CHAPTER 181: MARVIN GAYE - I WANT YOU

And Damien didn’t let go. His pace only intensified, as if he was determined to make her come undone in his mouth. It was possession. Worship. A love language.

It was his damned honeymoon.

They had no white sands or secluded beaches. There was no escape to the mountains. The palace had claimed their privacy. Her recovery had demanded proximity to Dr. Thessa.

And yet, he planned on making full use of her. Every inch, every sigh, every trembling whimper that fell from her lips. He would fuck his wife properly. Without shame. Without regret. With every body part at his disposal, every ounce of love and lust twisted into one purpose—letting her know that even if the world collapsed, even if kingdoms fell, she would still belong to him.

"Damien, please...I want you." Luna cried.

Her fingers trembled as she dug into the sheets, her back arching helplessly under the weight of desire. Her thighs trembled against Damien’s strong grip, still parted and held in place as if he were anchoring her to the realm of the living.

But he didn’t stop.

He dug deeper, curling his fingers in a way that made her see stars behind her fluttering lashes, grazing the sweet bundle of nerves inside her as though he’d mapped out every crevice of her body in another life. His tongue remained relentless on her clit—sucking, swirling, drawing unrelenting waves of pleasure until her moan had no beginning or end, just pure helpless abandon.

She was a storm beneath him, and he, a devoted worshipper in the temple of her skin.

And so she came—Luna shattered into a thousand pieces over his fingers and lips, her climax violent and consuming. Her body trembled so violently, Damien feared for a moment that he might have gone too far, forgotten her physical limits in his need to claim every inch of her.

But then he felt her hand resting gently on his shoulder, then stroking his hair in quiet gratitude. Her eyes shimmered with tears of unspoken love. Her chest rose and fell with the rhythm of surrender, and her legs slowly fell open.

He kissed the inside of her thigh. She tasted like home.

*****

Kyllian waited until Ravena had left to go see Luna.

She was trying her best to maintain civility these days, even toward the vampire prince her daughter now called husband.

Once she was out of earshot, Kyllian turned toward Talon with a look that made the man narrow his eyes instantly. That gleam—half mischief, half guilt—was a look Talon had seen on his alpha long before the crown had weighed down his shoulders. He’d seen it when they were boys. He’d seen it when Kyllian had fallen in love with Luna. He’d seen it during council meetings, whenever Kyllian proposed something utterly reckless, but oddly brilliant.

Talon raised a brow, bracing himself.

f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com

"No..." Talon said before the request even left Kyllian’s lips.

Kyllian gave a wolfish grin. "You don’t even know what I was going to say."

"I know that grin. You’re about to drag me into trouble."

"I haven’t said anything yet." Kyllian teased.

Talon didn’t return the smile. His arms were crossed over his chest, posture rigid, jaw tight with barely concealed tension. "Your Highness, I am not doing it."

"At least, let me speak," he urged.

Talon exhaled slowly. "Fine," he relented.

"You will stay after the coronation," Kyllian said simply. "You are not coming back with us."

Talon’s brows knitted tightly together. "And why would I do that?"

"Because the princess needs one of us in her corner," Kyllian answered, stepping forward now. "She needs someone to protect her—not the throne. If anything happens—gods forbid—you take her to the safe house at the pack."

"Why do you think something is going to happen?" Talon asked quietly, searching his king’s face for more than what he was being told.

"I feel it in my bones, Talon," Kyllian replied, voice grave. He looked past Talon for a moment, as though he could see through the walls and into the future that troubled him. "She knows it too. I saw it in her eyes."

"In the meantime," Kyllian continued, his gaze hardening again, "while you are here, I need you to find out about the attack on our kingdom."

"You still think someone here was involved?"

"I think the truth is being buried beneath politics," Kyllian said. "So dig. Make friends. Engage. Pretend. Earn their trust. We need to know who killed our king. We owe him that."

Talon gave a slow nod, his shoulders relaxing slightly. His loyalty wasn’t to politics or crowns—it was to the people he trusted. And Luna... she had always been more than just a princess. She was a symbol of their unity, their hope, their future.

"I didn’t think it would be that easy," Kyllian muttered, an eyebrow rising.

"That’s because I’m not doing this for you," Talon said, eyes narrowing slightly, his voice resolute. "I’m doing it for the princess."

"Oh, why, thank you. It’s nice to know your king doesn’t matter to you."

Talon chuckled. "That’s the first time in months you will make a joke, your highness."

"I know," Kyllian admitted, voice hoarse. "I promise, I will heal. I promise. I just... it’s taking more time than I thought it ever would."

And it was. Losing his mentor had been a blow that shook the very foundation of his world. But it was Luna that had taken the rest of his spirit.

"That’s because you’re still hanging on to hope that she will someday still be yours. You need to let that go."

"I will," he murmured, more to himself than to Talon. "It’s unfair on Jane anyway."

"Will you then make her queen?"

"Not yet," Kyllian replied, straightening up, his voice low but resolute. "Not until I am sure the princess isn’t coming back. The throne belongs to her, not me."

Talon raised a brow. "A werewolf princess marked by a vampire prince. You’ll get push back from the council."