Page 66 of His Darkest Devotion

“Where do we go from here?” he asks quietly, resting his forehead against mine.

A faint smile touches my lips. “We rebuild. The coven, these alliances… we’ll search for the Overlord and Red Purnas who fled, ensure they can’t rally again. We’ll guard the gargoyles’ prison. And beyond that…” My illusions flutter. “We shape a life worth living, Vaelin.”

Emotion tightens his features. He presses his cheek to mine, breath warm against my ear. “If I can remain by your side, that’s all I want.”

My heart stutters, illusions shimmering in agreement. “Then stay,” I whisper, voice trembling with renewed hope.

He cradles my face, a gentle reverence in his touch. “Always.”

The word always lingers between us, a vow wrapped in fire and breath. His hands—rough from battle, gentle for me—slide down my neck, tracing the line of my collarbone. My illusions flicker wildly, mirroring the pulse between my thighs.

I don’t wait.I kiss him.

Not like before—nothesitant, not questioning. This time, I claim him. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer, and he groans into my mouth, a sound that sends heat spiraling through me. His body presses against mine, hard and unyielding, and I can feel the length of his cock already straining against his trousers.

He’s beautiful,all dark skin, sculpted to perfection body with a glowing soul. My Vaelin has a heart of compassion and love.

“Elira,”he growls, voice ragged.

I answerby nipping his lower lip, then soothing it with my tongue. His hands grip my waist, fingers digging in as if he’s afraid I’ll vanish. But I’m here. Here, with him, under the stars where we fought and bled and won.

His mouth trailsdown my throat, teeth grazing my pulse point, and I gasp. “Vaelin?—”

“Tell me,”he murmurs against my skin, one hand sliding up to cup my breast, thumb circling my nipple through the fabric. “Tell me you want this.”

I arch into his touch,breathless. “I want you so bad, you consume me, day in, day out.”

A shudder runs through him.Then, in one swift motion, he lifts me, my legs wrapping around his hips as he carries me back toward the outcrop. The stone is cool beneath me, but his body is scorching as he settles between my thighs. His lips find mine again, hungry now, and I moan as his hips grind down, letting me feel just how much he aches for me.

His fingers workat the laces of my trousers, hands trembling—not from fear, but from need. When he finally slips his hand inside, his touch is reverent. “Gods, Elira,” he breathes, finding me slick, already desperate for him.

I whimperas his fingers stroke through my folds, teasing my entrance before circling my clit in slow, torturous circles. My hips jerk, seeking more, and he chuckles darkly, kissing me again to swallow my cries.

“Vaelin, please—”

He doesn’t makeme beg.

The momentmy fingers fumble with the laces of his trousers, his hands cover mine, rough with urgency. “Elira,” he growls, my name a plea and a warning. But I see the hunger in his eyes, the way his throat bobs as he watches me.

“Let me,”I murmur, pressing closer, my lips brushing the scar along his jaw. “I want to feel you.”

A shudder rolls through him.With a sound halfway between a curse and a prayer, he relents, his cock springing free—thick, flushed, already dripping with need. My breath hitches as I wrap my fingers around him, stroking slowly, relishing the way his hips jerk under my touch.

“Gods,”he grits out, his hands tightening on my waist. “You’ll undo me before I’m even inside you.”

I smile against his skin,nipping at his lower lip. “Then take what you need.”

He doesn’t hesitate.In one fluid motion, he yanks my hips forward, the head of his cock pressing against my slick entrance. The first stretch burns so sweetly I gasp, my nails digging into his shoulders.

“Don’t look away,I want to see how much you want me,” he demands, voice rough as gravel.

I obey,our eyes locking as he pushes in, inch by torturous inch, until he’s buried to the hilt. My back arches, a moan tearing from my throat as he fills me completely, the ache of it bordering on divine.

“Gods, you’re perfect,”he rasps, forehead pressed to mine. “So soft and wet. So fucking mine. I love you. I never thought love like this is possible for someone like me.”

I tearup at his words, drowning with love and devotion. This man right here has become an integral part of my world, but to him, I’m his whole world. I’m his very being, the light in his darkness and the beauty in the ugliness.

“Vaelin…”I choke a sob, imprinting every nook and cranny of his face and figure in my memory. I reach out to his face, brushing my fingertips against his nose and lips. “I love you. I’ll never get tired of saying how much—to the dephts of Protheka’s hell and back.”

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