Page 24 of Alpha's Exiled Mate

And then I went back lower.

I parted her with my fingers and buried my mouth between her thighs like she was the only thing that could ever satisfy me. Like she was that drop of water I needed to quench my thirst. She cried out, her back arching as I licked up the trail of honey that had made it all the way down. I circled her clit, then sucked it into my mouth until she sobbed my name.

“Perock—please—I—”

“Shh,” I murmured to her. “Let me worship you.”

I didn’t stop until she came undone, her legs clamping around my head, her body shaking, her fingers deep inside my hair.

And just when she thought it was over…

I rose above her, unbuckling my pants, palming my painfully hard length, and dragging the slick head of my cock between her wet folds. The image itself was enough to make me wanna burrow inside her forever.

“Now I’m going to fuck you with the taste of honey still on my tongue, princess.” And I did.

I pushed inside her, hitting her hilt before pulling back out and hitting the same spot that had her heels digging into my back.

And Viossi?

She anticipated every thrust. Every time I plunged inside her, so did her tits reach out to me for attention.

Every time she clamped around my cock so did the need for her to kiss me burn through her eyes.

And when she came, with me following her close behind, I groaned her name because she’d done more for me than any woman had.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a silver glow across her face, highlighting the delicate curve of her jaw. I traced a strand of her hair, tucking it behind her ear, my heart quieted by a peace I’d never known. We lay there, side by side, the sound of our breathing filling the silence, a rhythm that felt almost sacred.

I watched her as she slept, her features softened, free of the tension she carried in waking hours. A tangle of emotions churned within me.

Several days ago, I’d seen her as a tool, a means to break my curse. Now, I found myself noticing the way her smile lit her eyes, the way her voice steadied when she spoke to me, the way her touch lingered in my thoughts. I wanted to know her—her fears, her dreams, the truth behind her borrowed face. The shift unnerved me, a crack in the armor I’d worn for years, yet I couldn’t bring myself to seal it shut.

As dawn’s first light crept into the room, I slipped out quietly, careful not to wake her.

Before I left, I brought the remaining honey cake back to my study. The sweet, tempting aroma of the honey cake on my desk kept reminding me of that special night. I stared at it, my mind replaying her smile, her words, the way she’d looked at me—not as a prince or a monster, but as a man.

A knock at the door broke my thoughts. “Come in,” I said, schooling my expression into its usual mask.

Orin stepped inside. “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence at tomorrow’s banquet, along with the princess.”

I nodded, flipping through a report, my mind only half-present. “Inform my father we’ll attend.”

Orin hesitated, his jaw tightening, a rare sign of unease. “There’s something else you should know, Your Highness.”

I looked up, catching the tension in his eyes. “What is it?”

“Lady Sophia… will be attending the banquet with her husband.”

Chapter 8

Lilia

I stood before the full-length mirror in my quarters, staring at the stranger gazing back. Viossi’s face—sharp cheekbones, dark curls—had been mine for nearly two months, yet each glance in the mirror still sent a jolt of unease through me. Tonight, though, this borrowed face had to be flawless. As Perock’s princess, I was to make my first public appearance at a royal banquet, and every detail had to be perfect.

My fingers trembled as I smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles on my gown, a deep sapphire silk that shimmered under the candlelight. The memory of last night warmed my heart like a spring breeze—Perock accepting the honey cake I’d baked, his rare smile, the quiet intimacy of our moments together. Those memories were a fragile anchor, but they couldn’t quell the anxiety churning within me.

Tonight, I’d face the court’s scrutiny, and the weight of my false identity pressed heavier than ever.

“Are you ready, Your Highness?” Susie asked softly, securing a final jeweled hairpin in my hair.