she also frequently reacted with mirth and kindness, and sometimes just plain mischievousness. Her lips pulled in a small smirk as she went back to reading, betraying her teasing mood.
A purr rattled from his chest from where he stretched out on the floor, his own lips curling with pleasure as he enjoyed their companionable silence. Although he wanted her writhing beneath him, he treasured this too. If only his cock would stop aching. It was pressed uncomfortably against the floor, betraying his heightened need. It was getting more insistent, and his skin was beginning to crawl with their demands. He was surprised that either of them had held out as well as they had during this entire period, probably because they were already bonded and it was just the stress of their systems needing to reconnect.
He winced as a thought occurred to him. He owed his mother an apology. He had vehemently denied his bond with Diana to Turan, obviously not knowing what the hell he was talking about and confused by Nocis’s power. He would have to go before her to admit that she was right. Diana was the perfect half of him. Not only did she make him feel more whole, but she filled his days with warmth and laughter to such a degree that it was only in his moments alone that he found his mind turning to Cacus.
To his relief, he seldom thought about the creature during the day, his being filled with her presence. Whereas that might have concerned him before, he realized since his lengthy separation from the sword that his worry and aggression in searching for the creature was no longer immediately suffocating him with his failure to find his prey. He hadn’t realized just how close he had danced to the edge of madness.
Such reasons were why he had abandoned the sword before. He hated that he would need it to defeat the creature. Once all was said and done, it would be locked away in his armory where it would sleep. Instead, he could enjoy the small measure of quiet that he had at this moment while Cacus slept and steal time away from the world with his female.
He couldn’t get enough of her.
Even without yet joining his body with hers, he craved all her flavors. He desired her with an impatient, roaring need. He wanted more of her words, her touches and the clutch of her sex. He both wanted and needed her! No other being tasted as she did to him. Even the taste of her softer emotions was sweet on his tongue. It surprisingly satisfied him more than the tang of fear that he normally craved. In truth, her presence made him yearn to be closer to her more than any other ever had. Not only bodily, but within his mind and heart. They answered to the goodness within her that he had seen shine out when she met Larce and Cassia. She accepted his family and showed that she accepted him too, despite his darkness.
She was truly the light that Dorinda bade him to search for.
He felt a tear gather at the corner of his eye and blinked it away.
Sighing, he glanced toward the window where the day was rapidly fading away. Soon she would walk him to the door, and he would be forced to ignore the pain of separation washing through him to leave. He couldn’t complain—it was their agreement. It didn’t mean that he liked it, though. But still, he could give her this small thing. He would go and keep himself company in his tree. His lips quirked. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice. He discovered that no amount of sweet words could convince her to change her mind once it was made up. Every evening he was shoved out the door shortly following their shared meal.
He wrinkled his nose at the window. He was not looking forward to it. The air had warmed up enough to rain. Although he was not susceptible to temperature fluctuations like a mortal, it was going to be a soggy, miserable night regardless. He was not looking forward to it. At least she seemed not to be in a great hurry to escort him out this evening. She sat with coffee in hand and her blanket tucked around her. Her dark tail flicked lazily as she rocked in her chair. He smiled at the sight and leaned forward, his fingers wrapping lightly around the