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Need rises inside me, causing my cock to strain against the seam of my pants as I press my hips deeper into her. I let the sigh escape her lips as I trail feverish kisses across her jaw while reaching behind her neck and tipping her head back so I can consume more of her. I eagerly bite and nip. Teeth clashing as I drink her in, never feeling like I will be able to quench my thirst.
Her hands grab hold of my arms, squeezing tightly as she lets me ravish her, wanting me to worship her like the Goddess she is. Even though I know it will never be enough, I need to fucking drown in her.
With every bit of control I can conjure, I pull away, dropping my forehead against hers. The sound of sharp, shallow breaths is all I hear against the rapid pounding of my heart.
“You’re mine,” I claim against her lips. “Anyone who dares to touch you will meet the end of their fate by my hands, and I’ll be happy to paint my promises with their blood.”
Her chest rises and falls roughly against mine. The grey in her eyes shines clearer than before, but still not completely. Before I can blink, her head snaps back with a grunt and she slams her hands over her ears. She hunches over, letting out a strangled scream that seems to make the trees wary with the way their branches still against the wind. Pain unleashes in the bond and my eyes widen as her power blasts out, knocking me backward.
I relinquish my wings before my back hits the forest floor. My body skids across it from the force, snapping roots and uprooting plants until my shoulder slams into the base of a tree. I don’t bother to brush myself off as I jump back on my feet, noticing the way her eyes resemble death again, dark as night.
She says nothing, the pull to the darkness stealing her away again. But she’s a fighter with the strength of all the stars in the sky. She will find her light again, even if I need to start the fire.
In the next breath, she calls on her power to wrap around her, leaving me alone once again in the forest. My eyes change back to blue as the connection to her through the bond drifts farther away. But I won’t let her slip through my fingers.
Because I’m under her spell, addicted to her poison, and I will fall into her ruin.
She will forever be my undoing.
CHAPTER TEN
Emma
Ships are scattered near the seaport of Asov, with their anchors released to keep their wooden beauties steady for the celebration. The official crowning of Calloway took place, and now music drifts through the salty air as every court mingles and dances on their ships.
Normally, such an occasion would take place in the throne room, then move to the ballroom for the party to follow. But Calloway is a captain whose sole love will always be on the water with the wind brushing against his sails. If only his greedy love for power wasn’t equally matched.
Wooden slabs are strung together to create bridges that are roped to each ship, connecting them for the people to travel easier for conversation and to greet the new king with their congratulations. I currently stand on the main deck, looking out past the fleets of ships and further to the horizon. My hands curl over the side of the ship, the splintered wood scraping the underside of my palm.
Aiden’s hand is gently resting on the small of my back that’s covered by the design of the gown he had made for me. One that hides every silent scream brutally marked on my skin. The scars of my past which have only strengthened the demon I’ve become. Scars I now wear proudly, yet Aiden chose to keep them unseen from the public eye. The thought makes me dig my nails into the wood, pressing hard enough to imprint my frustration with small crescent marks.
The dress is gold and catches the light of the sun, shimmering with the smallest movement. Aiden’s choice of color is simple; he’s showcasing me as if I’m a golden trophy he won. The sleeves cover just below my shoulder, with a flared neckline and the smallest opening that cuts down the front of my chest. A seam cinches around my waist before it drapes down in pleats, and the entire fucking gown is suffocating. I may complement the gold accents that line Aiden’s princely outfit as I stand beside him, but that’s not why the people stare.
All of them finally feast their eyes on the princess who was hidden away. They try to hide it, but the moment their gazes land on me, they dart them away before the darkness swirling in my eyes locks with theirs. Yet, they can’t help but sneak their focus back on me when they think I’m not paying attention. I look like the Corrupted, which makes them wary.
The streams of ebony beneath my skin clash against the bright shine of the gown. Like a war between good and evil.
“I can’t believe he’s officially king,” Aiden says calmly beside me.
I twist my head until my gaze finds Calloway, who is standing at the helm of the ship. His shoulders back and chin jutting out high as if the entire land of Deyadrum is his.
“I’m sure many feel the same.”
I can already tell this rank of power is going to go straight to his egotistical head. Everyone in Asov is already suffering under his inevitably harsh rule. For someone so selfish and cruel, he sure isn’t hiding it. Already, he shows how little he cares for his people by not providing the necessary goods they need to live without worry, while he refuses to listen to their pleas or answer their questions. The little time I’ve been back here, I have noticed many leaving to move to another court. His rule has only just begun, and the people are justifiably outraged.
Yet, Aiden acts like his father is doing no harm. Right now, he’s wearing a fashionable outfit in the most blinding white that causes my eyes to squint and makes me want to look away. Or maybe it’s the simple fact that one look at his face makes me want to smash his head into the wooden boards beneath my feet. A game to see which would crack first, the wood or his skull.
Suddenly, I feel Aiden tense beside me. The hand on my back slides to curl around my waist and draw me into his side. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye as his green orbs harden, glaring. “I’m glad we can put everything behind us and move forward together. You and I, just like we were always meant to be.”
My brows pull together. His words are spoken with steel as his eyes stay trained out to sea. For once, I’m not sure how to respond because he and I will never be forever. Just a picture he’s painted in his head. Aiden is a means to an end and a ploy to use for the task at hand. He’s nothing but a pawn I will have to discard when the time comes.
I follow where his eyes linger and the breath I was about to exhale gets lodged in my throat.
Prince Draven leans against the post of a ship anchored three rows away, arms crossed over his chest and eyes trained solely on me. Couples dance around behind him with the sound of music filtering through the air for everyone to hear. A zap of heat rolls beneath my skin, igniting every nerve ending, threatening them to explode until my heart flutters. I hide everything unfurling inside me while I keep my face blank.
“You are mine,” a voice penetrates my thoughts, causing my eyes to widen for a split second. But Prince Draven smirks, not missing my reaction.
Mates. He mentioned fated mates. If the spark in my cold chest isn’t enough proof, him speaking into my mind is. I lift my hand, the tips of my fingers absentmindedly tracing the scarred ring around my neck. The reason such a bond could never snap in place. It makes me want to bring King Oren back to life, just so I can kill him again and again.
