Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
It was sometimes easy to forget that, in some senses, he was more beast than man. Every round of sex we had was a firm reminder of it. It was in the way he took, rutted, chased his orgasm so savagely.
My body tightened as my orgasm approached. Fire crawled through my veins. Pain-spiced bliss sang in my blood.
He filled his hand with my breast and squeezed; sending a spark of pleasure straight to my core. And I broke as a bliss so intense it was close to unbearable burned through my body. I turned my head and bit into his upper arm through his tunic, my inner muscles locking down on him with a viselike grip.
His pace turned feral and uneven as he rammed harder and faster. Then he stilled, harsh blasts of his release splashing my inner walls. He shuddered, grinded, grunted.
I let my head fall back to meet his shoulder, my breathing all over the place. I floated for a while, only to be plucked out of my pleasure-daze when he carefully turned me to face him. His dark gaze was all warm and languid.
“I bit you,” I taunted with a You deserved it look. Tit for tat, right?
He shrugged, unbothered. That was a shame. But I supposed he had no need to care, since the mark would already be healing. It would be gone before the minute was over.
I gathered my clothes, retreated to the communal garderobe, cleaned myself up, and then swiftly redressed. When I got back to the bunkbed, it was to find him lounging on my mattress, one arm behind his head, one leg bent at the knee.
Tipping my head to the side, I set my hands on my hips. “Why do I get the feeling that this whole thing was you territorially marking where I sleep?”
Pursing his lips, he let one shoulder lift and fall.
I rolled my eyes and snatched up my knapsack. “Whatever. Let’s go.”
Outside the barracks, we walked side-by-side toward his own, passing—
Bells rang loud, slicing through the other sounds. Talon left in a flash, causing a flutter of air to dance over my back.
I dumped my knapsack near my barracks and copied the other officiates in rushing to the armory. Once armed with my usual choice of weaponry, I joined the line of officiates as I darted out of the garrison and to the front wall, where the sconces were lit as a signal.
Our footsteps thundered up the stairs of the battlement. Reaching it, I stopped near one of the four huge stone dragons and scanned the view in front of me. I frowned. No trespassers were charging, no war cries were peppering the air, no growls and snarls could be heard.
Someone must have seen something to sound the alarm. It was difficult to make out what was coming when the high, twisted trees were so tightly-clustered together.
A quick glance showed me that Talon stood in the center of the battlement, his gaze locked on the newcomers who were still mostly concealed by the trees.
A cold breeze whispered over me, batting my golden-brown curls and causing little bumps to sweep across my skin.
Movements in the forest caught my eye. A flash of purple. A hint of black. A bop of a head. A pale face I couldn’t properly see.
There was definitely someone out there, and they seemed set on making a casual, nonthreatening approach.
Khalida appeared at my side, straining to see. “Who the hell is coming, and why aren’t they charging?”
“They were my questions.” Not reassured by the lack of aggression, I got my bow and arrow at the ready. My pulse thudded in my neck as I waited for them to appear, anticipation a quake in my bones.
“Maybe it isn’t someone who means us harm,” Khalida mused.
“That would sure make a nice change.”
Long minutes went by as the invaders continued their leisurely walk to the city. I heard Ajax suggesting to Talon that a Phoenixian could do a flyover and report back what they saw, but then the trespassers finally became visible where the trees thinned out.
There were four of them. Each had coal-black hair, dark eyes, and skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent. They also wore a long hooded purple robe that was reminiscent of a time when the children of the gods wore said garments as a proud declaration of their heritage.
They could only be Theseus, Daedalus, Medea, and Scylla—the half-bloods from the Dark Lands.
Talon didn’t signal for us to fire our arrows. Instead, he caught Keyes’ eye and tipped his head toward the fortress within the city walls. With a nod, the Marshall scurried away.
Personally, given that the Sovereigns tended to hang back when there was trouble, I wasn’t so sure there was much point in getting word to them.
Finally, the four newcomers reached the walls. The arched wooden doors didn’t open for them in welcome—no surprise there.