I reach down, placing my hand on top of Kaebl’s and directing him lower, desperate to feel his touch against that needy part of me. Kaebl obeys, stopping when his fingertips brush the apex of my thighs, his shoulders shuddering with the strength it takes to restrain himself. But he doesn’t need to anymore.

“It’ll be okay,” I whisper, my eyes finding his through the dark. “You’ve fought it for so long. We both have. It’s okay, Kaebl.”

He shakes his head, his breath coming in uneven, shuddering pants. Too… dangerous… I… can’t… can’t… can’t…

But it’s not his decision to make anymore.

A bolt of searing pain spreads from the center of my forehead at the same time that a wave of power surges through me, originating from that invisible force tying our souls together. It flows through my veins, spilling out of my pores and open mouth, changing the sound of my screams to cries of bliss that explode into the silence with so much power that the walls shudder.

When I come back down to earth, a matching bond mark glows beneath Kaebl’s skin, the brilliant golden hue stealing the breath from my lungs as I’m smothered by the weight of what I’ve just done.

The final thread of the soul bond snaps into place as Kaebl rolls on top of me, pinning me between his powerful forearms as a thunderous growl echoes into the air, filled with a hunger I’ve never known.

I take in the thick shadows consuming his golden irises, the lengthening canines and enormous pitch-black wings spreading out over his shoulders, materializing from the depths of the shadows as his beast breaks free.

And at that moment, I know it’s all over.

We break, together.

27. Malice

27

Malice

Mate. Mine. Dagny. Wake. Time to wake up. Take. Mine. Take. Take. Take.

WAKE.

My lids crack open, a thick haze of sleep coating my vision as I blink up at the ceiling, trying to discern the reason behind my rapidly thrumming pulse and the heat rushing through my veins, coating my skin in a thin layer of sweat and filling my ears with a thunderous whooshing.

I press onto my forearm with a soft groan, my eyes searching the shadows for the origin of that heavenly scent—the delicious fragrance that yanked me from my deep slumber—but I don’t need to look for long. My focus is pulled to the two figures standing at the far end of the room, their bodies entwined and an electric heat rolling off their skin, filling the air with charged waves of passion.