POV: Selene→ Rhiannan → Liam
Selene watched from the shadows, fangs gritted, arms crossed so tightly her claws dug into her own skin. Her beautiful, perfect world had been cracked wide open by the goddess lying in her lover's bed.
His mate.
The word felt like poison on her tongue.
She stormed into the chamber like a fury, eyes glowing crimson, voice sharp enough to slice through steel.
"You think you can just waltz into my court, draped in silk and prophecy, and take what's mine?"
Rhiannan blinked.
She was naked. Completely bare. And completely unbothered.
She stood, hair wild, eyes full of fire, and smirked like a woman who'd already won.
"First of all," Rhi drawled, "if he was yours, you wouldn't be here throwing a damn tantrum. Second..." She lunged.
Selene didn't even have time to scream.
The goddess hit her like a bolt of lightning. Power pulsed with every movement, her hands glowing, her body a blur of divine rage. She slammed Selene into the stone floor hard enough to shake the foundation.
Selene tried to rise, but found herself flat on her back, Rhiannan straddling her chest with a dagger of starlight at her throat.
"Try that shit again," Rhiannan growled, "and I'll rearrange your pretty little face so bad Liam won't remember your name."
Liam watched the entire thing from the door, mouth slightly open, eyes wide with... lust.
Holy shit.
He was done for.
He snapped his fingers. "Guards. Take her. To the dungeon."
Selene screeched, flailing, but was dragged off kicking and sobbing as Rhiannan stood, the picture of chaotic glory, still gloriously nude.
"You handled that... effectively," Liam said, voice low.
She stalked toward him, hips swaying, energy crackling. "You laid hands on me when I was unconscious. I should kick your ass."
He stepped closer, gaze fixed on her mouth. "I healed you. Touched you like a priest worships his gods."
Her breath hitched. "You're not a priest."
"No," he murmured. "But I am your mate."
They didn't make it to the bed.
Rhiannan slammed him into the wall with enough force to crack stone, lips crashing into his, nails clawing through his shirt. He lifted her like she weighed nothing, hands bruising her hips, tongue dueling with hers in a kiss that was more battle than romance.
"I need.." she gasped.
"I know," he growled.
They fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, her fingers in his hair, his mouth trailing down her throat, fangs grazing.
"Do it," she whispered, chest heaving. "Bite me."
Liam's control snapped.
The second her lips parted and she whispered, "Do it," something ancient inside him uncoiled.
With a low growl, he gripped her hips, dragging her against him as his mouth descended on her throat. His fangs pierced her skin, sharp, precise, and she gasped, back arching as pain bloomed into blinding pleasure. The first draw of her blood nearly brought him to his knees.
It was like drinking the moon itself. Silken, divine, laced with stars and shadows.
Her hands fisted in his hair, tugging, anchoring him to her as her body bucked under the onslaught of sensation.
"Liam," she moaned, voice cracking. "Fuck, don't stop."
He didn't. He bit deeper, one hand gripping her thigh and spreading her wider beneath him while the other caressed her breast, thumb flicking over her nipple with deliberate pressure. His hips rocked into hers slowly, teasingly, letting her feel every agonizing inch of him through the friction of skin on skin.
"Say it," he growled against her neck, lips blood slick. "Say you want me."
"I need you," she rasped, grinding up against him. "All of you. Now."
That was it. His restraint shattered.
He shifted, settling between her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist, dragging him in until their bodies aligned perfectly. He entered her in one powerful thrust....deep, claiming, shattering.
They both cried out, her nails raking down his back as he started to move, slow and deep, hips rolling with delicious control. Each stroke left her gasping. Her body trembled with need, her core clenching around him like a vice.
"You're mine," he snarled against her lips.
"Prove it," she challenged, biting his lower lip.
He responded by shifting the angle deeper, harder, his hand slipping between them to circle her clit in tight, sinful strokes. Her eyes fluttered, a whimper escaping her as her body convulsed around him.
"Liam!"
Her orgasm hit like a storm, lightning snapping through her veins as her head tossed back and her scream echoed off the stone walls. He didn't stop. He chased his own release with brutal grace, driving into her until she clenched around him again.
Then he came with a growl, burying his face in her neck as their marks exploded in light.
His stars lit up in brilliant silver.
Her collarbone shimmered as a delicate drop of blood inked itself into her skin.
They lay tangled together, breathless, his weight pressing into her like safety.
And for a moment... everything was quiet.
They slept. Deep and dreamless... until the vision came.
A forest. Twisted. Dead. Wrong.
A shadowed demon wandered, lost and bleeding, calling out without sound. His pain echoed in their bones.
Rhiannan jolted awake, hand clutching Liam's chest. "We have to go."
Liam was already moving, summoning his court, issuing orders, pulling on clothes while magic lit up the walls.
An hour later, the portal opened.
They stepped through...
...and landed right in dragon territory.
A distant, feral roar split the sky.
Rhiannan whispered, "He's coming."