It was the best sleep I’d ever had—to the point that when I was jarred awake sometime later by a raging mist, it took me a moment to orientate myself. At first, all I could see was Inky, swelled up into a huge sparking cloud over our heads. “Are we under attack?” I rasped, looking around the near pitch-dark room.

Shadow lifted his head, looking sexy and sleepy. One thing he didn’t look was concerned, though, so it had to be something else that had Inky all ragey.

“A shifter is trying to break into the lair,” he said, leaning down to press his nose against my shoulder, drawing my scent in as his hands cupped my breasts. “Should I kill her?”

I groaned because he was doing illegal shit to my body with just that light touch on my skin, but then his words registered, and I tried to sit up. “Fuck, it’s Sam. She’s probably worried you murdered me and she’s here to avenge my death.”

She seemed like a solid friend, who would always try and save those she cared about. “I just need to let her know I’m okay,” I told him, patting his arm.

Shadow rumbled, in his usual beast way, tugging me into him again. “She can wait.”

I wiggled to no avail, and when his teeth attached to my shoulder, in both warning and tease, I found myself rubbing against him rather than trying to get away. Need exploded inside of me, and I wanted him so badly that my core actually throbbed. I wondered if there would ever be a time when the mere touch of his hands and zap of his power didn’t make me want to climb him like a damn tree.

“Can you be quick?” I murmured, breathless. “Like, really super quick. Because you know I can orgasm in one minute—”

Shadow pulled me closer, burying both hands into my long hair, as he tightened his fingers to tug on the strands. In the same instant, he leaned in to claim my mouth.

“Only because the damn world needs saving,” he murmured, his tongue sliding across mine, allowing me to taste his dark spice. Thanks to our genetics, morning breath wasn’t a thing, but I wondered if I’d truly mind it from him. Nothing about this beast was a turn-off for me. At least nothing I’d discovered so far.

When Shadow was done thoroughly devouring my mouth, he moved over the top of me, pulling me around so I was flat on my stomach beneath him. He slid up over me, and as his long, hard length pressed into me, I found myself backing my ass up and biting my lip. Because… damn, I was about to get a good dicking. And I wasn’t even mad about it.

“Shadow, you need to stop playin—”