Page 88 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

He had not shared something with her. Since that night, his beast had gone unnervingly quiet. No attempts to force a shift. No desperate need to stake a possessive claim. It had simply retreated into the deepest part of his mind, drowning in guilt.

Their brief time at the cottage was a cherished memory he held close to his heart. The easy moments, the stolen touches, the intimacy that had come so naturally.

Perhaps one day, they would have that again.

Lowering her onto the bed, he straightened, intent on moving away, but her fingers closed around his wrist.

"I would like to sleep beside you tonight," she murmured.

His body tensed. "Emeriel..."

"Please. You will not lose control in the night. It is just for tonight." A pause, then even softer—"I miss waking up to my Beloved."

Daemonikai's throat worked. How could he refuse, when he shared the very same hunger?

"Please," she whispered again. "Only tonight."

"Very well," he groaned, defeated. "Only tonight."

As he stepped away to undress, she shifted onto her side, resting her cheek on her hands. Her eyes followed him as he pulled his tunic over his head, unfastened the ties at his waist, and shed the rest of his clothing, leaving only his loose-fitting trousers before turning back to her.

She had not looked away.

Daemonikai smirked. "Do you like what you see?"

A dull red flushed her cheeks. "I do, my king."

Chuckling under his breath, he slid beneath the covers, drawing her into his arms.

She made a soft, unashamedly needy sound, clinging to him with the tenacity of an octopus. "Thank you... I like this."

Daemonikai closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath. Her scent filled his lungs, and he let himself savor it. Let it sink into his very bones.

"When was the last time you bloodfed?" she asked softly.

"A while ago," he admitted. “Worry not, I am not overly hungry, but I shall visit my bloodhost first thing tomorrow."

"I do not like that you must feed from Mistress Sinai," she grumbled into his chest. "She is such a bitter female."

He released a breath. "She was not always so. As a youngling, she was fierce but... not unkind. But when she came of age twomillennia ago, she became a rebellious half-adult. Always getting into trouble. Once, she ended up killing a female."

Emeriel gasped. "She killed someone!?"

"Mm, and was banished from Urai. But matters were complicated, with her being my bloodhost. She pleaded for pardon, claiming she had changed, and in time, she was granted clemency. And for a long while, I believed she had, for she ceased stirring trouble."

Emeriel shook her head, tracing patterns against his chest. "So her atrocities did not begin today."

"Unfortunately, one cannot choose their bloodhost," Daemonikai murmured. "If it were possible, I would have rid myself of Sinai long ago."

"Yes, I know." Emeriel lifted her head, shifting her hair to one side, baring her neck for him. "I wish to bloodfeed you tonight."

Heat pooled low in his gut, his cock perking up in interest.

"You know that is not a wise idea, Riel."

"In the past, I was able to bring you back through feeding," she told him. "It may help with the… mindlessness.

"As mySoulbond," Daemonikai reminded her in a gentle voice. "Now our bond is no more…" he loathed uttering those words. "Also, there’s the lust."

---