Page 61 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #2)
Chapter Twenty-Six
Briar
S team rose from the crimson waters that filled the enormous black marble bath dominating the center of the black bathroom.
Frustration bubbled inside me. I understood why Vad had done it, even though I didn’t want to admit it to him. I’d have done the same in his position, but that didn’t make it right.
I grabbed a tall jar marked with my name in chalk and dumped the entire contents into the water, and the room exploded with the scents of chamomile, sandalwood, roses, and lemons. The herbs and salt swirled in the dark waters.
How could he? And how could the person I had to assume was Many-Greats require such a vow to help me? It was a good thing he hadn’t popped up in this room or I’d have ripped into him.
Huffing, I stripped off the nightgown, relieved that my injuries had healed so much already. I was just a little sore, and my wolf magic had kicked in, full swing.
Small black stitches ran along my chest and arms where the long, venomous cuts had been made, but the wounds looked as if they had all but closed.
A large bandage was wrapped around my thigh where the arrow wound had been, which made sense.
The arrowhead had been buried deep, and I shuddered even imagining the damage it had probably done.
At least my natural healing seemed to have resumed.
The water was so hot, I almost recoiled when I dipped in one foot, but I needed to feel something other than this emotional pain that seemed to be drowning me.
I sank into the water, and it sloshed over me, the deep heat sinking into my bones. The tub was deep enough that I didn’t have to lean back to fully immerse myself, and it was long enough that I could easily stretch out.
Though I didn’t want to relax, my muscles unknotted with every second in the bath. The doctor’s recommendation was apparently right and doing something good for my body.
I pressed my forehead to my knees and tried to slow my breathing. The inside of my skull was a mass of anger, hurt, frustration, and confusion. What was I supposed to do or say? to get me out of prison, Vad had made a vow to send me back to Earth.
It wasn’t that I’d wanted to stay in that horrible place. My breath knotted in my chest as I remembered the constant cold, the torture, and the terror. My fingers and toes ached at the memory, and my breath hitched.
No, I was safe now.
Those bastards would pay.
And I didn’t care what Many-Greats had made Vad vow. I wasn’t going back to Earth and leaving Vad behind. My home was here, in this beautiful yet treacherous place. Not only was Vad here, but I needed vengeance.
My heart seized. If Vad didn’t crown me, who would he marry and make his queen? Panic clawed at me, and my skin crawled.
The door banged open, striking the far wall and vibrating.
I yelped, covering my breasts with my hands.
Vad stood in the doorway, wings outstretched and bristling, and his shadows swirling around him. His hungry gaze latched on to me, his pupils wide and his breathing ragged. “What did you say about your home?”
That look in his eye made my core tighten, and my heart restarted. I lifted my chin and raised an eyebrow. “You mean where I said my home really is?”
He nodded and stepped across the threshold. His wings folded in so that he could enter, but as soon as he was inside, they flared out again. “Yes,” he growled.
I sat up straighter, water droplets rolling down my neck and across the tops of my breasts. “Well…my home would be with the man I love, but according to you, that’s not you, is it? And apparently, you’re okay with crowning and marrying someone else.”
Another low growl rumbled in his chest. “I never said I didn’t love you, and, no, I don’t want to crown anyone but you.”
“You just told me you took a vow to send me away?—”
“To your home . I didn’t specify Earth.” Vad stopped at the edge of the tub and raised his hands, pausing as the shadows coiled around him and circled the tub.
“What?” Still glaring at him, I flicked one of his shadow tendrils away. The cold wrapped around my finger briefly, but it retreated. An icy chill coiled down my spine, and the memory of him cradling me swept back in.
A ragged breath shook Vad’s broad frame as he stared down at me. His hands clenched at his sides. “Do you mean it, Briar?”
“Mean what? That I love you? Yes, I do, or I’d be thrilled to be going back to my sister.
” My voice was steady, but my pulse raced as I leaned back, the water's edge lapping softly against my skin.
My fingers curled against my thigh as I tried not to notice just how masculine he was and how his black tunic and tight black trousers left little to the imagination.
He narrowed his eyes and looked at me as if he wanted to eat me whole. “That home is with me?” His low voice sounded raw and filled with need.
The air between us grew heavy, the rich fragrant scent of the water rising with the steam and a hint of spice. There was a challenge in his gaze along with desperate hunger, confirming he wanted me as much as I wanted him. “Yes, you’re my ho–”
He lunged forward and grabbed my face with both hands, shaking as he thrust his mouth over mine. I responded, the sudden buzz of our connection making my head spin. If he were a wolf, I would have no doubt that we were fated mates.
His tongue pressed between my lips, and his hands moved to my neck and tangled in my hair.
Pulling back slightly, he let out a hasty breath. “Is this all right? If not, I don’t want to disrespect you further.”
“If you stop, I will take what’s mine,” I growled, my wolf slipping out as she moved forward. “I want all of you, Vad. My body is physically craving you, and I wonder if it’s possible that we’re fated mates.”
“Fated mates?” His brows creased. “What is that?”
“Supernatural beings on Earth believe that some souls get separated by Fate, and if they are fortunate enough to locate each other, their souls sense one another.” The yanking in my chest intensified as my wolf became restless. “I’ve never felt anything like my draw to you before.”
“We don’t have fated mates here,” Vad rasped, “But if I could have one, I would definitely choose you.”
He pushed me against the far wall of the tub, and my back slapped against the marble. I’d never believed I’d love to be dominated, but when he climbed inside fully clothed and straddled me, pinning me to the wall, need knotted inside me.
His hardness pressed against my stomach, and I barely had time to draw a breath before his mouth was on mine again. His tongue swept in, tangling with mine, tasting like smoke and blackberries with a bit of spice.
Desperate, I gripped his surcoat, wanting to see him bare-chested. His free hand slipped under the water and brushed the side of my breast.
“You’re still an asshole for making that vow without talking to me,” I rasped. “Good intentions or not. I don’t ever want to be separated from you again.”
He grinned as his fingertips glided over my nipple. “I will always protect you, but perhaps I can make it up to you.” His lips found the corner of my jaw, then the hollow of my throat.
I arched my back, wanting him to keep going. He was moving way too slow for the need building up inside me. “Well, I still haven’t forgiven you.”
“Hmmm.” His tongue slid over my collarbone and lower, catching a bead of water at the top curve of my breast.
My body was on fire, and I needed to feel his skin on mine.
I placed my hands on the front of his tunic, gripping each side of the collar. Then I ripped it apart, causing him to freeze.
I touched his chest, tracing the scars that crisscrossed it, before sliding lower to the curves of his abs, making his body shudder.
“My love, I’m struggling to go slow and be careful with your injuries. You being this alluring and responding so eagerly, I’m–”
“You mean, I shouldn’t do this?” I asked innocently as I moved my right hand to his dick and stroked him over the fabric.
He groaned and jerked his hips.
My heart skipped a beat as I realized how huge and hard his shaft was. I wasn’t sure it would fit inside me, but dammit, I was more than willing to try.
Hissing, his lips returned to mine and he slid one hand between my legs, which I spread open for him eagerly.
“You know, it’s really not cool that you’re all dressed and I’m naked,” I said breathlessly.
“Do you want me naked, Briar?” He moved back enough for me to see the glint in his stormy-gray eyes. “Whatever shall we do?” His wings flexed out again, and his shadows rose along the sides of the tub as he grinned.
“Well, if you’re dressed, then I should be too.” I bit my lip and pretended I was going to stand.
“No need for that, my love. Putting your clothes on before I finish worshiping this body will not do.” He kissed his way down my neck to my chest. “Let’s see if you can handle what’s next.”
I’d had no control during my whole time here, but I was taking it back for now. I placed my hands on his chest and shoved him toward the other end of the tub.
He set his hands on the side of the tub and shoved himself up so that he stood, towering over me. His wings pulsed and flexed again, sending droplets of water raining all over the bathroom.
I ducked my head, remaining seated, though I held up my hands to shield myself from the spray. My breathing quickened.
He ripped off his boots, socks, belt, and pants and tossed them across the room one at a time. They struck the wall with loud slaps and formed a pile beside the sink.
I licked my lips, enjoying the sculpted V of his pelvis, his hipbones, and his dick. For a moment, he let me look, savoring my anticipation. My wolf howled eagerly in my head, urging me to jump him. I moved forward, wanting to taste him, when he took a step back.
“Let me see you, too. Out of the water, or else I’ll drain it.”
Heat stole across my cheeks, but my legs moved on their own accord. I slid up onto the lip of the bathtub, my arms over my breasts and one hand between my legs.