Page 43 of Ruin

“Leave them to heal a little so that I am left with your mark.”

“Oh, so that’s how it works?”

“It is.” He pulled back, his blue eyes fixed on my neck, darkening until Prime was looking out at me, mixed with the shadow that seemed to be part of Connor now. “I claimed you as a fae would.” He searched my face, so I gave him a reassuring smile. “It was instinctive. But as soon as I swallowed the first mouthful of your blood, it was as if it opened a way back for him. Our connection is soul deep, Em, so he came back to me.”

“Oh gods, I’m so happy for you both.” My eyes burned and a tear ran down my cheek. He kissed it away.

“I don’t know how it happened and I don’t care. He’s here with me now. Thank you for taking care of him.” Connor lifted himself and looked down to where we were still joined. A low rumble came from his chest. “He claimed your wolf...Mea...you have named her?”

I nodded.

“It’s a beautiful name for her. Prime likes it.” An intense look flashed over his face, and he rolled his hips again. I moaned as he grew inside me. “Now he wants her again and he wants me to claim you as a shifter, not a fae.”

And there was nothing I could do this time but hang on. Connor’s power overwhelmed me. Prime had merged with his dark fae spirit and there was so much power rolling from him, and into my blood it was hard to think.

“Then don’t think, Firecracker, just feel.”

“You...heard my thoughts...ohh.” The pleasure he unleashed on me left me helpless.

He grinned. “We are one. All of us.” Prime’s voice growled through with Connor’s, mixed with something dangerous that sent goosebumps of excitement rising on my skin. “Your mind is as open to me as your soul. And now I will truly claim your body.” And he angled my hips to push himself deeper and harder. I raked my nails down his hard back, staking my claim on him, but before I could sink my canines into him again, he plunged his teeth into my neck, keeping them there, sucking with each powerful stroke of his hips. Release barrelled up my spine and through every cell in my body as his power exploded outwards. He didn’t let go even as his body shuddered through his release. My mind went offline, consumed by sensation. I was aware of soft words being spoken in my ear and against my lips. I whimpered as Connor moved his weight and pulled out of my body, but I couldn’t force my eyes to open. My whole body was both sated and exhausted.

“Connor? Don’t leave…?”

His voice brushed against my mind. “Never. I’m only going to the bathroom.”

A few moments later a warm cloth pressed against me, soothing and caring for me. “Mmm, thank you.”

Before I’d finished my mumbled words, I was wrapped in his arms. His leg wrapped over my thighs, holding me close, one big hand in my hair, holding my head into his neck. This was where I was supposed to be. And I wouldn’t let Berith or anyone else take him from me again. My heart swelled. “I love you.” I should have said those words before, but I was scared of what could happen between our wolves, that they might reject each other. There was no chance of that now. He was right, we were all one soul, merged until death found us.

His arms tightened around me, and I felt his shoulders shake. “And I love you more than you can ever know,” he whispered into my hair. “I will do everything in my power to never be parted from you again.”

Chapter 14

Connor

I followedon the heels of my Firecracker like a lost puppy as we stepped out of our room after another whole day of claimings—from both of us.

“Prime. You’re both still alive then? It went so quiet, I was getting worried you’d killed each other.” Stone quirked a brow at me, but I didn’t care, not that he needed to know that, so I stopped and snarled at him, Prime showing through my eyes.

“Whoa, he’s back with you.” He immediately dropped his peculiar purple gaze. It was funny, now that I’d connected with my own fae side, I could sense Stone’s power. He pushed his wolf forward, but even that didn’t dim his other power.

“He is. We are one with our shadow beast, too.”

Stone’s eyes widened. “Shit. That’s a lot of power, Connor.”

“It is. As is yours.”

Stone nodded once. He could challenge Owen now that none of us were confined by those silver collars, that much was obvious to me; and I was no longer sure who would win. Stone’s viciousness, like mine, was inherent. Owen’s alpha power and predatory instincts were powerful, but still...

Stone met my gaze. “I have no interest in a challenge.”

I grunted and nodded, glad to hear it.

Ember had reached the door, but she turned. “You coming?”

Of course I was. “You aren’t going anywhere without me.” I didn’t hide the possessive growl in my voice. She smirked and stepped out of the door before I got to her.

I sped up and leaped from the top step landing right behind her. My arms went around her waist and I pulled her back up against my front. She tipped her head back and smiled coyly.

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