Page 15 of A Fate of Wings
“Shut up, Melanie.” She jerked her chin up to meet my gaze. “You’re making a big mistake here, Beast. We still have a mating ceremony to perform.”
“I don’t need formalities to claim my mate.” I tightened my hold on her arms in one hand, kicked the heart up into my other hand, and launched us into the sky. “The mistake was mine for not claiming you the second I realized you were mine.”
“Your majesty,” her guard said, launching herself after us.
“She’s my queen now too,” I said. “And I’ll treat her as such. She’ll be safer with me than here in her court.”
Thea’s lips thinned, but then she said, “Leave us. My future mate and I have things to discuss.”
The air shimmered with my demonic powers as I created a portal. I soared into the growing aquamarine mist that eerily matched her eyes. Displeasure shone back at me. She wouldn’t stay that way long. Once I got her alone, she’d see they meant us for each other.
With a ripple of power, we left the Autumn Court of the siren realm, and I transported us into Cossgarth, the Lost Dimension, which wasn’t so lost since I knew where it was. It was the only place chimeras existed anymore. The queen had sent me on anearly impossible task. She hadn’t expected me to return, but return I had.
I lowered us to the uneven, moss-carpeted ground and released her. She wrenched back as though she couldn’t stand my touch, but I scented her arousal. Her desire coated her body with an ever-increasing aroma. It wouldn’t be long before she begged me to take her.
“How did you find this place?” She narrowed her eyes to slits and surveyed the area.
Bushy trees of a deep green dotted the horizon, and in front of us lay the heartless chimera. Its blood pooled around its chest as though the liquid didn’t want to leave the creature. Once I returned its heart, the three-headed creature would draw the blood back into itself and resume its fire-breathing ways.
“I can find anything.” I swept a hand at the animal. “Shall I restore it now?”
“Who are you really?” she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“I’m the Beast.”
“Beast.” She tossed back her blonde hair. “You may act like a beast, but you are not a beast. I demand to know who you are.”
“You demand?” I rose my eyebrows. “Oh, little woman, you’re not the siren queen here.”
She lifted her shoulders. “I’m the siren queen in any realm. This.” She waved a hand at the surrounding bare landscape. “Doesn’t mean a thing to who I am.”
“That’s right.” I stepped closer. “Who you are is my fated mate.”
“Stop saying that.”
“The truth holds some punch to it, doesn’t it?” I ran my knuckles over the back of her cheek.
A tiny shudder rippled over her skin.
“See, your body can’t deny you belong to me.”
She huffed and stomped over to the chimera. “Restore him now.”
“Oh, the queen has issued a command?” I walked over to her with the heart in my grasp. “I suppose I should follow it?”
Her chest puffed out as she inhaled a deep breath. Then her lips pursed. I slammed my mouth over hers, thrilled when she gasped in surprise and then opened to me as she had before.
Well, well, if my little queen wants to play, then play we will.
I stopped kissing her. She huffed. I smirked and stepped out of her reach before she struck me again. Not that her slap hurt, more so that I’d frustrated her much more than I already had. It was such a delight to see her battling her feelings for me when I’d battled mine for so long.
Bending over, I shoved the heart back into the chimera. Its body twitched the instant the organ was inside. I yanked my arm out before the wound closed around it.
“You may want to step back. He’ll wake a little grumpy.”
“If you’re not moving, neither am I.” She planted her feet and folded her arms.
“Don’t blame me if he singes your hair.”