Page 78 of The Edge of Darkness

“Take what you want, darling,” he breathed.

I gripped his heavy length and guided him to my entrance, lifting my hips to him, not a care in the world about the stone against my spine, or the rain that was falling around us, or the gods that were likely watching.

He pushed inside me, filling and stretching me with each re-entry, and my back arched off the ground. Water trickled over his jawline, dripping onto my neck as he steadied himself above me and groaned with pleasure.

“Take all of me,” he said, pushing in a third time, seating himself to the hilt.

His kiss was devouring, passionately vengeful, like he couldn’t taste enough of me, or be deep enough inside me. I panted between our rain-infused kisses, and moaned without restraint, the sounds drowned out by the roaring of the thunder through the mountains.

The storm raged, but each roll of Niall’s hips had me forgetting anything else even existed.

He dipped his head into my shoulder and grunted as he drove into me, harder, faster, holding my waist up off the stone and pulling me to him with each thrust. “I want every god to watch how thoroughly I’m about to ruin you,” he said, his voice so rough and raspy that I moaned just from the sound of it.

I didn’t care that I was splayed out beneath him, on top of the mountain, in the pouring rain, for all the gods to see. All I wanted was his thick length so deep inside me, that I wouldn’t be able to tell where he ended, and I began.

“Ruin me,” I said, my nails digging into his back.

His groan sent chills over my body. He slid his hand around the back of my thigh, gripping my flesh and bending my knee at his side as he slung his hips into mine, hitting every delicious pleasure point.

Lightning flashed, a deafening clap of thunder following immediately on its heels.

I let my head fall back to the pavement, arching my back, taking all that he gave me, my release building so fast and so potent that I cried out as it shattered through me. Niall met me with a roar of his own that rivaled the storm, burying his head into my neck and holding me to him as he pumped his release inside me.

His body sank onto mine, and we caught our breaths.

“I love you,” he said into my neck. “You have no idea how much.”

I squeezed him tighter. “I love you too.”

When he pushed up onto his hands, I stared at him through the pelting rain. His wet hair hung forward over his handsome face, framed against the backdrop of the swirling gray sky above. A thin ring of gold circled his irises, pulsing with his heartbeat and the remnants of his ecstasy.

He pushed out his shield, encasing us both within it as he retrieved a towel from his magical pocket of space. Our clothes, or what was left of them—in my case—were too soaked to try to put back on.

“Sorry about the shirt,” he said with a grin.

I wrapped the towel around my shoulders and laughed. “No you’re not.”

He laughed as well, offering a hand to help me stand.

“I’m sorry for making you bleed,” I said, taking his hand and getting to my feet.

“No you’re not,” he echoed back.

“You’re right.” I smiled proudly.

Another laugh rumbled in his chest while he retrieved a second towel for himself. Then, his expression turned serious. He brought his free hand up to cup the side of my face. “I will gladly bleed for you. My life is yours to command.”

“I don’t want you to ever bleed for me though. I never want to see you hurt or injured.”

His thumb caressed my cheek. “Your life means more to me than my own, Auren. If that means I bleed in your stead, I will do it. Over and over again, I will sacrifice myself.”

The rain eased, as if it recognized the intensity of the moment and wanted to allow us a sliver of peace.

“I don’t think I could bear to watch you bleed again. Not like that,” I said, recalling the state I’d found him in just days ago. “I never want⁠—”

“Shhh,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you never have to.”

That evening, Folquin arrived to meet with Niall, and he brought with him the latest news from the human realm and the Woodland Court.