Page 57 of A Tale of Two Dukes

His hot tongue laps at the tears spilling from my eyes, drinking my pain into him. He doesn’t purr, and yet, I feel an odd comfort in my heart. It’s as if it drips into me from some internal source.

After just a few moments, I find that I no longer care. All I want is this feeling of euphoria to continue. It leaves me languid, boneless as William’s fingers drift down to stroke me, tormenting me with pleasure as his knot grinds against that place deep inside that causes my legs to shake.

Crying out, I feel the release build within me. I move, sliding just a touch as I ride him, squeezing around the impossible girth of his knot. He nips at my ear, groaning as my pleasure mounts.

“Come for me, kitten,” he murmurs moments before pinching that sensitive bundle of nerves.

Undone, I scream, my voice hoarse as it explodes past my lips. So much sensation, so much rapture. Everything is so much more. Closing my eyes, I let it wash over me, reminding me I’m alive.

Soon, he wraps his arms around me, holding me close as he turns about, allowing me to lie on top. An odd pull twinges on my inner thigh, but I ignore it. No doubt it’s from all the lovemaking we’ve done when I was in heat.

Still unable to see, I reach out, feeling the fabrics about us. No longer are they soft. Instead, they’re hard, rigid, and even sticky in some places. Every inch is coated in our combined essence.

Normally, such an idea would make me feel ill and desperate for a bath, but somehow, knowing the why and how makes it desirable. In fact, I want to continue adding to it, forcing William to mark it and me with his seed.

My greedy little kitten, his voice blossoms in my mind. You crave it that much?

I freeze, my fingers digging into his skin to ground me. What witchcraft is this? As if he can read my thoughts, his dark chuckle sweeps through, curling my toes in response. His being in my head is a distraction I never accounted for.

How I wish my mother told me more. Not knowing what to expect is a wrinkle that plagues me. At every turn, I’m lost, left in the dark. Luckily for me, William seems to be an apt teacher, schooling me in all the ways I feel deficient.

“Not deficient, love. Uneducated. There is a vast difference. And trust me, I enjoy nothing more than teaching you the ways of carnal desire. In fact, I may make it my life’s mission to spend the day abed with you, teaching you new ways to enjoy the pain I wish to lavish on your person.”

Reaching out, I stroke his jaw, shivering as his stubble abrades my skin. How long have we been in this room? I’ve lost all concept of time as the heat overtook me. I go to arch up, to stretch just a bit when a sharp bite of pain tears at my skin.

This is more than just sore muscles. Something is really wrong. I cry out, my fingers seek the pain. It’s high up on my inner thigh, burning with each movement. How did I not notice before? Heat floods my face as I remember what actions led me to this point.

As I move my fingers, a swath of fabric blocks my questing hand. I begin to pry it up, to feel what exactly happened to me. With a gentle tug, William pulls me back down, cradling my head as he holds me.

“I marked you,” he grumbles in the dark.

There’s no sense of remorse. In fact, inside, I feel his pride bursting through. Marking. The bond. This duke bound me to him. Fear and elation both beat at me, warring deep inside.

Shhh, love, his voice whispers in my mind. These feelings serve you no good. What’s done is done. You are mine now. Forever.

A shiver races down my spine. Forever. Isn’t that what I wanted? Closing my eyes, I burrow into his chest, doing my best to follow the sound. There. Deep inside, I find the bond. It’s such a curious thing. Right now, it vibrates with William’s content.

What does this mean for me? Am I to live with a bond but no other title than a mistress? You know who I am now. I am the daughter of an earl, someone you could be happy with as your wife.

His sigh flutters through my mind. If only I found you earlier. The remorse is blatant, slithering along the bond. If only you were that daughter of an earl and not a denizen of Madame Douler’s that many saw in her house with their own eyes. They watched me defile you, strip you of your innocence. You will never be that daughter again. Not to the Ton.

Sorrow lances through me, driving me nearly insane. But-

Again, his heavy sigh fills me, churning my insides with his regret. When will you see it’s better to be my mate than my wife? I will give you everything of me. Any woman who marries me will have my body only. And even then, once I have my heir and spare, not even that. She will have the title of duchess, but none of the love, none of the passion. You will have all of it, my precious kitten.

The very idea of him planting his seed in another woman makes my latent jealousy rear its head. Anger burns through me, aimed at this nameless, faceless woman. I want to rip her hair out and pluck her eyes from her skull.

My little kitten has claws, he chuckles, soothing the rankled bond between us. Sheath them, little one. They will serve you no good. No one has caught my eye, so your jealousy is for naught.

We lay there, silent as his knot starts to soften. It’s not enough for me to ease off of him, to pull away so that I can lick my wounds in private. His hands wrap around my shoulders, anchoring me to him.

“I will not let you go, omega. You can wish to be free of me all you want, but it will never happen. Now that my mark graces your skin, I will know your thoughts and actions. You can never hide from me again.”

I freeze, terror infusing my limbs. He knows.

Yes. I know. His voice is calm, and yet there’s a bite of steel beneath.

Gnawing on my bottom lip, my mind races. How will I ever explain? With a groan, he pulls out of me, stretching me as he works his knot loose. It’s certainly not deflated enough to just slide out of me, and so the small bite of discomfort sizzles along my nerves, rekindling the lust that continues to lie dormant inside me.