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“Look at you,” I rasped back, moonlight glowing around both of us so brightly it was nearly blinding. It felt like the Goddess herself was bathing us in her light, blessing our union as she watched in approval. The shadowy and bright beasts inside me writhed, and a deep sense of inexplicableknowingfilled me. That Carnon was my mate. That this was good. And right.
Carnon pulled me to sit up, and for a long moment we sat there, naked on the mossy earth, moonlight glowing from our skin and breaths coming heavily. The glow began to fade as the moon passed to the other side of the clearing, and Carnon cupped my face in his hands, bringing me close for a tender kiss.
“Are you well?” he mumbled against my lips.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Do you feel any different? Stronger? You said your magic would be strengthened by our bond.”
“Not really,” Carnon replied, tilting his head as if trying to feel inside himself. “You?”
“Same,” I said, resting my head against his chest. “Are yousurewe’re mates?”
Carnon chuckled, flicking my nose teasingly. I felt that warm ball inside of me tighten, like a band around my heart that he was tugging. My necklace thrummed in approval.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, pressing his lips to my hair as he held me against him.
“No,” I replied, running my hands over his powerful chest. The smell of the forest—it was the smell ofhim—that evergreen and spice smell that I needed to wrap around me like a cloak and wear forever. I bit my lip, thinking of all his wicked promises to me and flushing slightly. “But…”
“What?” he asked, the edge of concern in his voice warming me and breaking my heart all at once. I smiled up at him, letting a little of my own wickedness shine through.
“I was promised a tree.”
Chapter 22
The demon magic, it turned out, came in very handy for healing the scratches that ravaged my back and thighs the following morning. Totally worth it, I thought as I lay boneless in Carnon’s arms, the sun just rising above the horizon as I remembered the many, many trees Carnon had taken me against last night, their bark scraping my skin in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
The desire of the claiming was a feral, unrestrainable beast, and it wasn’t until pale dawn light began to fill the sky that Carnon had finally flopped back on the moss, declaring himself too spent to go another round.
I had dozed off I think, but the scent and nearness of him, and the temptation to run my fingers over the hard planes of his chest, was far too much for sleep to keep me for long.
“Good morning,” he rumbled, voice still hoarse from the obscene amount of noise we had made last night. He turned slightly, pressing a kiss to my nose and meeting my gaze. “Mate.”
I bit my lip, the word sending sparks of desire through me anew. Goddess above, this was going to be an interesting few days, I suspected.
“The Daemon Lords won’t be happy,” I murmured, tracing the lines of his face, his pointed ears, and the sharp horns atop his head. “Will they know that you claimed me?”
His gaze went a little feral again at that touch, a wicked glint in his eye. “Fuck the Daemon Lords,” he said, toying with the shadow stone necklace I wore. The stone had cooled, but it was still warmer than usual, a steady thrum emanating from it in time with Carnon’s heartbeat. “Whether they figure it out or not, there’s no way they could have stopped me from claiming you, Red.”
“Hmm,” I said skeptically. “I’m pretty sure they won’t agree with that.”
Carnon kissed me, slow and sensual, his tongue sweeping through me in a languorous stroke.
“I don’t really care, Red,” he murmured, speaking against my lips. “And I’ll tear them to shreds if they try to take you from me.”
“It should probably worry me that your threats of violence arouse me,” I said, pressing my own kiss to his nose.
He chuckled. “It just means you’re perfect for me, Red. Although I already knew that. How’s your back?”
“A bit sore,” I confessed. “Even with the healing magic. Maybe trees are not the best surface for your particularly enthusiastic lovemaking.”
Carnon stroked a hand up my back, a wave of his own healing magic soothing the scrapes that mine hadn’t caught. He smirked a little, looking down his nose at me with something I could only characterize as primal male satisfaction.
I rolled my eyes. “No need to look so pleased about it,” I said.
“But it’s such a compliment,” he rumbled, his hand skating lower over my backside. “And I have so many ideas about how I can make it up to you.”
“Thatwill have to wait until later,” I chastised, catching his hand before it discovered that my body definitely did not agree with waiting. “We should get back.”
“Cold?” Carnon asked, pushing hair from my face.
