Page 111 of A Hunt Bound in Blood

I understood it. After how close we’d come to losing everything, I also wanted time to take note of every beat of his heart and rise of his chest. But I also needed him inside me to fill the void that had grown ever since the last time we’d been together. The emptiness that had nearly split me open when I’d believed I would never get to experience his touch again.

I threaded my fingers through his thick hair, then ran my hands down his shoulders and over his wings, which he’d left exposed. He shuddered against me as I did, curling his back to give me more space to explore, and I accepted the invitation. The feathers were soft and so beautifully black they took on a faint blue hue in the sunshine. I carded my fingers through them and winced when one pulled free. I showed Cammon, and he took it from me. I expected him to drop it to the ground or to show some feeling about the state of his poor, mangled wings, but instead he touched the downy softness to my forehead, over the side of my face, across my lips, down my throat. The tickle was offset by the sensuality of its lightness, a barely-there caress that woke my nerves and raised goosebumps on my skin.

I imagined what it would feel like if I were wearing the blindfold as well and shivered in response.

With a growl of matching desire, Cammon kissed my neck and trailed the feather over my breasts and across my stomach. When it reached my inner thigh, I spread my legs wider to accommodate him. But the feather travelled outwards, over the outside of my thigh down to my knee.

When it touched the spot behind my knee, I flinched at the overt tickle, and Cammon’s low laugh against my skin made me smile.

The lack of tension, of impending doom, made it possible for us to play. How long had it been since I’d done such a thing? Had I ever?

It was such a new, novel concept that I froze, suddenly unable to cope with the unfamiliar freedom. Cammon stilled and looked up at me, concern shining through his eyes, the inky black swirls receding. I swallowed hard, overwhelmed by the intensity of emotion running back and forth through the bond.

Understanding filled his expression, and he set the feather on the pillow, then rolled his big, muscular body over me to nuzzle the tip of his nose against mine before consuming my mouth in a kiss.

I slid my arms around his neck, gripped his hair, and kissed him back, sending every ounce of affection through both kiss and bond. He had done nothing wrong. On the contrary, he had opened doors I hadn’t even realized had been wallpapered over. I wanted to explore every room with him, every possibility, every facet of our wants and desires.

But for now, for this moment, I wanted him.

Knowing it, sensing every nuanced emotion through the bond, Cammon set the tip of his cock against me and nudged it inside. The feeling of being complete was almost enough to tip me over the edge right then, but I hung on, clinging to his shoulders, letting my body meld with his as he gently rocked into me, sliding deeper, taking up more space even as he made room for me to show him what I wanted.

He kissed the spot where he’d marked me, and my head fell back against the pillows when his touch sent sparks racing through my blood, stoking my desire and fuelling the fires he’d lit with his first touch.

My need rose along with his, and the speed of his thrusts quickened. He strove to be careful with me, mindful of the wounds that covered us both, but in my heightened arousal, I no longer noticed the pain. Only him, the mounting pleasure of friction and closeness, and that constant undercurrent of shared emotion.

A strange flavour played over my tongue, spicy and rich. Some part of me recognized it not as my desire but as Cammon’s, and the intensity of it, the intimacy, like a secret door that stood open between us, spurred me on.

I slid my hands down his back, around his wings and hooked on to his muscular buttocks, pulling him to me, demanding more. He tried to resist, not wanting to hurt me, but when I sank my fangs into his neck for another sip of his decadent blood, he hissed and lost control. His eyes turned black and his next kiss was punishing, teeth nipping at my bottom lip, trembling arms braced at my sides. His hips pummelled me, driving me into the mattress, hitting that one spot that took me higher, higher, until my head drowned in ecstasy.

He pulled back to meet my eyes, his black stare full of lust and hunger and love. His shuddering breaths grew erratic. He opened his mouth to say something but had no time before I drowned it out with a cry as my orgasm crashed through me. I dug my claws into his flesh, pulling him into me, and he fell moments later, his body tensing, his groan of release in my ear.

I wanted to know what he’d been about to say, longed to hear the words that accompanied the feelings running between us, but I was too tired. Too sated. We barely had time to twine our bodies together—my back against his warm, broad chest—before we both fell asleep.

Cammon

LIV

Days later, we arrived in Golth Bay, healed and somewhat refreshed after the arduous three weeks of cutting through rough, empty territory.

As it always did, the noise and bustle of the city both overwhelmed me and woke me up, and I kept Glory close to my side as we navigated our way through the chaos of the docks. Not once did she try to pull away, holding my hand with such a tight grip my finger bones ground together. I let her because every time I glanced her way, she looked paler. Through the bond and from the bursts of emotion in the air, I tasted her worry. It had washed out the pride that had been her near-constant companion since we’d woken in the cabin to revel in the fact that we were comfortable, safe, and triumphant.

We’d spent days inspecting the amulet hanging around Glory’s neck, the solid gold sitting against her collar bones. It was a hideous piece of jewellery, and many jokes had been made at Tersey’s expense for coming up with such an eyesore after all his intricate puzzles.

To have her well-earned joy replaced by this fear set my defences on edge. This woman should only ever be happy and satisfied. If she felt anything less, it had become my mission to fix it.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Buttons?”

She shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at me, but I didn’t know why she bothered. The muscles in her face were too tense for the expression to appear anything other than forced, and she had to know I tasted everything she was feeling.

“Nothing. I’m fine. It’s good to be home.”

I pulled her to a stop away from the rush of crew members loading and unloading their cargo and looked down at her. “You’ve lost the ability to lie to me, mage,” I growled. Then smirked. “Not that you were ever particularly good at it.”

She frowned and freed her hand to cross her arms. “I’m a very good liar, thank you very much. As you well know.” She sighed, and I reclaimed her hands to pull her arms around my waist and lock them behind me. “I’m nervous about meeting with His Majesty. When he asks for his report about this mission, what do I tell him? There’s so much that can’t be shared without giving away secrets. Mine and other people’s.”

I ducked my head to meet her eye. “You won’t want to hear this, but you’ll listen anyway. You, my darling, uptight, rule-following royal advisor… are going to have to play the rogue.”

Her eyes widened, and I grinned at her horror. “You don’t know how to lie, you know how to hide. Now you’ll need to evade. Keep your answers short and simple and don’t volunteer anything. There’s no need to lie because you haven’t done anything wrong. We just need to keep him focused on the relevant details, like the fact that we have the amulet.”