Page 35

35

Anger

Never before. Never before has it felt like this.

The clouds have calmed down. No more blades of lightning or gales of wind. No torrent of rain. The squall had ceased while he’d been groaning, when she came with a holler, or when they both went up in flames. He hadn’t noticed the moment when it occurred, hadn’t given a fuck.

The storm had been violent, the sort of fury he cannot control. Yet Anger struggles to recollect a second in which he had been scared. The only thing he’d feared while venturing here had been Merry. Her censure, her contempt, her judgment. The loss of her heart, torn because of him.

In the face of Merry’s pain, the deluge had been reduced to an afterthought. He would have braved a blizzard to see her, to be near this goddess and beg her forgiveness.

When she hadn’t dismissed him, the city vanished. All except for her light.

Now one moment has ended, and another begins. One feeling has passed, and another manifests. One desire has unleashed like a riptide, and another wraps around him as beautifully as her thighs.

The final droplet slides from his mouth and lands someplace he can’t see, doesn’t need to see, because all he wants to feast his eyes on is Merry’s lustrous face. The gleam of her irises and how they shine.

His wings slump, the iron plumes falling at his sides. He stands in between her legs, unsure how he stayed upright while powering his cock into her. They’re holding each other, arms and legs entangled like ropes.

Boneless. Heaving. Dripping.

In the past, he had only ever wanted to retreat, to be alone in the aftermath of fucking other deities. Whereas tonight is the first time this means something to him. More importantly, to the female strapped around him.

The sex had been angry, penitent, and rough. But it had also been poignant, genuine, and unconditional.

Anger remains where he is, never wishing to leave, his erection encased within the slick walls of her pussy. His lungs siphon for air, the respirations working to catch up. Spools of hair stick to Merry’s neck, where his lips rest. He’s naked while her cotton shift is pasted to her like film.

Her fingers thread through his wings, massaging the feathers sprouting from his back, touching them in such an ardent way that his eyelids flutter.

Anger raises his head. Summoning the courage to face Merry, he weathers a brief spurt of dread.

Does she regret it? Or did she enjoy herself?

Stars al-fucking-mighty, may he please try again? Every day. Every night. He wants to fuck this goddess until her moans fill the universe, to make her come until she’s the loudest being on earth, to make love to her until the only emotion she knows is joy. Anger wants to ascend into her light, to crash and burn each time.

His gaze climbs to Merry’s. Her irises shimmer, and her flushed face is happily worn out. Fuck it all, but those eyes regret nothing.

He cradles her damp cheeks in his palms. Indeed, not a partner, nor a bed companion.

Soulmates?

Perhaps something a bit less perfect. Perhaps something a bit more real.

The words flow out of him so easily, so simply. “You’re my best friend.”

Merry’s chin trembles. She emits a teary chuckle as she matches his gesture, cupping his face. In contrast to the turbulent way they fucked, her mouth sweeps over his in the gentlest of motions.

A tender sort of anguish overwhelms Anger. His eyes fall shut, and his mouth slants with her own. It’s delicate, tentative as if they haven’t just ripped into one another. Then Anger sighs, his mouth clinging to Merry’s, their tongues meeting slowly, deeply.

They kiss, and kiss, and kiss. With their bodies still joined, he surrenders above The Celestial City and beneath The Stars.

Until the ridge gets uncomfortable, causing Merry to squirm. They laugh at the mess they’ve made of each other—his hair disheveled, her drenched garments in disarray. However, the mirth turns into a combined groan when Anger draws his cock from her soaked grip.

At Merry’s discontented whine, Anger chuckles and rubs his nose against her freckled one. She needn’t fret. The night is young, and he plans on making abundant use of it, for there are plenty of ways to bend her. With that in mind, they require additional strength.

His wings tingle at the thought of taking her slower, longer. Tasting. Exploring. He intends to bide his time coaxing out every moan, cry, and shriek.

With a grin reserved exclusively for this female, Anger swoops Merry off the surface, links the backs of her knees under his arms, and carries her to the chamber she made for him. Retracting the plumes and sliding open the glass partition, Anger peels off Merry’s shift, his cock twitching at the sight of her naked skin, then climbs under the sheets with her. Lounging on their sides, her back folds into his chest, and he bundles her close, toying with the locks that sweep her shoulders. He wishes the layers were longer, just so he would have more of it to touch.

All his life, Anger has aspired to greatness, to lead his peers, to do better. Yet in one fell swoop, those endeavors have changed. Now only one thing in this existence matters, only one objective consumes him. And that one thing resides in his arms.

I’m violently in love with you.

Yes, he feels it. Somehow, the emotion has embedded itself into his heart. To his shock, it’s the most natural transformation, effortless despite being a deity.

Although Anger has already said the words, he wants to voice them again, to flood Merry with sentiment. Nonetheless, he restrains himself. For he does not have that right yet.

Merry rests her ass against his cock. She whispers into the quiet, “I never wanted to see you again.”

The confession is an arrow to his soul. “I deserved it,” he murmurs against her hair. “I told myself to stay away, but I could not bring myself to obey. From the moment we met, I was unable to cease thinking about you. My body wanted yours. My soul called to yours. This transpired long before my foolish head perceived what was happening. After the library, I could not let it end that way, with you believing our bond had been a farce. Whether or not you denied me, you had a right to know the truth. I could not let go without saying how you’ve destroyed me, stolen my heart, ruined me for anyone else.”

He palms Merry’s breasts, thumbs her nipples, and utters, “There is no one else. There is only you.”

She shivers beautifully, then arches backward into him. “Which is why I couldn’t finish my grand exit after your speech. I’ve always wanted to kiss in the rain, but I had no idea the payoff would come at this cost. Won’t you be groveling some more?”

“As often as I’ll be making you come.”

Goosebumps skate across her flesh, but her tone is serious. “Don’t hurt me again. If you do, the storm can have you.”

“And I’ll submit willingly.”

Twisting in his arms, Merry sketches his lips, smiling when he nuzzles into the touch. “About those other confessions.”

Anger stalls. Involuntarily, his mind reverts to their shouting match beneath the downpour, when they confessed to legends neither had known about. Remorse assaults him once more, his conscience recalling how he conspired with Malice to break Merry’s heart. All the while, she had been plotting to rekindle his own.

“I fucked up,” he says. “I have no excuse.”

“Damn right you don’t,” she agrees softly. “It’s certainly not the heroic gesture of a mate that I’ve been fantasizing for myself. But then, I’m coming to understand that heroes and idealistic romance are overrated. None of us are infallible, which makes us a lot like humans. But that’s what strengthens character.” She runs a digit down his throat. “Besides, you enacted this plan with Malice back when you didn’t know me, your feelings needed time to change, and I can only imagine what it’s like to lose everything you’ve ever known. At least with me, I have no memories of living in The Dark Fates. But your upbringing was stripped from you.”

“You are too lenient,” he mutters gruffly.

“I’m compassionate,” Merry amends. “There’s more power in that than clinging to spite. And I have my own faults to answer for. While the goal was kinder, I was still lying. I pursued our relationship for a separate gain.”

“Yet it was a valid motive.”

“In that case, we’re even.”

Are they? As much as Anger would sacrifice his soul for that to be true, to hear this goddess say she loves him back, he cannot comprehend a brute like himself will ever merit this goddess’s affection. Perhaps there is still time. He should remove himself from the equation, give Merry the chance to find someone worthy.

Is that not one of the principles of this emotion? If you love someone, set them free. Mortals voice this mantra all the goddamn time.

The offer sits on his tongue. But Merry presses a finger against his lips, sensing his thoughts.

“Don’t you dare,” she threatens. “Don’t you dare vanish on me again.”

The offer whittles to nothing. “Is that a command?”

“It’s an order.”

“In that case.” Despite himself, a grin slides across his mouth. “You’ll find I happened to be an obedient god.”

“Gracious.” She bats her lashes. “Are you flirting with me?”

“I do not flirt. I state the fucking facts.”

“Hmm. Then why are you fighting not to chuckle?”

Anger fights to tamp down the visceral response, which is impossible with her. Delighted, Merry teases him with a chaste kiss. However, before he can snatch her closer and haul their mouths together, the goddess slings one leg over his lap and sits upright.

The blanket tumbles around her waist, exhibiting all that mouth-watering flesh. The flat descent of her stomach. The flare of her hips. The studded nipples of her tits. The coils of hair covering her pussy.

Fucking Stars. Silhouetted against the moon, Merry is every bit the temptress. That she was discarded by their people is criminal, an offense for which he cannot wait to make them regret. He’ll follow her into battle, spill the blood of every warrior who gets in his way, move every Star in the firmament, to see her worshipped in The Dark Fates.

Anger had aimed to redeem himself. Now it’s only Merry’s restoration that he cares about.

His cock thickens at the sight of her, at her warm thighs stretching around him, and her cunt spreading above his length. With the flame tattoos enabling him to decipher heat, he has never been more grateful for this windfall. The temperature brimming from the split in Merry’s legs renders him powerless.

Straddling his waist, Merry grins coyly. How she manages to look endearing and sexy in equal measure, he will never know. Neither shall he waste a fucking second analyzing this good fortune.

Anger’s frames her knees and scissors them wider, supplying himself with an unhampered view of her glistening lips and pert little clit.

All that flushed skin. All that swollen flesh. All fucking his.

He reaches for her waist, prepared to fasten Merry above him and lunge into her. But she is too quick, her fingers snaring his wrists and stamping them above his head. Hunching over him, Merry secures both arms in one hand, then rakes the opposite fingernails down his chest.

Her voice is a sultry melody playing across the deck. “You like facts? Here’s one: My home. My rules.” Draping her tongue across his lips, she orders, “Grab the headboard.”

And don’t let go.

Merry leaves this segment unspoken. But Anger knows. And fuck, his cock likes taking instruction.

Be that as it may, it’s difficult to comply when he cannot keep his greedy hands off her. Merry exhibits the same inclination as she sketches him with her free palm, trimming Anger down to unfiltered sensations, from his clavicles to his abdomen, her touch hardening his dick to the point of agony.

And that’s before she bows forward, her tongue trailing the path of her digits. On a hiss, Anger grasps the headboard spokes. With his grip on the brink of cracking the joinery, he bends backward, arching into Merry. The bridge of his cock extends, his balls weighing down, his blood spiking.

Merry sucks and kisses her way down his torso, the pursuit driving him to madness, then licks along his pelvic bones until her head looms over his ruddy crown. Opaque droplets of cum rise to the surface, beading through the slit and perching there.

“Gorgeous.” Merry wets her lips. “Is this cock mine?”

“Fuck, yes,” Anger grits out.

Humming in satisfaction, she drags her tongue over his sac, then glides it up the column in a single, languid pass. And shit. Anger loses his mind. His body goes taut, fingers choking the bed posts as if his immortal life depends on it.

Merry’s drenched tongue repeats the motion, circumventing every side of his cock. Swabbing his flesh from seat to tip, she traces his shape, his width. With every famished lick, his skin reddens, the veins inflate, and his vision goes black around the edges.

However, she doesn’t reach the peak. Not until he’s on the verge of begging.

Only then does Merry slide her tongue across the seam, lapping the fluid building there, swiping his arousal. Anger’s eyes roll to the back of his head. His hips react, jolting upward as she tastes his cum, the dainty flex of her tongue coaxing out each bead.

Sharp noises exit his lungs, each sound honed enough to slice through metal. But that’s not sufficient for this goddess. Because then, she rests her mouth against his crown and kisses the peak like it’s his mouth.

A depraved sound rips from his being. Merry puckers, laves his tip. And finally the goddess seals her lips around him, giving a deft suck.

Growls thrust from Anger’s mouth. Heartened by his response, she glides her lips down, exerting pressure, drawing him fully into the slick heat of her mouth. Patiently, she bobs her head, tugging on his skin, moaning around his cock.

Fates take pity. She is going to slay him.

No. She already has.

Therefore, Anger lets loose. Seizing the posts, he whips his hips off the mattress, joining her movements. Lowering his gaze, he watches Merry swallow his glazed cock, taking him so amply, sucking harder and harder.

His molars clench. Perspiration laminates his body, which lays sprawled beneath her.

Merry rounds his waist and grabs his ass, hauling him up and down, her mouth latching onto him. A tide of pleasure rages across his limbs. His head flies back as he swings his waist toward Merry’s lips.

Then his cock pulsates, heat spilling from the head. Anger howls, coming across her tongue, inside her sweet mouth. The noise shreds him to filaments, the pleasure destructive, the release obliterating everything he’s ever known prior to this.

To her.

Merry drinks him in with a blissful cry. And when Anger crashes to the bed, her mouth eases from his cock, ending with a gentle kiss to the crown.

She crawls up his body, rejoicing in his gruff pants. Pinning him there, she brushes her mouth over his. “Now say it again.”

No context. Yet he knows what this temptress wants.

With a snarl, Anger releases the headboard, shackles Merry’s hips, and fixes her in place. Then he answers with a ragged, “I love you.”

Her features cling to his. Nodding, she spreads her thighs and lowers her pussy onto his cock, the flesh still erect for her. Merry’s slick heat wraps around him, her lips cinching his length, fueling his desire once again.

The moment she’s fully seated, her eyelashes flutter, a thin cry splitting across her tongue. Anger growls low in his throat, his vision flooded with this goddess, his body so deep, held inside her.

This time, they move without haste. Leisurely. Calmly. As if time has ceased to exist.

Merry flattens her palms on his pectorals and sways her waist, riding his cock in an unhurried tempo. With heavy grunts, he rocks his ass upward, prolonging every gentle pounding. Her cunt leaks onto him, heightening the slip and slide of her walls.

Their hectic pants transform one unified sound. Their gazes weld together.

Nothing else exists. Nothing else matters.

“Again,” she moans.

“I love you,” he husks.

His tattoos burn, and sparks fire through his veins, the life force of his emotions fueling him. Merry grabs his shoulders for balance. He clutches her rolling hips, anchoring her astride his cock.

So this is what mating really feels like.

“Again,” Merry whines, kicking her hips faster.

“I love you,” Anger hisses.

More. Again.

Heat surges from his sac to the pommel of his cock as Merry tightens her pussy. She clutches him firmly, so that his head whips back, and his mouth falls open.

“Fuck!” he groans. “I love you!”

“Yes!” she chants. “Give it to me!”

Merry sounds as if she needs to be convinced repeatedly. As if the truth will otherwise slip away.

Therefore, Anger’s had it. With deep, sinuous beats of the hips, he reels his cock into Merry, plying the hot clench of her pussy.

The mattress jostles. The bed frame shakes.

The God of Anger is a vehement alpha in bed. But he can also mate like a tender lover who means what he says. By The Stars, she is not leaving this chamber until there’s no fucking doubt of this.

And so, he fucks her with dedication. Mind, body, and soul.

Naked and sweating, he tugs her back and forth, hips snapping feverishly. All the while, he submits himself, encouraging Merry to lead them.

Her elated gasp turns into another moan. She grinds down on him, her cunt stroking his dick, their bodies undulating.

So hard. So wet.

Yet so soft.

His brilliant goddess gives an exhilarated whimper, her fingers mowing through his hair, her pussy clamping onto him. She swivels her hips, her folds drenching him to the seat, the depth of her body agonizing.

But it doesn’t stop. And neither do they.

Not until Merry is shuddering, coming long and sweetly on his cock, her muscles pulsating. The picture undoes Anger. His body ruptures, a lengthy groan pulling from his lungs, his climax flooding inside her.

Panting heavily, their movements slow. Even then, they keep rocking as Anger launches upright and snatches her mouth. Hoisting her damp body to his, he kisses the living hell out of Merry, tasting her cries, his tongue caressing her own.

Unwilling to release her, Anger snarls when Merry breaks her lips away. However, the protest dies in his mouth when she takes his face in her hands and breathes, “I love you back.”