Chapter Thirty-Seven
Kara
So infuriating.
My heart gave a brief pang, like it was caught on a blade inside my chest. The pain was a reminder—it wasn’t just frustration I felt. Once again, the Devil had reminded me of the goodbyes I needed to say.
For even a second, was he tempted to stay?
To stay with me—his marked mate?
The truth was a sharp ache under my ribs. A steady throb I couldn’t ignore.
The wind howled in my ears, whistling, but I still heard the heavy thuds approaching—fast. Angry. Rushed. Water splashed up from the river as I stood, droplets running down my arms and falling from my fingertips.
Why was he angry? I should’ve been the furious one.
Before I could turn, Luke was on me.
His hands gripped my arms—rough, tight—as he leaned down to my neck. I stilled. Tilted my head just as his inhale scraped through all other noise.
A deep, shuddering breath, like he’d been underwater too long. Like he needed something that belonged to me to live.
He groaned as he exhaled, then crushed his face against my neck again, breathing deeper, harder, like he couldn’t get enough.
A rush of adrenaline tore through my veins.
His breath burned down my skin as he dragged his face to my collarbone, then lower.
“What are you doing?” I shoved him in the chest.
He staggered, like I’d pulled him from a trance. But the look in his eyes—those glowing, red-hot eyes—made my breath catch.
He looked possessed.
His nostrils flared as he dropped to his knees. His hands clamped onto my hips, dragging me closer as he buried his face against my stomach, nose pressing through the thin fabric of my shirt.
What in Hades was happening?
His sudden behavior hit like a jolt to the system—confusing and electric, sending mixed signals everywhere. My breath caught as heat surged through me, my nipples tightening against my bra just as his claws snagged the button of my pants.
The button popped off.
I gasped, clutching at the front of my jeans as a sharp pulse of need exploded inside me. “Have you lost your mind?” I snapped, trying to make sense of the storm brewing in his eyes.
“I can smell you,” he rasped, voice thick with desperation. “Off. I need your scent buried in my bones.”
My core clenched so tightly it made me dizzy. But even through the haze of desire, reality clawed for my attention. “We can’t do this now. We need to reach the crossover before Harvest—”
He growled, low and brutal, and with a single jerk, ripped the front of my jeans.
“For the love of everything,” he snarled, his voice edged in pure hunger, “if I don’t bury my face between your thighs, Kara, I’ll tear this world apart.”
A wicked thrill spiraled through me, hot and consuming. I reached for his unbroken horn, curling my fingers around it, forcing his gaze up to mine.
“Wait—Luke.” I stared into his glowing eyes, barely able to breathe. “You can feel?”
“No, but I fucking smell you.”
He shoved my pants down to my knees, then yanked them off completely. I stumbled, breath catching as he stalked forward. “You won’t be able to lie this time,” he growled, voice shaking. “I’ll be able—”
He froze. His eyes glazed over with a look I could only describe as desperate hunger. A raw groan tore from his chest as he pressed his mouth to my panties.
My body jolted. I bucked against him, breath leaving me in a ragged cry as he suckled my clit through the fabric. Wetness soaked the thin barrier between us. He was trembling—shoulders, arms, everything. And it was all because of me.
“Now you know,” I gasped, grinding against his face, heat pulsing through every nerve. “You started it—so make me come.”
He pulled back with a sound that was half-growl, half-moan. His hands slid my panties down, but halfway through, impatience won—he tore them clean off.
“Lie back,” he ordered.
I glanced down at the grass and uneven stones beneath us. “No, that’s uncomfortable—”
He didn’t wait. He lowered himself, lying flat on his back, and tugged me down over him until I straddled his face.
The second his lips found my clit, my entire body seized.
I shattered—just like that. My orgasm tore through me with the force of the nearby waterfall. I collapsed over him, gripping his unbroken horn as I cried out, trembling.
His tongue didn’t stop. Slower now, teasing, lapping at my swollen clit before plunging back into me. Over and over. A rhythm meant to undo me all over again.
And, gods, it would.
I moved against his mouth more slowly this time, syncing my rhythm to the languid strokes of his tongue.
His grip shifted, sliding beneath my shirt until his claws cupped my breasts through my bra.
The sudden squeeze sent a sharp pulse straight to my core, my pussy clenching so tight it bordered on agony.
I needed more—needed him—in a way that went beyond licking and teasing.
“I wish I could fill you inside me,” I breathed, voice cracking on the plea. “Just once.”
Leaning back, I reached for the thick weight straining against his pants. He wasn’t hard—he couldn’t be—but the sheer mass of him still made my stomach twist with hunger. I rocked harder into his mouth, chasing that rising burst of pleasure. “Can I see it at least?”
The only warning I got was the sudden rush of wings overhead.
Then Luke grabbed me and threw me off him.