Total pages in book: 401
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 390373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1952(@200wpm)___ 1561(@250wpm)___ 1301(@300wpm)
Poppy gasped, her body stiffening before she started to lean back. Fighting to rein in the essence, I took over. I folded my arms around her and pulled her flush to my chest, holding her still as I thrust into her. The air crackled around us as I clutched the back of her head, burying her face against my neck as I ground against her.
“Feed,” I urged.
There was a moment of hesitation, and then her fangs pierced my throat. The pain was worth it, disappearing the moment she released her fangs, and her mouth closed over the wound. Her pussy spasmed on my dick with the first swallow. There was no way I would last. Not as she came and fed. Feeling like I couldn’t get deep enough, I slammed her down on me, over and over, until I came with a shout, likely heard in the courtyard below. I saw the arm wrapped tightly around her and noticed the glint of silver bone in my forearm.
For some fucked-up reason, Kieran’s words about running out of time pierced my haze of pleasure as I spilled into her. Suddenly, I knew what that something in his stare and voice that had the hair rising all over my body had been. I’d seen it in his eyes and heard it in his voice before. I’d seen and heard the same from his father.
What I saw and heard wasn’t a warning or even a threat.
It felt like a premonition.
CHAPTER 47
POPPY
“Open your mouth.”
Arching a brow, I did as he requested. A second later, a slice of cantaloupe passed my lips. As I chewed the juicy, mildly sweet fruit, I settled deeper into Casteel.
“Comfortable?” he asked, the bowl of fruit he searched through hovering just above my lap.
“Uh-huh.”
Casteel was all lean, hard muscle, honed from a lifetime of fighting and wielding a sword. But nestled between his legs with my back to his chest as we lounged in bed, I decided he was a surprisingly comfortable spot to rest against. Especially when discussing something like a public address.
We’d decided to keep it short, acknowledging that the people were likely concerned about what had occurred in Stonehill and Lowertown. What we told them about Kolis would be brief, leaving it to the smaller town halls held in each district for us to go into more detail about who Kolis was. We would assure them we would keep them safe and fight for them.
“If Attes happens to show up between now and then, should we have him at the address?” I asked as Casteel pulled out a piece of banana.
“I doubt his presence will help.”
“Is that an opinion based on anything but your apparent dislike of him?”
“Probably not.”
“At least you’re honest,” I murmured. “He is your great-grandfather.”
He rooted around in the bowl some more. “No need to remind me.”
I giggled. “I can’t believe you already don’t get along with him.”
“Once you meet him, I’m sure you will understand why.”
But I already have, a voice that was completely mine whispered, causing me to frown. Technically, I had while under Kolis’s influence, but—
“While I think the people seeing that another god is on our side is good, I don’t think it’s necessary to formally introduce him or for him to be beside us,” he said, “He’s another god the people have never heard of. It will only further complicate things.”
“Good point.” I toyed with a dainty ribbon dangling from the neckline of my nightgown as he lifted a glistening strawberry to my mouth. I bit down, chewing slowly as I turned things over in my mind. “I know we decided to move against Kolis whether Attes shows or not, but how soon is soon?”
He was quiet for a moment. “In the next day or so.”
My heart kicked against my ribs. He said it so casually, it was as if we were discussing taking a trip for pleasure. Then again, he was a descendant of a Primal God of War. “Okay.”
“You sure you agree with that?” he asked after a few seconds.
“I’ve wanted to go to Pensdurth for days,” I reminded him. “So, yes.”
His chest rose against my back. “But?”
“But…it’s war,” I said, staring up at the canopy, caught between enjoying this closeness and intimacy with Cas and loathing the necessity for such a discussion. “Not with just the Ascended or Revenants but against gods.”
“We will take them, Poppy,” he assured me. “They won’t be able to stand against us.”
“I know.” And I did. My chest squeezed. I did.
“Want more?” he offered.
I shook my head. “People will die, Cas. And I know people always die in battle, but there will be no second chances this time.” An image I couldn’t get out of my head flashed in my mind. Crimson-streaked, snow-white fur. I never wanted to see that again.
Casteel had placed the bowl beside us and wiped his fingers clean by the time he wrapped his arms around me again. “Then we need to do everything in our power to make sure we suffer as few losses as possible.”