Page 169 of The King is Dead
He stared down at me, shaking his head. “You humble me, mate.”
“No, Melek. I love you. And admire you.”
He took me then. Quickly, but gently. His hands tender, and his kisses deep and slow. He pinned me to the tree and cradled the back of my head, and made love to me—worshiping every inch he could reach, and playing my body like a musical instrument, until my body shuddered with bliss and he took my mouth, swallowing my cry of joy.
Only when I’d gasped and twitched my way back to reality did he grip me, pull me close, and drive his way to his release. But after everything that had happened with Istral and Gall, and the arrival of the new Neph, my emotions were running so high, somehow, watching him surrender to his climax was overwhelming to me.
Still braced against the tree, as his eyes fluttered and he dropped his head back, I pulled him to me with my heels dug into his back, stroked those cords in his neck that stood so high I worried the skin would split—and when he opened his mouth to roar his release, I clawed hands into his hair and opened my mouth on his throat, holding him as tightly as I was able, panting with him, shuddering with the aftershocks that ripped through us both.
His feet scrabbled on the dirt as he leaned into me, his head on my shoulder, hands braced on the tree. For some time we stayed there, holding each other. I felt the waves of trembling that rippled up and down his spine. And in the bond, I could sense his despair. Fear. He was terrified this would go wrong.
At some point, unwilling to be separated from him yet, I grabbed his jaw, pulled his head up and made him meet my eyes.
“Tell me,” I whispered, combing his hair back from his handsome, rugged face. “Tell what it will be like so I know what to expect,” I said shakily. “Tell me how to help.”
He swallowed hard and gripped my hip so hard I wondered if he’d make love to me again. But his eyes searched mine and with sweat trickling down his temple he whispered, an apology flickering in his eyes.
“The moment we arrive, I have to be seen to take control,” he rasped. “When they see you and… and the other females with me, they may frenzy. If that happens, you do not try to protect me, Yilan—do you understand? The frenzy is mindless. It is kill or be killed. If it happens, yourun.”
“But—”
Melek shook his head firmly. “No buts. It’s going to take every ounce of authority I’ve ever held to make them listen and not just brutalize each other… and us.”
I had a flashback of that night in the clearing with Gall, when the young males had almost…Oh God…
“But—look at me, Yilan—” he insisted, tipping my chin back up and locking eyes with me again. “Once I have their ear, I’ll stand and call for challengers. Jannus will have my back. But even though I’ll stand with strength, in the end, I’ll have to fight any who step forward, who think they can take me.”
“What happens if you win?” I breathed.
“When no other Neph are willing to risk challenging me, I’ll claim the crown.”
“Does it all happen at once? Or will I have time to take out some of your challengers? I can kill them, Melek—”
“Not the public challengers—if they die by assassination they’ll know it was me and they’ll see it as cowardice. No, Yilan, you have to look for the schemers. The ones who would work on behalf of another strong Neph, or maybe even an enemy. You have to look for males who will try to remove me so that I can’t beat the public challengers and take the crown. That’s your job.”
“I’ll do it, Melek. I’ll protect you from those assholes.”
And then he gave me a heartbreaking smile. “I know you will, Love. You are fierce. And they have no idea what a weapon I have in you.”
“No, they don’t,” I said, my voice catching because, frustratingly, I was fighting tears.
Melek nodded, stroking my face. “I’ll kill any one of them to keep you safe, Beautiful,” he breathed. “God, I love you.”
I gathered him against me, chin on his shoulder, nose buried in his neck, hugging him as tightly as I was able.
“I love you too,” I breathed. “My King.”
He groaned and pulled my head back, kissing me again. And as he breathed my name and thickened inside of me again, I knew we were taking a risk to remain out there, but I was too damned frantic to care.
Because this could be it. This could be our last chance. And I would risk death to have him one more time.
64. Stand and See
SOUNDTRACK:Uprisingby Damned Anthem
~ MELEK ~
As the sun dropped towards the mountains, we broke out of the fog and started a wide semi-circle around the Nephilim camp for reconnaissance. Half a mile from its edge, we crawled up the back face of a spit of land to overlook the terrain so that I could choose where to begin.
