Page 105 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His beast was raging, banging inside him. His dark thoughts everywhere.

Shift. Shift and hunt.Tear the world apart until we find the one who dared.

Set the kingdom to flame. Burn it. Burn them all.

Drag every mage into the square. Execute them. Slowly. Watch them scream. Watch them beg!

There are good mages,he tried to reason.Some are bondmates, some are just farmers.

Blast them all,this one came from his beast.Treacherous! Kill. Kill. Kill!

Slamming the ledgers closed, he sprang to his feet.

***

The Citadel buzzed with evening energy, as soldiers shifted rotations and servants scurried to their tasks while he searched for the one being in the entire universe who could hush the voices.

He found her in her bathing chamber, humans tending to her. Emeriel had always been more at ease with humans than with the Urekai maids and servants, and for her sake, Daemonikai had reluctantly allowed them into his residence. His disdain for humans had not lessened—not by a long shot. But for her… he supposed he could tolerate them.

His radiant star lay half-submerged in the bathing pool, eyes closed, head slanted back against the rim. She looked completely exhausted.

It was no wonder. She had eaten little in recent days, unable to keep food down. Not to mention the nausea and frequent dizzy spells.

Daemonikai waited by the door until the bath ended.

When she stood, her body gleamed in the lantern light. Droplets of water slid down her smooth skin, and his mouth went fucking dry.

They were drying her when those eyes, blue as the summer sky, found him.

She smiled. “My king.”

“Beloved.”

She looked down at her nakedness and went the slightest ruby.

The way she fretted over her modesty was endlessly amusing. He had seen andfeastedon every inch of that addictive body, yet she blushed as if they'd only just met.

Already, his lousy mood was lifting.

Dismissing the slaves with a slight motion of his hand, they bowed and departed, leaving them alone.

“How do you fare this evening?” he asked as he crossed to her.

“Better than I did this morning.” Her voice was better now, too.

He stared shamelessly at her body. Curves that held him captive. Plump, enticing breasts that made his mouth water. The flat plane of her belly where their child grew.

She did not hide from his wandering eyes, but the red dots on her cheeks were spreading.

“You are breathtaking.” Daemonikai hoped to hell he didn’t sound as hungry as he felt but wasn't sure he succeeded.

She gifted him that lovely smile again. “Thank you.”

Lately, the way he desired her body rivaled his crumbling mind, each battling to see which would drive him over the edge first. It was like staring at his favorite meal, yet unable to snack at it.

These days, his life hovered around trying to hold back and fighting himself not to pounce on her at every turn...butfuck, she called to me. Her smile, her scent, everything she did was a beckon that was torturous to ignore.

That, coupled with the healers' instructions, perhaps it was time to try again.

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