Page 81 of How to Claim A Shadow King

Malakai lets out a low, ragged gasp as I shift beneath him, forcing him onto his back. He stares up at me in dazed bewilderment as I sit up, my golden-glowing skin casting dancing light across his sculpted chest. I slide down his torso, my eyes fixed on the thick, heavy length of him standing proudly against his stomach.

I have never touched a man like this.

I wrap my fingers around his cock, his skin burning hot and velvet-soft against my palms. Malakai’s hips jerk, a groan ripping from his chest as his knuckles turn white against the sheets.

"Aveline," he warns, his eyes flashing like embers. "You are playing fire."

"Then let me burn," I murmur, leaning over him.

I lower my mouth, taking the crown of his length between my lips.

It’s awkward at first. My teeth brush slightly against him, and I am not entirely sure of the mechanics, but Malakai doesn't seem to care.

The moment the wet heat of my mouth closes around him, the ancient god completely unravels.

He throws his head back into the pillows, and a raw, guttural growl tears from his throat. I gather I must be doing it to his liking, and use my hand to stroke his length while my mouth slides down his shaft, taking as much of his thickness as I can manage.

The taste of him is intoxicating. I use my tongue, mimicking the slow, deliberate strokes he used on me, until the terrifying Elder God trembles beneath my fingers, entirely at my mercy.

I decide I might just like him like that.

"Stop," he gasps, his hands flying down to catch my shoulders, his grip tight and desperate as he pulls me up. "Stop, Aveline... if you continue, I will pour myself into your hands, and I want to be inside you when that happens."

I let out a breathless, triumphant laugh, and allow him to hoist me back up his body. He rolls us over in a single, fluid stride, pinning me to the bed once more.

My playful smile completely evaporates, as he cradles my head in one hand. Malakai hovers over me, between my thighs, and waits for me to catch my breath.

"You are my mate, Aveline," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "In this life, and every life that follows. I love you."

"I know," I say softly. "I love you too, Malakai."

He lowers himself, his cock pressing tight against my slickness. He moves with agonizing slowness. He pushes inside me while I cling to him, a steady intrusion until he stretches me impossibly.

“Breathe,” he tells me. “Breathe.”

Shadows writhe around my upper thighs, and one strokes against my clit as he pushes further, and further.

I inhale sharply at a sudden pressure. Malakai instantly stops, his muscles shaking with restraint, and his mouth finds mine even as his shadows continue to work me, pain melting into sheer pleasure.

Light pours from my skin and dances across his shadows, our magic twining together, spiraling up our bodies.

“Malakai,” I finally moan, “I need more.”

Malakai begins to move, gently at first, until I dig my fingers into his hips, and meet him stroke for stroke.

I wrap my legs tightly around his waist, pulling him deeper, demanding more as I cry out his name.

We move together until the magic overflows, sending a shockwave through the castle as we shatter into the dark.

33

MALAKAI

The world beyond the window is a frozen wasteland. But inside, the massive stone hearth crackles with a comforting, red-orange fire.

It’s perfect.

I open my eyes to a sight that shifts my entire existence.