“How did you find out about Rahna? That she had holy magic?”
“The first battle we fought cost us a lot of casualties. She had too much power. It was only then I realized she wasn’t a normal witch. After we signed the treaties, I had spies placed on the citadel.”
The clock on the mantel ticks as I mull over what he said. If I’m the only one who could wield the magic, how was she able to thirty years before I was born?
“Are you sure it was Rahna who used the magic?”
His thoughts drift to the past, and recognition dawns on him.
“No, I’m not. I only remember her casting spells that shouldn’t be possible for a witch, and it wasn’t demon magic.”
“It makes sense then why she needed to create me. If whoever was yielding the magic before died in that battle, she’d need someone else, and what better way than to train the person from birth? Allow them to be molded in your image.”
My stomach turns at the thought of why I was born. No sad story about a mother who couldn’t care for her child or parents who died. They created me to fill a void.
Rising from the seat, I start to pace. Anger pumps through me as flashes of my past come to the forefront of my mind. All the beatings and training. The tests and conditioning. They made me into a star pupil, someone who would follow blindly.
“I’m so stupid. I never even questioned it at all.”
He gets up and pulls me into his arms. For once, I don’t let go. His giant hands rub circles on my back, letting out some tension.
“You’re not stupid. What they did to you is unforgivable, but we can change it. We’ll destroy her and everything she’s built. The witches will see what she’s done. After that, it’ll be your choice.”
He places his chin on my head. For a moment, I allow myself to get lost in his embrace. My hands slide up his arms of their own volition. The hardness of his biceps and the firm shoulders.
I look up into his eyes, and the ruby orbs bore into my soul. Licking my lips in an invitation, I wait for him to come to me, but he stays still.
“I told you’d I’d let you decide.” His sexy smirk is enough to drive any woman insane.
“If I tell you I want this, will you promise me something?”
“Anything.”
“We will be equals. In everything we do. Whether it’s defeating a high priestess or choosing something mundane like the color of our bathroom towels, you’ll always have my back and I will always have yours. No matter the consequences.”
“It’s easy what you’re asking. I already pledged myself to you that day on the road. You were so angry that the silver in your eyes was like starbursts, but I knew then if you’d ever accept me, I’d do anything, be anything, for you.”
I take a chance. Jumping with both feet into one of the scariest moments of my life, I rise on tiptoes and kiss him. His lips are warm and soft against mine. The kiss is tender and full of want.
His hands find their way to my hips, and he pulls me closer. I lick the seam of his lip before biting the plump bottom one. He lets out a growl that spurs me on.
“Be careful, little witch. You may get more than you bargained for.”
“I want it all. It’s time.”
He doesn’t waste a moment on words, pulling me up until I wrap my legs around him. Our kiss deepens, turning into something feral. My hands thread through his thick hair, and he presses his hands firmly on my ass.
My blood heats, and all I want is for there to be fewer clothes. I grind against his already-thick arousal. A gasp comes from my mouth when it hits the exact right spot.
My back slams into a wall, but I don’t even register the pain. His kisses trail down my neck, stopping at my pulse point. He breathes heavily for a moment, licking at the soft skin.
I freeze, a shudder of fear washing over me when his fangs come out and graze my skin. I clutch his shoulders and prepare myself.
“Don’t worry, little witch. I won’t take what’s not mine. But when you beg for it, I’ll put so much pleasure into that bite that you’ll come all over my cock, soaking me as you ride the waves of ecstasy.”
I shiver now for a different reason. The anticipation of having my essence inside of him is overwhelming. I grind my hips harder into his thick shaft. We both moan at the same time.
He rips me from the wall, throwing me on the bed. I land with a soft bounce. He unbuttons his shirt, slowly at first, but when I suck my lip into my mouth, his speed increases. His pants come off next, and I’m given a full view of what a king looks like.
“Stand up and turn around.”
It’s an order, not a request. I’d normally scoff at being given commands, but it ignites the desire within me.
Brushing the hair that’s fallen from my bun off my shoulders, I let him unzip my dress. The lightest touch of his fingers on my spine makes me squirm with need.
“Hurry up,” I whisper.
He chuckles but moves faster, releasing the dress from my hips and bending to help me out of the pants.
My sword and knives go on the nightstand. When he’s finished, I’m standing in nothing but my panties. Kissing my shoulder, he turns me in his arms until I’m staring into glowing orbs.
I cup his face, tracing the powerful line of his jaw. He hasn’t shaved, and the stubble grates across my fingernails. He
