Chapter 18

Eighteen

~ Princess Blake ~

Dante hunts us down a bottle of wine that hasn’t yet been drained, and we settle by the roaring fire. I sigh, enjoying the warmth and getting comfortable.

The other demons keep a respectful distance, but they soon go back to enjoying themselves. Two males sit beside the fountain and arm wrestle, shouting obscenities as they battle one another, and a few others cheer them on, jeering and laughing. I smile as I watch them.

“You could show them how it’s done,” Dante comments with a grin, and he gestures with his head to the demon on the right, whose biceps are twice as large as his opponent’s. “No one is able to best Roken, and I fear it’s getting to his head.”

Dante drops down beside me, and his scent of apricots makes my head spin. I clear my throat. “I don’t think it’d be nearly as fun for them if I joined,” I reply with a smirk.

“Yeah, but it’d be fun for us to watch,” Nate says eagerly.

I shake my head and turn back to the fire, stretching out my hands and warming my fingers. Dante holds out the wine bottle, and I grab it from him, taking a drink.

“So, now that you’re here, is anyone going to tell me why you haven’t fucked yet? I get you wouldn’t have been able to bond, but your restraint is…confusing,” Dante comments. His dark gaze is locked on me as he says it, and I splutter, choking on the wine.

“Maybe, I haven’t been in the mood,” I wheeze out when I can breathe again.

His devilish lips twitch. “Is that so?”

I force myself to stare at the fire and not the ridges of his muscled chest exposed by his unbuttoned shirt. “Mhmm,” I mumble, and drink more wine. Because damn, if there was ever an occasion to drink, it’s now.

Nate chuckles and stretches his arms. “What makes you so sure we haven’t, demon?”

“Well, for one, she’s sucking on that wine bottle like she’s imagining it’s someone’s cock,” Dante replies, and this time I spit wine into the fire making the flames crackle.

“I was not,” I defend, glaring at him, and he smirks as he stares back at me.

Nate gestures his head to where Prince Callan is spinning the small knife he’d removed from his boot. “Well, would you want to fuck this one? Look at that wingspan. The male is compensatin’ for something.”

Prince Callan stops spinning his blade. “Says the male who’s undoubtedly planning to use the princess for some hidden purpose of his.”

And…that’s my cue to leave. So much for thinking we could have a relaxing drink by the fire.

“I need to get some air,” I tell Shade. “Make sure Nate doesn’t do anything stupid like try to arm wrestle Roken.” At that moment, the large demon shouts out in victory, having bested his opponent.

Shade settles on the ground, staring at Nate and Prince Callan with beady eyes. “You can count on me,” she replies.

I lift to my feet, my temperature rising as three pairs of eyes fix on me. “I’m going to keep watch,” I mumble, turning from them and not waiting for a response before striding away from the fire and further into the park. When I reach a group of skeletal trees, I stop and close my eyes, breathing in the night air which is bliss against my cheeks. Stupid fated mates. If I ever meet Lady Fate I’m going to ask her to rethink the whole fated mates thing. I was doing just fine before this whole ordeal, and I bet I could find a way to keep the clan leaders of Seral in check, even without my full power.

Behind me, someone else moves from the group, but I don’t look to see who it is. Seeing as Shade hasn’t said anything, I assume it’s not Nate going to cause a brawl. Demons hate losing, and something tells me Rokan wouldn’t play fair.

Folding my arms in front of my chest, I open my eyes and focus on the long stretch of dirt and trees around me. I wonder if the Drozac assassin is out there watching. If he was with us, we could try to bond. Even now that I know Dante is my mate, I can’t tell if he’s the last one. Bonding is the only sure way to check whether I’ve found all my mates, but I doubt Prince Callan has changed his mind about bonding with me.

Movement some distance away near a tree has me squinting to try and see clearer, but I’m distracted when I sense motion behind me. Instinctively, I stiffen, my hand flying to the hilt of the dagger at my side. Before I can grab out the blade, the hard ridges of a warm body presses against my back, and long fingers curl over my hand.

“As much as I’m a fan of knife play, princess, you won’t be needing that now,” Dante chuckles in my ear, his scent of apricots and cardamon reaching my nose. Damn apricots. My mouth waters, my breath hitching at his close proximity. Twisting my head to the side, I peer at the empty space behind me. It’s a strange sensation, feeling someone even when you can’t see them. I look further back to where Prince Callan, Nate, and Shade are still by the fire along with the rest of the demons.

“Why are you invisible?” I ask Dante, my heart pounding as his other hand snakes across my belly, and need rises in me, the bond that ties us together winding tighter.

“Because I can tell you need this,” he answers.

“Need what? Your dick massaging my back?” I retort, pretending that his erection prodding me through his pants isn’t making me want to spin around and take him in my mouth.

His laugh is so low I almost don’t hear it. “If that’s what it takes.” He pauses, and the next time he speaks his voice is softer and more serious. “You need to know that his death wasn’t your fault.”

I suck in a sharp breath. “What?”

“You know who I’m talking about,” he replies. “It’s what’s holding you back from claiming your mates, isn’t it?”

My heart races faster. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper back, though the image of Kai’s face appears in my mind and sweat beads on my brow.

“I know that if he was your mate, he wouldn’t have died,” Dante replies, his arms wrapping possessively around me as he pulls me tighter to him. “Fated mates balance each other.”

“Well, we couldn’t be sure,” I defend.

“And what about me?” he asks. “We both know we’re fated, so how can I convince you to let me in, princess?” He kisses my shoulder, his lips hot on my skin, and I shudder.

“Your other mates might have fooled themselves into thinking they can resist you,” Dante goes on. “But it’s only a matter of time. We all need each other. That’s the nature of the fated mates bond.”

I smirk at the tortured sound in Dante’s voice. Dante, the leader of his clan, heartbreaker of Seral. “Are you saying you need me, Dante?” I say, coyly.

I expect him to respond with a smart remark, but he brings his lips to the shell of my ear. “Yes, princess.” The words are a guttural rasp, and my heart stutters.

“You could end up like Kai,” I say, uncrossing my arms as my defenses waver. “By being with me, you could end up in the shadow realm.”

“I could,” he agrees, and I gasp as his tail wraps around my thigh and squeezes. His invisible fingers press against the front of my pants, his thumb hooking into the material below my belly button. “But I won’t. You’re my mate, Blake.”

Desire races through me, but to my right, I see a flicker of movement between the trees. I squint, but there’s no one there.

“It’s not worth the risk,” I tell Dante. “Not until I have all my mates here.”

His fingers press harder against the front of my pants, and my lips part.

“Give in, princess. I’ve waited too long for you to realize that you’re mine. Let me give you this.”

“If you die, it won’t help me.”

He chuckles. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not planning on dying.”

His tail tightens on my thigh as his hand slides into the front of my pants, a single finger swiping through my wetness. “Stop,” I rasp, but the sensation of him touching me is too good, and my stomach damn near cramps from the sudden rush of pleasure.

“Everythin’ all right, gorgeous?” Nate calls out from back at the campfire.

“Fuck,” I breathe as Dante adds another finger, swiping along my core. He kisses a path up my neck and behind my ear.

“I bet even from here the shifter can smell how ready you are,” Dante says with a slow drawl. “You should tell him to join us.”

An image of both Dante and Nate works into my head, and more wetness pools between my thighs. “And have him die as well? I don’t think so.”

“I’m sure he’d happily take the risk,” Dante chuckles darkly. “Do you still want me to stop?” He continues to tease me, circling his fingers around my entrance, and pushing only his fingertips inside me. Touching. Teasing. Testing me.

“No,” I say, desperate for more even though I’m annoyed at how out of control he’s making me feel.

“Gorgeous?” Behind me, I hear Nate approaching, and I curse. “Are you sure you’re all right?” the shifter asks uncertainly.

“Tell me, princess,” Dante whispers seductively into my ear, not at all fazed by the shifter who can’t see him. “Tell me you want my fingers inside you. Fucking you. Filling you.”

I whip my head back toward Nate. “Yes, I’m—” I start to answer his question, but Dante must think I’m responding to him, because he pushes a long finger deep inside me.

Holy Lady Fate.

“Fuck. You’re so soft,” Dante snarls in my ear as he starts working it in and out of me and adds another finger. I’m wound so tight I almost whimper.

“Blake?” Nate prompts. He’s still closer to the campfire than he is to me.

“I…I just need some time to myself right now,” I rush out, and Nate stops where he is. His brow furrows with confusion, his features tight. Even Prince Callan looks uncomfortable as he stares from where he’s still sitting. Right then I thank Lady Fate that they don’t know about Dante’s power. If they did, they’d probably realize what was happening. Shade stays silent, and I tell myself she’s oblivious, too.

“Okay…” Nate says, dragging out the word.

“We’ll move on soon,” I squeeze out as Dante uses his thumb to massage my clit.

Nate stares at me for a beat longer, but I give him a strained smile and turn from him, facing the park again. For a moment, I’m afraid Nate will come over to talk to me, but Prince Callan makes a snide remark to the shifter, and I listen as Nate moves back and sits down.

Thank the lady.The feeling of relief is fleeting as Dante pumps his fingers into me, moving his hand faster. “Give in, princess,” he begs as his other hand reaches up to squeeze my breast, and I bite my bottom lip hard to stop from moaning as his hard cock prods my back.

I swear I see movement across the park again, but I’m too consumed by the feeling of Dante’s hands on me. Of his fingers, in me. I know I should force him off. I should stop him, before this gets out of control. The last thing I want is one of my mates ending up dead, but the scent of apricots and cardamon closes in on me, pleasure obliterating all other thoughts from my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut, biting my bottom lip so hard that I taste blood as I near my release.

“I’ve got you, princess,” Dante whispers, his voice softer than before, and there’s something about his tone. Something in the way he says it that has familiarity tickling the back of my mind.

“What?” I ask, my eyes snapping open. “What did you just say?” But he starts rubbing my clit with his thumb again, and I can’t stop myself. I fall over the edge, shattering in his hold as pleasure rips through me. Blinding, delicious, pleasure. But the moment the feeling starts to fade, I stiffen. Jerking my head down, fear makes my heart stutter as I stare at my arms, but there aren’t any golden marks like when I was with Kai.

Dante is still behind me, and my heart thrashes in my chest. “Dante,” I hiss, “I swear if you’re dead?—”

There’s a beat of silence, but then Dante’s voice is in my ear. “You’d what? Scour the shadow realm to find me?”

I clench my teeth to stop the noise of relief that threatens to slip out. Alive. He’s alive.

We both know once someone’s soul enters the shadow realm, there’s no way to return to the realms of the living. “I’d have to find a way to save you, just so I could kill you again myself,” I croak.

He lets out a barely audible laugh and kisses my cheek. “I don’t doubt that.” He removes his hand from my pants, but he doesn’t let go of me. “One of these nights you’re going to let me in completely, princess. I’m not afraid of you.”

I check my arms again to make sure they’re still bare. “Maybe you should be.”

But he keeps holding me, like he’s never planning on letting me go.