22. Zain

TWENTY-TWO

zain

S he had to know who we were to each other, didn't she? Why I'd been unable to get her out of my thoughts since the moment I'd laid eyes on her. Why I'd come for her in the first place.

You know me. Just like I've known you. Maybe my whole life.

"Luna. You're my mate." Reaching for her hand, I interlaced our fingers.

I wondered if she'd sensed it. What was going through her mind?

Demons knew what the signs were. We were taught from a very young age what it was like to find your fated mate—the person who was born for you. I'd never imagined that fate would have brought me to the human realm. To Pleasant Grove. To her.

My queen. My mate.

"You were made for me. You're everything I've ever wanted," I said, voice low against her neck. "Everything I've ever needed."

I wanted to mark her, to claim her, to breed her, to take everything I wanted and never let go. But only if she wanted that, too.

"You're… we're…"

"Mates."

"Right." Luna's breath was ragged. She couldn't say the word. Still. Even knowing what was between us. "Is that… why we can speak mind-to-mind?"

"Yes. Did you not suspect?" I asked, wrapping my hands around her waist to bring her tighter against my body.

"I…" Luna shook her head. "I mean, I knew there was something between us… Something more than lust or the physical connection, but I…" She glanced up to the ceiling. "Willow told me about how it was with her and Damien. I'd only guessed."

"I should have said something earlier," I said, gritting my teeth.

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to ruin this. If there was a chance you didn't want me, that you wouldn't stay…" Then I wouldn't have forced her to.

But now, she couldn't run. We were tied together inexplicably. If we didn't complete the bond, it would be painful for both of us.

"Oh." Her hands tightened in my hair. "Did you think I would leave you?"

"I wanted you to choose me, not to be forced or without a decision. But I'm a selfish bastard, Luna. You deserve so much better than me."

"No." Her voice was quiet, and she moved her hands to cradle my cheeks. My eyes drifted shut, savoring her touch.

My mate's touch.

Her forehead rested against mine. "How do you do it?"

"The claiming? I'd bite you. Here." I brought my hand up to her neck, tracing over the veins. "Marking has to do with scents, but it merges ours together." A simplified version.

"Does it hurt?" Luna's eyes were wide.

"Maybe at first. Damien told me it's pleasurable, though. He said?—"

Luna held up a hand, scrunching up her nose. "I do not need to hear about your brother and my sister."

I chuckled. "Fair enough. I won't suck your blood. But it will make me…" I resisted rocking against her, the feeling of her bare pussy sliding over my dick making me half mad already. "Unable to stop."

"Haven't I already proved to you I don't want you to stop?" She kissed me softly. "That I need you as much as you need me?"

"Impossible," I groaned. "There's no way that you feel like this. Like—" Like nothing mattered but her. That I'd forsake the whole damn kingdom just for her. She was my everything.

I kissed her again so I didn't spill my entire soul, a strangled curse slipping from my lips as she squirmed on top of me.

Fuck , the effects of the wine were strong. Was it always like this?

But maybe it was just her, the very essence of her thrumming in my veins, needing to get closer, closer. Our powers merging, strengthening both of us.

"Luna," I moaned. "Need you. Need this ."

She bared her neck to me in invitation. "Then claim me," she whispered, guiding my mouth to her neck. " Please ."

Parting my lips, I let my tongue run over the spot, sucking it into my mouth lightly. "I'll never give you up."

Luna let out a low moan as I scraped my teeth over the spot, my fingers moving down to her clit, making sure she was ready for me again. I circled the spot as I teased her neck, little nips without breaking the skin .

"Don't tease me," she begged. "I need you inside me. Please."

I couldn't say no to her. "My mate," I muttered against her skin as I guided my length inside of her, relishing in the tight fit.

When I sank my teeth into her at the same moment, she cried out my name. We were so loud, I wondered how the entire palace didn't hear it. Not that I cared.

Let them hear me making my wife scream in pleasure. No one else would ever touch her again.

Her arms were wound tight around me, my hands tight on her hips as she rocked against me slowly. My mouth was still planted on her when she dipped her head down to mine, kissing the same spot on my neck.

But I couldn't let go. Couldn't focus on anything but her moans as she worked her hips, nestled in my lap like she belonged nowhere but there—her throne.

"Zain," she cried out, and I released my grip on her neck, running my tongue over the mark to seal it with my magic.

She dropped her head back, eyes squeezing shut as she moved her hips faster, grinding on top of me, those hands moving to grip my shoulders, her nails digging in. In that moment, I didn't care if she marked me, if she drew blood, because she was mine and I was hers, and nothing else mattered.

"My mate," I groaned. "My wife."

"Yours," she agreed, and I brought our lips together, kissing her deeply as we both chased our own climax.

And she shattered, light spilling out of her—truly a star in her own right.

I was close behind, my instincts urging me to pour my seed inside of her, to fill her up till she was completely full of my cum. "Fuck." I splayed my hand out over her stomach. "I want to see you swollen with our child."

Her hips stilled like her entire body was frozen. "You, ah—what?"

"Shit." I buried my head in between her breasts, nuzzling my nose against her soft, porcelain skin. "I know we haven't talked about it, but… you do want children, right?"

We'd talked about it that first night, looking up at the stars. I knew she wanted to have kids, but I didn't know if she wanted them with me.

"I do." She ran her fingers through my hair. "Do you?" Her words were soft.

"I'll need an heir," I choked out. But that wasn't my answer, not really. "Before I met you, I'd never let myself even dream about this. About what our future might look like. I figured the likelihood of me having any kids was small." I ran my hands up her back, a light touch that had her shuddering under it. "But I can't stop thinking about what it would be like. To have a little girl who looks just like her mom."

"Zain." When I looked up into Luna's eyes, they were filled with tears. "That's?—"

"We can wait if you want. You can start on the herbal tea that some use to prevent pregnancy tomorrow if you're not ready. But…"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be on anything. Besides, I think the time for that has passed." Luna pressed a kiss over my heart. "So what are you waiting for, husband?"

Pulling out, I moved us till she was on her back, her head cushioned by the pillows. Before I could second guess it, I added another one under her, helping angle her hips.

My hand rested over her stomach. "Are you going to be a good girl and let me put a baby in you, Luna? "

"Yes ." She whimpered, nodding as I nudged her knees apart with mine before throwing one of her legs over my shoulder.

I plunged back inside, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried not to focus on how good it felt inside of her. How deep I was at this angle, like I'd found fucking paradise, and I didn't want this to be over. Not yet.

Luna ran her fingers up my spine, distracting me. "Your wings… Can you summon them at will?"

"Yes," I grunted the word as she squeezed around my length. "Why?"

"Let me see them," she whispered. "Let me see you."

"You…" My voice caught in my throat. I'd never bedded someone with them out, period.

They were a reminder of who I was—what I'd lost. Sometimes it was easier to wear the face of the asshole crown prince without them looking back at me. The son of the Demon King and the bride he'd stolen—a fallen angel.

Her face was filled with so much emotion that I couldn't help but obey.

I let the magic ripple out of me, my dark wings unfurling from my shoulder blades as shadows spilled around me. They were as much a part of me as any of my physical features—the powers I'd inherited from my father.

Luna's fingers ran over the feathers, her face completely mesmerized. "Gods." Her tone was reverent. No one had ever touched me like this before, the underside of my wings extra sensitive.

"My name." I rasped, thrusting hard. "You say my name when I'm fucking you." My hair fell onto my forehead, sweat dotting my brow, but I couldn't be bothered to stop to brush it off my face.

The feeling of her touching my wings, her expression, looking at me with so much tenderness… all of it made me sh udder. But maybe it was just her touch that lit me up inside, that brought me into the light like no one ever had before.

She gasped as I filled her to the hilt, the sound of our flesh and her cries the only thing you could hear in the room. " Zain ."

"I know, baby. Fuck. " Her legs wrapped around my waist, forcing me in deeper. I dipped my mouth down to her ear, capturing an earlobe with my teeth and tugging it. "Do you think you can come again?" The words were a rasp, but I needed it. Needed to feel her squeezing my cock, milking me for everything I was worth.

"I—" She shook her head, her breaths coming out in pants as she searched for words. It's too much.

You can take it, I said against her mind.

The feeling of being connected to her like this, feeling the bond flowing through us—it was more than I could have ever asked for. I pushed all of those feelings through it. Did she feel our connection the way I did? I fucking hoped so.

Give it to me, Moonbeam.

My magic wrapped around her like a caress, invisible hands running over her body, teasing her nipples, a brush over her clit—and then she shattered, glowing brighter than all the stars in the night sky.

Fuck, if that wasn't satisfying. To know that I could do that to her. To know that she did the same thing to me.

"That's my girl," I said against her forehead, continuing to fuck her through it. "My wife. My queen. My mate."

Her hand splayed over her abdomen. "Fill me up, my mate," she begged. "I want your cum."

Fuck. Hearing those words from her lips was almost too much. I leaned down, taking her mouth with mine.

"Does my little wife want me to breed her?"

Kissing her again, our tongues meeting in an endless war of pleasure, and I was lost to the sensation. The feeling of her tight cunt milking my cock. Begging me for it.

Lightning crackled outside, the thunder shaking the room as I roared my release, emptying inside of her, painting her womb with my cum.

Rolling her onto our sides, I shifted our positions so that I wouldn't crush her with my weight, my wings folding behind me.

She blinked, looking out the window. "Did we just…"

I smirked, kissing her softly. My body was still wrapped around hers. "Looks like we need to see what those powers of yours can do, hm?"

"Maybe tomorrow." She yawned.

I moved to pull out, but Luna tightened her legs around my waist, keeping me in place. "Can we just stay here like this?" Her words were a soft murmur as she nestled into my arms.

We were a boneless, sweaty mess, but I couldn't complain. She peeked up at me, those big green eyes, and fuck. I was a goner.

Because I had the girl—right where I wanted her.

My cock was already hardening again inside of her, but I burrowed my face in her neck, inhaling her citrusy, floral scent. Lemon and lavender. I couldn't get enough of it. It soothed me down to my soul.

She took every jagged edge of me and made me want to be whole. For her.

And I wanted— Fuck , I wanted everything .

With her. Always with her.

Even if I knew I didn't deserve it.