Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Not in a thousand years. Not in eternity,” he vowed. “Stay in my suite while we’re in Theirland.”
My heart skipped, and I opened my mouth to accept.
Be on guard. Trust only me. Avoid Cyrus. He’ll be there, and when you see him, you’ll wish to aid him. Do not.
I will never ask you to do something that will lead to your harm or the harm of others.
Ignoring the whisper of Domino’s words, I kissed the heel of Cyrus’s palm. “Yes. I will.”
“Good.” He cradled the back of my head, the firmness of his touch sending shivers down my spine. The air charged with anticipation as he lifted me and leaned in, rasping, “Every second I didn’t kiss you was a second wasted. I don’t plan to waste another.”
Chapter Ten
Listen, and you will hear the victory plan.
—The Book of Soal 1.20.4.20
Our lips met in a fervent press. I wound my arms around Cyrus’s sculpted form, drawn to the furnace of heat that poured from his body. That heat seeped through the thin barrier of my clothes, and it was as if sunlight melted frost. He claimed my mouth with aching reverence, sweeping his tongue past my teeth, enthralling me with a kiss both a promise and a possession. His rich, familiar taste struck a chord buried deep, where reason couldn’t reach. Something primal answered.
I matched the rhythm of his next thrust with a desperation that rivaled his, every lick an unspoken vow between us. He seduced me with devastating precision, stoking a slow burn of longing until it roared. My senses fractured and re-formed around him, sharper, hungry, and undeniably transformed.
Time blurred. Thoughts dissolved. There was no room for doubt. No escape from the intoxication. He was mine, and I was his, and we belonged together. Never should we part.
“You want more of me, sweetness?” He rumbled the words between ragged breaths. “Perhaps just a little?”
A new endearment. One I wished to hear again and again and again. And yet, a whisper of denial bubbled up. Not here. Not now. Not like this.
What was wrong with here, now, and like this? I’d longed for this moment, and I wouldn’t give it up.
I brushed the tip of my nose against his and with a throaty voice, beseeched him. “Yes, please, and thank you.”
“Then more you shall have.” He nipped my bottom lip and soothed it with a slow drag of his teeth, more reverent, more possessive. “I’ll give you everything, but I’ll demand nothing less in return.”
“Then take it.” I toyed with the ends of his hair. “I’m yours. I’ve always been yours.”
Satisfaction glinted in his eyes. “I’m the man for you, not Domino. Say it.”
He thought I might be falling for the librarian? “You’re the man for me, Cyrus Dolion. Only you.”
With a husky groan, he clasped my hips, lifted me to his lap, and kissed me again. Everything else fell away as I straddled him, pressing closer. Closer still. He breathed my name. I mewled his.
What began as a slow, awed exploration soon unraveled into a frenzied devouring. His hands roamed, kneading my waist, my backside, my thighs before threading into my hair to tilt my head just so. The kiss deepened, quickened, but I couldn’t get close enough. Couldn’t touch enough. His heat called to me, demanding skin to skin. I fumbled at his shirt, eager for the barricade to be gone.
“Well, of course you’re here, doing her.”
The dry tone struck my ears, and I jolted. Wrenching from Cyrus, I leaped to my feet.
High Princess Lolli stood in the open doorway, clicking a blunt-tipped nail against a bar. Tap, tap, tap.
I panted while Cyrus remained seated on the bed, calm as could be. She wore a black tank top, camo pants, and combat boots. A sleek bun highlighted sharp, lovely features. Annoyance oozed from her pores.
My cheeks blazed, realization slapping me hard. Public make-outs weren’t my style, yet I’d done just that. How many of my classmates had heard us?
Although, the ward wasn’t exactly silent. Several trainees were moaning and groaning, creating a chorus. Unless they’d been released from their chains, they were pleasuring themselves. Others whispered together. Some snored.
“We need to go,” the princess stated. “Something’s happening in Theirland, and I know you sense it too. Vyle says he’ll brief us as soon as we arrive.”
They sensed things that were happening in Astan’s world? And what was happening there?
Domino’s voice whispered once again. A man able to contain the full brunt of Astan’s power has been born.
Astan’s horns will straighten. When they reach maximum height, they will release a blast across both realms.
I went cold. Were the gods closer to being freed? Had Astan’s horns fully straightened?
Cyrus worked his jaw before slowly unfolding to his feet. A mere handful of inches separated us, ensuring we exchanged breaths. Vibrating with banked ferocity, he lowered his chin and pinned me with his stare. “I would die for you.” He canted his head slightly to peer at Lolli while still speaking to me. “I would kill for you too.”