Chapter 39

39

M ikhail opened the portal directly into his bathroom. Clothes were shed hastily as the water warmed and steam filled the marbled space. He helped Jinx into the large shower, and as the warm water cascaded over their bodies, it tinged crimson before it washed away.

“You were almost taken from me. Again. He was going to give you to Z and?—”

Jinx interrupted his pained words with a fierce, desperate kiss, pulling him closer as the water continued to pour over them. “I’m here,” she whispered against his lips when they briefly parted for breath. “We're both here, and that's all that matters. Besides, I wouldn’t have allowed him to take me.”

Mikhail tucked her head beneath his chin, wrapping his arms around her so she was fully enveloped by him. “That was Carrick, wasn’t it? The fae ambassador to the palace.”

“Yes,” Jinx replied, snuggling into his chest before explaining everything she knew in detail.

“I can't believe you had a kind-of- stalker,” Mikhail said, his voice husky. He cupped her face, his thumb tracing her cheekbone. “Please tell me you’re not going to be a trouble magnet for the rest of our lives. I don’t think my heart could take it.”

She smiled up at him, her eyes taking on a distinct devilish sheen. “Oh, I don’t know. You seemed pretty capable to me.”

Mikhail winced. He had completely lost his shit. He’d killed before for multiple reasons: punishment, defence, justice. But he’d never killed from raw, unfiltered rage and possessiveness. “You are my mate.”

“Yes. I am.”

Hearing her easy acknowledgment, so calm and straightforward, made his heart skip a beat. He studied her eyes, searching for a flicker of doubt or hesitation, but found only a steady, unyielding certainty. He lowered his head to hers. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Jinx gripped his cock, stroking it from root to tip. “I have some idea.”

The steam from the shower enveloped them in a hazy cocoon, mingling with the heat of their bodies as their lips met again with renewed urgency. Mikhail's hands roamed down her back, pulling her wet skin against his, while Jinx's fingers tangled in his hair, holding him as if she might lose him if she let go. Now that his mind—and his heart—were made up, that was never going to happen.

His lips moved down her neck, nibbling and nipping at her sensitive skin. Jinx let out a breathy moan, and his body responded to the sound with an intensity he’d never experienced before. His blood felt heated, coursing through his veins and flooding his dick with fire. His cock hung low, hard and heavy and wanting inside its mate with desperation.

Mikhail rutted against Jinx’s thigh whilst she tangled her fingers in his hair, and he trailed hot kisses down to the swell of her breasts. He took one nipple into his mouth while teasing the other with his fingers. They were dusky pink, hard, and utter perfection, and he tortured them both, tugging, biting, and sucking until Jinx finally pulled back.

She moaned, leaning back on the cool tiles and pressing her hand between her legs. “You’re going to make me come.”

He watched her with hooded eyes, his hand moving of its own accord and joining hers. His finger slipped between her folds easily, the scorching wetness there making for a smooth glide. Jinx’s small finger met his, and together they rubbed over her clit, eliciting dual gasps of pleasure.

Praying he didn’t embarrass himself, his finger moved lower, circling her entrance before pushing into her core. Her inner muscles spasmed, locking down. “I cannot wait to feel this …” He drove his finger in deeper, rotating it before slipping it back out. “… wrapped around my cock.”

Jinx didn’t answer but claws pierced her fingertips as she scrambled to get a grip on the tiled wall behind her. Mikhail continued his assault, a second finger joining the first as he worked to stretch her out as well as give as much pleasure as he could. When her head thrashed back and forth, and her claws chipped the wall, he dropped to his knees and yanked her hard against his mouth. He licked up and over her clit once before opening her up with his fingers and stabbing his tongue in deep. That was all it took to have her tumbling over the edge.

Jinx screamed, her hands going to his head as her hips pumped, meeting his mouth. Mikhail continued to lick, suck, and play until he ended up with an armful of a twitching, naked tiger shifter. He placed soothing kisses across her chest, where her heart was beating in a furious rhythm, and stroked her slippery folds gently.

Jinx moaned feebly, grabbing his wrist. “Enough of that.”

Mikhail immediately moved his hand, kissing her knuckles. “Sensitive?”

“Overly,” Jinx rasped, shuddering in his lap.

He smirked, feeling like the King he was. “Perfect.”

Jinx grunted, opening one eye. “You look far too cocky, sir.”

Mikhail thrust, his erection rubbing against Jinx’s back. “That I am.”

Before she could comment, he stood up with her in his arms and turned off the water before stepping out and grabbing a heated towel. He wasn’t cold and knew she wasn’t either, but he wanted to give her time to recover and also offer her some space if she needed it. He lowered her carefully onto his bed and was just about to turn back to the bathroom when her clawed hands landed on his hips. He couldn’t help shivering; her claws in his skin really did it for him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked huskily.

“I was giving you a breather,” Mikhail replied, allowing her to tug him onto the bed.

She arched a brow at him. “Don’t think I can keep up?”

His whole body jerked when she took one of her claws and ran it over balls. It took him three attempts to answer her. “I’m not worried about that. I was trying to be a gentleman.”

Jinx’s hand stilled where it was torturing his foreskin, and her eyes met his. “I appreciate that. I’m okay. Are you?”

It was hard to think when all of his blood was between his thighs, plumping his dick, but he managed to nod and hoped she could read the truth in his eyes.

Jinx smiled seductively. “Good. Now that’s settled …”

Her claws traced delicate patterns along his inner thighs, making their way ever closer back to his dick. His breath caught in his throat when her tongue darted out, tasting him. She proceeded to lick his red, swollen head with exquisite slowness, moaning at the flavour. His hips wrenched upwards, and he discovered the strength hidden in Jinx’s small frame. She pressed his body down easily, holding him still as she took him into her mouth, enveloping him in velvety heat. Mikhail let out a low groan, his fingers tangling in her hair. Jinx hummed with pleasure, the vibrations sending shockwaves through his body. Her head bobbed up and down, her movements languid yet precise, building a delicious tension.

Mikhail's head fell back against the pillows as waves of sensation washed over him. Jinx's sexy ministrations were driving him to the edge of ecstasy. When she pulled off him and grinned, he knew she was up to something. He wasn’t sure if his pulse pounded with excitement or trepidation.

She licked her wet lips, holding his hardness in one hand and showed him the curved claw on her pointer finger. They both watched as her finger drew steadily closer to his weeping tip. He held his breath, his body tense for the first touch. And that was all he was able to handle; one micro-touch of her claw dipping into his slit. With a growl, he grabbed Jinx by the shoulders and flipped her onto her back on the mattress. She giggled in surprise, clearly well pleased with her naughty self. But her laughter turned into a whine when Mikhail pinched her clit between his fingers.

“Temptress,” he accused, his voice a deep rumble that came from the depths of his being. “Seductress. Witch. But most of all … mine! ”

Jinx writhed beneath him, her hands clutching at his shoulders. “Yes. Yours!”

Mikhail slammed his mouth down on hers, taking her breath as his own before worshipping every inch of her, from the curve of her neck to the arch of her feet. Her skin was like silk beneath his fingertips, and he couldn't get enough of her taste on his tongue until, finally, in a frenzy of need, he hovered over her. He entered her slowly, sure of his welcome but not wanting to startle her. He gasped at the feeling of her body taking his— accepting his. She was tight and wet, and everything dreams were made of.

When his hips met hers, he held still until he felt Jinx practically melt around his cock. Then he pulled out and slammed back in, increasing the speed of his thrusts until sweat dripped from his forehead and onto her breasts. Jinx clung to him desperately, and he saw the moment her eyes rolled up, and she lost herself in the pleasure he was giving her.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he praised her. “All soft and rosy, taking me so well.”

Jinx mewled and shuddered, her claws piercing the skin of his shoulders and her legs locking around his waist. Mikhail thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when stripes began to appear on her skin. The black lines appeared and disappeared quickly, shifting across her body in seemingly random patterns. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, there was an animal in their depths, desperately wanting out to claim its mate.

Unbelievably, he felt himself harden further, grunting at the sensation of his balls drawing up close to his body. His lower canines began to ache, lengthening as his own primal instincts took over. He was about to sink his teeth into her when he found himself flat on his back. Jinx ran her tongue over her teeth, which looked suddenly incredibly sharp.

Tilting his head up, he exposed his neck. “Do it,” he urged breathlessly, his voice thick with desire. “Make me yours.”

Jinx hesitated for a moment, but when Mikhail jacked his hips, impaling her on his cock once more, her control snapped. With a feral growl, she sank her teeth into the junction between his neck and shoulder. The coppery scent of blood flooded the room, and a jolt of electricity seemed to pass between them. Mikhail let out a guttural moan, his hands gripping Jinx’s hips as he thrust harder and faster. He worried idly that Jinx could easily rip his throat out, but the thought was nothing but a passing fancy, lost in the storm of pleasure raging throughout his body.

As Jinx's fangs retracted, she licked the wound on his neck clean. A low rumble emanated from deep in her chest—not quite human, not quite tiger. Mikhail’s demonic nature rose to the surface once again, sharp claws extending from his fingertips. He raked them gently down Jinx's back, eliciting a shiver of pleasure. “My mate,” he growled possessively. “My tigress.”

Jinx met him thrust for thrust, her small breasts bouncing enticingly. He licked his lips, and his woman smiled seductively, brushing her hair back. Then, without missing a beat, she lowered her torso, offering her vulnerable neck. An exchange of blood during copulation was all that was needed to bind fated mates. He wasn't a shifter, but he wanted to swallow her blood down just as badly as her cum. Wanting to seal their bond before his system became overwrought with his orgasm, he struck. His lower canines sank into the skin just below her clavicle.

His entire body felt alive, every nerve ending on fire as he sucked Jinx’s blood from the puncture wounds. And that’s when he felt the mating bond snap into place, an unbreakable tether linking their bodies and souls. Energy crackled in the air as their supernatural natures merged and intertwined. They rolled on the bed, clawing at each other, their grunts and cries echoing around the room.

Mikhail swore he could feel every sensation coursing through Jinx’s body, and it only fuelled his lust further. Holding her hips captive, he ground his cock into her in a frenzy until, finally, with a roar, he reached his peak. He had just enough presence of mind to press down on Jinx’s clit, coaxing her orgasm forth with a piercing scream. Her body milked his as he shot into her over and over before they collapsed on the bed, shaking with the force of their release.

It was all he could do for a few moments to draw air into his lungs. He swiped at his nose, concerned that it was bleeding and discovered that his hand shook. “That was …”

Beside him, sprawled on her back like a beached starfish, Jinx gulped. “It certainly was.”

Mikhail snorted, then snickered, and then laughed outright, feeling raw and trashed in the best way possible. He rolled onto his side, flinching when his wet, softened cock fell against his thigh. He was scared to look at it in case it was chaffed. He’d rather live in ignorant bliss.

He met Jinx’s eyes, finding them still glowing with excitement and hunger. But there was also a softness in them that he had never seen before. Reaching out, he stroked her eyebrow gently. “What’s this look all about?”

She made a chuffing sound, stretching her limbs. “It’s called contentment.”

He was kind of hoping it was something more like love, but he’d take contentment. “So, you’re okay?" he asked tentatively, brushing a strand of sweaty hair away from her face.

Jinx smiled at him. "I'm more than okay.” She went silent for a moment, absently tracing patterns on the ruined sheet with her finger. “What now?”

He didn’t even need to think about it. “Now we celebrate our mating by making love again.”

She shot him a disgruntled look. “I’m serious, Mikhail.”

So was he, but he settled back against the pillows, pulling Jinx into his arms instead of impaling her on his dick. “Now we live as mates.”

“You didn’t want this,” Jinx said softly.

Mikhail nudged her chin up, speaking plainly. “I did. More than anything else in my entire life, I wanted this. I wanted you . I just didn’t think I could have you and the crown at the same time.”

“But now you don’t feel that way because you went into beast mode, and your wang took control?”

My wang?! “Beast mode? Jinx, if I hadn’t lost my shit with Carrick, I promise you we would have been in the same position anyway. I was coming to tell you I wanted to be yours.” He felt the way she stiffened and pulled back to look at her face. “You don’t believe me.”

“I think …” Jinx began slowly, choosing her words carefully. “I think that is very convenient now that we’re bound together.”

“It’s a little late to be having second thoughts, Jinx,” Mikhail warned, dread sparking to life like a struck match.

“I’m not having second thoughts. I just …” Jinx groaned, hiding her face behind her hands. “I’m screwing this up, aren’t I? We were both happily post-coital, and I’m ruining it.”

Mikhail reminded himself that they both had deep-seated issues regarding commitment to a lover. He couldn’t expect it to disappear just because they were mated. He took a deep breath and reached out to gently pull her hands away from her face. “Nothing could ruin what we just experienced. And nothing can ruin what we have. This is new. Nerves and insecurities are normal. I promise you, the choice to be your mate was made with my upstairs brain. Sabre slapped me with some logic earlier. Listen …”

Jinx’s response to his recounting of Sabre’s reasoning was a head tilt followed by, “Huh.”

He laughed. “That was pretty much my reaction, too.”

“I mean, she has a point,” Jinx allowed, relaxing back against Mikhail’s chest.

He wiggled his toes happily when he felt Jinx melt against him. “A very good point. And that’s why I came to your room only to find you about to kill a fae. Besides, I could say the same about you—that my manly display riled up your inner animal, and that’s why you got all bitey with me.”

“It certainly helped,” Jinx murmured lazily.

He pinched her butt, making her squeak and wiggle. She tossed her head back, an adorable pout on her face. He merely raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Jinx huffed. “Fine. If you must know, my mind was already resolute this morning. Thanks to some girl-talk with Eric.”

“Eric convinced you?”

“He helped me see a different perspective,” Jinx corrected. “Truthfully, it didn’t take much. I’ve been looking for any reason to give myself permission to keep you. Eric just facilitated. He’s a good friend.”

“Hmm,” Mikhail grumbled. “And he better stay that way—just a friend.”

“I couldn’t be with anyone else now even if I wanted to,” Jinx pointed out. “Once claimed, it’s painful to have sex with anyone but your mate.”

“Which you don’t,” Mikhail said firmly.

She peered up at him. “Pardon?”

“Which you don’t,” Mikhail repeated slower this time. “You don’t want to have sex with anyone else.”

“Sure, honey,” Jinx said with a smile, patting his chest in a placating manner.

He growled, tumbling her backwards on the bed and launching a tickle war. Only when she claimed she was about to pee if he didn’t stop did he back off. He smiled down at her flushed face, alight with laughter and joy, and wondered how he managed to deny her for so long. It seemed incomprehensible now.

He placed one hand on his chest and the other over Jinx’s heart, counting off the beats. “They really do match.”

Jinx covered his hand with her own. “Yes. Does it bother you?”

“I thought it would. It was one of my biggest concerns,” he answered honestly. “But, no, it doesn’t. In fact, it feels right, like this is how it was always supposed to beat. Do you think …”

Jinx settled back on the pillows, linking their fingers together. “Do I think what?”

“That our hearts knew each other before our brains did?” He smiled crookedly, scratching the back of his head, trying to dislodge his discomfort. It was ridiculous. Their hearts were beating in perfect tandem, but words were still hard for him to muster. “I mean, I know our bodies wanted each other—biology and all that. But my heart knows yours. It feels familiar.”

Jinx's eyes searched his face, her expression unreadable. He held his breath, waiting for her to say something, anything, but she remained silent. He pushed on, feeling the need to fill the growing void. “I just thought, maybe, we've been in sync from the start, even when we were fighting it. Like a song that was already playing, and we just had to tune in to hear it.”

Jinx squeezed his hand, her eyes never leaving his. “It’s almost as if this was fate or something,” she said lightly.

Mikhail snapped his mouth closed before forcing a chuckle past his clenched teeth. “Right. Of course.” He felt like an idiot.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jinx demanded when he attempted to get up. She pushed him onto his back before straddling his waist. “I think that is quite possibly the most beautiful way to tell someone you love them.” She leant down, her lips hovering above his before brushing over them. “Thank you.”

Mikhail felt his chest tighten, his newly synchronised heart threatening to burst from the pressure. “It is?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, rubbing their noses together.

His breath left him in a rush, his arms flopping onto the bed beside him. “Thank the gods for that. I do love you. But I didn’t want to say it just because it felt like the next step in a process. I don’t want you to think I’m ticking off boxes.”

“I don’t think that way. I believe you. Not only because I can feel what’s in here …” She placed her palm over his heart. “But because like recognises like.”

Mikhail lifted his head from the pillow. “Does that mean what I think it means?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the moment.

Jinx smiled, a soft and tender curve of her lips. “If you think it means that I love you right back, then yes.”

Relief and joy surged through him, and he pulled her close, kissing her with a newfound fervour. His heart leapt against hers, and he pulled back, smiling. “I am very much in love with you, Jinx …” He frowned, cocking his head. “I don’t even know your last name.”

Jinx spread her hands over his pecs, her palms rubbing his nipples. “Fiadh. I rarely have a need to use it.”

“Fee-a,” Mikhail repeated slowly, wondering why it sounded oddly familiar.

“It’s a family name on the maternal side. Most shifters are matrilineal, as you know. Fiadh means wild .” She grinned at him, rocking back against his semi-hardness. “Very fitting.”

Mikhail rumbled his agreement, his hands spanning her small waist. “Very fitting indeed. Well, Jinx Fiadh, I’m in love with you. Do you mind if I say it at least one hundred times a day?”

“I think I’ll be okay with that,” Jinx promised him, tracing over the teeth marks on his neck with a finger.

They beamed at each other, and he was about to pull his lovely mate beneath him when his door burst open. Splinters of wood flew in every direction, and he flipped Jinx onto her back, creating a forcefield around them both without thought. He stared in shock when Sabre charged into the room, her red and gold wings spread wide.

“Who do I need to fuck up?” Sabre practically snarled.

“I kind of thought she’d take this better after our last conversation,” Mikhail muttered from the side of his mouth. Jinx laughed, the movement pressing her breasts against his chest. He groaned. “By all that is holy, stay still.”

Jinx bit her lip, her eyes twinkling merrily. “Sorry.”

He mock-glared at her before turning to Sabre. “Nobody needs fucking.”

“You can say that again,” Jinx purred, stretching her arms out and arching her back. “Fucking has already been had.”

Mikhail closed his eyes and prayed for strength. “You’re really not helping.”

Sabre marched over to the end of the bed, pointing a spear at Mikhail. “I just went to Jinx’s room to see if you manned up and told her how you felt. I found a one-armed dead dude, and there’s blood everywhere and no sign of either of you. What the fuck is going on?”

“I can explain,” Jinx said. She pushed herself onto her elbows, and Mikhail made sure she was covered by a sheet as he dropped the forcefield.

“Turns out that Carrick—a fae who frequented brothels and forced himself on women—had a little obsession with me. He gave me the collar, ran to Z and told him all about it. Z gave him a round of applause and promised him a place in his new world order, overinflating Carrick’s sense of self-worth, which led to him accosting me in my room. Mikhail here took exception to that and ripped off his arm before beating him to death with it. That turned us both on, and we proceeded to mate like beasts in heat, just as fate intended us to.” She paused, thinking for a moment before snapping her fingers. “Oh, we’re also in love.”

Sabre’s eyes moved back and forth between them, the spear slowly lowering to the floor. “So, kind of a lot happened in the last hour, huh?”

“Hour?” Mikhail gasped, highly offended. “I don’t think so. It’s been much more than an hour. Right, Jinx? It’s been multiple hours. Right?”

Jinx exchanged a decidedly female look with Sabre before patting Mikhail on the thigh. “Of course it has, honey.”

“Don’t worry. Brax sometimes has the same problem. I try to think of it as a compliment,” Sabre offered.

“Out!” Mikhail shouted, pointing to the ruined doorway. “Get out.”

Sabre expertly twirled the spear, her wings folding back. “What do you want us to do with the guy you used as foreplay?”

Mikhail pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself as he listened to Jinx giggle beside him. “Dispose of the body. Clean up the mess. And give us the day. We’ll update everyone later.”

“You’re the boss,” Sabre said easily as she began backing towards the door. “I’ll tell Draven that you requested him personally for the task. That cool?”

Mikhail groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “I don’t care. Just get out.”

Sabre paused for a heartbeat, perhaps considering a spicy retort, but thought better of it. She turned on her heel and made a swift exit, leaving the broken door in her wake.

“And peace returns to the palace,” Jinx intoned, making Mikhail laugh.

He laid back down, manoeuvring Jinx until she draped over his chest. He loved the idea of waking up to a Jinx-blanket every morning for the rest of his life. “I’m all for peace. Though, I doubt we’ll get much of that by the time Sabre spreads word of our mating.”

“At least she didn’t stab you with the spear,” Jinx offered.

“Good point.” He ran his hands down her spine, feeling every bump. Her soft skin felt glorious. He heaved a huge sigh, wanting to bask but knowing the real world would not wait. “If only I could think of a way to stop Z now instead of some distant timeline, then all would be perfect. We could have a proper honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?” Jinx peered at him with curious eyes, blowing a rebellious strand of hair out of her face.

He smoothed the hair back from her beautiful face, his touch lingering as if to memorise the feel of her. “Yes. A time when we can just be together, enjoying each other's company, getting to know each other better, being naked, partaking in mutual orgasms … that kind of thing.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

“One I will make sure happens,” Mikhail promised her. “When the danger is over, and we can actually plan for the future without constant fear. When I find Z?—”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Jinx began slowly, “but you don’t know where he is. You never have, not in all the years you’ve been hunting for X. You’re not going to find him, Mikhail. You need to try a different approach.”

“Like what? I’m open to suggestions,” he murmured easily enough, hands wandering.

“Like making him come to you,” Jinx said, her tone matter of fact.

His hands stilled on her butt. “A trap? Zagan is an Ace. He won’t fall for a trap.”

Jinx rested her chin on her hands in the centre of his chest. “Sabre says the best way to bait a trap is to learn the target’s weakness. Once you know that, it’s easy.”

“Z doesn’t have a weakness,” Mikhail insisted. Though, it would be helpful if he did.

She shrugged lightly, tracing a finger along his collarbone and peeking curiously under the dressing on his neck. “Everyone has a weakness—a chink in the armour, something they care about more than themselves—an Ace included. I guarantee you he has at least one .” She fluttered her lashes at him. “Your mother.”

Mikhail bolted upright, dislodging Jinx and looking at her with wide eyes. She simply smiled serenely back. “You …” he groused, grabbing a fistful of her hair to pull her close, “are a vicious, evil genius of a woman. I love you.”

Jinx grinned, her eyes sparkling with love and well-earned smugness. “You’re welcome.”