Page 82 of Fated In Forever (Nocturne Vampire Clan #4)

MALACHI

T hree days I'd spent in Evangeline’s world. Three perfect days of sunlight and laughter and the simple miracle of holding her in my arms.

The second my time was up, I’d been hurled back to my domain, but in the months since, I’d been busy, planning for her return.

Since time moved so differently in both realms, I’d had some trouble working out the differences, but if my calculations were correct, today was the day she’d appear, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

The castle had never looked better. The polished obsidian of the great hall gleamed, the tapestries were bright and colorful—red and white and black—the chandeliers glowing with red flames, everything was set for her arrival.

I paced nervously from one end of the hall to the other, went to the fireplace and struck a pose. Too formal . Another, over by the towering gothic windows.

Too slouchy . I blew out a breath and went back to pacing, a giant ball of nerves.

But the castle itself wasn't my real surprise. My big secret lay beyond the walls, a project that had taken most of my accumulated power to complete.

I sensed the dimensional shift that announced her arrival—a ripple in reality that made my heart race—then the portal opened right in front of me, in the center of the great hall, and Evie stepped through with the same cautious grace she'd shown the first time she'd visited my realm.

She was dressed practically in dark jeans and her favorite leather jacket, her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, but to me she looked like royalty.

“ Malachi ,” her face blazed with joy as she charged across the floor and threw herself at me. “I wasn't sure if the magic would actually work both ways.”

“It worked,” I said, sweeping her into my arms. For a moment, I just held her, nuzzling deep into her hair, drowning in her scent, marveling at the fact that she was really here, in my realm, by choice.

By a wish.

“The trip was fast. Not even that bad.” She laughed, staring around the great hall. “This place looks amazing. Did you rebuild the entire castle?”

“Most of it,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the burgeoning pride that warmed my chest. “I may have had some time on my hands…before.” Before, when I thought I’d never see you again . “But once I knew you were coming back, I started making real improvements.”

“Malachi, this must have taken forever.” She paused, her eyes widening as she took in the full scope of the restoration.

The polished floors, the pristine tapestries, the way the candles glowed brighter, the gentle air more welcoming than that cold, shrieking wind.

“Tell me you didn’t do all of this for me? ”

“I wanted everything to be perfect,” I said simply. “I wanted you to see the beauty in this place. I want…” I swallowed, suddenly nervous. What if I was wrong? What if she doesn’t like it here? “I wanted you to think of this castle as our sanctuary, as I think of Crimson House.”

Her eyes were bright as she reached up to cup my face. “It's beautiful, and I’m grateful. But Malachi…you’re the reason I made that wish, you’re the reason I’ve been looking forward to these three days together. You didn't have to go to all this trouble.”

“Yes, I did,” I interrupted gently. “Because this is your realm too. And I want you to love it the way I do. There is beauty here, Evangeline. So much beauty.”

She kissed me then, soft and sweet and full of the promise of the days we'd have together.

Because for every day, I would get over a week, and since I was a greedy bastard, I already had every single one planned out, down to the second.

When we broke apart, I took her hand and led her toward the great doors that opened onto the castle's rear courtyard.

“There's something I want to show you,” I said, barely able to contain my excitement. “Something I've been working on since the moment I knew you'd be coming back.”

The courtyard looked the same. Ancient stone, the perpetual twilight sky of the Underworld overhead.

But just beyond, a vast lake stretched out before us, its surface reflecting the dim red light of the Underworld's sky like a mirror made of liquid garnets.

This hadn't existed a year ago. I'd carved the basin from the rock with my own hands, channeling water from the river.

Evie stopped dead in her tracks, “Is that…” she began, then stopped, shaking her head in wonder. “Malachi, how did you…”

“I wanted you to have somewhere to go early in the morning.” I trailed my fingers down her back. “Somewhere peaceful.”

She was quiet for a long moment, and I found myself holding my breath, waiting for her reaction. Then she sighed, leaning into me, “It's perfect,” she said, turning to face me with tears glistening on her cheeks. “Absolutely perfect. Though I have to point out—there are no swans in hell.”

“No,” I agreed. “But there are other things.”

As if summoned by my words, lost souls began to spiral out of the clouds, filling the sky above us, our own personal galaxy. “Oh,” Evie breathed, “They're beautiful.”

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” But I wasn’t looking at them at all, a wicked idea taking shape in my head.

***

“Wow. That’s some throne. Thrones .” Evie breathed, staring up at the pair of carved-out chunks of obsidian in the center of the room, perched high on the dais. “They seem…bigger than before. And I don’t remember there being two of them.”

“Hmmm? Really? You don’t?” I asked innocently as I swung her up into my arms and strode forward, setting her gently in the biggest one, her feet not touching the ground, before I knelt before her, spinning a circlet of black glass around one finger.

I held my breath, then set the delicate crown on her head.

It was perfect against her bright golden hair, glittering warmth in the shadows.

That’s what Evangeline was. A light amongst the darkness, a beacon guiding me home, like a candle always burning in the window.

“There. Now you’re exactly where you should be.

By my side, queen of the shadows. I have to say, you look perfect up there…

ex cept for one small detail.” I flicked my finger and her clothes vanished, replaced by a gown of shifting black shadow, framing the pale peaks of her breasts, barely covering her creamy thighs.

Fuck, down here I smelled nothing but her— sweet, juicy and we’d been apart for so godsdamned long I was about to come before I even touched her. Every minute without her had been complete torture, but now…I was about to experience fucking heaven again.

I circled her ankles with my fingers, pressed my lips to each of her perfect toes, then slowly pulled her feet apart, her eyes darkening, a long, slow breath easing out of her mouth as she realized what I meant to do.

Those shadows parted when I leaned in, pressed my nose to the inside of her thigh and dragged my tongue up that strip of white, velvety skin, savoring the exquisite taste of exotic spices and nighttime flowers.

I cannot go slow, Vicious, and I can’t take my time.

I don’t want slow, Malachi. I’ve missed this too much. I’ve missed you . She shifted her hips, tilting them up so all I saw was her pink, dripping cunt, heat melting me from the inside out, grunting as her delicious scent hit me full on.

I’ve missed you more, all those little delicious sighs, the way your fingers stroke my horns—yes, just like that—the way you look at me like I’m the only thing that matters.

I pushed her wider, retracting my talons all the way to protect her delicate flesh, the blunt ends of my fingers pressed into perfect, soft skin.

I was already lost, then ran my tongue up the center of her.

One long, deep lick coated my mouth with her dewy essence, sent stars bursting behind my eyelids.

Another stroke of my tongue and her whole body shivered, then I couldn’t stop, lapping and tasting, driving my tongue in deep, until she was writhing and moaning for me to go harder, for more, more, more.

Are you sure, my love?

I’m sure. Those blue eyes glittered between half-closed lashes. Give me everything, Malachi.

I slid the tip of my tail along the back of her soft thigh, over flesh so creamy it looked like porcelain, up over the curve of her gorgeous ass, folding her backwards into the throne until I found that puckered, tight entrance.

She resisted when I worked the tip in, moaning out my name, fingers gripping my horns as I feasted on her with renewed hunger and for one crystalline second, with the taste of her coating my mouth, the world stopped.

She’s here and she’s mine and she’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I will worship at her feet, my queen, my love, my mate, until the end of time, and beyond.

Then she mewled, writhing against my mouth and I withdrew my tongue, then pushed back in, licking until I captured every last precious drop of her delicious essence.

I shoved my tail in deeper, flaring the tip wider, tunneling in and out of her hot, tight channel while she arched against that throne, fingers tightening around my horns, cursing and begging and pleading for more.

Take it all, Vicious. Everything I have is yours.

Me.

This realm, my heart and my soul and my body.

I gave her everything she wanted, gave and gave and gave until she hissed out my name like a curse, flooding my mouth with her sweet, salty essence, her thighs quivering beneath my palms as I held her still so I could work her harder, delved deep enough to get every last precious drop, my tail plundering deep.

Claiming her as my queen. My mate. My love.

I felt her pleasure like it was my own, splintering me apart, power—true power—consuming me in waves of light that echoed my every heartbeat as we fell together, ecstasy drumming through my blood, stamping her mark deep into my skin.

Exactly how I wanted this to end.

Exactly how this should be.

Me, worshiping at her feet, and Vicious, sitting in the throne, a wicked black crown askew on her blond head, gazing down at me with the dazed look of a well-satisfied female. I rocked back, licking the last of her taste from my lips, so much heat rolling off my body the air around us shimmered.

Her wicked smile deepened. “I hope you’re not finished, Malachi, because I was just getting started.”

Whatever my queen wants, my queen gets.

I pushed to my feet until I towered over her, watching her eyes darken, her tongue sweep across her full bottom lip, then picked her up out of the throne and settled her deep into my arms. She was here for three days, which, by my calculations, was almost seven weeks.

Time enough to take our time getting to know each other, for me to show her the river, and the boat, and my task. Maybe Evangeline would be proud, when she saw what I’d accomplished. Maybe, I could mak e her proud, by becoming the male I’d been born to be.

I’m taking you to bed now, and you are going to feed. Then we’re going to start on that list of fantasies you told me about.

“I never told you about them, Malachi.” She nestled deeper against me. “But I do have some ideas,” she said shyly, “that definitely involve more of your tail.”

I grinned. “Well, in that case, I’ll walk faster. But keep the crown on, because I have some fantasies of my own.”

“You and Blake,” she muttered, her arms going around my neck. “What’s with you guys and crowns?”

I just picked up the pace.

“I never wanted to be king. Never.” I whispered into her ear, watching a sweet, knowing smile curve her lips.

“Even when Tyrell offered me the crown, I refused, but now…with you as my queen, I am looking forward to sitting on a throne beside you for an eternity.”

Thank you so much for reading the Nocturne Series!