Page 44 of Clash of Kingdoms

She closed her jaws and released a threatening growl.

“But Beast is a very beautiful name…”

It’sss not beautiful. It’sss ferciousss, asss am I.

“Of course,” I said quickly.

Beast disappeared into the hole and left us alone on the surface.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Fang would love her.”

EIGHT

HARLOW

I fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire, my book dropped to the rug, the blanket pulled over me. It was hard to sleep in the bed without Aurelias. Our time together had been so brief, but so permanent. It felt like we’d been married for twenty years, and whenever he didn’t share our bed with me, I was beside myself.

A hand cupped my cheek, and then strands of my hair were pushed away.

I was dead tired from not sleeping well, so it was hard to stir, hard to believe the touch was real, not a vivid dream.

Then I heard his voice. “Baby.”

My eyes cracked open, seeing his coffee-colored eyes with the glow of the fire behind him. His expression was hard and intense, but the longer he stared at me, the more it softened. Then a smile broke through. “Aurelias?” My voice was raspy, like nails against stone.

“I’ve returned.”

Reality set in, that this was real and not a dream, and that was when my heart raced and my mind woke from its slumber. I sat up and hooked my arms around his shoulders, hugging him hard, my chest aching because it hurt so much. I’d missed him every moment he was away, worried he would never come back to me. His armor made the embrace uncomfortable, but I was so happy to have him in my arms that I didn’t mind. My eyes closed and I stayed that way, completely still, letting him support my body. “My father?”

“He’s okay.”

He pulled back to look me in the face, and that was when I noticed how weak he appeared. His face was paler than usual, and his eyes didn’t have the same shine. He looked hungry, like his journey had taken a serious toll.

“You look…tired.”

The corner of his lip lifted in a smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Because I’m fucking exhausted.”

“You need to feed.” I’d offered my blood before, but he’d viciously rejected the offer. I wanted to offer now, but I feared it would ruin the wonderful reunion we shared.

“I will.” His hand cupped my face, and his thumb rested in the corner of my mouth. “But I wanted to see you first.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth, a small touch that lit a fire inside my belly. “I missed you.”

“I fucking missed you.”

When he got to his feet, he lifted me with him, bringing my body flush against his as he carried me to the bed with crumpled sheets. He dropped me on the bed before he loosened each piece of armor and dropped it onto the couch. His sword was against the wall, and then his uniform came off…but it was ripped in certain places. But I didn’t have a chance to ask about it because I was too busy watching him get naked, muscles and flesh revealed, his big dick saved for last.

Then he was on top of me, my nightdress shoved to my waist while my straps were pulled down to reveal my tits. He folded my little body underneath him then found my entrance. He sank inside, nice and slow, his hand fisted deep in my hair the way he liked. “Baby…”

I was full of his dick and fully possessed by his grip. The love of my life had returned to me in the same condition as when he left. All the sadness in my chest was dispelled by his return. “Yes…”

I woke up before dawn, when the sky barely had a hint of light, but he was gone. My hand moved to the last place he’d been—and the sheets were ice-cold. I lay there for a moment, all my happiness from the night before gone with his absence.

I got out of bed and showered, getting ready for the day. When I was done, I walked down the hallway to the great room. My father was there with my mother, breakfast served on the table but untouched.

“Father.”

He turned, and all the stress and anger in his face evaporated at the sight of me. “Sweetheart.” His mouth lifted into a smile, and he came to me to embrace me in one of his big bear hugs. His lips brushed my hairline as he planted a kiss like he always did. But then he gave a wince, like I’d squeezed him just a little too hard.

“Are you okay?” I pulled away, and then I noticed the cloth secured over his shoulder underneath his shirt, a bit of the end sticking out. “What happened?”