For the first time in his existence, he could perceive semen climbing up his shaft. It’s for her. It’s all hers. Give it to her . . . put it where it belongs.

Her head thrashed, her hair coming loose, silken strands haloing her head. He went awash in her scent.

The crown tucked against her entrance. No turning back.

Her thighs fell wide in surrender, her heart racing. Its beat spurred him as much as her claws.

Her eyes were as frantic as he felt. “Put it in.” She needed; he provided.

Emotions? He was raw. Scalded. With a bellow, he shoved home.

Pleasure seared him. Her body gloved him. “Ah, gods, YES!” A demon covering his mate.

Her back bowed, her pierced tits slipping across his sweating chest. She screamed, “Rune!” Her core clenched his rod, her wet flesh quivering around it.

He snatched her nape, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You’re mine now! Belong to me. . . .” A groan replaced his words. Unbearable pressure kept building in his shaft.

It was agony! Want more.

He needed to rut like a demon. He needed to fuck.

To bite. His fangs throbbed as badly as his cock. Mark her forever.

He withdrew to thrust, sensation climbing his spine. Too much sensation.

He froze halfway. Coming in two thrusts . . . ? “Josie, I’m spending! Can’t stop!”

As if she’d been trained for him, her head turned to the side, baring her neck for him to mark.

Another war bellow to the night, to this entire godsdamned world. Then, one word: “MINE!” He sank his fangs into her skin and plunged his cock as deep as he could reach.

“Rune, I’m . . . Oh, God! You’re making me COME!” She screamed, helplessly rocking on his length. He perceived her orgasming—her sheath milked him with greedy tugs.

Fire erupted inside him. He snarled against her skin when his demon seal burned away, and semen shot from his slit for the first time.

Ecstasy. Pinpoints of light flashed behind his lids as he ejaculated. His mind turned over, instinct ruling. Put your seed where it belongs.

His shaft pulsated to empty his cum, jet after mind-numbing jet. So hot, so hot.

Still buried deep, he fucked to ease a pressure that had been building for ages. . . .

FIFTY-FOUR

Jo was boneless by the time Rune was spent.

He released his bite with a shudder and collapsed over her. Heart thundering against Jo’s chest, he continued to lazily thrust, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

Her eyes slid closed, but she was smiling to herself. Sex should always be like that! She got her man, and he did the job right.

The rune on his arm, however, hadn’t. She’d felt him coming inside her—hot, hard spurts. But she wasn’t worried.

“Wait.” His voice was hoarse. He leaned up on straightened arms, a look of confusion on his face. “I thought I was dreaming it . . .” With a hiss, he pulled out. “Dear gods, the rune didn’t work! I came inside you.”

“Yeah.” She patted his ass. “I felt that in real time, sport.”

His gaze fell on his arm.

Ohhh. She’d clawed his skin, disrupting the rune. “Oops?”

“How can you be so calm about this?”

“ ’Cause Jo just got laid properly? Okay, okay. I’m calm because I feel amazing. I knew I was your mate. I got marked”—she traced the bite on her neck—“and apparently drenched with seed.” She wriggled her hips with a thoughtful expression.

He flinched. “I need to get you somewhere, get you clean!”

She stretched her arms over her head. “Forget that. I’m basking.” She replayed the moment when he’d looked into her eyes and told her she was his. Nothing had ever made her feel more connected, not even drinking from him.

Fate considered them bound. Destiny said they were joined. No union was stronger than that. She couldn’t stop smiling. Yes, everything was looking so bright.

“You don’t feel pain? You don’t feel any effects from this?” He tenderly brushed his fingertips over her marked neck. “Please, tell me. I don’t want you to hurt. Josie, you can’t . . . I can’t hurt you.”

She was going to be sore tomorrow—no matter how much he’d readied her—and she regretted nothing. “You wanna know what hurts me? Not yelling, ‘I told you so!’ at the top of my lungs.”

Some of his panic seemed to lessen.

“Now you can’t argue with me anymore,” she informed him. “First step of our matehood? Accepting I’ll always be right. Also, I need to know when we can do this again. It’s very important we do this again as soon as possible.”

“Matehood.” He sat back on his haunches, stunned. Must be sinking in that he’d just reached a life milestone—after a gazillion eons.

“Oh, yeah.” With a teasing grin, she said, “And just think, if I had been eating, you might’ve knocked me up.”

Breath left his lungs. “I never allowed myself to imagine. . . .” His face fell. “My offspring would be poisonous.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Worst case scenario for our offspring: having to score a wicked awesome mate like you did.”

“You would want”—he cleared his throat to gruffly ask—“you’d have young with me?”

Even more people in her life! She pictured a baby with magenta eyes and a crooked grin who reminded her of Thad. The baby she’d never thought to have two weeks ago. “Hell yeah, why not?”