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“And how do I do that, Nik?” I questioned earnestly.
His big hand still rested on my waist, his thumb resting against the curvature of my hipbone and the rest of his strong fingers wrapping around me.
“Feed it your pain,” he said, digging his fingers into my skin. “Better yet, give it your pleasure,” he suggested, placing his other hand on my waist and tugging me a little closer to the front of his body.
When I didn’t resist, little tendrils of shadows began to seductively dance up my ankles, then wrap around my calves. They skillfully whipped and flicked against my skin with a precision that promised so much more. I got the feeling that these masterful little tendrils could assist me in feeding either pain or pleasure to the darkness, although their current pursuit felt like pleasure.
“Nik,” I panted as the shadows threatened to advance up my thighs and make good on their promises. Their progress halted at my words.
“Princess,” Nik cooed what was once my least favorite name. “I know you are hurting. Let me do this for you. Let me take away your pain and replace it with pleasure.”
My body wanted me to say yes. My heartache was all-consuming, but there was a competing ache building between my thighs that greedily wanted to find out what reprieve the shadows had to offer. I leaned into his embrace until there was no longer any space between the front of our bodies.
“That’s right,” he purred, and his shadows once again advanced up past my knees to my inner thighs. “I’ve tried everything with you, to try to break you free of whatever it is that is holding your powers back. Everything butthis.”
As he lowered his face to mine, I thought of how irresistible his lips looked. But then his words registered with me. I pushed myself off his firm chest, keeping his face away from mine. He didn’t want me. He only cared about my magic. I didn’t want to dothiswith someone who viewed me as nothing more than a tool or weapon.
“Is this the only way, Nik?” I asked quietly. “Is this what the prophecy meant by you having to make your ‘mark’ on me?”
I had thought about the words of the prophecy over and over again.His mark upon her and her magic shall give her the strength to save the lives and magic of all.
“Is there no other way for us to break my magic free?”
I didn’t want to be used, but if it was the only way and I could save it all, I would find a way to be okay with it. The darkness around us was replaced with the afternoon sky so quickly that I brought my arms up to shield my eyes. I was on the ground back at the M by myself, and Nik was standing nearby, cool and collected. I shook my head, leaning up on my hands, and trying to adjust to the quick, disorientating change of scenery.
“No,” he said. “I don’t think that sex is theonlyway. I just think that when you are having sex is one of the only times you actually let your guard down enough to get in touch with your abilities.”
“Don’t act like you know me, Nik. Not like that,” I bit back.
I was angry that my body was still burning with desire for his touch. I was angry that he was probably right. That was probably why nothing had ever happened to Stefan’s magic while I was with him. I had never let my guard down while I was with Stefan. I had never even stayed the night at his place because something always felt out of place with him.
“I think we can be done with lessons today, princess, yeah?”
He walked over to me, standing above me, looking as magnificent in the daylight as he did in the dark. He offered me his hand and pulled me to his side. His touch was light and respectful. He just barely gripped my waist as we disappeared in darkness once more.
37
Alarie
With Cass gone, our group of six was now just five—Luke, Karina, Rhett, James, and me. I spent my days training, but my nights were lonely. My heart ached for Cass so viscerally that I often spent my hours in bed tossing and turning, trying unsuccessfully to forget the comfort I had once known wrapped in his muscled arms and cocooned by his gigantic wings.
It wasn’t all bad, though. Since my breakup with Cass, it felt like Karina and James had started to make an effort to be my friends, which was nice. We’d always been friendly, but now they invited me to hang out even when Luke and Rhett were not around. I had my suspicions that their recent friendliness was, at least in part, spawned by their curiosity regarding Nik and me being his Chosen.
It was clear that everyone assumed my breakup with Cass had something to do with Nik. But I couldn’t tell anyone about the prophecy or the role I was supposed to play. Luke knew the truth about the prophecy. The entire High Council knew. But no one else could know. So, I just had to go on letting everyone believe whatever they wanted to believe about me and Nik.
“Luke, throw me that blanket, will ya?” I asked.
The five of us sat in a sitting room at Luke’s house. We’d opted for a low-key night—dinner at the High Court, followed by drinks and cards at Luke’s. Luke grabbed the blanket on his end of the lounge, throwing it over me and tucking the blanket under my legs as he scooped my feet up so that my legs rested in his lap.
“Who’s ready to lose?” Luke chirped, beginning to hand out cards.
After just two short hands, Karina popped up out of her seat like it was made of hot coals. “I think I’m going to bed.”
Luke looked over at Karina, his brows furrowed.
“Okay,” he responded flatly. “I’ll walk you over.”
Karina was staying in a guest house adjacent to his manor.
