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“When will I take this?” she whispers, pressing down even harder.

“Little witch,” I hiss through my teeth. “Keep doing that and you’ll find out.”

She’s so hot, so slick, so eager for it that my control almost snaps. Goddess above, she could take it. Tonight. I could flip her into the mattress and rut her, make her scream, bind her to me completely.

“When you’re safe,” I rasp into her ear. “Whenwe’resafe from the threats hanging over our head and can be certain of this life we have together.”

Allie stills. Her eyes flick back and forth over my face.

“You’re still worried I’ll leave?”

I shake my head. “I know you wouldn’t choose to leave me.”

Emotion wells up in her eyes. “No, I wouldn’t.”

She doesn’t say the rest, and neither do I. The road between here and safety is littered with challenges and fears that don’t need to be named. Not right now. Not when my witch is in our bed and in my arms, sharing her sweet body with me.

I bring my mouth to her throat. Fangs drag lightly along smooth skin.

“Yes,” Allie whispers. “Please.”

Pulling my cock from her, I bite down as I thrust back in. Her cry of pleasure echoes in my ears and her blood fills my mouth with luscious, dark ecstasy.

Chapter 34

Allie

The looming full moon quickly begins to feel like the worst kind of ticking clock.

The next morning, Eren and I rise and prepare to go our separate ways. He’s going to court to hear more petitioners and deal with whatever unrest there is in the wake of the earthquake, and I’m heading back to the workroom.

Eren escorts me there, pausing at the threshold to pull me into one last hug.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him again about what he’s going to face in court today. I’ve tried, and he’s evaded with reassurances that it’s handled, manageable, nothing I need to worry about. I know why he’s doing it. He’s trying to give me space and the peace of mind to let me go about my work with the grimoire, but I can’t help but be a little irked by it.

I press a kiss to his lips, then another. His hand tangles into my hair. The bag I’m carrying slides to the floor as I press myself closer to him.

“Witch,” he breathes. “Didn’t I satisfy you properly this morning?”

He did. He absolutely did. But with my demon, apparently I’m insatiable.

Kissing him again, I murmur against his mouth. “Never. I’m never going to be satisfied.”

I’m up against the wall a moment later, legs wrapped around his waist. One of his hands brackets my throat and the other braces under my ass as he thrusts his hips into the cradle of my thighs. He lowers his head to my neck as his wings descend around us.

“Witch,” he hisses again. “You shouldn’t taunt me. I might just be tempted to prove you wrong.”

We take much longer than we rightfully should to disentangle, and by the time he lets me down I’ve got two new puncture marks in my throat and my entire body is shaking with unsatisfied need. Picking up my borrowed satchel from the floor, I shoot him a dirty look.

“You hold on to that until this evening,” Eren says, taking one last lick at his bite mark and well-aware of my arousal. “And remember who it is who’ll be satisfying you.”

He portals away and I walk on shaky legs into the library.

“Vayla?” I call out. My voice echoes through the connected chambers, but I don’t receive a reply.

Deciding to leave it for the moment, I wander over to the shelves, perusing until I find a section of books that look worn and weathered with time. I pull out a pair of gloves from my pocket. They’re silky and bright purple, but hopefully they’ll do for not actually getting my skin on these books.

I don’t think I’m ready for another adventure in some cursed, ancient magickal tome.