The Darkest Whisper

CHAPTER 18

Gwen’s mind was a whirl of activity. Most of it turbulent, dark. Last night, she’d tried to ignore Sabin’s appeal because he hadn’t seemed to want her. He’d slept next to her—his lemon and mint scent in her nose, his heat wafting to her, his raspy breaths ringing in her ears, her body attuned to his every movement, skin itching for a touch, a single touch, heart racing—but he hadn’t made a move. Ignoring him was no longer an option.

She was becoming obsessed with him. She wanted to learn more about him. She wanted to spend every minute of every day with him. She wanted to possess him. Will possess him, a voice screeched in her mind. The Harpy. The one now pulling her strings, urging her to do all the naughty things she’d been fantasizing about. So what that Sabin wasn’t what she’d always wanted for herself. So what that he would betray her in an instant if it meant winning his war. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the here and now. With him. If he thought to take her sisters…

She’d known the demon of Doubt had whispered those terrible things to her. She’d recognized its poisonous murmur, but had been unable to stop the flood of violence that raged through her. Sabin and Kaia—hell, no. No one touched him, including her loved ones. Might be irrational of her, but she didn’t care.

Several times he’d claimed to desire only Gwen. Well, he was damn well going to prove it.

She had him pinned to a tree, and there was nothing he could do to escape. He was hers. Hers, hers, hers to do with as she pleased. And right now, she wanted him naked. He’d already removed his shirt on the field, so all that remained were his pants. She worked at buttons, then the zipper. In seconds, the denim was nothing more than ribbons in the warm breeze.

He wasn’t wearing underwear.

“I think my briefs were stolen,” he said sheepishly, following her gaze.

His erection sprang free, long, thick, proud, and she gasped in pleasure. His testicles were heavy and drawn up tight. Sunlight poured over him, turning the bronze of his skin to a delicious gold. Today he’d pushed her around, and she’d taken it without (much) complaint. Deep down, she’d known she needed his brand of training. Never again did she want to be shot up like a turkey at Christmas. Plus, part of her really did want to defeat the men who’d abused her. Plus, she’d wanted to impress Sabin. He valued strength.

“Mine,” she said, wrapping her fingers around his cock. She didn’t recognize her voice. It was higher, raspier. A bead of moisture coated her hand.

He arched his hips forward, forcing her hand to slide to the base of his shaft. “Yes,” he gritted out.

Her grip tightened. Her vision was a bit distorted, fuzzed to infrared, so she could see the heat pulsing from him. “Tell your demon to keep his mouth shut or I’ll gut him.”

“He’s been quiet since you rammed me.”

Good. She must have scared the forest animals and insects, as well, because there wasn’t a chirp or footfall to be heard. She and Sabin were completely alone, about a mile from where they’d been training. “Rip off my clothes. Now.”

Unused to taking commands, he reacted slowly to hers. She released him to do it herself, and he growled. “Put your hand back.”

The moment she did, he was tugging at her clothes, doing whatever was necessary to remove them without disrupting the connection between them. Finally, she was naked, their heated skin was touching and he was moaning.

“Beautiful.” He ran his hands down her back, paused. “Wings?”

“Problem?” Warm air caressed her, hardening her nipples, stoking the wet ache between her legs. A constant ache. One that hadn’t left since that time in the shower.

“Let me see.” He spun her around. For a moment, there was nothing, no reaction, no comment; he didn’t even breathe. Then he placed a soft kiss on one of the tiny, fluttering protrusions. “They’re amazing.”

No man had ever seen her wings. She’d even kept them hidden from Tyson, never letting them peek from the slits in her back. They set her apart, proved how different she was. But under Sabin’s gaze, she felt…proud. Shivering, she pivoted on her heel, returning to her former position. “Let’s get started.”

“Sure you want to do this, Gwendolyn?” His voice was husky and thick, almost drugged.

“Can’t stop me.” Nothing would stop her, actually, not even a protest from him. She was going to have him, know his taste, feel him inside her, today, now, this moment. Part of her knew she was not herself just then, but the other part of her didn’t care. Once Sabin had thought to mark her to keep his friends away from her. Now she was going to mark him.

“Sure you want it and not just your Harpy?”

He wouldn’t make her feel guilty about this. “Stop talking. I’m going to have you. I don’t care what you say.”

“Very well.” Her world spun, and then jagged bark was cutting into her back. Sabin kicked her ankles, shooting her legs apart. He quickly inserted a thigh, placing her clitoris right above his knee. “There’ll be consequences. I hope you know that.”

“Why are you talking?” Because his erection was so thick, she hadn’t been able to close her fingers around it and easily lost her grip. That pissed her off, and she snarled. “Give back.”

“No.”

“Now!”

“Soon,” he vowed, biting her earlobe. To distract her, the diabolical man? Didn’t matter, it worked.

As she cried out at the exquisite sensation, he descended, claiming her mouth with his own. His tongue plunged deep, taking, giving, demanding, seeking, begging, rolling, branding every inch of her. The taste of mint hit her first, then lemons, then the flavors became a part of her, his breath hers.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and drew him closer. Their teeth scraped, and he angled, sinking deeper. Her breasts rubbed against his chest, the friction so decadent her legs were trembling. And then her legs weren’t holding her up anymore—his were. She had propped herself completely on his knee, was gliding up and down, back and forth, zings of sensation rocketing through her.

“That’s a tight grip,” he rasped out.

Took every ounce of humanity inside her, but she loosened it. Disappointment filled her, and the Harpy squawked, demanding she make him like it.

Sabin frowned down at her. “What are you doing? It’s a tight grip, but I want tighter. You’re not going to break me, Gwen.” As he palmed and squeezed her ass, urging her on, he ducked his head and sucked hard on one of her nipples.

She cried out, her belly quivering, her hands back in his hair and tugging forcefully. His words…damn, they were as beautiful as a caress, freeing in a way she’d never imagined. “I love how strong you are.”

“Same here. I want everything you have to give.” He kicked at her ankles and she tumbled to the ground. Sabin followed her down, never slowing his quest to her core. When he reached it, he spread her legs as far as they would go and just looked at her.

“Touch,” she commanded.

“So pretty. So pink and wet.” His eyelids had dropped to half-mast, and he licked his lips as though he could already imagine her taste. Those dark eyes were luminous. “You’ve had a man?”

No reason to lie. “You know I have.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “That fucker Tyson treated you properly?”

“Yes.” How could he have done anything but, as tame as they’d been with each other? But right here, right now, she didn’t want tame. As Sabin had said, she couldn’t break him. Anything she gave, he could take…he wanted. Though he hadn’t even entered her, her pleasure soared to a new level.

“I think I’m going to kill him,” he muttered, rolling her nipples between his fingers. “Do you still think of him?”

“No.” And she didn’t want to talk about him, either. “Have you had a woman?”

“Not many, considering how old I am. But perhaps more than a human will ever have.”

At least he was honest about it. “I think I’m going to kill them.” Sadly, that was not an empty boast. Gwen had always abhorred violence, had always fled from a fight, but right now she happily could have sunk a dagger into the heart of every woman who had tasted this man. He belonged to her.

“No need,” Sabin said, ghosts in his eyes. Then he dove for her, licked the core of her and groaned, his expression flooding with pleasure.

Her back arched, her gaze shooting straight to the heavens. Sweet fire, that felt good. She reached behind her and latched on to the base of a tree, instinctively knowing she needed to hold on for the ride of her life.

“More?” he asked huskily.

“More!”

Over and over he tongued her, and then his fingers joined the play, spreading her, sinking deep. She didn’t have to ask him if he liked it; he was lapping her up as if she was candy and she was arching in to every sensual glide.

“That’s right,” he praised. “That’s the way. I’ve got my cock in my hand, can’t help myself, imagining it’s your hand, while I’ve got heaven in my mouth.”

Her cries echoed through the forest, each more hoarse than the other. Almost there…so close…“Sabin. Please.” His teeth grazed her clitoris, and that was all it took. She climaxed, skin tightening, muscles jumping in joy, bones locking together.

He lapped until he’d sucked down every drop.

As she panted, Sabin flipped her over and propped her on her hands and knees. He teased her with the tip of his shaft, running it along her folds but not yet entering.

“I want to see you.”

“I don’t want to hurt your wings.”

Sweet man. “Let me taste you,” she said, and he groaned. She wanted to lick his tattoo, as well. It drew her, was an aphrodisiac all on its own, yet she’d never gotten a chance to study it the way she craved.

“You taste me, and I won’t be able to make love to you. I really want to make love to you. But the choice is yours.” He pressed his chest into her back, his face only an inch away from hers.

His shaft in her mouth or between her legs. Hard choice, literally. In the end, though, she opted for what she’d spent last night fantasizing about. She had to know what it was like to be his woman. Completely. Otherwise, she’d regret the lack for the rest of her life. However long or short that was. Being shot and realizing she did indeed want to help bring those Hunters down had taught her one thing: time wasn’t a guarantee, even for immortals.

“Next time, then.” She reached around, clamping down on a handful of his hair and jerking his mouth to hers. His tongue plunged deep again, and this time he was flavored with her.

He positioned himself at her entrance, but just before sliding home, he stiffened. Cursed. “I don’t have a condom.”

“Harpies are only fertile once a year, and this isn’t it.” Another reason Chris had been willing to hold her for so long. “Inside. Now.”

In the next instant, Sabin’s shaft was buried all the way to the hilt. The kiss halted as she gave another cry of pleasure. He stretched her, filled her up, touched every part of her, and it was even better than she’d dreamed.

He bit her earlobe. Still reaching around, she dug her nails into his shoulder, felt warm blood trickle as he hissed in a breath. Hmm, the sweet smell of it drifted to her and her mouth watered. “I want—I need—”

“Anything you want is yours.” On and on he pounded inside her, forward and back, fast, hard, his testicles slapping at her.

“Want…all. Everything.” With the feel of him, she became mindless, lost, no longer Gwen or the Harpy but an extension of Sabin. “Want your blood,” she added. Only his. The thought of anyone else’s left her hollow, unsatisfied.

Sabin withdrew from her completely.

A whimper escaped her. “Sabin—”

He was lying on the ground, fitting her over him, deep inside her, pumping, sliding, gliding a second later. One of her knees dug into a twig and got cut, but even that seemed to lull her into a state of utter sensation. Pleasure, pain, didn’t matter. Each fed off the other and dragged her further and further into a black sea of bliss.

“Drink,” he commanded, gripping her head and forcing her mouth to his neck.

Her teeth had already sharpened. Without hesitation, she bit him. He roared, loud and long, and she sucked the warm liquid deep into her throat, her tongue dancing over his skin. Like a drug, it spread through her, the warmth becoming a sizzle, blistering, scorching her veins. Soon she was trembling, writhing against him.

“More,” she said. She wanted everything he had, every drop. Had to have it. Would—kill him, she realized, forcing herself to jerk upright. His cock slid even deeper, and she shivered. “I almost drank too much.”

“No such thing.”

“You could have—”

“I won’t. Now give me more. Everything, like you said.”

Up and down she rode him, his fingertips clutching her so tightly they nearly broke skin. The fear of hurting him faded, leaving only a consuming sense of neediness.

“That’s the way. So good…so very good…” He was panting, grinding against her, his thumb stroking her clit. “Don’t want it…to end.”

Neither did she. Nothing had ever consumed her like this. Nothing had ever taken over her mind and body so fervently, to the point that nothing else mattered. Her sisters could find them, could be searching even now. Swift as they moved, they could be here already. Can’t stop. Need more.

Her head fell back, the ends of her hair brushing his chest. Reaching up, he cupped and kneaded her breasts, applying a little pressure to arch her backward. She complied, anchoring her hands on his thighs.

“Turn around,” he commanded roughly. “I want your blood.”

Perhaps she hesitated too long—what exactly did he want? Had she heard correctly? He palmed her knees, lifting, and spun her. His cock remained inside her. When she was facing the other direction, away from him, his fingers curled around her neck and drew her down. Her back to his chest. His teeth were in her neck a second later, and she was spasming, screaming at the bliss.

He didn’t suck her long, just enough to experience his own orgasm, hips hammering up and into her, one hand flat on her stomach to grind her against him. Nothing compared. Nothing was as wild, as necessary, as liberating. She and the Harpy soared through the heavens, lost in the pleasure of another climax.

An eternity passed before she collapsed, fully and completely spent, unable to breathe. Her chest was too constricted. Sabin’s inhalations were choppy, as well, his grip on her now weak.

The Harpy was quiet, had quite possibly passed out. Gwen didn’t roll off him, even though she wanted to pass out, as well. She’d been fighting sleep for so long, restful sleep untainted by pain and injury, but now it was creeping up on her, determined to consume her.

She lay exactly as she was, head cushioned by Sabin’s neck, his arms wrapped around her, his shaft still inside her. Stars winked in front of her eyes—or maybe it was the sun dancing between the clouds.

What they’d just done…the things they’d done…

“I didn’t rape you, did I?” she asked softly. Her cheeks burned. Without the cloud of lust, she admitted that she’d been jealous, attacked him, and had decided to have sex with him whether he wanted it or not.

He laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

“Well, I was kind of forceful.” Her eyelids were so heavy she blinked—closed, open, closed—and then they refused to open again, as though they were glued together. If her sisters found her asleep, they’d freak out. They’d be disappointed in her, and they’d have every right. Had she learned nothing from her capture?

“Actually, you were kind of perfect.”

Words to make her melt. Instead, she stiffened, still fighting with all her might to remain awake for just a little longer. Anytime she and Sabin relaxed together, no anger between them, Doubt usually pounced.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

“I was waiting for Doubt to try and tear me down.” Were her words truly as slurred as they sounded to her? “You say something nice, and he’s knocking on my door to point out why you’re wrong.”

Sabin pressed a soft kiss into the side of her neck. “He’s afraid of your Harpy, I think. She comes out, and he goes into hiding.” Joy and awe had entered in his tone there at the end, as if he’d reached some sort of decision with those words. But what?

“Someone afraid of me.” She grinned slowly. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me, too.” He stroked between her breasts, his index finger grazing a nipple. “Do Harpies have any weaknesses I should know about?”

Yes, but to admit it was to court punishment. Her sisters would cut her off as her mother had; they would have to. It was a rule that couldn’t be broken. Lethargy fragmented her thoughts before she could reason things out. She yawned and settled more snugly against him, fading…still struggling…

“Gwen?”

A soft entreaty, but it pounded through her mind, and she grabbed on to it like a life preserver. “Yes?”

“I lost you there for a moment. You were telling me about a Harpy’s greatest weakness.”

Was she? “Why do you want to know?”

“I want to make sure you’re protected so no one can use it against you.”

Good idea. I can’t believe you’re actually considering this. But this was Sabin, the man who’d just kissed and touched her everywhere. The man who wanted her strong, invincible. And she didn’t like that she had such a weakness, either. It was how the Hunters had subdued her, though they had never realized exactly what they’d done. It was what flooded her with worry every time her sisters decided to hire out their services.

“You can tell me,” he said. “I won’t use it to hurt you. I swear it.”

Once he’d admitted to forsaking his honor if it meant winning a battle. Would he forsake this vow? She sighed, sinking further under the blackness. Stay awake. You have to stay awake. This came down to one decision: to trust him or not. He desperately wanted her to help destroy his enemy. No way would he jeopardize that by betraying her.

“Our wings. Break them, cut them off, bind them, and we’re powerless. That’s how the Hunters got me. They didn’t know it, but when they wrapped me in that blanket to abduct me, they paralyzed my wings, thereby weakening me.”

He squeezed her tight. In comfort? “Maybe we can design something to protect them, something that still allows them to move freely. But you’re also going to need to train with them bound. It’s the only way to…”

His voice faded completely, the darkness thicker than ever. Lord, she’d done so many bad, bad things this last hour. She’d given him her body and snuggled in as though he were a comfortable couch. Harpy rule: always leave afterward.

If she fell asleep, Sabin would have to carry her out of the forest, past her sisters, who would see her zonked out and vulnerable, just as she’d feared.

I’m a failure in every way.

“Don’t…let…them see,” she managed before sinking into oblivion.