I wantedeverything.Every inch between us was a mile. Every stitch of clothing on our bodies was an insurmountable barrier.
Her tongue flicked my wrist, and I nearly roared. I needed to be touching her in every way. To have her fingers running over me. Kissing me. Claiming me. My blood was already coursing through her, marking her as mine. It wasn’t enough.
It felt like hours had gone by, though I knew it had only been seconds. I never wanted it to end, but for her sake, it couldn’t go on.
Soon—far too soon—I placed my free hand on Luna’s chin. Her mouth stilled, and she raised her questioning eyes to mine.
“That’s enough,” I whispered. The hoarseness of my own voice surprised me.
Luna blinked, her eyes hooded as her mouth lifted off my arm. My skin knit itself back together, but I barely paid it any attention.
“Sebastian.” My name was a breathy plea on Luna’s lips as she stared at me. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with desire as she sat beside me. My fangs ached at the red flush in her cheeks, and I ran my tongue over their sharp peaks.
A drop of my blood hovered on Luna’s lip, and before I even realized what was happening, my finger was wiping it from her mouth. The drop hung on the end of my finger and I raised it to my lips.
Her eyes never left mine as I licked my finger. Her blood tasted like honey, but mine was darker. Older. It tasted like cinnamon and warming spices toasted by a fire.
My heart pounded in my chest and the air thickened as we stared at each other. Raising her hands, Luna ran her fingers through my hair before they settled on my shoulders. She drew me towards her, somehow moving far too quickly and incredibly slowly.
I could barely breathe as my wings flared out behind me. Anticipation filled the air as our mouths hovered over each other. Her breath warmed my lips as she met my gaze.
“I want you,” Luna half-whispered, half-groaned.
Her words nearly broke my restraint. Her dark eyes reflected the truth of her words, and through the Binding Mark, I felt a pulsing wave of desire.
She wanted me…
But it wasn’t real.
“Luna, you don’t… it’s my blood.” I blew out a breath, shaking my head even as my entire body grew hot. “It does this. It’s powerful, and it makes you want—”
“You,” Luna interrupted me, her grip tightening on my shoulders. “I want you. You’re my husband. We’ve been married for weeks, and all we’ve done is kiss. I want more.”
I wanted her so much, I could barely think of anything else. Thoughts of her filled my mind every second of every day. Now that I’d tasted her blood—really tasted it—I knew how incredible she was.
And I wanted all of her. I groaned. “Darling, I want you, too.”
“Then take me.” Reaching up, Luna pulled me towards her and closed the gap between us. Her mouth landed on mine, our lips clashing in a flurry of passion.
Now that we were alone, I found I didn’t mind the tight-fitting black garments as much as I had earlier.
Our lips moved in synchrony as everything else faded away. It was just the two of us. Nothing else mattered. Her hands slipped beneath my tunic, leaving feather-light touches against the ridges of my stomach as our lips and tongues and teeth spoke a tale of want. For a moment, I lost myself in this kiss. Luna was the only thing I could think about.
She wasmine.
Mine to care for.
Mine to love.
Mine to protect.
A shiver ran down my spine. Luna was mine, and tonight, I had failed her. Mother had nearly killed my wife because of me. If I hadn’t given Luna my blood, she might have died.
I didn’t want our first time to be like this. It shouldn’t be in a blood-induced haze when Luna’s judgment was clouded. Watching as the queen tried to kill Luna earlier had made me realize something that scared me more than anything else in the entire world.
Despite the circumstances which had brought us together, Luna had forced her way into my heart. I loved her.
But I didn’t know if she felt the same way about me. It wasn’t that I needed her to be in love with me. Who could love someone with a soul as black as mine?