Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 242728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1214(@200wpm)___ 971(@250wpm)___ 809(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 242728 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1214(@200wpm)___ 971(@250wpm)___ 809(@300wpm)
He froze. “The moth said the same thing.”
“The moth?”
“What else?” he asked, ignoring me. “What else did you see?”
“I saw...” I trembled as his past desperation echoed in my ears. “You said you’d chased me since the beginning of time. Across the skies and into the seas. That now you—”
“Had you in mortal form...” He jerked. “...in my arms and in kissing reach...I wasn’t going to let anything stop us.”
I froze. “You remember...?”
He nodded slowly. “I remember needing you. I remember being so angry I was willing to do anything to have you.” He shuddered. “I remember that rage pouring into the ground and...” He shook his head. “I did what you said I did.”
“Lightning tried to stop us back then, but now...”
“It’s a wolf and a lynx.” He nuzzled my nose with his. “And my own fear of hurting you.”
“You’d never—”
“I’d never.” He dropped his chin and kissed me.
He jolted as if he hadn’t meant to do such a thing.
Our lips grazed.
He sucked in a breath.
Our eyes locked and I waited for him to pull away again. To deny us what we’d wanted for such a long time.
But...he didn’t pull away.
Ever so slowly, he closed his eyes and licked at the seam of my lips.
I sighed and parted for him.
His tongue touched mine.
All the heat of before exploded.
All the need.
All the frustration and denials and histories, ignited in a lust-searing woosh.
“Fuck.” He fell on me, his body sandwiching mine against the tree. “Make me stop. Please, please make me stop.” A whipping shadow cast out from his back, knocking Syn and Zetas away, trapping us in our own little world where only the rain could touch us.
Darro’s tongue tangled with mine and I lost myself to him.
I forgot about lightning bolts and mountains soaring from the earth. I forgot about the past and the future and everything that we were and could never be.
I chose to exist in this moment. With him.
“I love you,” I whispered as he kissed his way along my jaw, nipping at my throat.
He snarled and drove both fists into the tree behind my ears. “I’ve always loved you.” His hips rocked, pulsing into me. “I always will.”
I spread my legs, granting him space to slip between.
He shuddered and found my mouth again, kissing me hard, turning sweetness into savagery.
The thunderstorm gathered power above. My mark burned and fear tickled at the back of my mind of being punished.
But I didn’t care.
I don’t care.
I wanted, wanted, wanted.
I wouldn’t let him stop this.
I wouldn’t let beasts or elements stop this.
I threw myself at his mercy and cried out as his hands fumbled at my calfskin wrap. The knots came loose, and he shoved aside the fur, baring my form to autumn chill, pouring rain, and scalding male possession.
He gave in to the magic between us, just like I had.
Cupping my right breast, he fed a guttural groan onto my tongue. His fingers pinched my nipple. Aggressive and needy—his touch making me throb.
He swallowed my moan as I arched my back, giving him everything. I opened my mouth wider to breathe, to gasp, but he suffocated me with a delicious dark kiss.
His hands skated from my breast to my waist, his fingers digging into my hips as he rubbed his arousal against my belly, tickling my skin with his wolf pelt.
My heart galloped as he pulled away, his lips stung and swollen, eyes wide and dilated. “I...” He choked on a breath. “I can’t...stop.” His gaze blazed with so many things. “I don’t want to hurt you—”
“You won’t.” I reached up and sank my fingers into his wild hair, pulling him back down to me.
He collapsed.
Our lips connected.
Our tongues touched.
I dropped my fingers from his hair, trailing them over his bare, rain-slick chest, landing on his wolf pelt.
He groaned as I tugged.
He sucked in a breath as it loosened.
He flinched as it fell to our feet, leaving his scorching bare skin to press against mine. “Fuck, Runa...” He rocked into me, shuddering the tree trunk, sending more leaves to tumble over us, sticking to our wetted skin. “To finally feel you this way...”
His lips smashed to mine.
Our kiss turned dark and deep.
His flesh was a pyre, his shadows thick and cloaking. Nothing else existed but us. Just us. No stars. No moon. No chaperones.
He grunted as my hand slipped between us, seeking him, wanting to touch like I had in the cave. His teeth clamped on my bottom lip as I found him, stroked him, broke him.
Another bloom of blood flavoured our kiss.
But this time, no vision.
Just lust.
We assaulted one another.
We punished one another.
We let truth pour free of how much we needed this, how long we’d fought this, how deeply we loved all while being told it was forbidden.
Darro’s hand dropped from my hip and cupped between my legs.