Page 123 of When Ashes Fall

Are you eager to die or be claimed?

I wasn’t eager for either of those things, but he’d worked my body into a near frenzy that only he could ease.

The muscles in Knox’s arms bulged when he planted his hands on either side of my head. His barely leashed control was as enticing as the man himself; I skimmed my fingers down the hard planes of his chest, admiring the tattoo and the way his abs rippled beneath my touch. Every inch of him was chiseled perfection.

If I didn’t know better, I might think he truly was a god. How can I leave him?

Because you must.

But I wasn’t so sure about that now. Maybe we could work through all of this and become something more.

We could never be what we were before. I wasn’t ready to be claimed by him. I might never be, but maybe we could be something new, possibly something better with time, trust, and understanding.

When I grasped his cock, my hand couldn’t completely encircle his thick shaft. I traced the large vein running down its side before circling the precum around the head.

His eyes didn’t leave mine while I worked him up and down. I admired the way the shadows played over his powerful body and ruthless contours of his exquisite face.

Those slitted pupils and the fangs pushing against his closed mouth were a little unnerving, but I saw no other signs of the beast as his hips moved with my strokes. The scent of woods, musk, and man engulfed me.

Knox grasped my hand, pulling it away from his dick. He was so close to coming, but he’d be inside me before doing so.

He guided his cock to my entrance, and I breathed out, “Oh,” when he pushed inside me.

No matter how wet I was, I didn’t think I’d ever get used to his size. I trembled beneath him and shifted my hips to draw him deeper.

When Knox didn’t move, I frowned at him, uncertain as to why he held back. I ached to have him fully buried within me, and the taut muscles of his neck and jaw revealed how difficult it was for him to maintain his restraint.

“Say it, Briar.”

“What?” I whispered, uncertain about what he wanted me to say.

His hand encircled my throat as he lowered his face mere inches from mine. “Say it,” he growled.

And then it dawned on me what he sought from me. “Knox.”

He didn’t blink as his eyes burned into me. “And what else do you call me and only me?”

I licked my lips. I felt like I was giving something away, but didn’t know what.

Control. You’re giving him control.

And while I had so little control over my life and craved more, I understood that here, in this bed, with us joined, he needed it far more than me, and I was happy to give it to him. He was far different, far more demanding, controlling, and savage than Seth ever was, but he’d been through Hell, and I would give him this bit of paradise.

“God,” I whispered.

When he bared his fangs, I gulped. I’d told him not to mark me, to give me time, and I expected him to respect my wishes, but those fangs unnerved me.

“Whose god?” he demanded.

“Mine.”

“That’s fucking right. I am your god. There will never be another for you or for me.”

With that, he thrust forward, burying himself to the hilt within me. I cried out at the unexpected sensation of him filling me. He was too big, it was too much, yet it wasn’t enough.

He kept his hand around my throat when he bent to kiss me. His touch wasn’t as bruising this time, and his claws didn’t prick my neck, but he was making it clear I’d never escape him.

And despite everything he’d put me through, I didn’t want to. I may hate his overbearing demeanor and complete lack of empathy and trust, but I loved the way he made me feel when he moved within me.