Page 70

GIDEON

“ A kash almighty… this view is stunning.” A sense of pride washes over me as I finish setting up our picnic on the blanket where Winnow stands barefoot, taking in the view of the valley, the mountains surrounding us, and the little apple orchard where Juniper begins to graze.

It’s postcard perfection, but as I straighten to stand beside her, my eyes are firmly locked on the goddess in front of me.

“It really is.”

Winnow’s eyes gradually slide to mine, realizing that we’re talking about two different things. She gives a soft giggle, playfully smacking my chest, and inspiring me to pull her fully into my embrace.

“Stay here a second, okay?”

With a smile on her face, Winnow gives me a funny look but nods.

My heart thumps a riot in my chest. Somehow even heavier than any of the countless raids or potentially fatal missions I’ve been on.

My hand slides into the saddlebag, leaning against one of the apple trees. My fingers wrap around the velvety box, and as I withdraw it, sliding it into my back pocket, I feel my heart pounding in my throat.

And fuck me, my eyes are burning.

I mean… barely.

It’s a manly burn, I swear.

Winnow’s attention is fully on the view before her. She turns toward me as I reach her, and I swear time slows.

Her lips part in a smile as bright blue eyes stare up at me with no small amount of adoration.

My hand slips around hers, and I lower myself to one knee.

Her lips part, and her free hand covers her gasp.

My throat seems to fucking close with the emotion building inside me, the emotion I see mirrored in my soulbound’s eyes.

I press a kiss to her hand, drawing in a deep breath to steady myself before returning my gaze to hers, where I find tears streaming down her cheeks. My words are a hoarse whisper.

“No need to cry, angel…”

The words just make her cry more.

My hand reaches into my back pocket and pulls out the pale blue, velvet ring box. Her brows pinch with emotion as I open it to reveal the cushion-cut yellow diamond ring. When her gaze returns to mine, I steel myself to form the most important question of my entire life.

“Winnow baby, from the moment I laid my eyes on you, my soul recognized you–intrinsically knew that you were the one I’ve been waiting for all these years.

Even without your many gifts that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to entirely fathom, you brought magic into my life in ways I’d never dared to envision for myself.

My greatest hope is that I can do the same for you.

Protect you and provide for you in all ways, bring the same joy and fulfillment into your life that you have mine.

If going through the hell of my past meant that I would one day find you and be everything that you need me to be, I’d do it all over again.

I vow to always be the man you need me to be and more, for all our days.

Will you give me that chance, angel? Will you marry me?”

My heart pounds in my chest as her throat dips and she nods, fresh tears spilling.

Before I can even take the ring from the box and slide it on her finger, she dives for me.

Her arms come around my shoulders as her body collides with mine, and we go tumbling backward onto the picnic blanket.

Her mouth crashes down on mine, and in the next moment, I’m pinning her beneath me.

Her fingers make quick work of my belt as my tongue seeks entrance beyond her lips, and she greedily accepts.

Still clutching the ring box in one hand, I pry the ring from its cushion and take her hand in mine. Breaking our kiss, she watches as I slide the ring over her finger, but my eyes are fixed on her.

“I love you with all my heart and soul, angel.”

Her glittering gaze returns to mine. “I love you. Beyond time and place...”

Pressing a kiss to her lips, I whisper the words against her. “In every life and all that comes after it, I’m yours.”

Tears continue to slip down her cheeks, even as our lips and tongues caress, turning our kiss salty.

Winnow tugs my jeans and boxers down my hips.

“I need you. Now, husband ...”

My mouth splits into a grin that momentarily breaks our kiss.

“Is that so, wife?”

The smile on Winnow’s face would be enough to bring me to my knees if I weren’t already there. After making quick work of my jeans and her dress, her fingers curl around my length and stroke over my crown as I tug the gusset of her panties to the side.

My canines ache as this sense of urgency to claim her, mark her–and I cautiously admit–drink her blood, slams into me so hard my hands tremble with restraint.

Winnow lines my cock up with her entrance and her hips tilt upwards to better welcome me.

My right hand reaches between us and my thumb sweeps over her clit.

Her breath hitches as I work the needy little bud in circles as my cock presses against her entrance, slowly driving forward.

Winnow curses on a soft whine, and with a low groan, my body shudders with relief as my crown fully breaches her entrance, causing her core to spasm around the intrusion.

“Fuck, angel… still so fucking tight.”

Winnow’s soft laugh interrupts her sigh of pleasure.

“Still so fucking big.”

Our laughter gives way to her gasp and my groan as my hips give gentle pumps to ease my way inside, making Winnow writhe and sigh with pleasure, nails digging into my thighs.

Braced on one elbow, my hand cradles her face, thumb stroking her cheek in reverence as her body takes more and more of me.

“You’re doing so good, baby… this pussy was made to take my cock, wasn’t she?”

On a soft moan, she nods, arching her hips upward to welcome more of me.

“Gods, yes.”

Winnow’s breath punches out of her as I finally slide home, but that tremor in my hands from trying to hold back whatever this thing remains, demanding that I drink her blood and mark her with what I can very distinctly feel are fangs lengthening.

Anyone would guess such a sensation would be terrifying, but with Winnow’s cunt clenching my cock like a fist, her scent filling my nose, and the pounding of her heart—her blood being pumped through her veins—it only further arouses me.

Winnow’s eyes widen in recognition when her eyes dip to my mouth—my fangs, and her expression turns to one of awe.

“Oh, Gideon…”

Unable to stay still, my hips begin to move with slow, steady pumps. And just like the first time, the glide of my cock inside her tight, wet heat is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before…

But now something is distinctly incomplete.

As if Winnow can read my mind, she tilts her head to the side and brings her hands to the back of my head to guide my mouth to her neck. I’m nearly mindless with need, with this thing, but panic spears through me, even as the pace of my strokes heightens and grows deeper.

Winnow’s eyes briefly roll back in her head as her lips part around her helpless noises of pleasure. Eventually, she manages words that are both needy and demanding—urging me to give in.

“You remember how good it felt when I bit you, ferion ?”

An intense throbbing takes place in my skull, though my dick doesn’t seem to get the message. It almost feels like someone’s cracked open the top of my skull and electricity, or perhaps magic, is pouring through me in a deluge—like some kind of dam bursting wide open.

Winnow’s words and her hands grasping my face are the only things grounding me, even as my hips continue to pound into her.

“It’ll be just like that, baby. Now, please do it because I can’t hold back this orgasm anymore…”

“Angel, no. What if I ? —

Her words are firm as she tightens her grip on my head, and with surprising strength, forces my mouth to hover just over the curve of her neck.

“You won’t.”

I can’t hold back anymore, not when it feels so fucking right, because I know she would never.

In the next moment, my fangs are sinking into her soft flesh. A cinnamon-y, subtle sweet warmth blossoms on my palette, mingling with the flavour of the velvety rich blood spilling into my mouth.

Winnow’s breath escapes her in a sigh that belies her ecstasy and mirrors my moan. My eyes are rolling into the back of my head as euphoria pours through, and the pressure in my head peaks before finally dissipating.

My fingertips prickle, and suddenly I feel claws pressing into Winnow’s thighs.

Oh my fucking God. It’s happening.

That’s the extent of my realization before that cord between us pulls so tight it feels like it might snap, and in the same instant my climax ascends and wave after wave of mind-numbing ecstasy washes over me.

The sensation is so intense, I have to sit back on my heels just to prevent myself from fucking passing out.

Lips parted in a euphoria that mirrors my own, a golden-pink halo of light radiates from Winnow as she grips me with her own delicate claws and rhythmically pumps her hips to counter my movements and my thumb moves to work steady, determined circles over her clit.

The sight of whatever transformation is occurring in me has her euphoria-addled gaze widening in awe as my thrusts turn merciless, hastening and deepening. Her eyes briefly roll back as her body arches. “ Oh fuck, Gideon!”

Her cry is cut short as her pussy spasms and clenches around me. My cock hardens impossibly further as it spasms and fills Winnow in pulsing spurts until it’s spilling out of her.

Mesmerized, my eyes fix to the sight of my thick, glistening cock, withdrawing to the tip, and gliding back inside and stretching her precious, pink pussy as my cum overflows and she spasms around me.

When her orgasm descends, I finally withdraw to admire the perfect picture of my seed trickling out of her.

Winnow whimpers heated curses as I swipe my thumb through my mess, pushing it back inside her and teasing her clit with it.

Her hips twitch and roll as she watches me, both of us rapt with fascination: me with my cum where it belongs, and her at whatever new physical traits I now possess.

At the moment, I find the latter far less compelling than the former.

Unable to resist the powerful thread of arousal still burning through me, I line myself up again with her entrance.

Sliding home on a groan, my thrusts are slow and deep.

That tether, as Winnow called it, is pulsing with life, pouring emotion and purpose into every stroke, coupled with the gratitude that we both survived and overcame so we could eventually find one another.

“You make it all fucking worth it, angel.”