“Answer me,” he commanded, and I nodded, the heat in my lower stomach almost unbearable.
“Forever. You’re mine, too.”
I cried out when he thrust in hard, filling me completely. All of my muscles locked up tight at the sudden pressure.
He didn’t pull out until I relaxed again, pumping into me slowly, his metallic gaze pinned to my face. His own eyes were half-lidded, lips swollen from our first hard kiss.
I tilted my chin up, catching his lip between my teeth again. Lucifer’s cock pulsed, and he ground into me hard, his chiseled stomach rubbing my clit.
My gasps filled the air between us. He arched his hips against me, and I pushed him aside, forcing him to roll onto his back.
His face split in a crooked grin, his hands finding my hips and jerking me against him. I ran my hands over his chest and abs, tracing the lines of his tattoos.
Lucifer groaned and pushed deeper, lifting me off the bed.
The sight of someone so much stronger than me, so much more powerful than me, groaning in pleasure underneath me filled me with satisfaction. I rode him hard, relishing the feeling of the Morningstar, Hell’s own prince, pulsing inside me.
He stroked my shoulders and breasts, pinching a nipple and sending a streak of white-hot fire through my nerves. My hips jumped and he drew a hissing breath through his teeth, pinching the other as my strokes grew faster.
I hit the edge with the force of a tidal wave, clamping down on him when I came. One of my hands instinctively covered my mouth and he grabbed my wrist, jerking my hand away.
Lucifer shuddered, releasing himself deep inside me. When his moans became a groan of contentment, I collapsed on top of him, pillowing my head on his chest.
He stroked my back, running his fingertips from the nape of my neck down to the soft feathers limning my shoulder blades.
The last thing I expected was for him to ask, “How much do you trust me, Melisande?”
I looked up, touching his kiss-swollen lower lip. “I thought we already agreed that we trust each other.”
So why don’t you tell me what you brought you to death’s door?
I kept the thought to myself.
“So we do. But… there’s something I’d like you to do for me.” His quicksilver gaze was dead serious. I propped myself up on my elbow, and the little flex of stomach under me sent butterflies through my own stomach.
“Lucifer, you just fucked my brains out. I’m feeling pretty generous towards any requests you might have.”
His crooked grin came back. “Fine, then. What if I asked you to wear one of my feathers?”
I was immediately on-guard. “Would this be a mating gift, or…?”
“It could be.” I expected him to smile wider or laugh, but his somber expression hadn’t fully faded. “If you wanted it to be. If not, I’d just like for you to wear it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Does this have anything to do with why you were practically shredded the other night?”
Lucifer stroked the bridge of my nose, making me wrinkle it. “Perhaps. Let’s save that explanation for another time, yes?”
“No.” I swatted his hand away, but he began stroking my hair, and it was impossible to dissuade that. “I thought you were dying. Just because I’m in post-orgasmic bliss doesn’t mean I’m willing to hold off on reasonable explanations.”
He rolled over, swiftly crushing me under him. I inhaled, catching his peppery scent, and found myself pinned. “But that would ruin the bliss,” he murmured, nipping my earlobe. “Why don’t you just agree to my one simple request, and we’ll have this conversation later.”
I was ready to push for the information I wanted so badly, to have my worst fears confirmed, but it was impossible to concentrate on much of anything with Lucifer nibbling his way down my throat.
“Yes. I’ll wear your feather.”
He rumbled in satisfaction, hands flexing around my wrists. “As a gift. I’ve chosen you to wear it.”
“I accept, Lucifer. If you wear one of mine.”
He looked up, eyes dancing, but there was hope hiding behind his light-hearted words. “There’s nothing I want more.”
“Well then…” I wriggled underneath him, trying and failing to pull my hands free. “Maybe you should let me up so I can give it to you?”
Lucifer released me, pulling me upright to sit in his lap. His wings rustled, and he reached to the tip to pluck a long pinion free as I did the same to mine, ignoring the sharp bite of pain at its loss.
I was barely breathing when I took his feather from his palm, tilting it to watch the light play over it in a stream of rich greens and reds tinged with blue. My own feather was a little shorter, but flashed violet in his fingers.
He held it up to the light, and when his gaze flicked back to my face, the triumph in his eyes genuinely staggered me.
Like he felt like he’d won what he was really after.
He pulled me forward to kiss me hard. “You’re all mine, Melisande.”
Something purred deep inside me, like this is what we’d been meant for. Two of the fallen, joined together the way they should be.
“Or maybe,” I whispered, clutching his feather to my chest, “You’re all mine.”
Lucifer’s grin widened. “I could live with that.”
7
Melisande
Lucifer didn’t leave until twilight the next day, which was only signaled by the slightest lightening of what sky was visible through the trees in my courtyard.
“We’re opening our doors tonight,” I said, curled around his side, my hair still damp from the shower he’d taken with me. “I’d be happy with just a handful of new fighters.”
“A handful?” Lucifer snorted. “You’ll get more than that. They’ll come to see you, and they’ll stay once they do.”
It was my turn to snort. I reached up and tapped the tip of his nose. “You have an extravagant amount of faith in
