Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
I slowly became aware of his stillness. His chest moved then, rising and falling rapidly against mine as he trembled.
Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. He tipped his chin down and stretched his neck from side to side. “Ash?” I whispered.
“I’m…” The hand by my head fisted, then his eather-filled wings flickered before collapsing in a shower of glittering sparks. “I just need a moment.” He shuddered, causing my toes to curl at the sensation. “I…I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
Eather pulsed from his eyes before he slammed them shut. “You don’t know that.”
I did.
I was always safe with him.
I watched him battle himself, and that hidden, darkly sinful part of me didn’t want him in control.
“Ash.” I slipped my hands over the smooth, cold planes of his cheeks as I lifted my hips. He groaned, and I thought of the wicked words he’d said when he last lost control. A wave of wanton desire flooded me. “Will you fuck my pussy?”
“Fucking gods,” he snarled, his hips jerking.
Then, he did.
And…gods. Ash fucked hard and fast, the force as savage as how his mouth moved over mine. I wrapped my legs around his hips, rising to meet him as my fingers tangled in the silky strands of his hair. We were frenzied as he drove into me, over and over, until I could no longer keep up with the wild rhythm. The sounds I made would surely turn my cheeks crimson later, but I couldn’t stop myself as I trembled beneath him. He moved faster, harder, working an arm beneath my head. Either his fangs or mine nicked my lip, and he growled, drawing the little drop of blood into his mouth as he thrust into me all the way. With no space between us, he ground his hips. There was no steady build-up to release. I felt his cock begin to spasm, and that pushed me to the edge and right over it. A storm of pleasure, almost violent in nature, swept through me, kicking my head back against his arm as I cried out his name.
I didn’t know how much time passed as we remained joined, our hearts slowing. But when Ash spoke, I knew he had complete control of himself.
“Sera?” he rasped.
“I’m here, and I’m okay.” I tilted my head to the side, seeking. His lips found mine. The kiss was gentle and sweet but no less shattering than the ones that’d come before.
Ash eased himself from me, but his body didn’t leave mine. Supporting his weight on one arm, he rested his forehead against mine. “Fates, Sera. I thought…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. I knew what he thought, what must have preyed on his mind as he slept, kept under the spell and driven to lose his hold on his mortal form.
“It wasn’t him,” I whispered.
Ash’s shudder of relief caused my heart to ache. Gods, I didn’t think it was possible to hate Kolis more than I already did, but I was wrong. I knew this would always be a fear until Kolis was dealt with.
For both of us.
I cleared my throat. “It was the riders.”
Ash lifted his head, and his brows rose. “What in the fuck?”
My lips twitched. “That about sums up my initial reaction.”
His fingers coasted over my cheek. “Tell me what happened.”
I did, sharing how I’d ended up in a cavern on the outskirts of the Abyss. Ash quietly listened as I explained how I’d had to prove myself worthy. His eyes narrowed as I described the three-headed beast. When I got to the Tavius portion, he went rigid.
“But it wasn’t really him,” I assured.
“No shit,” he growled. I arched a brow. “He’s a special case. I would know if he left where I last left him.” He paused. “In pieces.”
Pieces?
“How did—?” I stopped myself. “You know what? I don’t think I want to know.”
His smile was tight, toothless. “You sure about that?”
Actually? Yes. I ran my finger over the faint scar on his chin. “He was just a representation of me.”
“How in the fuck is he supposed to be a representation of anything of you?” Ash demanded, the eather whipping through his eyes.
“The part of me that…reacts violently when I feel like I don’t have control,” I admitted. It was hard to share when his lips thinned, peeling back until the tips of his fangs became visible. “I didn’t realize it wasn’t really Tavius at first. I…I beat him.”
“Good,” Ash snarled, his eyes fierce. “What did I tell you before when it came to him?”
“Not to let him leave a mark.”
“Exactly.” He drew his thumb over my chin. “That hasn’t changed, whether it was really him or not.”
“I know.” I smiled for him. “At first, I thought he was the monster I needed to slay next. I was about to kill him until I realized that if I did, it would be a final death. I would’ve…”