Page 20

DIANA

Odious strokes my hair as I sit up against his chest, his long nails sending a shiver down my spine. “You did well today, angel.” His velvety voice adds to the army of goose bumps growing by the second.

I let out a sigh and tilt my head to look at him over my shoulder. “The look on her face broke my heart, Odi. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I saw her standing in front of me.”

He continues to play with my hair as he trails kisses down my back. “I know, my heart. I could tell she missed you too.”

I almost broke down completely when I saw Silia walk through the doors of the throne room. My sister, my other half, is oblivious to all the dangers that lurk in this realm. I wish so badly to tell her everything. But not yet. There are still things left to do before I can tell her the truth.

I turn to fully face Odious and look into his glacier eyes. “How did you feel seeing Lars again?”

He, too, had been reunited with his sibling. I cannot begin to imagine the torment he must have felt, being locked away from his brother for years, keeping up the narrative that he was dead all this time.

His eyes dim a touch when I ask him this question. He folds his hands into his lap and bows his head as he fidgets with the fabric of his cloak. “It was…harder, than I expected.” He sighs and returns his gaze to mine. “I did miss him, despite everything he’s done.”

I cup his face in my hands, and he leans into the touch, closing his eyes and humming with delight. “He’s all I have left. I know our mother is still alive, but she’s changed. After the night she and Erebus killed our father, she became cold and distant. Her affection towards us weaned more and more as Erebus whispered promises of power in her ear.”

Heavy tears build in his eyes, and one falls down his cheek. His tears are a beautiful mix of silver and crimson red, I can barely take my eyes off them as they sparkle in the moonlight flowing through the window. He sniffles as I wipe it away with my thumb.

“And the vision you had, is it true?”

Odious nuzzles his face into my hand as he opens his eyes again. “It is, and he will pay with every bone in his body.”

When I was still seated in the throne room, I saw Odious fall to his knees the moment he touched Rein. I didn’t understand what was happening in the moment, but when he’d come back to the dais, he’d explained that he saw a memory of Rein’s. We had already known Rein was reading the letters between Odious and me, but in his vision in the throne room, he’d seen that Rein was also reading the correspondences between Lars and Erebus. Rein knew more information about my kidnapping than we had originally thought.

I almost couldn’t believe what Odious was telling me. The boy I grew up with, the one I would ditch tutor lessons for, the one who would sneak fresh flowers into my room in the springtime, had let me fall right into danger. The boy I had opened a sliver of my heart to had let me be taken and used for Gods knows what.

“Only a pathetic coward would do this. I told you that the moment I learned of your existence, I wanted nothing but to protect you. He cannot look after you as I can. He does not feel the urge to hold you tight and never let go, as I do. He is weak, Diana. He will never be a man that deserves your love.”

I release Odious’ face and tightly ball my fists.

“I know you two shared somewhat of a bond. I urge you to forget about him—”

“There is no need to convince me, Odious. It is done.” I cut him off before he can finish his sentence.

It pains me that he thinks I would put Rein before him. Rein and I had partaken in an unspoken romance. Neither of us ever talked about it, nothing more than stolen glances and small gifts ever came of it. But the love I have for Odious is something otherworldly. Over the past year, he and I have become more than what Rein and I ever were. Odious loves me loudly and without shame, while Rein keeps his feelings deep in the shadows. I do not know if Rein ever loved me, but with what I know now, I can say with certainty he does not.

“You know I am willing to give you whatever part of myself you desire.” Odious gently cradles my face between his cold hands. “I know you have only known me for a small fraction of your life compared to him. But I will never give up on proving my love to you. Please tell me you choose me. Whatever I have to do to make you see it, I will do it without a second thought."

“Odi, of course I choose you. A thousand times over, I will always choose you.” It was almost laughable that he thought any differently.

He brings my crimson-stained finger to his lips and licks away the liquid, the gesture igniting something deep in my core. From the moment I was brought here, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. To see his face every day, more than just the letters we would send back and forth, brings a whole new meaning to our relationship. This is something we both want and need desperately.

He holds eye contact with me as his tongue trails up my finger and flicks as he reaches the tip. “My sweet Diana. What did I ever do to deserve such a perfect specimen?”

I smile at him as the air thickens with lust. “My love is not something that you need to earn. It is yours unconditionally, from now until the moment we perish.”

I feel the blush spreading on my cheeks as he lowers my hand back down. He leans in and kisses me deeply. The taste of his salty tears mixed with the wine we drank passes between us. His long fingers trail up my back until they reach the base of my neck, and he pulls me closer to him, making our connection much more intimate. “My soul pleads for your touch, angel, eternally grateful for whatever part of yourself you choose to give to it.” He snakes his hand from around my neck up to meet my face.

“It feels as if I have lived a million lifetimes..” He kisses my temple, then the tip of my nose. “Each lifetime more dreadful than the last.” His lips move to my chin. “Until I found you.” His warm breath tickles my neck as he trails kisses down and stops at my collarbone, “and you gave this life its purpose."

He gently pushes me back on the bed until I am lying down beneath him. His large form shadows over me as his silky hair caresses the side of my face. “No longer does my soul linger aimlessly. It has begun to dig its roots into yours.” His sweet words wrap me in a delicious hug as he leans down and continues his trail of kisses.

My body aches for his lips as I arch my back, showing him that I need more. I feel him smile against my skin as he slowly rips through the center of my dress with his nail. With a flick of his wrist, my dress is severed in two. The chilly night air coats my body, and my nipples harden to a point. I need the friction. I need to feel his lips on my aching breasts.

“Odi,” I breathe out.

He raises his head, his glossed-over gaze meeting mine. “Yes, my angel?”

“I—” Words retreat my thoughts as my need for him overthrows my senses.

“Use your words, sweet one.” He playfully nips at my breast as he traces careful circles around the other.

“I need you, please…” I’m barely able to get the words out before he tears the remaining scraps of my dress off and throws them across the room.

My breath hitches as I follow the trail of the cloth and watch as it lands directly into the fireplace. My hand flies to my mouth as laughter bubbles over.

“Odi, I liked that one!” It was one of my favorites, a white and silver dress made of tule and sheer fabric. Ornate patterns made of crystal were sewn into the dress, and was one of the nicest things I’ve ever owned. Of course, it had been a gift from him.

A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth as he shrugs. “I’ll buy you a hundred more. Better yet, one dress for each day of the year.” He catches me off guard as he rises from the bed and stands at the end of it, stripping his black cloak off and letting it fall to the floor. He removes his tunic next and tosses it into the fire as well. “Now we’re even. Will you ever forgive me?”

My mouth waters as I take in the sight of him half-naked before me. His lean muscles constrict as his breathing begins to quicken. Every inch of him is perfect.

He grabs me by the ankles and pulls me towards him with an impatient tug. My back slides with ease against the duvet as my legs straddle the middle of his thighs. He is much, much taller than the bed, so my legs can’t reach his waist from here.

He leans down and places his hands on either side of my head, licking up and down my neck before moving behind my ear and sucking on the sensitive skin. My body shivers in response, and my hands work their way through his soft hair. He groans into my neck, and the sound gets my body grinding him. Luckily for me, his thighs create enough friction for me to finally ease the ache between my legs.

He removes his lips from my neck and grabs my face, his large hand almost enveloping it entirely. “A needy little one tonight, are we? A woman with such status should not resort to pleasuring herself against a man’s leg. Although I cannot say I detest the view.” He takes his other hand and presses down on my hips, stopping them from rubbing against him. I whine in defeat as he chuckles and digs his nails into my flesh. I need to touch him, need to feel his tense muscles under my fingers.

Boldly, I reach between us and trace my finger down his abdomen, then hook it in the seam of his pants. I only get them down just an inch before he removes his grip from my hips and snatches my hand.

“My pleasure won’t even begin until you’ve found yours, impatient one.”

Gods, I need him.

I bite my lip hard enough to draw blood, and the warm liquid seeps into my mouth, creating a slick contrast with my saliva, like oil to water. Odious’ eyes become almost wholly white as he sees the tiny drop of blood clinging to the corner of my mouth.

I let a wide grin break across my face. He’s enjoying this.

In half a second, his lips are on mine, tasting the blood trickling from my mouth. He sinks his teeth further into my bottom lip and sucks. I moan into his mouth as heat floods my body. His hunger for every part of me only intensifies my need for him in a way words cannot describe.

“You taste so sweet, my angel.” He pulls back from my lips and rubs his thumb along the cut. “I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve such a blessing from the Gods, but I will tire my breath in thanks every night for the rest of my life for your appearance.”

His words, more than anything, are what make him Odious. Not a day has gone by in the last year that he has not thanked every God in the universe for tying him to me. Even in the very first letter he sent me, he had told me how beautiful I was and that every bone in his body ached to hold me. His words had ignited a spark deep in me, and I knew from the last sentence in the letter that he was meant to be mine.

He pushes off the mattress and runs his gaze up and down my body. The opalescent whites of his eyes swirl in lust as he drags my underwear down my thighs, then flicks them into a dark, forgotten corner of the room.

He lifts one of my legs in the air and trails kisses from my toes to my knee. I move my hands to palm my breasts, imagining it’s him touching me as my fingers pinch the hard peaks of my nipples. I moan softly, and he looks up, then lets out a low growl.

Odious leans down and runs his tongue up and down the sensitive spot of my core, and my back arches in response. “Gods, yes.” My words are barely more than a whisper as a tingling sensation overtakes my body.

He lightly rakes his finger up and down my thighs as he feasts on me. An intense need to have him fill me overtakes my thoughts as I move my hands and tangle them in his hair. His tongue offers me sweet relief, and my orgasm quickly builds. “I’m so close.” I close my eyes as he continues to lap me up.

“Not until I say. I am a starved man, Diana.”

He retracts his nails and teases my entrance with two of his fingers, testing me to see if I am ready for him. The sensation causes me to squeeze my thighs together, but I force myself to hold back as I remember Odious’ head is right in between them. “Do not spread your legs, Diana. I want to feel you squeeze my head as I devour you.”

My eyes clamp shut, and I don’t hold myself back.

When he seems satisfied enough with my slickness, he inserts his fingers without warning, and my breath hitches. I already feel so full just from his fingers as he slowly pumps in and out of me.

“Please, Odi.” My words make their way out in between ragged breaths as he maintains his pace.

“Please? What is my angel begging for?” Odious lifts his head from between my legs to meet my gaze, his fingers still hard at work inside of me.

“I need you inside of me.” I lift my head and flick my gaze to his length.

He licks his lips and grins widely.

“As you wish.” He gently removes his fingers and licks them clean before bringing them to my mouth. The mixture of our flavors floods my taste buds, and my core painfully throbs as he shoves his fingers past my lips.

I swirl my tongue around his fingers, and his mouth opens, his jaw slightly slackened. A deep moan tumbles out of him as we lock eyes, and I spread his fingers apart with my tongue. His chest rises and falls rapidly as his breathing becomes more erratic.

“You are the image of perfection,” Odious groans as he pulls down his trousers with his free hand, pushing his fingers deep into my mouth until they are on the back of my tongue. He grips the underside of my chin with his thumb as he rubs his two fingers toward the back of my throat. I gag on them, and another moan escapes his lips. I look down to see him fisting his cock at a teasingly slow pace. With each moan that escapes my lips, my mind eases further and further into the abyss where nothing exists except for Odious and me.

I close my lips around his finger and hollow my cheeks, creating a vacuum seal on our connection. My hand finds its way between my legs, and I rub circles over my sensitive nerves. His fingers slip out of my mouth with a pop, making sure to take my slickness with him as he leaves my mouth, then he opens his hand just below my mouth.

“Spit,” is all he says as he continues to stroke himself.

I bring my arms to my side and sit up on my elbows. I lean forward and spit into his open palm, and he purrs in satisfaction, then pulls his hand away. I watch intently as he removes his right hand from his length and replaces it with his left, my juices coating him as he begins pumping again. I bite my lip hard at the sight of him touching himself and move to replace his hand with my mouth.

But before I can fully sit up, he pushes me back down with his free hand and points down again. “Pleasure yourself.”

My hands move before my mind registers the words leaving his mouth, and my orgasm begins to build once more.

My room fills with the sound of moans as we both inch quickly toward our peak. Sweat glistens against Odious’ sculpted stomach muscles as he rests his weight on one of the bedposts. His fist grips his throbbing length with so much force that the veins in his hands begin to swell. And suddenly, I’m growing immensely tired of not having him inside of me.

Before he can stop me, I sit up and pull his hips towards me, causing him to fall onto the bed and topple over me.

“Fill me, now.” My stern words send a shiver down his spine as he releases his length and smirks.

“With pleasure. Who am I to deny a vision such as yourself?”

He grabs my waist and flips us so I’m sitting in his lap. His thick cock stands straight up between us as I raise my hips and hover over him. His hands run up and down my back, digging his nails into my flesh again. I revel in the fact that he’s leaving a mark on me, our little secret laid bare on my back.

I tease his head at my entrance, and his nails dig further into my spine.

“You enjoy me melting under your control, don’t you?” he hisses as I just barely lower myself onto him, only allowing his head to enter me. I reach behind me to cradle his balls in my hand, and his whole body goes rigid at my touch.

“Please— Diana.” It’s his turn to beg for mercy.

I take my other hand and grip his face, tilting his head up to meet my gaze, “Use your words, Odious .” A shaky breath escapes his lips, and his brows furrow in pleading.

“Please, angel. Let me fill you. I need more.”

A devious grin falls on my face as I lower myself completely on him. “ Good boy .”

His hands snake from around my back and grip my hips, then lift me up and down at a pace much quicker than I’m able to reciprocate. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into me, the slickness from our sweat creating a sweet friction against my nipples.

He continues to slam into me as my orgasm quickly approaches, and I tug on his hair. I feel his cock throb in response as my walls clench tightly around him. My entire body is on fire, but it’s the best feeling in the world. Each aching muscle, every gasp for air inflames a kindling fire in me that had been yearning to grow. He is mine and I am his. Deep in my soul, I know this is a connection that will outlive even the oldest of Gods and the youngest of Fae.

“I’m close, angel, come with me.”

A few more vigorous pumps and my body begins to spasm as I ride the height of my release. Euphoria swirls in my mind's eye as I nuzzle my face into the side of his neck, allowing his skin to muffle my moans. He quickly follows after me as his nails dig into my hips, and his head falls back in exultation. I feel him throb inside of me one last time as he finishes his orgasm, and I lift my face from his neck.

Our chests rise and fall at twin speeds as I lift myself from Odious and fall back onto the bed. Sweat covers every inch of me, and I reach up to wipe the droplets from my forehead.

How is this man real? Every fantasy, every confession of love I’d ever dreamt of hearing, he’s given me twofold.

Odious flops down next to me, and my head lolls to the side, staring into his glassy eyes.

“You are magnificent every time. I will never grow tired of your body on mine.” He reaches over and pushes away the hair sticking to the side of my face.

I smile at him, breathless and dazed. I bring his palm to my mouth and give him a gentle kiss as I feel his heavy pulse under my lips. I close my eyes and breathe in his raw scent. There is something so primal about my attraction to him, and it’s intoxicating.

He pulls me into him as our legs tangle together on top of the sheets. I lay my head on his chest and listen to the rhythm of our heartbeats. The sound invades my mind and creates a calming tune.

Odious leans down and places a kiss on the top of my head. “Tell me you love me, my sweet Diana.”

I smile into his chest as my heart skips a beat. “I love you, Odi.”

He positions his head so his lips are just barely caressing my ear. “And I love you more than any language in the entire realm can express.”

We sit in blissful silence for a few minutes, savoring the sound of our breaths after the exhausting session.

Just as I close my eyes, I hear him softly whisper to me, “I believe we have a dinner to get ready for.”

I giggle and lift my head to look at him. His hair is tossed to one side of his head, highlighting his high cheekbones and showcasing the delicately carved slopes of his neck. “Yes, we do.”