose my throat for him.
As if he could understand what was about to happen, Serafin gave a disgruntled grunt and rose from the bed to slink to the floor. Pyrope also stood from where she’d laid next to the mattress and followed him through the curtain into the main room with her own huff. But even more unsettling was thesudden sensation of three doors closing in my mind, one after the other, as the other riders put up their mental blocks. And in spite of some embarrassment, I was thankful to them since it was evident I was unable to shield myself fully yet.
“Did you just—” I began to ask Sage.
“Ensure I’d have you all to myself? Yes,” he growled, leaning over me to trail soft kisses down my arching neck before giving me a domineering bite. The sudden pinch of his canines made me gasp, but then he instantly soothed the ache by sucking and kissing my skin.
I groaned and writhed beneath his weight, my wanton body betraying all my best intentions as my eyes rolled in utter bliss. But what the hell other choice did I have when he was savouring every inch of me so deliciously? I had always guessed Sage would be a good lover, but I knew it for sure now. It was in the subtle way he paid attention to my every cue even during something that was largely for his own pleasure. It was in the way he ensured I enjoyed every mark he left as much as he did.
Sage pulled off my skin with a soft pop and tugged the sheets down to expose my heaving breasts. I hissed my approval and slipped my fingers into his hair when he bent to suck a nipple into his mouth. The care he took with the sensitive little nub, swirling his tongue around it, pinching and tugging with his teeth before soothing with long sucks was maddening.
He took his time leaving his marks all the way down to my navel where he finally paused. I could sense him toying with the possibilities as his mouth lingered over my stomach. He was ready to descend down to where he wanted to taste me most.
“Regain your strength first,” I commanded him sternly and tightened my grip in his dark hair. He chuckled.
“And then?” Sage challenged, lifting himself over me to admire his work on my throat and torso.
