Page 288 of House Ignis

I was running on pure exhaustion; Asher and I had barely slept, caught in a cycle of him devouring me and us talking until four in the morning.

We’d collapsed into my bed the second we finally made it inside, while Zya and Aether curled together in front of the hearth.

Since we’d returned to the Academy, the two boundlings had been inseparable, a sight that was almost too cute for two such lethal predators.

Now, I was draped across my chaise lounge in shorts and a strappy red shirt, a book forgotten in my lap while Asher used my thighs as a pillow. I played with the dark curls that tumbled over his forehead, tracing the familiar lines of his face. Gods, he was perfect.

His eyes fluttered open while I was still admiring him.

"Stalker much?" he mused, a sleepy, self-assured smile tugging at his lips.

"I’m sure you’d like that," I countered, arching a brow.

He chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating against my legs.

“Careful, firecracker. Don't stoke the beast."

In one fluid motion, he sat up and hauled me onto his lap, my legs settling on either side of his hips.

I trailed my fingers over the swirling ink of his tattoos, tracing the intricate lines with a light touch.

He groaned at the sensation; I knew he enjoyed the tickle of my fingertips just as much as I did.

He rolled his head back, eyes sliding shut as I continued my exploration, eventually letting my touch drift to the bond mark over his collarbone.

His hands gripped my thighs with sudden, punishing force. Gods, I was instantly wet at the contact.

He chuckled, eyes still closed, clearly sensing my reaction through the bond. I furrowed my eyebrows at the mocking sound and decided to play dirty.

I leaned down, licking a path from his ribs up to his chest before flicking my tongue over his nipple.

He groaned, his grip on my legs tightening until it bruised. I didn't stop, trailing my tongue up the column of his throat before fisting my hand in his hair.

I yanked his head to the side—hard—and gods, he bucked his hips against me at the sharp spark of pain.

I smiled in triumph, feeling the heat of him rising.

“Gods, my vicious firecracker,” he moaned through the bond.

He was so fucking turned on. I leaned in, biting into the sensitive skin of his neck just lightly enough to mark him.

He went completely still beneath me, his cock twitching against my center through the thin fabric of his sweatpants.

The bond thrummed between us, a heavy, vibrating pulse that matched the frantic beat of my heart.

I focused on a small patch of skin untouched by ink, sucking a mark into his neck before smiling against his skin. I

trailed my tongue higher, tracing the curve of his ear and dipping behind it, only to find more swirling tattoos hidden beneath his dark curls.

I brushed the hair away to see the ink better, and my heart suddenly seized.

I went stone-still. There, tucked neatly behind his ear and hidden from the world, was a small black crown.

“Ava?” Asher’s voice was low, sensing the immediate shift in the bond.

Before I could fumble for an answer, the door swung open.

My head snapped toward the sound to find Ezra leaning against the doorframe, looking entirely too amused, while Havoc and Ruin, the twin heads of his massive bloodhound, watched dutifully from his side.