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He shook his head, red tracks running from his beautiful wounds. “Araxis has been trying to tell me since the Occurrence, but something always stopped us. We finally got to it, and the words were barely out of his mouth before I was demanding the supplies and some damned privacy. Do you accept?”

Lunara fell to her knees, tore her dress from neckline to navel, and snatched the knife from his hands to dip it in the oil herself and go through the same motions. “By the light of the twin moons above us, by the power of the Sisters who made them, my blessed mate need never ask me, Lunara the Moonweaver, again. Brandir aht Bordoroth never need wait for permission. The gift of my blood is forever and freely given unto him, most beloved. I accept.”

She tossed the knife aside, chest heaving. “I know it’s not the same for you, but⁠—”

Brand lifted her hand and drew his tongue across her palm, stealing the rest of her words. “Not the same, but I think the Demons of the Montrealm could learn a thing or two from our Sorcerit neighbors.” His markings pulsed, the glow a low hum that stayed there instead of simply flashing, and he groaned. “I can feel your magic running through my veins, the power… It’s nigh overwhelming.”

An understatement.

Between Brand’s words and the heady scent of sea salt, pine, and heat coming off of him, the burning incense, she was ready to crawl out of her own skin just to get closer to him.

Sometimes, Lunara was convinced the two of them were incapable of making love without it being a cosmic meeting of forces beyond their understanding. Without their souls twining tighter and tighter until she hardly knew which one was hers anymore.

Talk about a divine rite of mates.

“Then drink, Brand. Feed.” Lunara pulled the frayed edges of her dress wider to free herself, nipples beading when the cool air hit them. “Take from me as I take from you, and we shall be all the stronger for it.”

Brand could barely see for the red wash in his vision. For the gnawing starvation he’d never felt until this moment, twisting somewhere deep and primal.

Whether it was coming from within or from her through the bond didn’t matter. It was all over when Luna’s lilting husk went deeper and she exposed herself like a fucking feast. He lunged forward and lifted her, tossing her onto the cot and climbing in after. Gripping the already-ruined fabric of her gown, he saw to its final destruction and ripped it from her perfect body, licking a line up from stomach to collar bone.

His trousers disappeared as he settled over her, her magic like a breeze, and he couldn’t help the sound that left him when he latched on to the slice in her throat.

Like metal and moonlight, Luna’s blood was hot and sweet at once. Utterly intoxicating.

She grabbed him by the horns and flipped their positions, grinding along the length of his cock as she bent to him, mimicking his actions.

“Is that how you’d like to do it, then?” Brand filled both hands with her heavy breasts, rolling the dusky tips between thumb and forefinger as he nipped her earlobe. “I clean yours, you clean mine?”

She reared back with a smirk. “No. Now, it’s time for me to teach you how to do it right.” Her nails scraped over his chest and he writhed beneath her. “Come on, Demon. Show me those fangs.”

Power simmered beneath the surface of his skin in answer. Brand allowed his control to slip the tiniest bit, and his canines lengthened.

“That’s it.” Pulling him upright, Luna cranked his head back. “Now feel.” Her tongue laved over the cut on the other side of his neck and she struck.

“Fuck.” He cradled her nape, pressing her deeper, reveling in the invasion. “Yes.”

When Brand reached between them to circle her clit, she detached on a cry. He swooped in to swallow the sound with lips and tongue. To taste himself on her. It was almost too much, that hunger doubling over itself until he was almost mindless with need.

He wanted her to come apart before he lost himself completely to whatever frenzy was starting. Wanted to bask in her rapture before finding his own. To worship his little moon goddess as she deserved.

“Shite,” he breathed at last, using the hold he had on her hair to arch her backwards, “I’m going to— Burning Solyrian, look at you.”

Hair snaking every which way, it brushed against both of them like silken ribbons. Streaks of red were stark across her otherworldly skin, her opalescence flashing brighter at the dark edges, the low lighting doing nothing to dim her. Heavy gaze on his, she moaned and rolled her hips to help him with his strokes. Beyond stunning.

Arms crossing over her head as if to further taunt him, she rasped, “Sure you want to wait?”

“No.” Not in the least.

Luna raised a brow, tongue darting out to catch her bottom lip.

Fuck it.

Brand fisted his cock, teasing it through her slick folds and notching himself at her molten entrance.

“Like you mean it, Demon.”

He buried himself on a snarl.