In classic Astra fashion, he went the extra mile to remove anything in the way of what he wanted. He gripped the side of the desk recently installed to aid her studies, yanked it to its side, dumping everything off the surface, then setting it in place. He did this without ever releasing her or sliding out of her.
After splaying her upon the surface, he hooked his arms under her legs, spread her knees wide and hammered into her. It was brutal—thrilling. He took her hard and fast, plunging deep.
Unbearable bliss. Skin too tight, heart too fast. Muscles tightening, desperate for a release. And he wasn’t finished with his torment. He stroked her clit with his thumb.
Guess he’d tagged in. She thrashed atop the desk, an eager vessel for his merciless thrusts. Her breasts jostled, her nipples throbbing. “Yes, yes. More, baby. Harder. Faster.”
Harder. Faster. He made the most delicious, guttural noises as he rammed into her. Losing her mind for him, she raised an arm up and behind to grip the edge of the desk, sending him deeper. Almost...
“Look at you,” he said, awed. His tempo eased, until he slowly ground against her. Never had he appeared more ruthless. “You are pleasure itself, Taya. And you are mine. I’ll never part with you.”
He released her legs and leaned over, cupping her nape and yanking her up. Suddenly they were chest to chest, their mouths fused together, tongues dueling. Her fangs nicked him, and a bead of blood welled. As the sweetest whiskey teased her taste buds, pleasure itself, Taliyah screamed, her inner walls clenching all over his shaft as she climaxed.
He hissed as her spasms continued on, his next plunge as frenzied as before. A vein bulged in his forehead. Breath sawed in and out of his mouth. He gripped the desk outside her thigh, his claws embedding in the wood.
“Come with me, baby,” she pleaded and set her mouth over his pulse to suck the barest hint of his soul. “Let me feel your heat.”
He bellowed, an orgasm ripping through him. His hips continued thrusting until she’d wrung the last drop of his searing seed.
The agony that had etched his features only moments before softened into ecstasy, and he sagged against her, resting his forehead against her shoulder.
They clung to each other, breathing each other, calming slowly. When he lifted his head, he shifted to the side and took her face in his hands.
All gooey inside and still a bit dazed, she met his stare. Those magnificent golden irises glowed with tenderness.
“We’ll find a way to be together,” he vowed. “We must.”
Taliyah might—big might!—have misted up. Despite what he’d done in the past, Roc was choosing her over the sacrifice. He was all in. They would succeed.
* * *
Time was running out. Options, too. Only two days remained before the countdown clock zeroed out, but Taliyah and Roc were no closer to a solution. Her sisters, mother and consorts-in-law were working on a “quick fix.” So far, no luck.
Neeka had bailed before Taliyah had gotten a chance to speak with her. Though her trust in the oracle endured, her irritation had reached new heights.
There’d been some good news, though. The Astra and the Lords of the Underworld hadn’t killed each other. Best of all? The Astra had maybe kinda sorta fallen in love with Taliyah, as their leader had. Well, not as fervently as Roc. And not even to a degree anyone else would recognize. But she’d gotten to know the warriors, and their stoic acceptance screamed we adore you, o great one.
Once, Silver had marched up to her and groused, “Control your harpies.”
She’d winced for him. “Aw. Is the Astra not strong enough to handle the job?”
He’d stormed off and had glared at her ever since, which was Astra Speak for I think you’re amazing. Just ask Roc.
She’d had a similar experience with Halo. He’d stalked over to demand, “What have you done to my Commander?”
“Nothing,” she’d sworn. “I didn’t shoot him in the face again, I swear!”
He’d pinched the bridge of his nose, as if praying for patience. “I meant he’s smiling. Make it stop. It’s scaring the soldiers.”
As if she could.
When the warlord named Vasili had visited, she’d heard him mutter, “The Commander should spank you,” as he’d walked away from her.
She hadn’t hesitated to respond. “Why? Does he want to lose a hand? Silly man. Doesn’t he know I’ll remove it for free?”
In Taliyah’s spare time, she’d managed to forge a dagger with pieces of stone the phantoms had worn during their attack in the garden. She carried it always, hoping her father would dare to make an appearance.
Her desire to kill him flourished daily. The way he’d tortured her people... He must pay.
The harphantoms had recovered significantly, at least. They communicated without problem, and so far, they had refrained from feeding, filled up by the power Taliyah had released. But they were...feral. For everyone’s protection, Ian had moved them to the duplicate realm and brought the rest of the harpies here.
The two armies worked well together, when they weren’t bickering. Would both groups be forced to watch as either Taliyah or Roc lost everything during the ceremony?
Stomach churning, she hunted for her husband. She found him standing before the altar, simply peering at the stupid thing, his expression dark and brooding.
The churning worsened as she slipped her hand into his. His posture immediately softened. So did his expression.
He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed. “I missed you, love.”
Love. She chewed on her bottom lip. “What are we going to do, Roc?” Worry poured from her. So often lately, she’d felt as if she swung from a pendulum, one side panic, the other hope. Mostly, she’d felt as if the weight of the world balanced on her shoulders.
No, that wasn’t true anymore. She no longer carried the weight alone. Roc bore the other half.
“We’re no closer to a solution,” she said. “There’s no way around the curse. For a sacrifice to gain acceptance, someone’s gotta give up something for a better cause. The more the object means to you, the more power your gesture generates.” Before Taliyah, he hadn’t known his brides, and he hadn’t cared for them. He hadn’t longed for their return. “For the first time, the loss of a wife will matter to you. You care, and you’ll long for me after I’m gone. This will be a true sacrifice. That’s why you’ll ascend.”
Today, she’d thought more about her sacrifice. Willingly dying the last death to aid the Astra. Not just Roc, but all Astra. She was their queen now. As much as she owed the harpies, she owed the warlords. Men who would look after her harpies long after she was gone.