Page 57 of Urban Gladiator

“None of that. There will be plenty of time for it later. I just want to love you for whatever time we have left.”

Ember kissed me. The salt of her tears mingled with our lips. And I surrendered to her magnetic pull. There was no place I would rather be. I wished I could forget about the families that depend on me. I wished I could ignore my responsibilities to my people and to Avalon.

If there was someone else who could serve as king that the people would respect and who would be strong enough to stand up to the orcs, I would relinquish my claim and follow this woman to the ends of the earth.

But it wasn’t to be. All we had was here and now.

We never stopped reaching for each other throughout the long night, barely coming up for air or sustenance. There was an urgency to our mating. We knew the clock on our time together was winding down.

And there was no way to stop the inevitable.

Again and again, I reached for her, knowing I would ache for her for the rest of my sad, lonely existence. I never realized how lonely I’d become until her advent into my world.

We awoke with the dawn. One look at Ember and I knew. “One more time.”

Her smile was sad. “Don’t hold back, Rowan. Give me everything.”

And I didn’t. I began with her mouth, delving deep, imparting my love and desire for her. My wolf was oddly silent. Like he knew the break was coming and didn’t want to go on. I had no choice but to continue and find the will to carry on.

I kissed my way down her body, spending time on her gorgeous tits until I headed south and buried my face in her pussy. Her sweet cream was my elixir, capable of sustaining me through the trials and tribulations of life. If I could bottle up her essence, I would.

“Rowan. Please.” She tugged at my shoulders.

Lifting my face from her pussy, I licked up every drop of her cream as I made my way back up her form. And when I slid inside and she wrapped her legs around my waist, I knew she was it for me. Beyond the fact that she was my mate, I knew no other woman would ever satisfy me. That I would jack off to Ember’s memory until my time was done.

“There will never be another for me. No one will ever take your place at my side.”

“Rowan.” She closed her eyes and inhaled a ragged breath before opening them again. “It’s the same for me. There will be no one else.”

I tried to draw our lovemaking out. Tried to keep the fires low as we moved together. But our bodies had other ideas. She broke apart in my arms. Her body trembled, and her pussy squeezed my shaft, milking my cock of its seed until we were both spent.

We lay there, intertwined and connected. Neither of us wanted to let go. But the end was inevitable. And I drew back first with a kiss on her lips.

“Get dressed. You’ll be riding on my back.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?”

“It’s the quickest way back. If we’re going to pull this off, I’m going to need every second I can manage.” And I had the confrontation with my father on the agenda too.

Rather somber, Ember rose and dressed. She’d fixed the gown and cleaned it the day before last with her magic. The woman was formidable.

And I wondered, for the hundredth time, if I claimed her and made an alliance with the witches if that would quell any uprisings. My father was the biggest hurdle of them all. Once he was deposed, then the real work would begin.

When she was ready, I shifted into my wolf. She ended the spells for the shield and the tent we’d called home these past few days. I lowered my body to the ground. Ember straddled my back.

I rose, and she circled her arms around my neck.

“Hold on.”

I started out at a slow pace, making sure she was secure before I picked up speed and raced across the countryside.

“Oh goddess, this is amazing. Faster, Rowan,” she urged. I wanted to please her, so I put on speed.

Ember laughed, her joy sparkling on our journey back to Avalon City. I would remember her like this. Her sheer delight in riding through the country with me.

We reached the walls of the city far too soon. I padded around to the hidden trail up the mountain. This path wasn’t exactly a secret, but it was used in the event there was an attack, and the front entrance was barricaded. It provided the people an extra escape route off the mountain and out of the city.

At the top, I took a hard left. Ember clung to me, her face buried in my fur. But I didn’t mind. I loved that she clung to me, that she trusted me enough to bring her back to the city that wanted to bleed her dry to save themselves.

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