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I growl, feral and undone, crawling over her as I discard the last of my armor. She watches me with hungry eyes as I wrap one hand around my cock, stroking the length slowly.

"You want this?" I tease, rubbing the head through her slick folds.

Her eyes flash. "Don’t you dare tease me now."

"You’ll take every inch of me," I snarl, aligning myself to her entrance.

"I’ll do more than take it," she growls. "I’ll ride it."

Before I can react, she pushes me back onto the blankets, straddling me with the fluid grace of someone who has owned every ounce of her power. Her silver eyes burn as she reaches down and guides my cock into her, sinking down inch by inch, taking me deep into her tight, heat-slick pussy.

"Fuck," I hiss, my hands flying to her hips. "You feel like godsdamned fire."

"And you feel like everything I was never allowed to want," she moans, beginning to ride me, slow and deep, her hands braced on my chest. Her horns catch the light as she moves, eyes fluttering shut in bliss.

Each grind of her hips sends stars flashing behind my eyes. I thrust up into her, matching her rhythm, lost in the friction, the wet heat, the slick sound of her pussy swallowing me again and again.

She leans forward, kissing me hungrily, grinding harder. “Deeper.”

I flip her then, one motion, laying her on her stomach and dragging her hips up. She gasps, breath knocked from her lungs, but arches her back, presenting herself like a feast.

I sink into her from behind, gripping her hips, slamming into her with a force that makes the tapestry above us flutter again. Her moans are raw, unfiltered, as my cock plunges into her, filling her completely.

"You're mine," I rasp into her ear, licking the curve of her neck. “This pussy—fuck—was always mine.”

She looks over her shoulder, sweat beading her brow. "Then claim it."

I do. Over and over. Until we’re shaking, breathless, our bodies fused. Her pussy clamps down as she comes again, the pulse of her inner walls triggering my own release. I roar, spilling into her in hot, shuddering waves.

We collapse in a heap, panting, trembling, her body snug against mine, still twitching in aftershock. My cock slips free with a wet sigh, and I cradle her close, illusions flickering like dying embers above us.

She turns her face up to mine, cheeks flushed, lips swollen. "No vow," she whispers again. "No chains. Just us."

I kiss her gently, reverently. "Just us," I promise, curling my wings around us both as the storm outside finally breaks.

And still, the night is not done. Not until we’ve made love again, and again—until the fire between us becomes the foundation of something new.

We lie entwined, the echoes of our release settling into a comforting hush. My wings stretch, catching the torch’s faint flickers. She turns her face up, silver eyes gleaming. “I never thought… it could be like this,” she admits, voice husky with emotion. “No vow, no prophecy, just choosing each other.”

My chest constricts with gratitude. “It’s everything I never dared hope for,” I murmur, brushing back a stray lock from her cheek. “All those centuries, I thought magic and power were my only comfort. Now, I find them dwarfed by a single touch from you.”

She flushes, horns dipping. “I’m no comfort, exactly—I have horns now,” she teases, though her voice cracks with feeling. “But I guess it works. Because I choose you too. For everything.”

My illusions swirl, forming faint shapes reminiscent of drifting petals overhead. “Then say it. Say you’ll stand with me in whatever future we build.”

Her eyes lock on mine, runes flickering across her arms. “I vow it, demon,” she says softly, “with no monarchy or vow to overshadow us. I stand with you, Malphas. Now and always.”

Emotion surges in me—a twisted love that defies centuries of slavery and darkness, forging a new bond shaped by choice. I swallow the lump in my throat, illusions brightening. “And I vow the same, Valentina. I’m yours. I pledge my life, my illusions, my freedom. We are mates in every sense—by our choice.”

Tears shimmer in her silver gaze, but she smiles, horns tipping forward. “Mates.” The word resonates in the quiet, sending a pleasant shiver along my spine. She slides her hand to rest over my chest, feeling my heartbeat. “We have each other. That’s enough to face whatever lurks beneath or beyond.”

A breeze rustles the tapestry overhead, and somewhere in the dark, thunder rumbles softly, echoing across the distance. It’s a reminder that Protheka remains a land on the brink of new storms. Yet I hold her gently, illusions warming the air around us, forging a cocoon of momentary peace. We have survived. We have chosen each other. Our twisted love—demon and half-demon—stands in defiance of the monarchy’s chains.

She nuzzles her horns against my cheek, voice dropping in a playful whisper. “Ready for round two?”

Laughter bubbles up in me, illusions fracturing in whimsical sparks. “Give me a minute, horns,” I tease, pressing a playful kiss to her temple. “We can test your new strength soon enough.”

Her eyes gleam with mischief, the black runes on her arms glinting as she moves. “We have all night. And if the monarchy tries to show up, we’ll just… ignore them. Or skewer them.”