Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)(25)

“What?” The breathless, sultry voice barely sounded like mine.

Wrath repeated the motion, no longer for me to adjust to his size, but to slowly torture me to death from the pleasure. On his next deliciously slow thrust, he hit a bundle of nerves that drew a moan from me. He brushed his lips against my ear. “That I am your favorite sin.”

He pulled my backside toward him, pushing me down a little more, finding the perfect angles to elicit the most ecstasy. It was a little rough, a bit wild, and intensely primal. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect joining.

“Tell me you’re mine.” Wrath’s passion burned hotter than his sin, and I burned for him. My body tightened around his, my core throbbing, and fire seared my veins. I was his. Forever.

Just as he was mine.

“You are my favorite everything.” I leaned against the wall, pressing back against him, working my hips in time with his deep thrusts. To give as good as I was getting. “You’re mine.”

“Fuck, Emilia.” Wrath groaned, one hand now locked on to my hip so he could tug me against him, while the other hand found the front of my body, his fingers playing me like an instrument he was proficient in. It was almost too much, and yet I never wanted the feeling to stop. “You feel like heaven.”

“Goddess curse me. Harder.”

Wrath obliged. He unleashed all of himself, pounding against me so hard the light fixtures began to shake. The painting I’d barely noticed crashed to the floor.

And then it happened, the past slammed into the present, and a vision overtook me.

In a different demon House, Wrath pressed me against the wall in a darkened corridor, wringing pleasure from my body as he thrusted into me. We’d both torn my clothing entirely off but kept his trousers on. And the idea of him half-clothed drove me wild. My attention was riveted to the hand with the serpent tattoo as it worked my body, bringing me to the brink of climax then slowing down until I was mad with want. He liked to tease, to draw out my pleasure until I took it on my own.

I could hear the sounds of others just outside our secret corridor. At any moment, someone might come upon us. Neither one of us wanted an audience, but balancing on that knife’s edge of discovery, the slight bite of fear that came with it, suddenly heightened the experience.

As I came closer to the edge, I noticed a faint glow coming from my hand; a tattoo was beginning to appear along my left ring finger. Wrath thrusted again, deeper and faster—my mind and body were both on the brink of giving in to the pleasure he was demanding.

He bent me over. “Keep your legs together. Closer.”

His command and the friction the new position created had me calling his name despite our need for silence. I arched my back, and the demon hit a spot deep within that had me seeing stars. I breathed hard, my attention fixed on the large hand that held my hip. A tattoo had appeared there, too, on Wrath’s same ring finger. I smiled, thinking of the words he’d spoken earlier. The eternal vow.

I covered his hand with mine, braiding our fingers as he slammed our bodies together one last time, shuddering and cursing as we both came.

The vision abruptly disappeared, and I was once again in the present. It must not have lasted for long, or else my prince would have noticed. Wrath pulled out, then pushed in, his breathing ragged against my neck. We were both close, our skin damp and hot. I was nearing my release… but I still swore I felt the aftershocks from the climax in my vision, which only heightened my experience now.

“Goddess above. Don’t stop.”

“Never.”

His words were spoken with the promise of a vow. Wrath rubbed my clit in wicked circles, right where he still thrusted into me, and I came violently. A moment later, he joined me with a harsh curse. My legs trembled as he leaned forward and gently kissed my neck.

As I caught my breath, I stared at the tattoos that had now appeared on our fingers in the present, finally making out the words as the light faded into our skin. The letters were written vertically in rose-gold, from just under my nail to where my finger met my hand.

S

E

M

P

E

R

T

V

V

S

The words were spelled like Roman inscriptions. It took a moment for me to piece together what the Latin said. Forever yours.

Wrath reached around and placed his left hand on mine, revealing the rose-gold ink that now also ran along the entire length of his ring finger. SEMPER TVVS.

Past and present collided and, for a moment, I couldn’t tell which was which.

“Emilia.” His voice was soft, measured. I couldn’t stop staring at the tattoo. I gently tugged my hand from under his and sucked in a breath. This was no illusion or past memory; the same phrase really was inked onto my skin in the here and now.

I held up my hand, twisting it around. “Is this because of the marriage bond?”

Wrath pulled free of my body and turned me until I faced him. “Yes. And no. Did you remember something?”

“I… I’m not sure. I saw us. In the past. Just now.” I moved to the bed and sat, my gaze locked onto the ink. “We were in a dark corridor, making love. And these same words appeared.”

“Do you recall anything else? Anything at all?”

“I had the impression you’d said the words earlier that evening.” I rubbed my temples, suddenly feeling unwell. “Dear goddess above. It was me. Wasn’t it? Not the First Witch. Not Pride’s missing wife. Not some reincarnation. Me. But… how?”