I dragged my hand through my hair, gaze locked on the closed door. “I just…Okay, maybe I overreacted, but he fucking snarled at me when I came in earlier. All I wanted was to check on you. We need to work as a team right now, not deal with his fucking territorial bullshite.”

And yes, I was being a jealous git, but I couldn’t help but feel like…we were running out of time.

“I’ll talk to him, Raz.” She curled deeper into the covers, a warm tangle of creamy flesh and pleasure-hazed eyes, pink lips swollen enough my cock swelled painfully as I imagined plunging my length between them and how they’d feel on my cock, her tongue working my head.

“You’re right. We can’t be fighting amongst ourselves.”

My weapons belt hit the floor. I kicked off my boots, letting my bare feet sink into the plush rug. “Do you want company?” I couldn’t take my eyes off her, my aching cock bulging against my suddenly too tight trousers.

“Or I can find another room to sleep in,” I added quickly.

“I’ve missed you. So much. I want to play.” Anaria rolled onto her back, her busy hand delving between her legs, firelight dancing over her pale skin, her dusky nipples hardening while I watched. “You really don’t want to sleep somewhere else, do you, Raziel?” Her bold smile was pure wickedness.

Her pink tongue darting out to wet her bottom lip was an invitation.

“Nope.” I yanked off my shirt, ripping one sleeve along a seam, then peeled off my trousers even faster, my cock springing free. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

She slowly dragged her gaze up my body, that smile deepening, her eyes softening when they reached my face. “Not yet but come here. I need you, Raz.”

“Then you’ll have me, princess.” I sank down beside her, skimming my fingers over her soft skin, tracing a slow circle around one of those hard nipples before I bent and took the tight bud into my mouth, teeth pressing down until she moaned.

She tasted delicious, delicate and rich at the same time, her hand resting gently on the back of my head while I sucked and teased, moving from one breast to the other until she was panting.

“Gods, Raz, that feels so good. You feel so good.” Her breathy little moan had me kissing her, slow and sweet, my cock jerking with every stroke of her tongue against mine.

Anaria was made for me—we were made for each other.

I sent my shadows curling around her ankles and wrists, her skin prickling as they tightened then pulled, spreading her apart, another one of those soft, needy moans escaping her lips like she couldn’t hold the sound back.

“Do you like that?” I swept my hand down her stomach, cupped her pussy, then slowly skimmed my thumb over her swollen clit. “Do you like me using my magic on you?”

“Yes.” Her eyes opened, drowsy with lust. “I love when you’re in control, Raziel. I love being at your mercy. Because I trust you completely and I know you’ll never hurt me. Only bring me pleasure.”

My body bowed beneath the force of her words, beneath the picture they put in my head as I circled her clit, her body responding to every brush of my fingers. “You were my first, too, Anaria.” I ran my lips along her jaw. “First and forever, in this world or the next, I will always belong to you and no one else.”

She moaned my name when I slid home, one claiming inch at a time, her pussy tightening around me, so wet and slick I saw fucking stars when I finally bottomed out. This was…I blew out a shaky breath, emotions battering me, past and present tangling together into something overwhelming.

I pulled out and thrust back in, closing my eyes against the wet sensual drag of my flesh against hers, of her tight, greedy channel gripping my cock as if she didn’t mean to let me go. Every stroke was paradise, my balls tightening, cock thickening inside her until I wondered if I was hurting her.

“Anaria.”

“Don’t you dare stop. This feels too good.” I sank into her softness, into her sweet scent and her sex-hazed eyes, into this bond between us that seemed inevitable from the very first time I’d seen her.

She made the sexiest sound, groaning out my name as she imploded, my cock jerking as I filled her up. I wanted to mark her, wanted her covered in my scent so when that fucking wolf came back, he’d smell me all over her.

When the storm passed and she was basking in the afterglow, I tucked her against me, letting the quiet, soft crackling of the fire lull me to sleep.

“I love you,” I murmured against her ear. “Until the end of time, I will love you, Anaria.”

34

ZORANDER

Cosimo and I arrived somewhere in the future—gods, please let this be the future—smoke rolling off our still-burning clothing, my back a solid sheet of pain as I heaved Coz up off the wet ground, hiding the gold globe beneath my bloody, shredded shirt.

I had no idea if we’d arrived on the right day or weeks into the future, but by some small miracle, we were alive.

“For the record,” I rasped, settling the astrologer’s considerable weight across my shoulders, “I am never doing that again.”