She cradled his face with her soft hands. “Demon, is something wrong?”

“Want to remember this for our next ten thousand years.” As he gazed into her heavy-lidded eyes, clarity hit him with the force of a lightning bolt.

I don’t cherish her because I desire her; I desire her because I cherish her.

He’d battled his instincts for so long; he couldn’t fight them a moment more.

Inside her. The balance. All will be well.

Grasping his shaft, he guided it toward her virgin sheath. When the crown kissed her wetness, he bit out a curse. “So lush.”

He ran the tip up and down between her flaring lips until she was rolling her hips to meet him. “No more teasing!”

He nudged the head against her entrance, pressing forward.

She spread her knees wide for him. “Yes, yes, inside me.”

Her wet heat squeezed him so tightly, he wouldn’t last even two thrusts! “Lila, I will put my seed in you. And I will mark you with my fangs.” A quake rumbled. Primal forces swirled around them. Hell demanded its due. “We cross the point of no return. . . .”

FORTY-NINE

Do it!” Lila all but begged. “I’m ready.”

Abyssian rested on his forearms, leaning down until their faces were inches apart. As he eased deeper, feeding her his cock, the realm seemed to hold its breath. . . .

She gasped from the stretching sensation, but it didn’t hurt. Pressure gave way, and his shaft sank farther inside. She hissed in a breath, expecting pain. None came.

“Virgin no more.” He cupped her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “I was losing you—didn’t know why. But now you’ve surrendered to me.” His hips tilted forward, his muscles straining with barely harnessed aggression. Sweat dampened his skin.

As he inched deeper, his smoldering gaze scanned her face, gauging her every reaction.

She bit her lip. So far, I’m undecided about this.

“Give me time, love,” he said, as if he’d heard her thought. Then she heard one of his: —Last, Sian!—

Staring into his eyes, she grew centered. Steady. They could do this. She relaxed a degree.

“That’s it.” He took as she gave, filling her even more. “Surrender everything to me.” Once he was seated as deeply as he could go, his wings extended wide, and he bit out one word: “Mine.”

She maneuvered under him, adjusting to the fullness. “Oh!” Better!

With every beat of his mighty heart, his cock throbbed inside her, but he somehow kept himself from thrusting. “Are you mine, Lila?” He reached between them to rub her clitoris.

“I’m yours!” she cried. Much better! As his fingers made slow, slippery circles, she dug her nails into the rigid muscles of his ass.

“Holding on by a thread.” His onyx eyes flickered dangerously. “Fondle your breasts for me.”

She released him to pet herself.

“Good girl.” His fingers were sending her closer to the brink. “You’re mine now. You can’t ever go back. You will belong to a demon . . . forever.” His shadow loomed on the wall—all forbidding horns and wings—as if his darkest self was in the cave with them.

She didn’t want to go back! “Abyssian . . .”

“Pinch your nipples harder.”

With a moan, she did.

“Harder.”

“Ah!” Her hips bucked uncontrollably. Which felt unbelievable. She rocked on him again—sending his shaft in and out of her. “Nothing can feel this good!”

He gnashed his teeth. “Still! You have no idea what forces you toy with.”

She couldn’t remain still. Too much sensation danced just out of reach. She undulated on his cock again . . . and again . . . faster . . . faster . . . until she was fucking him.

Seeming incapable of speech, a growl rose from his chest. But his thoughts blasted her. —Stop, Lila! No, do NOT stop. Mercy!—

Stopping wasn’t an option; she chased her orgasm.

“You’re—uhn!—about to—ah!—come.”

“Yes!” She pinched her nipples to the point of pain.

A drop of his sweat ran off his forehead to hit her breast. Even his sweat was searing. Pleasure built and coiled deep inside her.

Building . . . coiling . . . building . . . coiling.

“Then come hard.” His fingers sped up. “Wring my cock.”

“My gods!” Sexy fucking demon. “You make me feel so—”

RELEASE.

Her inner walls clamped down on his thick length, her back arching. Her breasts swelled beneath her palms. When she caught a breath, she loosed it on a scream.

“Lila! I feel you . . . feel you coming on me!”

Needing to touch him, her hands flew to his back, nails embedding under his wings. Another convulsion hit, and she scored his skin, drawing a roar from his lungs.

His cock stayed wedged deep inside her, the unyielding pressure forcing her to climax harder than she ever had. Shattering spasms gripped her. . . .

Sian’s breaths heaved as he fought not to come. Must mark her.

But Calliope’s sheath tightened even more around him, the rhythmic contractions nigh irresistible. Last!

The urge to thrust lashed him like a razor whip—but he’d be done with a single plunge! She was so tight around him, he wondered if he could thrust.

She sank her teeth into his shoulder in abandon, screaming against his muscles.

I am in hell. Heaven! No, hell. For so long, he’d longed to release his seed; now he was frantic to hold it back.

He perceived volcanoes in the distance readying to explode. He invoked dark forces in the realm, anything to maintain control.

Though he still hadn’t dared to move, semen ascended his shaft, rising against his will. His heavy balls drew up, aching in a way he’d never experienced. Laden with seed for my mate.

The tug of her sex demanded it from him.

The heat of her . . .

Get control! His claws bit into his palms, his body suspended on the brink.

As she came down, she caressed his shoulders, his chest, his sensitive pierced nipples. Her hands sped up until they seemed to be touching him everywhere at once.

Instinctive drives surged inside him. To thrust. To fuck.

To bite.

His eyes were drawn to the flesh between her neck and shoulder. Her misted skin beckoned his fangs.