Page 17 of Griffin Food

Trust. I find the meaning of that word as I accept his flesh into mine.

Truth. I experience an epiphany as I submit.

And as my body shatters and convulses into spasmodic bliss that eclipses all other pleasures, I claim them as mine.

Chapter Five

Lark

The lass is sleeping. Out cold. Thank fuck.

I share a rueful smile with Rafe, who returns a sleepy grin as he lies on her other side. The bed is small and cramped, but we were determined to make it work.

Rafe nods his head toward the door.

Aye, I need to clean up. We all do. But first things first, the lass has to be hungry and thirsty after going at it for days. We need to get her some fresh food and drink. We ease out of the bed, detangling limbs carefully lest we wake the sweet lass up.

She doesn’t even murmur.

I share another grin with Rafe and snatch my scattered clothes from the floor, then we creep over to the door and slip out.

In the main room, we share another deeper look as we don our clothes. Definitely need a bath and some fresh clothing.

“Shaking up a storm,” Rafe grumbles, holding his hands out in front of him.

“Not got the stamina, old man?”

“Kept up with you, whelp,” he fires back without heat.

And he did, so fair dues.

“Mayhap I should go and see what food I can find.” I sniff myself and grimace. “And a bath might be in order. Reckon we can take it in turns afore she wakes up?”

“Aye, go on first. Lass is sleeping. Might be a while before she rouses.” He suddenly smirks and nods at my throat.

My hand goes there. It feels sore.

“She savaged you,” he says with a shake of his head, still grinning. “Savaged me a fair bit too.”

“Lass has a wild side, for sure, and a taste for blood. Who knew what was lurking under her prim little bookworm façade… Has she—” My eyes slide to the closed bedroom door and back to Rafe. My voice lowers. “Marked us? Claimed us? That’s what omegas do, isn’t it?”

“I don't know,” he says. “They do so with an alpha, for certain. Whether it works the same with a beta—I’ve heard rumors that it can, but that’s all they are.”

“Until some alpha bastard snatches them away,” I add with surprising heat.

“She is not ours to claim,” he replies.

Is that what I want? To be claimed? Is it what he wants?

We are staring at each other. The look is loaded, and I don’t have a clue what it means.

“Wasn’t looking to be claimed by a lass, certainly not some highborn princess.” I swipe a hand through my hair, feeling it sticking up all over the place. Then I remember her hands in it, guiding my mouth toward her pussy and gripping to hold me there. Her soft, breathy moans when I hit the magic spot.

I could get used to that.

I’ve had my fist inside her and watched her shatter around it. Yeah, that changes a man.

Rafe is still staring at me. I believe he just read all of that on my face.