EdricI wasnât done.Not by a long shot.Diana had awakened something in me. I just hoped to the gods that I was able to control my lust and treat her gently.No matter how strong she seemed, she was really very fragile, especially when it came to things like these, matters that went beyond the physical need for strength.She was an egg at that moment, and I needed to be careful with her body.But that didnât mean I wasnât going to do to her what I desiredâŚwhat I knew she desired as well.And so, I didnât waste time, but I made sure not to rush things either. In a moment, I was unsheathed, and on her own accord, I let her explore my body.She was kind to me like she always was.Her hands moved along my chest, followed by her unsure, but hungry mouth. Her tongue kissed my chest in circles, and my nipples stung from her juicy suckles. It was only when I thought about it that I realized that she was doing to me, almost exactly what I had done to her.Fair.When she reached my abdomen, th
DianaWhen the shock faded, anger took over.âHe was a greedy bastard,â I paced the room, my jaw locked hard.âDianaâŚI still think you should be calm. Youâve been through a lot this fewâŚââIs!...not âwasâ. He is a greedy bastard!â I huffed. Itâs not in the past or anything. He still literally just sold me to a man he thought would kill me, thinking I was uselessâŚespecially since I was a late shifter.A late shifter couldnât possibly have the powers he was looking for, right?Oh, how bloody wrong he was.âDiana, pleaseâŚâI shook my head. âThis isnât over. Not by a long shot.âI was fuming. My hands were shaking, itching for the chance to sink my closed fists into the skull of that man â Donald Crossfield. So much for being a father.He was a monster!âI think you should listen to Edric,â Rhena swooned, obviously enchanted by the man. I didnât blame her. If I wasnât a piping steam pot of wrath, I wouldâve been swooning as well. His morning hair was packed lazily, and the mess created a
DianaâTwo steps leftâŚnow press the stone with the crooked edge,â her voice echoed gently inside my head.I obeyed, placing my palm against the worn slab in the wall. There was a low click, followed by the soft grind of stone shifting. The darkness that I saw from behind the stone was unnerving.âLooks exciting. Letâs go in.â her voice came without hesitation.âGo in?!â I didnât know when I said it out loud.Edric used to do this a lotâŚas well as every other werewolf. Now, I understand the feeling of talking to your wolf.âYes. Why else are we here?â she tsked impatiently. She seemed to enjoy gnarly, edgy adventures.I swallowed and stepped inside.The stairs were narrow and steep, spiraling downward into a space that hadnât seen daylight in years. Maybe decades. My fingers trailed along the wall for balance as Rhena kept murmuring guidance, never louder than a whisper, but carrying enthusiasm for days.When I reached the bottom, a lantern flickered to life on its own, probably enc
DianaâWell, so, you did know about this place,â I chuckled as he muttered the spell and the door appeared in front of them.âThereâs so many things that I know that I donât want you to,â he huffed so casually, as if he didnât just confess that he had a whole archive of secrets.âSee, now youâre making my brain itch,â I tsked.He smirked and opened the door.âI didnât want you to see this place,â he said quietly.âWell, I found it,â I shrugged. âNow, you have to tell me what it is.âWe descended in silence. The air below was colder and thicker⌠like it remembered all the things it had watched over the centuries. Everything was familiar. The same chills I got when I first came here came over me, but this time, I didnât feel the hairs on my neck prickling.He was with me.âThis was where I used to prepare the sacrifice,â Edric said, his voice flat. âEach cycle of hundred years made me more desperate. The more I lived, the madder I got. IâŚI wanted it to stop.ââAnd so, you were willing
DianaI woke up with sunlight in my eyes and warmth wrapped around my body. For the briefest moment, I thought I was still in Arcadia, still locked in that room, still waiting to be dragged to another training session or another lie.But then I turned my head and saw the ceiling above Edricâs hall. Home. His scent was everywhere, warm and grounding.I was free.I should have smiled. I shouldâve felt safe.But when I sat up, the first thing I saw was a folded blanket on the edge of the bed. And the second thing I saw was the deep, exhausted look in Edricâs eyes as he leaned against the doorway, arms folded like heâd been there a while.âThere you areâŚI was wondering when youâd come to.âThe air left my lungs.âWhat happened?âHe stepped in, kneeling beside the bed. âYour energy⌠when you transformed⌠it hit him hard. Something inside him isnât healing.âI didnât even realize the tears had started to fall.âThis is my fault.ââDianaâŚââNo,â I said quickly, pulling away. âI did this.
EdricIâd seen many things in my cursed existenceâŚempires crumble, kings on their knees, death standing at the threshold, not coming in unless invited.Death not coming in, even when being invited.Still, nothing prepared me for what my eyes just witnessed.Diana stood in the center of the altar chamber, surrounded by fading sparks of glowing smithereens, that cooled into brown and red floating bits. The air sizzled around her, charged like lightning waiting to strike again. Ronald was gone.I missed it.I blinked, and I missed it.And she stood there, chest heaving, shoulders trembling, eyes wide with fear and awe.My mouth went dry.âNow, thatâs my mate,â Baneâs voice rang through my chest, deep and satisfied in a way I hadnât heard in centuries.I blinked, shaken. What?âWaitâŚwaitâŚyou didnât know all this while? I thought you did.âMy heart thudded painfully. I couldnât move. Could barely think. Sheâs my mate? The scent that had been tugging at my senses⌠the pull that made me cro