Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) Brenda Davies (affordable ebook reader txt) 📖

did care about his brothers and father,and if they didn’t stop the Lord, her life was in jeopardy too.

Nowhere was safe from the Lord and his hordeof dragons.

Cole stepped away from the window and crossedthe room to her. She’d fallen asleep in a baggy T-shirt thatsomehow managed to hide her lush curves but still made her looksexy as hell.

He could drag her into the Gloaming; she’dfight him every step of the way and probably end up hating him, butit was better than leaving her here where he couldn’t protecther.

“What about Malakai?” he asked.

“What about him?”

“What if he comes back while I’m gone.”

She gave him a sad smile as he stopped besidethe bed. “It won’t be the first time I’ve had to deal with him, andit won’t be the last.”

That may be true, but he hated the idea ofleaving her here. “Come with me.”

“I can’t.”

Cole wasn’t used to anyone telling him no,but he especially wasn’t used to the women he was sleeping withsaying it. She had no reason to fear becoming shadow kissed.

“What if I insist that you come withme?” he asked.

“Don’t,” she said simply.

“Don’t?”

“Yes, don’t. Because I won’t go, and youwon’t become a tyrant like the Lord or Malakai.”

He almost recoiled at her words but managedto stop himself. No, he wouldn’t be like either of them, but theidea of leaving her here….

He looked to the trash can and the noteagain. He couldn’t stay, and she wouldn’t leave. He could make hergo, but that would destroy the trust between them. A large part ofhim did not care, but the smaller part wanted to keep his matehappy.

And if he forced her into the Gloaming, shewould not be happy. But what does her happiness matter if sheisn’t safe?

Cole rubbed at his temple. He hadn’t expectedto find his mate, but once he did, he’d assumed it would be easy.He hadn’t expected her to be stubborn and set in her ways.

But he wouldn’t have Lexi any other way.Lowering his hands, he met her quizzical look. “I’ll return as soonas I can,” he said.

He could return to the Gloaming and be backin a day. She would be okay for a day, and after what happened lasttime, he doubted Malakai would return any time soon.

Bending, he rested his hands on her hips andplucked her from the bed. She gasped but didn’t protest when heslid onto the bed beneath her and settled her so she straddled hislap. She draped her arms over his shoulders.

CHAPTER 52

Lexi didn’t know how to respond to the fact he wasleaving or that he wanted her to go with him.

She’d known this day would come, but shestill wasn’t ready for it. And as much as she yearned to, shecouldn’t go with him. She had far too many responsibilities hereand a certain dark fae to remove from beneath her manor.

Maybe if Orin wasn’t lounging in her tunnels,she would have asked the handyman to help in the stables like hedid when they traveled to the Gloaming. But she couldn’t do thatnow.

But he was asking her to go with him!What did that mean? Why would he want such a thing? Didn’t dark faeusually forget all about their past partners when someone newpopped up?

That’s what she’d always heard, and whilethere was no one new yet, there would be once he left the manor.There would be countless new then.

If she was with him, would he stay away fromthose women?

She shut the possibility down. It didn’tmatter; she couldn’t go, so traversing down that path wouldn’t doher any good. Pondering it for too long would only make her crazy,and she planned to enjoy what little time they had lefttogether.

If he returned, great. If he didn’t, wellthen, she would move on. It would hurt, but she would get overit.

When he lifted her and slid naked into bed,the image of the flames from yesterday tried to push their way backinto her mind, but she shoved them aside. He was leaving, and nomatter what he said, she might never see him again.

Gripping her hips, he guided her along hiserection. She shuddered at the sensation of him slipping betweenher legs. The head of his shaft teased her clit as the brilliantblue of his eyes shifted to silver.

His hungry gaze excited her almost as much asthe hands pushing her shirt up. He lifted it and pulled it offbefore tossing it aside. His eyes latched ravenously on her breastsas a small smile curved his lips.

“You’re gorgeous,” he murmured as he gazed ather.

He stroked her breast before teasing hernipple with his thumb. Then he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. Heran his thumb across her bottom lip before slipping it into hermouth to prod at one of her canines. Her fangs lengthened inresponse, and he smiled.

“You haven’t fed from me,” he said.

“I’ve never fed from anyone,” she said.

A spark of something lit his eyes. “We aregoing to have to remedy that.”

Her gaze fell to his neck as excitementtwisted in her belly. Lexi wasn’t sure if she could do it withouthurting him, but she was impatient to find out as she watched hisblood pulse through the vein in his neck.

“Have you fed from me?” she asked as sheplayed with the hair at his nape.

“No, but I’m going to,” he murmured as he ranhis thumb across her lip again before pulling it down a little.

“Will I know when you do?”

“Yes.”

“Will it hurt?”

“No. Many say it enhances the pleasure.”

“Impossible.”

He chuckled as he cupped her nape and pulledher close for a kiss.

“Will I hurt you if I feed on you?” she askedwhen the kiss ended.

“No. And even if you did, I want it too muchto care.”

Releasing her, he planted his hands behindhim and leaned back on the bed. She frowned as he smiled ather.

“This is all you, beautiful,” he said.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Explore, learn, discover what pleases you.I’m merely here to make sure you come.”

She wasn’t entirely sure what he meant bythat, but his words made her wetter as she slid along the length ofhim before shifting so the head of his shaft teased herentrance.

However, no matter how much she wanted