Page 202 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

His eyes snapped open.

Darkness. His chamber. His bed. Alone.

The tears came. Hot and silent, trailing down the sides of his face, soaking into the pillow. He let them fall.

He had finally seen his sons, finally got to say goodbye. They were at peace.

The bed dipped beside him.

Warm arms wrapped around his body, pulling him upright, and he turned instinctively, folding into the embrace of his mate. holding her tight, silent.

“Bad dreams?” her voice was soft.

Daemonikai shook his head. “No, they were good dreams. The best of them. I finally got to say goodbye.”

Emeriel pulled back, searching his face, then gently cradled the back of his head, pressing him against the warm cushions of her breast. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

He stayed there for a moment, basking in her scent, in the calm beat of her heart.

“Thank you,” he murmured. “For making my life full. For coming into it when you did. You breathed life back into me.”

Her hand stroked his hair. “Always.”

“How are the little ones?” he asked after a moment.

“Sleeping.” Emeriel smiled. “I just fed them. Madam Livia is with them now.”

“Yeah?” he mused, already picturing their peaceful faces.

“Yes.”

He shifted, nuzzling her breast again, voice dropping lower. “There’s one mouth left to feed.”

She chuckled softly. “Bloodfeed? But… your bloodhost came yesterday.”

“She did.”

Her name was Yevia—a three-hundred-year-old bonded female, mated to the love of her life and mother to a strong youngling. She wasn’t noble-born, but she was respectful, well-mannered, and carried herself with dignity. Their feeding sessions were calm, impersonal, exactly what they were meant to be.

Unlike Sinai, Yevia had never attempted to manipulate the bond, she respected him, and most importantly, she honored his female. Feeding with her was peaceful. That was all Daemonikai ever wanted.

“But no,” he said, fingers digging into his woman’s soft ass. “I didn’t mean bloodfeeding. A different kind of feeding.”

“Oh…” Her breath caught—that soft tremor of desire slipping into her voice.

“Mmm.” He growled low in his throat, lips brushing the curve of her breast. “Do you want me, my star?”

“So much,” she whispered.

He leaned back against the headboard, settling comfortably, eyes dark with want as he tugged her forward.

She climbed into his lap, straddling him, her breasts swaying before his face.

Body relaxed, gaze intense, he coaxed her forward until she straddled him, her breasts directly in front of his face.

Daemonikai released one from the confines of her garment, baring it to the moonlit room. “Hold it out to me.”

“Daemon,” her voice held a shy mortification. “You know my milk flows…”

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