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“That’s fucking right. And I don’t care what that fucking piece of shit parchment says. You. Are. Mine!” He captured my mouth, owning it, destroying it, as if he could swallow me whole and keep me inside him, where I’d never be lost to him.
A pulling at my shoulders, followed by a ripping sound as he tore open the bodice of my gown had me quivering. The collar and shoulders of the fabric bit into my skin as he pulled it wide open so he could bare my neck. He released my mouth and with his tongue, he lifted the osnat chain out of the way, exposing the claiming mark that pulsed only for him. When he sank his teeth into it, the climax to rival all climaxes hit me with a force that had me reeling.
When Lucius came apart, it was with a tormented sound against my neck, both a groan and a whimper. I held him tightly, feeling through our bond that surrender that made him vulnerable, a feeling he tried so hard to hide from me, himself especially. I sent him all the love and reassurance through that ribbon that merged us, and when our breathing and heartbeats returned to normal, only then did he release his mouth on my mark.
His neck was sweaty when I combed his hair back from his shoulders and face. He looked lost, and I kissed that look away.
“Did I hurt you?” he whispered, touching my arms, my shoulders, my face.
“Not at all.”
“I’m sorry. I—I just…”
“Shh. It’s okay, Lucius. It’s okay.”
“It’s not, but I promise to get a better grasp on these feelings I have for you. You deserve to be adored, not mauled all the time.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering where all this was coming from. Was it because he was comparing himself to Demos, who he knew would be a part of my life? Was it all the talk about his issues with House Trajan that had nothing, really, to do with me? Or was it because he was preparing himself for when Fadon returned?
A slight lifting at the corner of his mouth assured me he had recovered from his pique. “All that talk reminds me sometimes of where I came from. I lost my mother at a young age, had no siblings, barely any family. Times were hard, and the land was brutal. You fought or you died. And money was like wishes. Compared with what I have now? You are my most treasured gift, Sierra. Something I never thought I’d have and something I never thought I wanted.”
He shook his head in wonderment. “I lead several hundred Ongahri, have enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of my long life. And now I have this. You and me. It’s… I’m not used to having good things happen. Still to this day, I have to fight for everything, little dove. And you, who give your love so freely, wanting nothing in return… it’s both humbling and terrifying. I get lost in it sometimes. Either scared out of my fucking mind or all dreamy and wishing my mother could meet you.”
His smile was so sweet as he stared ahead to some image in his head, as if he were imagining his mother standing before us.
“What about your father? You’ve never mentioned him. Did you know him?” I wanted to tread carefully but I wanted to know Lucius, know everything there was he could share with me, because he so rarely shared a thing about himself to others. I was so grateful he had shared so much with me these past few days.
His eyes came back to mine and his jaw tensed. “I did not, no.”
“Oh, Lucius.” I couldn’t imagine not ever knowing my father. “Did you ever look for him, try to find out his whereabouts?”
“I have no idea who or where he is.”
His mother was an omega and had obviously died young. “You poor mother. I take it they were not mates.
“They were not.” That deep voice of his signaled the moment was over, and he sighed as if he were tired. He patted my thigh. “Let’s get you changed. My cum is dripping out of that sweet cunt.”
My cheeks heated at his language, still, after all this time.
He chuckled. “Oh, look at that. I’ve made my little dove blush.”
I swatted him on the shoulder. “Which you enjoy, don’t you?”
“Corrupting you?” He pawed my breast, pinching my peaked nipple. “I do. But I love making a mess out of you more.” His grin was back and it warmed my heart to see it, but it also made me miss that dreamy, vulnerable man I’d come to love as much as every other side he’d shown me so far.
I was determined more than ever to see it return.
Chapter Nine
Sierra
We docked at the small port of Utilla after breakfast. In contrast to Port Minerva, it was a very underwhelming place, only a hub for docking and undocking. The sparse town only offered minimal accommodations, with two eating establishments and a few three-room inns. There were no shops, no vendor stalls, and its lighthouse looked like the abandoned child of the one in Port Minerva, whose majesty was far more grand in both scope and aesthetics.
Lucius had hired two carriages: one for the two of us, along with Ander and Pateus; the other carriage would carry the servants and guards Lucius had brought along. The crew of the Freedom would stay on, waiting for word from their chieftain whether or not we’d travel to Odessia by water or by horse when it was time to leave Ghypsom City, which was at least an eight-hour ride east.
However, once we arrived in the exotic textiles city, it was past midnight, and I was haggard with exhaustion. I knew from my envoy days after leaving Providence that sitting in a carriage for more than an hour was brutal. At some point, after a hasty dinner of cheese, bread, and cold potatoes on the side of the road in the waning light of day, I had fallen asleep on Lucius’ lap, curled into a tight ball. Thankfully, the weather in this part of the land, which was generally flatter than most places on Titus, was not as cold. With four people in a small space, the warmth was perfect.
The carriage had blessedly stopped. Lucius cupped my check. “Little dove, wake up. We’re here.”
