Page 39 of The Demon and the Broken Girl

"Then come,"he orders, biting down on my lower lip as his hips piston faster. "Come all over my cock. Let me feel how you want me."

The command snapsthe last thread of my control. Pleasure detonates, white-hot and electric, ripping through me like a wildfire.

“Daeva!”I scream his name, my body convulsing around him, and with a guttural groan, he follows me over the edge, spilling deep inside me in hot, pulsing waves.

For one endless,breathless moment, we’re fused together—nothing but tangled limbs, shared pulse points, the wet slide of skin on skin. His forehead drops to mine, our panting breaths mingling, his body still shuddering with the aftershocks.

When we finally collapse,wrecked and gasping, I drag my fingers through the sweat-damp hair at his nape and press my lips to the wild hammering of his pulse.

No words.

None needed.

This—thebruises, the bite marks, the way my body still trembles around him—this is the only truth that matters.

In the aftermath, the dark night envelops us, and I feel a flicker of uncertainty creeping in. I wonder if we’ll wake to regret, or if this moment can carry us closer instead of pushing us apart. For now, his arms around me feel like an anchor, and the bond pulses with comforting warmth, as if reassuring me we share more than conflict and pain.

Closing my eyes, I let exhaustion wash over me, lulled by his heartbeat and the lingering pulse of demonic power. For the firsttime since we left our friends, I feel a measure of safety in his embrace, even though we stand on the precipice of something far more dangerous than either of us could have imagined.

Come morning, we’ll confront our actions, our secrets, and the fear lurking behind Daeva’s eyes. But tonight, we lie together under the indifferent moon, blood and sweat drying on our skin, bound by a contract deeper than flesh—and a bond that might be the closest thing to salvation either of us has ever known.

10

DAEVA

Iwake to the faint, dying embers of dawn. The night’s chill still lingers in the air, clinging to every rock and shard of grass. My back rests against the rough stone walls of the cave, my cloak draped haphazardly around me. Sometime in the small hours, I must have pulled away from Calla’s warmth. Now, my eyes flick open, immediately seeking her in the soft gloom.

She’s there, only a few strides away, still asleep on a makeshift bed of moss and our scattered clothes. Her hair spills over her bare shoulders, the pale locks catching what little light seeps into our shelter. My gaze drifts down to the faint scratches marring her arms and collarbones—remnants of the fight she waged against those elves last night and the frenzy that followed. A strange tightness constricts my chest, recalling the raw, savage hunger that gripped us both, culminating in…that.

I shake my head, smothering a surge of emotion I can’t afford to examine. I inhale once, slowly, centering my thoughts on the reality of our situation.It was the contract,I tell myself, a quiet lie I desperately want to believe. The bond between demon and mortal can twist desire, stoke lust in response to bloodshed andadrenaline. It’s all part of the magic, nothing more. Or at least, that’s what I claim.

My eyes trace her sleeping form, and I clamp down on the urge to brush a lock of hair from her cheek. The memory of how she felt beneath me—fiery, alive—still crackles in my veins. I try to quell it with logic:This is just the bond. A temporary conflagration.Deep down, a smaller, more vulnerable voice protests that it was more than magic, that Ifeltsomething real. But I refuse to entertain that notion.I can’t allow it.

Pushing myself upright, I slip out of the cave, ignoring the ache in my muscles. Outside, the world sprawls in a quiet hush. We’ve chosen a remote area—a rocky ravine that slopes into a forest of twisted pines. The horizon glows faintly, promising a sunlit day. My mind remains clouded.Focus,I tell myself. We have to move, to keep wandering, to find answers for her stolen soul. The threat of my old enemy gnaws at me more each day, and if I linger too long, I risk drawing danger straight to Calla’s doorstep.

But you already bound her to you, a vicious internal voice reminds me.How much more danger could she be in?

I push that thought aside, scanning the area. No sign of stray elves or other pursuers. We must’ve traveled far enough from that settlement to escape immediate notice, at least for now. Once I’m certain the coast is clear, I return to the cave.

She’s awake, sitting up with the cloak gathered around her shoulders. Her gaze flicks to me, and for an instant, our eyes lock. Heat crawls up my spine, unbidden memories of last night rushing in. I quickly break eye contact, clearing my throat.

“How do you feel?” I ask, keeping my voice curt.

She blinks, as though testing her limbs. “Sore. From everything.” A pause. “And… about last night?—”

I cut her off, yanking my tunic over my head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just part of our bond.” My tone is harsh, thoughinside I’m wincing at the abruptness. “You know how demon magic can amplify desires, especially after combat. It’s normal.”

A flicker of disappointment shadows her features. “Normal,” she echoes, voice subdued. “Because of the contract.”

I pretend to rummage in my pack, ignoring the twinge of guilt at her hurt expression. “Yes,” I say flatly. “It’s the nature of the demonic link. We feed off strong emotions—fear, anger, lust. It’s not… personal.” The word feels like a blade in my mouth.

She exhales, looking away, shoulders tightening beneath the cloak. I see how her lips press together, how her eyes flick with unspoken questions.I can’t do this.If I let her see how deeply I’m conflicted, how each second with her stirs something I thought long dead, it’ll only complicate matters further. It’s safer for both of us if she believes it’s just the contract.

Clearing my throat, I change the subject. “Your power,” I say. “We need to talk about that.”

Her brow furrows. “My… power?”

I nod, stepping forward, forcing my voice into a teacher’s calm. “You tapped into demonic magic last night, drawing life from those elves. It was raw, uncontrolled. You nearly gave in to it completely.”

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