Page 270 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“Maybe you need a break.” He leaned down close to her ear. “A little stress relief, perhaps?”

Faythe tried to push him away, but he circled an arm around her.

“You’re not helping,” she grumbled.

“I could be. The choice is yours.”

He caught a flicker of her desire for the temptation.

Faythe let go of her tension, slumping into him instead. “Zaiana is right. I don’t have the patience to do what she’s telling me. Every time I try to tap into the ruin, I just want to take it all and rage across cities. It heightens my anger too fast for me to control it.”

“You have a lot to be angry about. More than most.”

“Zaiana does too.”

“Yes, but her mastering the ruin was a matter of survival. Something she’s very good at. Yours… All you have is vengeance to be had, and the ruin is taking advantage of that.”

Nik said, “So maybe the key to keeping your control is having something to counter the rage. Remembering you don’t want to destroy the world when there’s still plenty of people you love here.”

It made sense. Faythe had lost and suffered so much in her short life, and it was easy to let the pain take over when the means to make the world hurt with her was right there.

Nik continued, “I’d like to try to guide you as you attempt to merge with the ruin. I do have the most experience in the training of Faythe Ashfyre.”

Faythe smiled at that, pushing Nik by his shoulder, which was a relief to see.

Reylan pulled her away from the others. Having claimed their bond just days ago and being separated so much for duty, he’d been riled to the brink of madness every moment she was out of his reach.

“That can wait for a few hours,” he said, subtly kissing her neck. Faythe’s desire filled his senses with a primal urge, so the mere thought of how close other males were made him highly irritable.

“What do you have in mind until then?” Faythe asked, her breathing delightfully short.

He took her hand, leading her across the field and into the castle.

Reylan thought he could wait until they’d made it to a room—any damned room—but the moment they rounded a corner and he sensed no one nearby, Reylan pushed Faythe into a shadowed alcove, hiding behind a statue within in.

“We can’t?—”

His mouth crashed to hers, and Faythe lost her protest, moaning into their feverish kiss as he pressed her into the wall.

“This can’t wait,” he growled, untying the fastens of her pants. He swallowed her moan in a kiss when his fingers dipped past her waistline and over her apex, already slick for him.

They’d been denied the days following their mating to justbetogether, when he would have taken her again and again, until both their bodies were sore and spent but completely entwined with each other.

So it left him feral for any moment they could steal to make up for it, no matter how deplorable their location.

Faythe peeled one leg out of her leather pants as Reylan pulled himself free. He lifted her, legs wrapping around his waist, and the next second he was deep inside her.

It was an immense effort to be quiet. They were alone for now, but anyone could pass, and fae hearing range was sharp.

“Best be quick before someone comes,” he taunted in her ear.

Reylan knew it was a risk to surge Faythe’s pleasure with where they were, but when his eyes fell on his mark on her neck, a primal need overcame him quicker than reasoning could stop him. His teeth sank into his previous bite mark, and he cupped a hand over Faythe’s mouth to smother her cry. Faythe bit his hand, drawing blood, and that only turned him more delirious.

He pounded into her, hard and fast. This was just a quick release to curb their edges for now, even though he wanted to prolong it. Wanted to lock her in a room and not let her leave until he was finished with her. No one would see her for days.

Reylan pulled his teeth out of her and stilled inside her. He rested his forehead to hers as awareness prickled over his sweat-slicked skin. Someone was approaching. He could hardly catch his breath. Buried in Faythe and on the cusp of release, the thought of someone passing turned him irrationally murderous.

He pulled back, dropping his hand from her mouth and pressing a finger to his lips. Faythe’s eyes widened as she sensed the person too—a castle guard, Reylan assumed. He gave a wicked side smile as he continued to pleasure her in slow strokes. Her head fell back against the wall, biting her bottom lip into her mouth to keep from making a noise.

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