Page 167 of The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash #6)

“But if he was telling the truth about the Fates, then I’m not angry.

” I set the boot beside the other. “Worrying about the Arae getting pissed isn’t exactly something my generation was concerned with—unless you were a wolven.

They always act like the Fates watch from every bush and tree.

” My grin was fleeting. “But my father’s generation and anyone older?

They felt the same as the wolven. If true, my father wouldn’t want to tempt fate. ”

“But how do you feel about everything?” she asked, her fingers flicking the water’s surface by her knees.

“The same.”

“Cas.” She sighed.

“Seriously. The same.” And that was the truth. “At first, it was…ground-shaking, but who my grandfather or great-grandfather is doesn’t change who I’ve been. It just makes my ancestry almost as interesting as yours.”

“I think it actually does change who you’ve been,” she replied dryly. “But I get what you’re saying.”

I cocked my head. “You really think that’s why I have more eather than Kieran?”

“I do. It makes sense. But…I feel like something else explains why you can shift already. And kill a Revenant.”

“We don’t know if Kieran can,” I reminded her. “Need to find one to know that.”

“True.” She paused. “By the way, I think Valyn was telling the truth.”

“Think?” I cocked my head.

Her head bobbed. “It’s not like the vadentia is telling me anything, but I just don’t see why he’d lie.” She paused. “Especially after what he told me when you and Kieran left.”

I cast her a sidelong glance. “Do I even want to know?”

“Remember what Seraphena said?”

It took me a moment. “Fuck. I forgot.” I stood. “You asked him?”

“I did.” Poppy’s chin lifted. “It was also…unexpected.”

I didn’t move as she told me how Seraphena had saved my father’s and Jasper’s lives at the Battle of Pompay. But she hadn’t just saved their lives. She had chosen them over her own blood—her son.

Yeah, that was unexpected.

I swallowed, my chest knotting. “Did he say if she told him why?”

“I don’t think it had anything to do with me—like she knew your father would eventually be connected to me.” Her nose wrinkled adorably. “Because if it was that, why would she intervene after doing so much to prevent Sotoria from being reborn?”

“You’re right. It wouldn’t make sense.”

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“That she did all of that, yet when she intervened for whatever reason she had, she ensured I would become…this.” Poppy’s gaze lowered to the water. “If she hadn’t, Malec would’ve likely been reunited with Isbeth, and she never would’ve gone down the path she did.”

“And you wouldn’t have been born.”

“Neither would you or Kieran,” she said. “Seraphena ended up guaranteeing that I was born, and the Joining could happen. That’s what’s crazy.”

Fuck.

It was also unnerving. “Sounds like…fate.”

A crease formed between her brows. “It does, but…” she murmured as I pulled my shirt over my head. Her expression smoothed out when I dropped the cloth. The tips of her fangs appeared when her gaze drifted over my chest and abdomen.

“You’re distracted.” I undid the flap on my breeches.

Her knee disappeared, but the tip of her rosy breast appeared above the water. It was only for half a second before foam lapped over her skin. Still, lust fisted in my gut.

I’d never been jealous of godsdamn bubbles until then.

“No, I’m not,” she insisted, her stare glued to my hands.

I smirked. “You forgot what you were saying.”

“I did not,” she argued. “Why do—?” She sucked in a sharp breath as I shoved the breeches down.

Raising a brow as I stepped out of them, I looked over at her. She was staring at my cock. “You were saying?”

The tip of her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. “What?”

Chuckling, I sat on the ledge, swung my legs over the side, and let them drop into the water. “You were saying something before you got distracted by my dick.”

The flush in her skin deepened.

“I love your blushes.”

“Is that why you constantly say stuff to make me blush?”

“Possibly,” I murmured.

She shook her head. “I was about to say I don’t think it was the actual Fates. It seemed like they wanted to prevent my birth.”

Cold fury built in my chest. “All of them?”

“Well, I can’t say for sure what Holland and Thorne wanted, but why would they risk it?”

Why would they?

Unless one or more disagreed with Lirian and decided the risk was worth it.

For their sake, they’d better hope that was the case.

Poppy’s gaze dipped and then quickly lifted. The green of her eyes was brighter. “Did you…did you talk to Kieran?”

“I did.” That was true. My gaze lowered to the shadowy juncture between her thighs, and damn if my mouth didn’t water. When had I last tasted her?

“How did that go?”

“Great,” I lied, grinning at her exasperated huff. “I really don’t want to talk about anything that leads back to my father or great-grandfather while nude.”

Her grin returned. “What do you want?”

“You really need to ask that?”

I expected to hear her laugh, but she fell silent as her gaze lowered. “Do you…?”

“Do I what?”

Her chin dipped, grazing the surface of the water. I briefly tasted something astringent, almost like unripe fruit. Uncertainty?

“Poppy?”

“It’s nothing,” she whispered, her gaze still lowered.

“Don’t,” I said. Her lashes lifted. “Don’t shut me out.”

“I’m not.”

“Prove it.” I reached for her, curling my fingers around her chin. “Because something is clearly on your mind.”

Poppy bit her lower lip, giving me a peek of a small but sharp fang. “It’s silly.”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t even know what it is, so how can you say it’s not?”

I swept my thumb across her chin. “How can you know what I will think when you won’t tell me what it is?”

Poppy’s eyes narrowed slightly, and it was hard not to laugh at her expression. She reminded me of a lallas—a wild cat found in the High Hills of Thronos. The feisty felines were only a little larger than my palm and had perpetually disgruntled expressions.

“Fine,” she muttered, exhaling roughly. Her eyes closed, and pink crept across her cheeks. “Do you really want me?”

My lips parted in disbelief. Struck silent, I stared at her.

Godsdamn, that was a silly question. But before I could say that, her eyes opened.

And what I saw in them—the fear and uncertainty—was like a punch to the chest. Her question wasn’t silly.

She was serious. And I didn’t know if I was angry that she would even ask that or heartbroken.

I kept my voice level as I drew my thumb below her plump lip. “Why do you ask that?”

The pink in her cheeks deepened. “Because of everything with Sotoria.” Her breath came out in another ragged exhale as she rushed on. “I know you said before that you do, and that’s why it’s silly. So, I wish I hadn’t said anything, and you hadn’t brought logic into it. Then we wouldn’t be—”

Leaning over, I silenced her with my mouth.

The kiss was hard. Brutal. Poppy stiffened, her lips parting on a sharp inhale.

I took advantage, slipping my tongue inside to find hers.

I kissed her with a force that answered her question, and by the time I lifted my head, we were both a little breathless.

“I don’t just want you,” I told her, splaying my fingers across her warm cheek. “I need you, Poppy. I will always need you.” Pulling back, I met her slightly unfocused stare. “None of that shit matters, Poppy. And that’s the damn truth. Understand?”

Her throat worked on a swallow as she nodded.

Holding her stare, I knew we should talk about this. Fuck, there was a lot we should be talking about. And I was sure Kieran would have some shit to say. But right now, I needed to prove to her that I spoke the truth. That learning about Sotoria hadn’t changed a damn thing.

I let go of her chin without breaking eye contact and leaned back. “Come here.”

It took a moment for her dazed look to fade. When she didn’t move, I repeated my command. “Come here, Poppy.”

Her eyebrow rose, and the gleam in her eyes shifted.

Hardened. The essence inside me hummed as the Poppy she’d grown into resurfaced, replacing the uncertain girl from seconds earlier.

The air between us thickened. I found myself anticipating whether she would continue to resist or give in. Either would delight me.

The water stirred as she leaned back, dipping to briefly reveal two hardened nipples. “Why?”

Her refusal caused my blood to thicken and the eather to hum. The need to…dominate was sharp, pounding through me so intensely that it quickened my breath. That urge wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. All Elementals craved control, but this was different. Animalistic. Primal. “Because.”

The flush spread down her throat. “And?”

I could feel the energy in her blood stirring, dancing across my flesh, echoing in my blood like a second pulse. “Poppy.”

She didn’t look away. Not for a second. Her chin jutted up, and fuck, her stubbornness made me so hard it was nearly painful. “Casteel.”

“You do not want me to ask you,” I said, my voice dropping, “a third time.”

I could see the shiver that swept through her as her chest rose with a shallow inhale. The flecks in her eyes began to churn, and her thick lashes lowered halfway. The next breath I took was full of the sweetness of her rising arousal, and I knew I had her.

She pushed away from the side of the tub, still fucking holding my stare, and I didn’t think anything could be more arousing than her defiance. But her submission nearly unmanned me. Under the water, her knees brushed my feet.

I bent forward and wrapped my fingers around her chin again. This time, I felt her shiver and heard her breath catch as I brought my mouth close to hers. “Good girl.”

Poppy stiffened at the exact moment her scent increased.

“You hate that.” I laughed as I slipped my other hand under the water to clasp her hip.

“What gave it away?” she demanded as I slid my fingers over her thigh.