Page 37 of Demon Reform Academy, Term 3

37

PANDORA

D ad and Hunter clearly had some trust issues with the rest of the Demon Council. I understood why, considering Blackthistle had been a member. However, that was why only Dad, Hunter, Joel, and myself were in attendance for the meeting with the Supernatural Council.

The Demon Council’s meeting room was on the third floor of the sandstone headquarters in the Demon Capital. It thrummed with an ancient demonic power. The walls were a familiar golden sandstone with little flecks shining from the light filtering through large, arched windows. Intricate carvings of runes decorated the stone surfaces, and I wondered what the runes meant. I hadn’t learned any of the ones there.

We sat around an imposing slab of dark granite. It was massive, rectangular, and polished, with subtle cracks and veins of quartz running through it. Around the table, high-backed chairs carved from the same stone were arranged in a precise, rectangular pattern, each one bearing the crest of its respective council member on the demon’s side. The side for guests remained blank.

“We apologize for the late notice,” Dad murmured, gently nodding his head at the Supernatural Council members.

Only four of their members were present, but there were two others who were not on the council accompanying the council lead.

“We trust you have a reason,” Clearwater stated, blowing smoke plumes out of his nose with a heavy exhale. Rowan Clearwater, the firedrake representative and council lead, sat in the center of their side. His fiery red hair and literal orange flaming eyes were incredibly intimidating. “I do hope you don’t mind me bringing my mate, Wren, and?—”

“His brother-mate. Leave the last name bullshit alone. Just call me Damien,” the man sitting next to him with black hair and silver eyes interrupted with a sly smirk. Tattoos covered almost every inch of him except for his face, but I could see shadows sliding over him like a second skin.

Shadow magic.

He was a shadow demon.

Clearwater and the man next to him were part of her matebond. I could see their souls connecting to her, and their bond was very strong.

Realization hit me at exactly who they were, and my anxiety skyrocketed.

“Of course we don’t mind.” Death waved his hand side to side. “I also brought my daughter.”

On the other side of Clearwater was Wren, a small woman with long white hair and icy blue eyes. She smiled softly at me. “We appreciate the warm welcome.”

“Can we skip the pleasantriesss?” Sabine Bloodwyne, basilisk representative and agent coordinator, hissed. She had short green hair and dull green eyes, and she was terrifying. Even though she had a known speech impediment that made her hiss when she was angry, nobody paid that any mind. They gave her the respect she deserved.

All basilisks leaked their venom from their skin. All were dangerous, but not all were fatal. In fact, it wasn’t common for basilisk venom to be fatal. It was more common for the venom to be paralytic, but this particular basilisk? Her venom could kill within seconds. She wasn’t scared to use it, either. She was known for being ruthless.

Hunter cleared his throat and straightened in his chair beside mine. “Did we offend you?”

“Yesss,” she hissed, her snake eyes flicking to him. “The supernatural agent who sent you a warning wasss killed! You have another mole on the council, and I want their death by my hands.”

“That vengeance will be yours.” Hunter bowed his head to her, his jaw tightening. “We figured we couldn’t trust the remaining members…clearly, we’d been right to feel that way.”

“We sincerely apologize for the death of your agent.” Dad frowned. “We have been working alongside the demons on the council for years. I can’t imagine anyone who would be a mole.”

“The incubusss.” Her gaze sharpened at Joel. “He’s new.”

“He’s trustworthy,” Hunter spoke up, and Death huffed.

“You do not believe he is?” Sabine asked Dad.

He gritted his teeth but sighed. “No. He is. We have other… issues . His loyalties definitely lie with us, though.”

“He was captured by Dark Veil and almost died…if it wasn’t for my mate—” Hunter moved his hand to rest on my thigh. “He would’ve. He lost access to his demonic powers. He’s not the mole. I can promise you that.”

I glanced up at the vaulted dome of the ceiling with a quick breath. The air inside was cool, and the scent of earth and stone mingled with the faint scent of old parchment.

“Very well.” Sabine scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.

“The reason we called this meeting was to let you know that we’ve killed Blackthistle. He cursed my daughter…” Dad growled, glancing at me as if to make sure I was okay before looking back toward Clearwater. “He’s no longer a problem, but the dark magic relic ceased working. The dark magic that had been inside him dissipated.”

“Shit,” Damien grumbled. “That’s not fucking good.”

“No kidding,” Wren breathed.

“My mate’s father was killed by Dark Veil. He’d been researching a way to purify dark magic.” Dad tossed a file across the table toward Drecken Grimsworn, the warlock representative and magical research director. “This is everything he had.”

Grimsworn snatched it up and scanned it before shaking his head and tossing the folder back to Dad. “Ceremonial magic would never work for this. It’s been tried. This is not only unfounded for any supernatural, but it would be impossible to do this. My guess is that they killed him simply for trying—not that it was probable research.”

“Senseless death, then,” Dad muttered, putting the folder up.

“Unfortunately so,” he agreed. “Where is the dark magic relic?”

Dad pulled it out of his bag and handed it over to Grimsworn.

Grimsworn’s lips curved into a feral grin. “Ah, yes. It’s hit a limit. Too much dark magic resides within it. You mentioned that your daughter can destroy dark magic…”

“No,” Dad and Hunter growled in sync.

“She just woke up from a demonic curse,” Hunter added.

I patted his hand. “It’s fine. I’d rather not be the only thing capable of removing dark magic from an infected demon.”

“But who knows how much dark magic is in?—”

“I’m fine, Dad.” I reached out my hand for the relic. “Let me see it.”

“Here you are.” Grimsworn handed it to me with excitement in his eyes.

The relic hit my palm like a block of ice. I could feel the dark magic inside. The malevolence clawed at my skin. I tried to hold it steady, but my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. It slipped and crashed against the stone table.

A sharp clang echoed in the room.

There was so much dark magic inside it.

My magic roared to life, barreling out of my mouth. Smoke billowed forth, curling around the relic until it seeped inside. It latched onto the dark magic within, drawing it out in thick, pulsing streams back down my throat.

Too much.

There was too much.

The corruption slithered into me in choking gulps, each one heavier—more violent—than the last. It snaked through my veins, thick and cold, twisting in ways that made my entire body seize.

My head felt like it was splitting apart, my temples pounding as the dark magic itself hammered against my skull.

My magic wouldn’t stop sucking it inside of me.

I couldn’t stop it.

My entire body gave out under me, and I fell off the chair.

“I’ve got you,” Hunter whispered in my ear, his arms wrapping around me just before I hit the ground.

“Fuck, trouble.” Dex grabbed my shoulder tightly, but it wasn’t enough to steady as the world tilted and warbled.

Dex’s scent—coppery blood—managed to cut through the pain, tangling with Hunter’s sweeter, chocolate scent. Yet even their presence barely dented the all-consuming agony ripping through me.

“I knew I sensed another shadow demon lurking around,” Damien said smoothly, but there was a hint of interest.

“I feel fucking insane if I don’t have eyes on her!” Dex growled at him.

Damien’s laughter was jagged, piercing through the tension. “Oh, trust me, I understand more than you probably realize. Have you ever been decapitated?”

“Five times,” Dex snarled.

“Damn,” Damien hissed, almost like he was impressed. “Worse than me. How are you fucking sane?”

“I’m not!” he shouted.

“Enough!” Dad’s voice cracked like a whip, and time shifted as everything blurred with the pain.

“Fates, is she okay?” Wren asked softly.

“She’s consuming the dark magic,” Dad informed them in a tight voice.

“My Fatesss,” Sabine hissed. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“This is incredible,” Grimsworn murmured before letting out a yelp as if he was hit.

I could barely hear them. Their voices were muffled under the tides of agony tearing through me. Dark magic burned and froze all at once, scraping at my insides like shards of jagged glass.

My muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Each unavoidable tremble hit me with razor sharp brutality.

“This is your fault,” Clearwater growled out angrily. “Why would you suggest this?”

“There’s a century of dark magic within that relic,” Grimsworn croaked. “It’s…probably going to be a while for her to extract it and kill it. Remarkable , truly remarkable.”

The last of the dark magic surged from the relic, filling into every cell of my body, every vein, every nerve ending. It was relentless, like an unending assault of venom.

“I can handle—” I gasped as the pain hit me like a thousand lashes of shadow tendrils on repeat.

“You don’t have to do this,” Dex pleaded with me.

“She can’t stop it,” Dad told him, agony lacing his tone.

Another wave hit me, searing pain rippling through my body.

“Why not?” another voice asked.

I couldn’t scream, though I never could with the damage to my vocal cords, but Fates, I wanted to. I couldn’t even breathe.

“Once her magic starts, it doesn’t stop until all of the dark magic in the vicinity is destroyed,” Hunter explained bitterly. “It hurts her, and it fucking kills me to feel her in pain.”

My power drug every ounce of dark magic out of the relic. I sensed the moment it was empty, but the dark magic had no intention of succumbing to me easily. As my dark smoke fled back inside of me with the rest of the dark magic, it was so full that it had trouble slinking back down my throat.

“You can feel her pain?” Dex croaked.

“Of course, we’re bonded,” Hunter answered.

Oh, Fates, he felt this.

The dark magic fought back, lurching inside me, and I felt like I was about to implode. My magic warred with the dark magic, but I could feel my powers winning, decaying the dark magic that spilled inside of me.

“She needs to puke,” Hunter murmured as he and Dex helped me sit upright on the floor.

“Here!” Dad thrust a trash can into my hands.

I cradled it to my chest and retched violently, black tar splattering into the bin with a sickening splash. The stench of sulfur and decay was overwhelming.

Each time I expelled it, my body recoiled, only to kill more of it in my stomach.

The cycle was brutal.

It felt endless.

My mates’ arms tightened around me. Their breaths were hot against my temples and the only thing keeping me rooted in reality.

“Get it out, starlight,” Hunter urged, his hands steadying me as my body buckled again.

“Kill it, baby. Don’t you dare let it win,” Dex whispered, his voice raw with desperation.

I barely heard them over the pounding in my skull.

Heaving again, I choked on the tar as I purged the dead dark magic from my system, but it wasn’t enough.

Each wave of dark magic left me weaker. My muscles trembled, and my magic flickered, struggling to purge it. Sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes as it soaked my hair and clothes.

My powers continued to fight viciously against what dark magic was left in my stomach.

“Is it done?” Wren asked in a shaky voice.

“No.” Dad’s voice was tight. “Not yet.”

“We’ve got you,” Hunter assured me.

“Not letting you go,” Dex added.

My stomach lurched, and I convulsed as black streams of dark magic excreted from me in sickening waves. Torrent after torrent of dead magic ripped from my throat.

Dad was losing it, pacing behind us, cursing in demonic languages I couldn’t understand.

My ribs ached from the force, and my vision blurred. Each retch sent a fresh lance of pain through me, but I kept going, emptying myself until there was nothing left but the hollow ache of exhaustion.

Finally, the war inside me stopped. The dead dark magic retched up from the depths of my stomach in a last gruesome wave.

The trash can left my arms as Dad took it, and my body went limp.

I was soaked in sweat, my limbs trembling violently as I sagged into Hunter and Dex’s arms. I could barely breathe, each inhale sharp and painful, but it was finished.

The relic was empty of dark magic.

Dex’s lips brushed my cheek. “You’re safe, trouble.”

“It’s over. You’re amazing, starlight.” Hunter’s lips grazed my other cheek.

Cold hollowness spread through my body as a chilling reminder of what I had just done.

I’d just destroyed a century-worth of dark magic…

“Remarkable,” Grimsworn breathed, his wide eyes glinting with something uncomfortably close to glee. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my hundred years”

I wanted to glare at him, to tell him to shut up, but I couldn’t even lift my head. My chest heaved with shallow, painful breaths, and my limbs refused to obey me.

“Shut up,” Dex snarled at him for me.

“Oh, don’t be so sour,” Grimsworn quipped, the smugness in his tone making my head throb harder. “This was a feat of pure magic—the likes of which we may never see again. The magic she possesses is truly spectacular.”

“My mate is not your entertainment,” Hunter snapped, his voice edged with rage as he cradled me closer, his heartbeat hammering against my ear. “One more word, and I swear I’ll?—”

“Hunter.” Dad’s voice cut through like steel, brittle and sharp. His pacing had stopped, and he stared at me with raw worry in his eyes. “Focus on Pandora.”

My body trembled violently as I sagged further against them, unable to hold my own weight.

The bone-deep exhaustion pulled at my core.

My magic was repairing the damage the dark magic had done, knitting my insides back together too slowly, far too slowly for my liking—especially when my reserves were full.

Wren Clearwater, a woman I’d read about and regarded as my hero, knelt beside me, her blue eyes flicking between mine as she placed a cool hand on my forehead. Her touch felt nice, but she looked concerned. “How are you feeling right now?”

“Tired,” I croaked. “So tired.”

“Her magical essence doesn’t seem to be stabilizing,” Wren said softly, her voice trembling ever so slightly. “She hasn’t purged it all yet.”

“She hasn’t purged all of the dark magic?” Dex asked in shock.

I doubled over, a soundless scream tearing from my throat. A fresh wave of dark magic twisted inside me, coiling like barbed wire around my organs.

It was such a small residue, but it was enough to knot up my insides.

“What the Fates is happening?” Hunter shouted, his voice laced with panic.

“It’s fighting back,” Grimsworn said, his voice hushed now, almost reverent. “There must’ve been a residue she hadn’t purged yet. It remains alive inside her.”

“And you didn’t think to mention this possibility before?” Dad snarled, stepping forward. “If anything happens to my daughter?—”

“She’s going to be fine,” Grimsworn assured him, but he took a cautious step back. “But this is…unprecedented. She is purging something ancient and malevolent. It’s no surprise some hid away.”

“Fuck unprecedented,” Dex spat. “What do we do?”

“We wait,” Grimsworn said simply, a maddening calm in his voice.

“Like hell we do!” Hunter roared.

“For fuck’s sake,” Dex growled, his hand gripping the back of my neck, grounding me again. “Pandora, listen to me. You’re stronger than the dark magic. You’ve always been stronger than it.”

“He’s right,” Hunter added, his voice steadier now. “You’re the toughest demon I know. You can do this.”

“I know,” I rasped, my voice shredded and weak. My hands fumbled to push up off my mates, but they didn’t budge. I lacked the strength. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine,” Wren said firmly, her fingers pressing against my pulse. Her brow furrowed deeply. “But I think I can help amplify your magic with a balm I’ve made. Damien, can you—” She turned, but Damien already held a little tin jar out for her.

“Here, little bird.” His lips twisted into a smirk.

Rowan Clearwater stood over her shoulder. “Good idea, fledgling.”

“Help her, please.” Dad’s voice cracked.

She turned back to me with a soft smile. “May I?”

I nodded.

She screwed the lid off and swept her index and middle finger through the salve before rubbing it on my forehead. “Where is your magic centered?”

“My stomach,” I hissed through clenched teeth as another violent shudder wracked through me.

“Can I put some on it?” she asked, and I tensed.

My breath hitched.

My scars…

“Can everyone but my mates and Wren turn away?” I asked meekly.

“Of course, starlight.” Everyone else turned, and then, Hunter’s hand slipped under my shirt and gently lifted it.

Wren bit down on her lip as her eyes met mine in understanding. “It’s okay, Pandora. This will give you everything you need to fight.”

She reached out and slathered it all over my stomach, and my magic surged in response to whatever it was.

Hunter put my shirt back down as a tidal wave of my power crushed everything dark in its path.

The dark magic—what little that had hidden from me—clawed for survival, lashing out as it was being disintegrated. The war inside me was as agonizing as it was last time, but this time, vengeance burned through my veins, intertwining with my raw power and striking the dark magic until it was nothing more.

I lurched, and the smallest amount of dead dark magic splattered onto the stone floor next to us until it was completely purged from my body.

With the extra magic swirling through me, I searched my body for any trace and found none.

“She did it,” Wren whispered, awe in her voice.

“Barely,” Dad muttered, though his tone held a grudging relief.

Grimsworn’s eyes gleamed as he took a tentative step forward, his earlier smugness replaced with curiosity. “A true marvel.”

“Come any closer,” Hunter warned, his voice lethal, “and I will kill you.”

Grimsworn raised his hands in mock surrender, a sly smile curling his lips. “I mean no harm, of course.”

My eyelids fluttered shut. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Wren murmured. “What you puked up…is it what I think it is?”

“It’s dead dark magic,” Dad answered for me.

“It’s what Pandora can do,” Hunter explained.

“Although as you can see, it’s not fucking easy for her,” Dex snarled.

“Impressive,” Rowan Clearwater said.

“Very,” Damien agreed. “Good idea with the salve, little bird.”

“I would’ve loved to have you around when we fought Grayson,” Wren said weakly, causing both of her mates to growl protectively. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” I promised, cracking my eyes open as I convulsed in small tremors. The salve she’d put on me was helping my magic knit everything back together quicker than ever before. “Honestly, it’s a little surreal to meet you three. I…read about you. In the book, and it was the only story that kept me going when I was…growing up.”

Wren smiled sweetly, glancing at her mates. “Well, it was all a true story. Rhett did incredible retelling it all.”

Damien pouted, crossing his arms. “Asshole. I don’t see how he gets all the credit when we all helped with the ideas.”

“You all did great.” Wren kissed his cheek.

He grinned, almost as if all the frustration melted off him at her affection.

It was cute.

They were almost exactly as they’d been written—it was comforting.

“It’s rather… relatable that you’re now a dad and mated,” Clearwater addressed Dad with a small chuckle. “Considering your reputation.”

“And considering yours, you know exactly how it is,” Dad replied viciously before kneeling down before me. “Are you okay? Dex can take you out of the meeting.”

I shook my head as they helped me to my feet. Dex sat in my chair and pulled me into his lap. “I’m fine.”

“Another thing that you should be aware of is that Grayson’s blood stone is missing,” Clearwater said.

Wren and Damien tensed beside him.

“It has dark magic in it, right?” I asked.

They nodded, and tension ramped up in the room.

“With Sybil being involved, I’d like you to be aware of it. Just in case…”

“Thank you for the heads up.” Dad nodded.

Grimsworn inspected the dark magic relic. “I am truly just astounded at what you are capable of.” He handed it back to Dad, who growled lowly at him. “It’s usable again, and it should work much better than before. Thank the Fates. Seems you need it most now.”

Dad took the relic back and glanced at me before dragging his dark eyes back to Rowan. “You need to be aware that we are dealing with assassination attempts on Pandora and seemingly, her mates as well.”

“If you had vetted your council better, we’d ssstill have an inside source to see exactly what is happening,” Sabine threw in the comment.

“We truly apologize.” He bowed his head slightly to her.

“They didn’t know,” Rowan whispered.

“I know.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Before my agent was killed…they informed me that Sybil Shaw deemed Rod Shadowheart unworthy for Dark Veil’s purpose. He’s been kicked out, and his goal is to infect Pandora Gravesend. Just so you’re aware.”

“Thank you,” Hunter and Dad said together.

“Anything else about my father we should know?” Dex let out a low growl that vibrated his chest, and I shrunk into him.

Sabine nodded. “Evidently, Sybil tried using Rod against Pandora, but Rod became warped about it. He refused to kill her. He only wants her infected.”

“He’s infatuated with her because he rejected Pandora’s mother, who was his fated bond,” Dex growled.

Sabine’s gaze met mine. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle of this.”

“I’m sorry your agent was killed,” I murmured, sincerity bleeding through my tone.

She bowed her head in acknowledgment. “Thank you.”

“Let me take you back,” Dex whispered in my ear.

“I agree,” Hunter said.

“You’ve done your part,” Dad agreed. “We will see you after the meeting, okay?”

“Go rest, starlight.” Hunter kissed my cheek.

I found myself nodding. The tremors in my limbs had finally ceased, and my magic had finished up healing me already.

Still, I didn’t want to do anything else but be in Dex’s arms. Our matebond was urging us closer. It was almost suffocating.

“I’ll keep her safe.” Dex’s shadows engulfed us.

When they dissipated, we were in Hunter’s room—on his bed.

I frowned, turning to meet his fog gray gaze. “Why are we in Hunter’s room and not mine?”

“Honestly?” he purred, dipping his head and running his nose up and down my neck as he inhaled my scent.

I nodded, not trusting words when his nose was gliding over a sensitive part of my collarbone.

“I want to be alone with you. Just for an hour. Please.” His voice cracked.

“Okay,” I mumbled as I gave into the bond’s pressing urges.

Whatever was in the salve that Wren had given me made my healing kick up in speed—almost like the fight with dark magic I’d just went through hadn’t even happened.

Magic thrummed through my veins, and the exhaustion I’d felt no longer shackled me. Rest was the farthest thing on my mind right now.

Turning, I met his lips with mine. He moaned as he kissed me back forcefully, and I met him with each brutal swipe of his tongue against mine.

Fates, the way he kissed was like he was possessive and desperate for me. Heat gathered between my legs as my hands tangled in his hair.

He bit down on my lower lip with a soft growl, and his horns extended from his skull. His shadow magic brushed against my thigh, and I stilled completely.

His shadows touched my skin.

But they didn’t hurt me.

He wouldn’t hurt me.

I knew that, but still…

Pulling back, his fog gray eyes met mine with confusion. “What did I do wrong?”

“S-Shadow magic,” I rasped, my heart pounding loudly in my chest even though I knew I wasn’t in danger. “It touched my thigh.”

“Shit,” he hissed, taking a deep breath. His demon form rescinded and so did his shadows. “I’m so sorry, trouble. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay.” I reached up and cupped his face, gliding my thumb over his cheek. “You didn’t mean to, but, Dex, I can’t handle shadow magic. Not yet.”

“No, I know,” he insisted, plucking me off the bed and hauling me into his lap. He buried his face in my neck and breathed. “I know, and I understand. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Desire streaked down my spine as I felt his cock nestled right against my pussy. Only our clothes separated us, and a sob caught in my throat before I swallowed it back. “I…my soul calls out to yours, but I can’t wield my own shadow tendril. Not yet.”

“And if we mate, you will,” he finished for me in a hollow, broken tone. “I know, Pandora. I get it.”

“I’m not saying I won’t ever be ready,” I mumbled. “I want to be ready. I want to bond with you. I want you, Dex…it’s just…whenever I feel shadow magic, Mother?—”

He pulled back and silenced me with a kiss. “I won’t mark you until you’re ready, Pandora. I promise you that. But…I need you. I need to feel your skin against mine. It’s driving me fucking crazy.”

I couldn’t bear his mark yet, but I could be with him intimately. There was nothing that was stopping that from happening but us.

“I need you, too,” I rasped. “I want you, Dex.”

“You really feel up to that?” he checked, giving me a moment to think it through. “After what just happened with the dark magic.”

“I do, Dex,” I answered immediately. I didn’t need to think it through. “I promise I feel good—too good, really.”

“Too good?” He spun us, and my back hit the bed. “I plan to make you feel even better, trouble.”

He got up and stripped out of his clothes until he was naked before me. I wriggled my panties off and lifted my dress over my head before unclasping my bra and tossing it somewhere in the room.

His pierced nipples somehow made the muscles of his abdomen even more attractive, and I wanted desperately to touch them.

“Fuck,” he moaned, palming his dick and spreading the precum around his tip with his thumb. “You’re everything, Pandora. You’re my sanity. You know that? You’re what keeps me tethered.”

“Dex.” My breath caught.

“His mark looks good on you,” he rasped, stepping forward and brushing his thumb over my nipple while his other hand grasped my other breast.

I bit down on my lip. “Yeah?”

He nodded, tweaking it and sending jolts of pleasure through me. “Do you think he can feel this?”

“I—I don’t know,” I gasped, neediness throbbing at my core.

“Hmm. I wonder how much of your pleasure your bonded mates feel…” His hands dropped to my legs before he wrenched them apart and dove between my thighs. His tongue slid through my wetness without hesitation, and his piercing bumped my clit.

Pleasure shot through me, and my hips bucked up. “Ah!”

A chuckle vibrated from his mouth, and I moaned from it.

He reached up and pressed down on my stomach, devouring my pussy like a starved demon. He flicked and nibbled on my clit, and he entered two fingers inside of me, thrusting in and out.

White-hot ecstasy consumed me, but his mouth never stopped. His fingers kept pushing in and out of me until my pussy clamped so tightly around them, it was difficult for him to move them.

When he pulled back, his smirk was wicked. “You taste so good, trouble. I’ve always imagined you’d be that sweet.”

My breaths came in ragged pulls, but I tugged him down on top of me.

He hovered above me, but he didn’t move as his fog gray eyes pinned me against the bed.

“What?” I was still catching my breath, pulling oxygen into my lungs.

He studied every inch of me, and his smirk grew into a smile. “I love you, Pandora.”

My lips parted, but before I could reply, he sank himself mercilessly inside of me. It almost burned where he stretched me, but pleasure overtook me.

“Shh, feel me , baby.”

My head fell back, and a moan escaped me. I felt every inch of him until he met his end inside of me.

“Dex, I?—”

“You don’t have to say it back, but if I can get deeper inside of you, will you finally admit that you’re mine?”

“Ye—Yes,” I gasped out.

His smile turned feral, and his fingers trailed from my stomach to between my breasts and up to my neck. He traced the place his shadows had cut into it back before he knew I was his mate. “How do you feel about my hand around your throat?”

“I…I don’t know.” I swallowed hard. “I think—I think you can try.”

A low moan pulled from him as his hand curled around my throat as if the action itself was about to make him come.

Instead of panic or disgust like I had expected, a primal need overwhelmed me. It was as if he knew I would like this.

I melted under his touch, my pussy relaxing enough to allow him even deeper.

“Fuck, yes . You’re amazing.” He put the slightest pressure on my throat and pulled out on a long draw before thrusting hard back inside.

Stars burst in my vision. “Dex!”

“You’re beautiful.” He pounded into me with abandon, and I felt my wetness coating him, dripping out.

“Don’t stop,” I gasped.

“ Never . I get it now, baby. Sex is something different entirely when you love them, fuck. I love you. You’re mine,” he snarled between thrusts, going even deeper.

“Yes,” I moaned. “ Yours .”

Every fiber of my body and soul was alight with pleasure.

“Say it again, trouble, say it,” he begged me, desperately. “I need to hear you tell me you’re mine.” He bottomed out inside of me again and again.

“I’m yours,” I choked out. “I’m yours, Dex.”

“Yes, you are. Mine . Now, come for me. ” His hand around my neck tightened, and his cock thrust in and out of me.

He somehow managed to get deeper every time, and it sent me over the edge.

I lost my senses.

Pleasure ripped through me, and I writhed against him, wrapping my hands around his wrist that was holding me by my throat.

“ Mine .” His thrusts slowed, and I felt him coat the inside of me with his cum. “You’re my mate, Pandora. Even if I haven’t marked you. You are mine.”

I was his, and I would bear his mark—just not yet.