Chapter 74: Chapter Twenty-Five

Cassius

Watching my life through her eyes was painful—almost as painful as her palm against my neck.

The woman had marked me!

And I was still alive.

No longer fully human.

But returned to my Dark One state. Was it truly that easy? That all she’d needed to do was love me back? And with that love, mark me?

Would Sariel make it a riddle that had been in my power the entire time?

Stephanie’s eyes returned to blue, she huddled against me, still naked as tremors wracked her body. “That was…”

“Completely irresponsible,” I teased, feeling lighter than I had… in my entire existence. Because for the first time in my miserable life… I was sharing the weight of the darkness.

With someone who had never experienced it before.

Stephanie shuddered and pulled me closer. “A little warning next time.”

I kissed her, I couldn’t help it.

Our kiss shook the air in the room, as tiny little pieces of ice formed around my fingertips, encircling our fingers, linking our hands together.

Her body moved beneath mine as her lips danced across my mouth.

I’d never taken my pleasure with another immortal.

Only with humans, who later died in agony at the loss of being near me. Several of them simply gave up.

The last one, a hundred years ago, had jumped off a bridge.

It was the last time I’d allowed my own carnal pleasures to destroy an innocent life.

Until Genesis, until I figured it was my duty to try to mate with a human to bring about the end of the curse.

Only to realize within days of knowing her—that she was never mine to have. Never would be.

And that, even a woman as beautiful as Genesis—could never fill the gaping hole Stephanie’s absence had made in my life.

“Make love to me.” Stephanie’s body twisted underneath mine for dominance as she pushed against my chest then pinned me to the bed.

Chuckling, I drew the shape of a heart across her chest, my fingers etching an icy trail as they danced across her fair skin.

Stephanie’s breath hitched as her eyes flashed white.

“Like that?” I asked.

She nodded. “But that’s not what I meant.”

“So you don’t want me drawing hearts all over your delicious body until you beg me to stop?”

She hesitated.

I laughed.

“I’ve never seen you laugh this much.” Her smile was bright.

I sobered, kissing her again, tasting her. “I’ve never had reason until now.”

With great care I lifted her into my arms, wrapping her legs around me as I kissed down her neck.

She gasped when my tongue slid between her breasts moving downward until the angle forced me to stop.

“This is…” She shook her head as the light above us shattered into a million tiny pieces blanketing us in darkness—our eyes glowed at one another. “Too much all at once.”

“I wish I could tell you what to expect. But I’ve never been mated before,” I answered, my body craving more of her kisses, more of her touch, just… more of everything.

“You’re stuck with me now.” She laughed against my mouth. “Basically married.”

I nodded, then swirled my finger against her ring finger as a beautiful crystal diamond appeared wrapping itself in icy tendrils all the way up to her fingertip. “I shopped for hours.”

Stephanie examined the ring. “Yes, I can see that, great detail on the diamond and the rose petals around it.”

“Eyes closed the whole time,” I whispered.

“Keep them open.” She cupped my face. “I missed you.”

I frowned. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

“You’ve been missing half of your true self,” she answered. “And now… you’re whole.”

“Because of you.”

“Because of my selfishness.”

“That too, though it sounds less romantic that way, more needy.”

She pinched me on the shoulder, but it didn’t hurt.

“Now that we’ve gotten all the technicalities out of the way.” I motioned to her ring. “I’m going to make love to you.”

“Okay.” Her eyes brightened.

“And then…” I brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’m going to do it again.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, I molded my mouth to hers, my hands sliding down every inch of her body as if it was made for my touch, my every caress.

I never thought.

Never imagined I’d be allowed the privilege.

Of loving another woman.

Of mating with an equal.

My hands shook as they rested against her hips.

Had my face not been frozen from emotion, I imagined tears would have found their place on my cheeks, proof of the undeniable love I felt for her—and gratefulness I had for the situation.

Stephanie rocked her hips against me as she tangled her hands in my hair. Each kiss was met with desperation, returned with aggression, and repeated.

Our bodies slid against one another as I took my time exploring every part of her I dared not touch before our mating.

Mouth watering with the need to taste, I pressed her back onto the bed and began my wicked descent from her chin, down to her feet, stopping at each and every space in between, making my mark permanent as I bit and covered her skin with my mouth.

Stephanie’s moans only encouraged me further.

The sound of ice breaking didn’t even deter me from licking my way back up her body, careful to make sure I didn’t miss any important spot or angle at which I could give her pleasure.

Her thoughts were my own as she screamed. “There.” Only it was in her head, not aloud.

“Better?” I’d ask only to have her nod her encouragement.

I was able to pleasure her before she even asked.

With an eager lift, I had her on her stomach, realizing I had only pleasured her front, only made love to parts of her and left the other parts pressed against the damned mattress.

“Cassius what are you doing?”

“Touching.” I answered simply. “Biting.” Her pert ass jerked as I ran my hand down its curve. “Learning.”

With a deep moan she relaxed against my hand as it pressed against her hip and slid between her legs.

“I don’t think—

“Good,” I interrupted. “Don’t think… It’s extremely unhealthy to think in a Dark One’s presence. Who knows…” Thoughts swirled around her head of me touching her, pleasuring her. “…what a Dark One may do with those thoughts?”

I fired back more thoughts of my own, my mouth covering every one of the spots she pointed out until she screamed so loud the room shook. “I guess he may do that.”

I moved my hand then flipped her over again. “Or he may do this.” I sent her images of what I would do right before I did it, doubling her pleasure, making her slick with sweat only to have it evaporate within seconds.

“But this,” I whispered, envisioning my mouth on her core. “This I think you will like best.”

She whimpered before each movement of my tongue only to cry out after.

And suddenly my vision turned to her pleasuring me. I could barely keep my composure.

“Two—” she panted. “—can play that game.”

“I adore games,” I fired back with a wicked laugh, in the vision I entered her hard and fast, only to go so slow that the air around us exploded. “Care to play one or two? I have time…”

“Cassius, I swear—”

“No swearing.” I pulled her to her feet and pushed her against the wall; her back was to me as I pressed up behind her. “You can always end the game… concede to the winner.”

“Never.”

“Too bad.” The vision shifted as I kissed around her neck, while I kept her pinned to the wall.

“Fine!” she yelled. “Just please… please, Cassius.”

With a growl, I turned her around just as she jumped into my arms. We staggered back against the wall and then fell to the floor in a heap of arms and legs as she straddled my body, then moved against me.

Our white eyes locked, and a knowing smirk crossed her face.

Oh yes, being human had been worth it.

For this? I would serve a sentence of a thousand years.

For one night with my true mate? Perhaps, a million.

“Yes.” She hovered over me, slowly allowing me to enter her. Stephanie’s slow movements nearly killed me as I lingered between ecstasy and greediness.

I moved faster and faster, gripping her hips, holding her in place as the air between us cracked and sliced like lightning in the sky.

I moved tentatively, and she matched the movement, but the slowness was destroying me, so I imagined us against the wall, and there we were, against the wall.

Using it to my advantage, I pressed her back against it and moved her body in perfect cadence to my heartbeat— to hers, only to have her explode around me, tiny pieces of crystals exploded in front of my face as the air stilled.

Slowly, I dropped her to her feet.

We stared at one another, both exhausted.

The darkness surrounded us.

But we.

We were light.