“Azara…” I growled, my voice low and raspy.
She stepped back and popped her hand on her hip, shooting me a narrowed glare. “What? Before Lucifer interrupted, you said waiting was overrated. What’s changed?”
“What’s changed is that Delacroix double-crossed us and Thax. He’s a part of your twisted bloodline too, and he knows this prison like the back of his hairy paw. We have no idea what he’s up to and I don’t like it.”
“He’s not up to anything. He got exactly what he wanted—Thax out of the way and now he’s got the throne. What else could he desire?”
I loosed an exasperated breath and raked my hands over my face. “I don’t know.”
She closed the space between us once again and captured my chin between her delicate fingers. “Relax, Talon. The worst part is over. Can’t we just enjoy this little moment of triumph?”
Before I could answer, Azara’s mouth closed over mine. It only took a second for my lips to yield to hers. She tasted exactly like I remembered, honey and fire rolled into one. My core lit up at her touch, at her hands exploring my back, her fingertips traveling down my spine.
Mine. Mine. Mine. My possessive dragon’s voice echoed in my head. He was ready to mark her, to brand her as ours. But I couldn’t—not yet. Not until I was sure. I loved her, there was no doubt about that. I desired her more than any other female I’d ever encountered. But after feeling the effects of the blood bond and losing it, I was terrified. Terrified I’d lose her again and be broken beyond repair.
Azara’s teeth snagged my lower lip, and she drew it into her warm mouth. A low growl rumbled in my chest. With her body pressed so close to mine, she must have felt it. It only spurred her on as her hands entwined behind my neck and she deepened the kiss.
She jumped up, and my hands instinctively found her thighs and wrapped them around my middle. Just this once. I lied to myself as I scrambled for the couch. Tomorrow, I’d be fully focused. If I could only have her once, now that she was really back, I could thoroughly concentrate on her safety. I just had to appease my dragon.
Stretching her out on the couch, I hovered over her, those impossibly profound irises drilling into me. “I love you, Azara,” I muttered against her swollen lips. “Despite everything, I never stopped.”
Her lips spread into a smile. “I know.”
I chuckled. “Not exactly the answer I was hoping for…”
Her fingers flew up to the zipper of my jumpsuit, and she slowly drew it down. My arousal pressed against the thin polyester barrier. She stopped just under my bellybutton, and I sucked in a breath. Her eyes met mine, and my heart slammed against my ribcage. “Of course, I love you, you surly dragon. Even without my memories, my heart, my body, my mind, they all knew yours. I freaking broke into Darkblood Prison for you!”
Now I was the one smiling down at her like an idiot. Gods, what had this girl done to me?
She reached for the zipper once more, and my insides coiled in anticipation.
The door whipped open, and Logan and Vander stalked in.
A slew of curses poured from my clenched jaw as I leapt off Azara and zipped up my jumpsuit. She adjusted her tank top, which luckily had remained on and sat up, crimson coloring her cheeks.
“Sorry,” Logan muttered, diverting his gaze to the floor. “No, actually I’m not sorry. This is my office.” He waited for a few seconds before lifting his eyes to meet mine. Vander hadn’t dared look in my direction.
Azara was still on the couch, running her hand through her tangled hair and avoiding the warden’s stare.
“Actaeon just told me you two were in here with Lucifer. How did that turn into this?” He pointed at the two of us, and I could feel the mortification still tinting Azara’s cheeks.
“I’m just going to go,” said Vander, hitching his thumb over his shoulder. Anger contorted his features as his eyes bounced from Azara to me.
“Good,” I muttered. My brother was dead to me. He’d taken advantage of Azara while she was vulnerable, and I’d never forgive him. Never. His betrayal stung more deeply than the death of my own parents. Every time I looked at him I was reminded of what he’d done—of his hands on her—on what was mine.
Vander stormed out, the door slamming behind him.
Once he was gone, Azara inched closer, her arms wrapped across her middle and embarrassment still coating her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Logan.”
The warden shook his head, waving a nonchalant hand and folded into his chair. “I’m not blind, Azara, and I know you’re not a little girl anymore. But if you’d kindly refrain from doing that in my office, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
She nodded quickly.
“Now tell me what happened with Lucifer.”
The final book in the series, Darkblood Prison: Demon Dark Lord will be out March 23 and you can preorder it now!
Also by G.K. DeRosa
Royally Hitched Series
Royally Hitched: The Fae Prince
Royally Hitched: The Fae Twins
Royally Hitched: The Fae Princess
Darkblood Academy
Darkblood Academy: Half-Blood
Darkblood Academy: Supernatural Slayer Squad
Darkblood Academy: Demons
Darkblood Academy: Prophecies
The Hitched Series
Hitched: The Bachelorette
Hitched: The Top Ten
Hitched: The Final Five
Hitched: The One
The Vampire and Angel Wars
Wings & Destruction
Blood & Rebellion
Souls & Salvation
The Vampire Prophecy
Dark Fates
Dark Divide
Dark Oblivion
The Hybrid Trilogy
Magic Bound
Immortal Magic
Beyond Magic
Magic Bound: The Hybrid Trilogy The Complete Collection
The Guardian Series
Wilder: The Guardian Series
Wilder Destiny
Wilder Revelation
Wilder Legacy
Wilder: The Guardian Series The Complete Collection
Acknowledgments
A huge and wholehearted thank you to my dedicated readers! I could not do this without you. I love hearing from you and your enthusiasm for the characters and story. You are the best!
A special thank you to my loving and supportive husband who always understood my need for escaping into a good book (or TV show!). He inspires me to try harder and push further every day. And of course my mother who is the guiding force behind everything I do and made me everything I am today. Without her, I literally could not write—because she’s also my part-time babysitter! To my father who will always live on in my dreams. And finally, my babies, Alexander and Stella, who bring an unimaginable amount of joy and adventure to my life everyday.
A big thank you to my new talented graphic designer, Sanja Gombar, for creating a beautiful book cover. A special thank you to my dedicated beta readers/fellow authors Jena, Tiea, Bethany and Mary Ellen who have been my sounding board on everything from cover ideas, blurbs, and story details. And all of my beta readers who gave me great ideas, caught spelling errors, and were all around amazing.