Page 70 of Dark Company

Shame surrounds me like a shroud as bow my head. “It’s something in my wiring, something in the way they trained me. There were rumors of special words, words the High Echelon held to keep us High Echelon Guardians in check. Basq must have been one of the agents. A predator amongst the prey.”

“And what’s to keep this from happening again? Who else knows these words?”

I flinch, knowing that Jaxxon is right to be concerned about me snapping again. “I don’t know who had them to begin with, but with the bond, I can fight it. It’s how I got past this time.” Reaching up, I unzip the top part of my uniform and shove it to the side, showing Karis’s mark on my skin. “My mate holds me in her heart and will shore me up through the bond.”

I pray he understands, that he doesn’t hold me responsible. After several tense moments, he lowers his hand to my head in an act of resolution. My heart starts to pound once more as my breathing comes in gasps. Now, Stanlion can truly be free. Now that I know the trigger phrase embedded in me, no one can use me as a threat to the crown again.

Rising, I follow him into the tent and make my way over to Karis. Her eyes grow large as she stares at me, and that’s when I look down. I’m covered in blood. Holding out my hand, I dare her to take it, staring at her, willing her to submit. Right now, I need two things. I need to be clean, and I need my mate.

She glances over at Annora and gives her a soft smile before taking my hand with hers. It slides against me as the blood squishes between us, but Karis makes no show of disgust. My heart swells as I lead her through the mass of bodies and blood, holding my free hand at the side of her face to shield her from the destruction I caused.

I’m sure she could feel the anger through the bond, but it still doesn’t mean she needs to see it. Walking through the silent streets, I take her to my home, the new one given to me after Stanlion fell. Leon and I were going to share it until we found mates, but now, it will belong to Karis and me.

Opening the door, I lead her in, passing by Leon’s empty room. Once more, my heart clenches as sorrow beats at me. Exhaustion floods my body as everything crashes down on me at once. All I want to do is hide in a steaming shower until the last few weeks are washed away from my body. But I can’t just let myself wallow. I have Karis to think about. I promised her my knot.

Tightening my grip, I bring her into the bathroom and watch as she pulls away to start the water flowing from the showerhead. Without saying a word, she walks over to me and works at the zipper of my uniform, pulling the soaked fabric from my body. She moves to undo her own clothing, but I stop her, resting my hands on top of hers.

With slow, agonizing movements, I reveal her body to me. My mark stands out against her skin, a reminder of where we came from and where we’re going. Scooping her into my arms, I ignore the bits of blood and gore on my body and instead focus on Karis’s soft, pliant flesh, the sighs when I grip her ass, the soft moans that slip out of her lips when I graze my teeth along the mark.

Allowing her to slide down my body until her feet touch the floor, I step out of my uniform and drag her into the warm spray, letting the hot water wash over us. I groan as the water turns the bottom of the shower pink as blood sluices off my body and onto the tiles below. Holding her tight against me, I push her back against the wall and pull out of her tight grasp. I want to be clean before I enter her body.

I grab a bar of soap and suds up, washing away all the grime before working on my hair. Once every bit of me is clean, I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her back under the water with me. My fingers dig into her skin as I hold her close, never letting her go.

Soft sobs reach my ears, and I look down at her tear-stained face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, her fingers dancing over my skin as if to reassure her I’m still here, still alive. “I shouldn’t have run away.”

“No,” I agree. “You shouldn’t have.”

“How can I make this right?”

“My dear little princess,” I murmur against her head. “The fact that you’re sorry means the world, and that spanking I gave you earlier helps immensely. But if you truly want to make it up to me, I have an idea.”

Karis gives a little hiccup before looking back at me. “Will it hurt?”

I laugh, letting the foreign sound flood the shower. “Punishments are rarely pleasant, but something tells me you won’t exactly hate this. But I need you to trust me. Don’t fight me.”

She nods her consent, and for a brief moment, I’m nearly floored by her willingness. True, I felt it earlier on at the tent, but there’s still the fact that it was also in her best interest. This time, it’s all submission, her giving herself over to me. I will cherish this moment above all else, especially since I plan on indulging her wild spirit from here on out.

It’s a compromise we both have to make. I have to let go of the reins a little, and Karis has to give up some of her control. It’s the only way we’ll truly be in sync. Sliding my hands around her thighs, I bring her up my body and wrap her legs around my back.

Easing us forward, I press her back against the wall, giving her leverage as I slide my fingers along the crack of her ass. I brush against her bottom hole and groan as she clenches around me. Her fear is palpable, an acrid scent that surrounds us. I want Karis to feel many things around me, but fear is never one of them.

I pull back for a moment and rest my hand on her breastbone, breathing in and out with her. An odd vibration floods my body and within an instant, Karis is like putty in my arms—pliant and willing. Staring down at her, I focus on the sound and try to magnify it, attempting to figure out where it’s coming from.

Is this an Alpha purr?

It rumbles deep in my chest, and though it’s not quite a growl, it reverberates through me and into her. With the way her fear dissipates, there’s no way it’s anything else. Happiness flows through me and into the bond, bringing a smile to her lips. I didn’t think it was possible for someone like me to purr, and yet, I can. Karis sighs and rests her head against the wall, all traces of fear gone.

Holding her up with one hand, I reach down and grip my cock with the other, lining it up with her back entrance. Slowly, I ease her down, pausing whenever her face shows any sign of discomfort. It’s agony going that slowly, but it’s a discomfort I’m willing to take for her. I never want her experiences to be like mine. I never want her to face any sexual act with concern or unease.

I hold her ass open, pinning her to the wall with my chest, and continue to purr, pulling her closer towards me. Her skin is hot, almost like when she was in heat, but it doesn’t feel or smell the same. Slick pours from her body, coating my abs as I grind up against her, rubbing back and forth against her apex.

Karis’s cries bounce off of the walls and caress my skin, bringing another smile to my lips. I lean down to kiss her, tempering my need to possess her. It’s a soft brush of my lips against hers, but it’s enough to have her writhing in my arms. Her bottom hole clenches around my tip, drawing a strangled groan from my lips. I pull her down more, stretching her, spreading her open, filling her completely.

Inch by inch, I claim her, feeling her through our bond. It hurts; I can feel the bite of pain as if it’s my own, but there’s a pleasure there that edges out, dulling the discomfort to something manageable. Sinking to my knees, I ease Karis down onto the floor, keeping my body upright so the spray hits me and doesn’t go into her eyes.

I grip her hips and ease out, turning her face down before easing into her again. My cock starts to disappear into her body, and I groan. Electricity zips down my spine and into my balls, drawing them up. I need to be inside her before my knot expands, or else, it will be far more pain that she can take outside of a heat.

“Touch yourself, Karis. I want to feel my princess come beneath me.” The purr is gone, and in its place is a seductive growl.