Chapter Thirteen #2
Through an archway made of frost-covered crystal was a bathing room that was a mix of modern amenities and old-world charm.
The centerpiece was a deep soaking pool carved from a single block of glacial quartz, its sapphire waters perpetually warm and infused with the scent of winter blossoms and healing minerals.
White petals floated on the surface of the water, and steam rose in delicate spirals, mingling with the soft glow of the enchanted lanterns that hovered midair.
Zander wandered through the bedroom to the far end of the suite.
Behind a door carved with swirling frost patterns was Kami’s art studio.
It was a sanctuary of creativity and solitude.
It was a circular room with a domed ceiling of enchanted glass that revealed the sky above.
During the day, it would fill the entire space with light.
Now, dozens of lanterns were lit around the room, their pale amber light set to a dim glow.
The walls were covered with shelves lined with jars of pigments made from crushed gemstones, powdered snow, and rare herbs. A long worktable held brushes tipped with feathers and hair given freely from rare beasts, while enchanted palettes kept her paints fresh and vibrant.
Wooden easels stood ready to be used, and blank canvases were piled high on a table.
Stacks of finished canvases were propped against the walls.
Some were dreamlike landscapes, while others were vivid portraits of mythical beings.
Each was a masterpiece in its own right, and Zander had trouble picking a favorite.
He could feel Kami in the studio and knew it was the one place in the entire palace that truly felt like it was hers.
Noticing another stack of finished paintings hidden behind a tall dresser, he started over to it. He felt her reluctance and knew those paintings were something she had never shown anyone else. Still, she silently gave him consent, not wanting to hide anything from him.
Every painting in the hidden stack radiated a deep, somber energy, as though Kami had woven her most intense emotions into every image.
It was as if each canvas served as a tangible embodiment of the anguish and fury she had carried within her for years.
There were paintings of crushed flowers and shattered glass, burnt remnants of something once beautiful, and a tarnished crown with traces of blood on it.
Her pain was visible through each sweeping brushstroke and the bold, turbulent colors. The raw vulnerability and honesty in these works made them impossible to ignore.
It was like getting a glimpse of Kami’s broken soul.
Overcome with emotion, he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her tight. He wanted to take away her previous suffering and shield her from all the pain in the world.
As if understanding the wild storm raging beneath his skin, she tilted her face up in offering. With a low, hungry growl, he slammed his mouth down on hers. It was a claiming kiss. A kiss filled with passion and longing, but most of all, with love.
Lifting her, he carried her back to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed, covering her smaller frame with his own.
Slanting his mouth over hers, his tongue delved deep, stroking against hers in urgency and demand.
A firestorm of desire burst to life between them, all-consuming and impossible to contain.
It was pure need, wild and unfiltered.
His fingers tangled in her hair, drawing her closer.
She met him with the same hunger, kissing him with a desperation that made the last threads of his control disappear.
Using magic, he removed their clothes and shoved her legs apart using his own.
He lodged the head of his cock against her pussy and rejoiced at the slickness he felt there.
With one hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside her.
He swallowed her cry of joy down and let out a triumphant growl of his own when her nails scored down his back.
Once he was fully embedded inside of her, he stopped moving, holding himself still.
He felt the tight muscles of her pussy stroking his shaft, tempting him to move.
He wanted to savor the moment. To bask in the glory of being one with her again. But she was tight and felt so damn good that it was impossible to hold back.
“Don’t hold back. Love me, Zander. Love me like only you can.”
“You are mine,” he growled, utterly incensed at the very thought of someone else touching her.
“My one and only,” she swore.
Kami’s words rang out with nothing but the truth. Pleasure wasn’t enough. It had to be him, only him, touching her. Being with him, she felt the freest she’d ever been. Even though he was stronger than her and dominated in all things, she ruled his heart.
“You do,” he confirmed without hesitation. “I will only ever love you.”
“And I will only ever love you,” she vowed.
She felt his cock throbbing inside of her, driving her mad with need. It was almost as if she could feel his heart beating within her core, truly merging them into one being. Although it felt wonderful to be filled by him, she wanted him to move.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “Zander?”
“Yes, beloved?”
“If you don’t start moving soon, I’m going to scream.”
“Oh, I’ll make you scream,” he growled darkly. “I promise.”
When he rotated his hips, she felt his cock moving even deeper inside her.
Pulling his head down, she pressed her lips against his in a brutal kiss.
She wrapped one leg around his waist while hooking her other foot behind his knee.
Using the leverage, she lifted her hips and began sliding herself onto his hard shaft.
Their moans of pleasure mingled as he deepened the kiss. Taking control, he began moving inside her, sliding his thick shaft out, only to thrust in again, harder, deeper. His cock rubbed against the sensitive nerve endings inside of her, making her shiver with delight with each movement.
He pushed her closer and closer to her release with every thrust, but it still wasn’t enough. They both needed more. Levering up so he was kneeling between her legs, he pushed her thighs back toward her chest and powered into her with more force, thrusting into her tight pussy hard and fast.
The new angle allowed him to rub against her clit with each hard thrust, and she let out a scream of pleasure as she came. Ecstasy rolled through her like waves crashing against the shore in a storm, and her entire body shivered with the aftershocks.
Their lovemaking turned savage, wild and out of control.
A breathless moan was torn from her with each stroke.
When he pulled out, she didn’t even have time to protest before he flipped her over and drove himself back into her.
Pressed against the bed, she couldn’t move as his big body came down on top of her.
She loved the feeling of his weight on her, and she spread her legs wider to give him better access.
Their pace grew frantic, both of them racing toward the ecstasy that awaited them. He pushed her hair aside and bit down on the mating mark on her neck. Another hard climax struck her. It hit her with the force of a meteor, and she bit down on his forearm to stifle her scream.
The taste of his blood gave her a euphoric rush that almost made her black out.
As the waves of pleasure surged through her, her climax triggered his own.
His hips jerked, and he moaned against her skin as he filled her with the hard, hot jets of his seed.
His body still shuddering, he collapsed onto her, careful to keep his full weight off her smaller body as he rolled them to the side.
With his cock still deep inside of her, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against the crook of her neck.
“I will never get enough of you.”
“I hope not,” she said on a breathless laugh. “You bit me again.”
He held up his arm to show her the mark she’d left there. “Next time, you can use magic to make fangs. It will be easier to draw blood.”
She winced. “Am I going to keep craving your blood like this? I really am starting to feel like a damn vampire.”
“The vampire myth was created about supernaturals who share magic in the blood.”
Groaning, she said, “So, I am a vampire.”
When he laughed, she felt it reverberate through her entire body. “It is not my blood you crave, but my magic.” He paused, then asked, “Would it really be that bad if we always share?”
“No,” she said with a light laugh, not even having to think about it. Snuggling against him, she closed her eyes and relaxed. “So, I think my friends took everything well.”
He snorted in derision. “As you like to say, they were all freaking out.”
“How do you feel about there being a new Horseman?”
Zander was silent for several seconds as he thought it over. “I am angry that something happened to Raziel, but I do not blame Braxton for replacing him as Death. There will always be a need for Four Horsemen. When I kill Famine, he will need to be replaced as well.”
“How do we—”
Kami’s words were cut off as someone pounded on the bedroom door. She started to get up, but Zander held her still.
“It is the alicorn shifter.”
When she squirmed against him, he sighed and finally let go of her. As she ran toward the door, she started to clothe herself, but her mate beat her to it, dressing her in a black silk robe.
She threw the doors open, and Lia practically fell on her. Catching her, Kami studied her friend in alarm. Her face was stark white, and her eyes were wide with shock. She wore the amulet around her neck, and it was pulsing with a soft purple light.
“I heard him,” Lia croaked out. “I know where he is, but he’s fading fast. We have to go save him now.”
“Who?”
“Death. We have to save Death.”