He reaches up to grab my hips again, but I weave my shadows around his wrists, pinning them above his head. A soft chuckle escapes him, and I meet his gaze with a look that says I’m in control now, a notion he seems to relish. Iincrease my pace, lifting off him then sinking back down, each movement more intense than the last.
I glance down and notice the tips of my hair darkening to black.Don’t lose control, I remind myself, but it’s challenging. He feels too good, and my grasp on restraint is slipping away rapidly.
Colton flips me onto my back. I don’t know how he broke free, but in a blink he’s on top of me, his fingers tracing my face and around my eyes as he examines me. I catch sight of my own reflection in his eyes—my pupils swirling black—and he must be feeling the inky veins that have started to spread across my face.
“Now, it’s my turn to show you that no matter how dark and powerful you think you are, I can always take control, because you’re mine,” he declares, thrusting into me. The force takes my breath away, each movement more dominating than the last.
My body craves his possessiveness, and the darkness within me purrs in pleasure as he asserts himself. Colton takes control in the most intoxicating way.
He grips my thighs tight, holding my legs apart, pushing and pulling my body with his, as if seeking to bury himself even deeper inside me. I cry out, throwing my hands up, desperately searching for something to ground myself. I latch onto his biceps, holding on for dear life as he drives me into oblivion.
I climax twice before he finally slows his pace. This is not making love; this is Colton claiming what belongs to him—and I fucking love it.
He releases my legs, and they fall to the grass, limp as overcooked noodles. He leans over me, his face inches from mine, his expression intense, his emerald eyes fiercely glowing in the moonlit night. “I love you, Lyra, all of you, no matter how dark.You’re mine,” he declares, sending my heart into a joyful flutter.
“I love you, Colton, and you’re mine,” I respond, reaching up to caress his face. He kisses me tenderly for the first time tonight, his tongue slowly exploring my mouth as if memorizing every contour.
His arousal remains firm inside me, and he resumes moving, slowly this time. I revel in the sensation of him withdrawing and then pressing back in deeply.
“Come inside me. I want to feel you,” I urge him, pulling away from his kiss. I’ve already climaxed twice and feel a twinge of selfishness. Looking down between us, I watch us merge into one. His hand travels from my breast down to my center, where he begins to circle my clit. I bite down on my lip, my hands digging into the grass.
Colton tugs gently at my lip with his teeth and kisses me again, his movements drawing moans and cries from me until I climax once more, quivering beneath him.
“Good girl,” he murmurs, tasting myself on his finger. His stare locks onto mine, not kissing me, watching as he reaches his own climax. I hold his piercing gaze, letting it delve into my soul as he releases inside me, leaving us both panting in the aftermath.
I never want to leave this position, but after a few moments he gently pulls out and settles beside me, tugging me to rest on his chest. “Colton,” I whisper, my voice nearly drowned out by the chorus of frogs echoing through the night.
“Yes, my shadow,” he replies. I throw an arm over him and hook one leg around him, yearning for the closeness we shared moments ago. He wraps his arm around me tightly, holding me as if he too can’t bear the distance.
“My dress is shredded to ribbons, and I’m too exhausted to move,” I confess, and he chuckles softly. Iswat at his chest, but it’s a feeble gesture. I’m spent after the day’s events, the night’s passions, and the surge of magic. My body cries out for rest.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, the last thing I hear before his essence envelops us. Suddenly, we’re in his bed, his body wrapped around mine, cradling me in his embrace—safe.
Chapter 19
Colton
“How long hasshe been out there?” I ask Rix and Rune as they prepare dinner in the kitchen. I can see Lyra through the window, seated on the grass, her feet dipped in the water, gazing into the distance. Chepi, as usual, is snoozing beside her.
“She’s been out there for a couple of hours,” Rune comments without looking up from chopping vegetables.
“Hasn’t really moved much either,” Rix adds from the pantry.
It’s been nearly a week since the party at my parents’ estate, and Lyra hasn’t been herself. She seems distant, lost in thought, and it’s been weighing on me. With all the time I’ve spent managing the fallout from Nyx’s schemes, maybe it’s time to try talking to him again, to mend things so we can discuss the looming battle openly.
I’ve been trying to keep Lyra out of the darkest parts of this. I know she doesn’t want any more secrets between us, and I’m not hiding anything, just shielding her from the stress of what’s coming. I want her to be happy, lost in plans for our wedding, not burdened by the imminent threat of war.
Yet she will be queen of Cloudrum someday, and perhaps it’s unfair to keep her from the realities of her kingdom. I wanted her to enjoy the Dream Forest, to have some peace before the storm. And every time Samael’s name comes up, I see how it affects her. That bastard is living on borrowed time, and I intend to end his reign myself—for good this time.
“Are you in trouble?” Rix teases, emerging from the pantry with a bag of flour in hand.
“Guess I’d better find out,” I respond, receiving a scolding look from him. I kick off my boots and head out the back door.
Lyra doesn’t turn as I approach, but I know she senses my presence. Sitting next to her, I dip my feet into the water beside hers. “What’s wrong, Princess? You’ve got Rix and Rune back there thinking I’m in some kind of peril,” I chuckle, noticing the corner of her lips twitch upward, though she still doesn’t face me.
“I like keeping you on your toes,” she teases, her foot playfully brushing against mine under the water.
“And what are you doing out here all by yourself?” I probe further.
