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“TAKE US BACK TO OUR base,” Quin said to the ghosts in a subdued tone. We’d lost a lot of shifters and the survivors were mourning their losses. I wished the belts I’d crafted had been able to protect them from physical and magical attacks as well as spectral ones, but I wasn’t that powerful.
The phantoms teleported us to the Scottish Archives, leaving most of the shifters above ground and taking the rest of us to the library. Weary to my soul, I didn’t want to sit around and listen to them trying to come up with a plan. There was no plan because the demon had become invincible.
Trudging up the spiral staircase, I headed to one of the bathrooms to take a shower. Connor was waiting for me when I opened the door. Holding out his hand, he waited for me to take it, then led me to our bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I walked into his arms. His mouth came down on mine, just as hungry and needy as I was.
I walked him backwards until he hit the bed and sat down. Usually, my mate was in charge. This time, I wanted to be in control. Sensing what I wanted, he lifted his arms when I motioned him to. I stripped off his shirt and took in his leanly muscled chest and tight abs. His pale blue eyes dilated, signaling his readiness for me to take what I wanted from him.
Straddling his lap, I brushed a soft kiss against his mouth, then worked my way across his jaw to his neck. He angled his head to the side, then breathed out a sigh when my fangs scraped against his vein. His hands came around me, holding me close when I bit down. Sucking hard, I took his blood into me and replenished my strength.
Connor grew hard against me and I ground myself against him. He let out a groan of pleasure and I sensed him growing dizzy from blood loss. I’d taken too much again and he hadn’t signaled for me to stop. He’d once told me that he would happily allow me to drain him dry if he could spear himself inside me at the same time. He was nearly past the point of being able to function, but I could easily fix that.
Pressing my hand against his chest, I gave him a jolt of energy. Renewed again, he slipped my jacket off, then grew impatient. He tore my t-shirt and bra off, then lifted me up high. His mouth closed over my breast and I tilted my head back, groaning in pleasure.
“Oh, dear, are we intruding?” I heard Winston ask slyly as the trio of ghosts floated through the wall.
“Out!” I said and used a spell to repel them. I put a seal around the room with a flick of my hand. I had Connor all to myself and I didn’t want any interruptions for the next hour or so.
Connor smiled at me and I narrowed my eyes. “You’re in a commanding mood, love,” he said, sexy Scottish accent more pronounced than usual with his desire.
“You’re going to do exactly what I say,” I told him.
“Aye, lass,” he agreed silkily. “I’m yours to command. Do with me as you will.”
Standing, I took the rest of my clothes off, then motioned for him to stand. He did so and reached for me, but I put my hand up to stop him. “No touching,” I said. “Not unless I say so.”
Dropping his hands to his sides, he watched me with feral hunger as I stepped closer. My hands went to the button of his jeans. He sucked in a breath when my knuckles brushed against his stomach. I’d barely touched him and he was already having trouble keeping control. I could sense his panther pacing inside him, impatient for him to take me and make me his again.
Unzipping his jeans, I slid them and his underwear down to his feet. He stepped out of them, looking down at me with raw lust as I knelt naked in front of him. Running my hands up his muscled legs, I paused at his erection, but only for a moment. Taking him into my mouth could wait. I had different plans right now.
“Lie on the bed,” I ordered. He turned around and I gave his butt a sharp slap. Sending me a look that promised retribution over his shoulder, he knelt on the bed and crawled over to the pillows. “Lie on your back,” I said next. He obeyed me and waited for more. “Grip the headboard.” He did so and I climbed onto the bed. Straddling his legs, I crawled forward, only stopping when I reached his pelvis.
Breathing hard, Connor gripped the headboard hard enough for the wooden spindles to groan. “I’m going to ride you until you beg for mercy,” I promised, then settled over him. He thrust his hips upwards to meet me and our flesh became joined. It wasn’t easy to block the feeling of Greg’s hand on my shoulder, but everything else faded except for the sensation of my mate being inside me.
Driving myself up and down on his shaft, pleasure blossomed inside me. Connor’s eyes were blazing and he was gasping in short pants. “Please, love,” he moaned.
“Please, what?” I asked, grinding against him and circling my hips the way I knew he liked best.
“Finish it,” he begged.
“As you wish,” I replied, then put my hands on his chest and leaned down to kiss him. Sitting up again, I gripped his hips with my thighs and increased my pace. He thrust upwards in time with me as I drove myself down onto him. We were both panting for air and at the end of our endurance. Even as pleasure spiraled inside me, he was moaning and bucking. The spindles of the headboard snapped as he came, shouting in Gaelic. I went over the edge with him, crying out his name.
Spent, I lay on his chest. His hand swept up and down my back as we both tried to regain our breath. “I should have let you take charge long before now,” Connor said.
“Let me?” I said with an arched eyebrow. “You didn’t have any say, Mr. McAllister.”
“Is that so, lass?” he asked. Flipping me onto my back, he pinned my arms above my head with one hand. “A wee little thing like you is no match for a big, strong shifter like me.”
A smile curved my lips upwards when he planted a kiss between my breasts. We both knew I could use magic to tie him in knots and we both also knew I wouldn’t. I liked it when he took charge, but it was nice to be on top every now and then.
Sitting up so he could see my face, Connor turned serious. “I love you, Ari,” he said softly. “I don’t think I could survive if I lost you. You’re my true mate and you’re the other half of my soul.”
“I love you, too,” I replied, but I didn’t promise him that he would never lose me. Von Hades had me in his sights. He knew I had the potential to become even more powerful than Morgwen had been. He wanted me dead and he wouldn’t stop until he achieved his goal. When he did, he would move on to subduing the rest of the world.
