Page 68 of Demon's Beauty

Right here with her, with the witch who’s settled something in me I didn’t realize was so achingly restless. With Soleil, my brilliant, beautiful mate.

Our solitude, however, doesn’t last.

A mighty roar echoes from the sky above, and the great black silhouette of wings passes over the moon.

Soleil sucks in a sharp breath. “Is that…”

“A drakon, yes.”

From way up here, we’re well out of harm’s way. Even if the beast turns its attention on us, we’re out of range of its flames and I could portal us away before it got anywhere near us.

I chose this spot for the vantage point it provides to a stretch of ground where I noticed evidence of drakons. Compacted earth from takeoffs and landing. Discarded scales. A few piles of bones from where they stopped to take a meal.

“Come,” I say, shifting from behind her and standing, reaching a hand out to help her up.

She follows me cautiously to the cliff’s edge, a few dozen yards from where we were sitting. At least fifty feet above the drakons’ meadow, it gives us a magnificent view and plenty of distance to portal away should our visitor decide to turn their fire on us.

As we peer down, a massive drakon comes into view. It’s hard to tell exactly what color it is, but its scales appear midnight black, gleaming in the moonlight. Like I expected, it pays us nearly no mind as it chomps on whatever unfortunate dinner it picked up along the way.

“They’re not evil beasts,” I say quietly, running a soothing hand up and down her back. “They’re just solitary, and protective when they feel like they might be under threat.”

Soleil chuckles softly. “That’s understandable. They probably don’t like being surprised, don’t like their space being invaded or their lives thrown off balance.”

I’m not sure we’re talking entirely about the drakons as I look down at her with an arched brow. “No, I don’t imagine they do.”

She grins at me before we both turn our attention back to the drakon. It makes quick work of its dinner then stretches its massive wings and sinuous body, arching gracefully as it gives its wings a mighty flap and takes off again, disappearing into the night.

Soleil lets out a shaky, awed exhale, then turns to face me.

“Finn, I…” She wraps her arms around my waist, lays her head against my chest. “Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for all of this. It’s been… a while, since someone did something special for me.”

The words make my heart ache.

Soleil should always have someone to make her feel special, to care for her, to see that she’s protected and loved and cherished.

I curl my hand around her jaw, tip her face up to mine, press the pad of my thumb to her bottom lip. Eyes molten, cheeks flushed, she opens for me and draws the tip just inside, sucks on it lightly.

Then she bites.

Just a little, more a playful scrape of her teeth against my skin than anything, but it sends a wave of fire through me.

Hotter than what the drakon hit me with. Hot enough to burn any lingering reservations to ashes.

I kiss her.

Slowly, at first, a brush of my lips to hers. A taste, gentle, as I sweep my tongue out to tease her.

Soleil opens immediately.

Unable to help myself, I groan into the kiss. I plunge my tongue into her mouth, tasting her, devouring her, feeding her my rumble of approval when she pulls herself closer, grabs at my horns and demands even more from me.

Everything.

She can have everything.

For as long as she wants.

Even as the thoughts flit through my mind, so does panic.