Chapter 14: Lucas - Bound to Ruin

A groan escapes my throat as I awaken, blinking blearily around Valen’s empty room to guess at the time. The sun is up and a warm morning breeze wafts in from the open balcony doors. There’s not a hint of a storm to be found. I bet the bluebloods have all sorts of tricks to keep their lands safe while leaving the rest of us to wallow in misery.

The heated air brings on a wave of nostalgia, and my throat aches with it. Hot days in the South always smelled like this, like freshly blooming flowers and sunbaked earth. The scent of warm ocean salt is missing, but I can forgive it.

My heart weighs heavily when I recall the harrowed, drawn face of my mother sitting at the kitchen table, a small smile warming her tense face. Her hair was darker than mine, her eyes a beautiful hazel blue that mirrored my grandmother’s. They both had a warmth about them, especially in the way they would look at me. My mother seemed somehow older, more haunted than my grandmother.

I exhale harshly, my hands tightening as the leeching sensation over my old wound begins again. Damn it. I don’t need the additional reminder of how awful losing the two of them was. I’ve already lived through that chapter in my life. I’ve grieved them. I’ve laid them to rest. I freed myself from Dimitar. I fell in love.

I rub the bandage over my scar and swallow against the tightness building. Tori won’t end up like them. I swear to both my mother and grandmother. I’ll keep this last remaining woman I love safe and alive.

Maybe then, I can finally forgive myself for failing the previous two.

With that last grim thought, I let go to run my hands over my face and rake my tangled hair back. Knots immediately ensnare my fingers, and I frown while trying to tease them apart. I must’ve tossed and turned all night. I don’t remember falling asleep after talking with Valen. I don’t know if he slept in his bed last night. There’s some sort of charm on the bedding to smooth the blankets and freshen the sheets with the sweet scents of herbs, so it’s impossible to tell without activating my rings.

The weight of the past is not easy to shake off, and I scan the empty room for a distraction. Another effervescent blue drink sits on the side table with a note tucked under it. The condensation drips down it but doesn’t soak into the paper.

I reach for it and brace for the pain in my hands but am only greeted with small twinges and aches. Damn, Valen is good at this. Tori is right. He should’ve been a healer.

The glass is delightfully cold, and I flick open the folded note. The magic keeping it safe from the condensation pooling dispels while I read.

If you have any brain cells left, you would’ve read this before doing anything incredibly stupid. Here are your required tasks while I am busy:

1. Drink this.

2. Do not leave this room.

3. Go into the bathroom.

4. Drink the four potions in the order listed on them.

5. Eat the crumpet AFTER drinking the potions, NOT before.

6. Drop the three sachets of herb packets in the prepared bath like they’re large tea bags. Do not open them.

7. Get into the bath immediately. Keep your bandages on.

8. Stay in the bath until I return.

Did I mention NOT to leave this room? Because I will be very cross if you ruin my incredibly impressive steps towards healing you.

You’ve proven yourself able to obey when motivated before. Do it again.

Or else.

—V

I roll my eyes. He’s so bossy. How Valen and Tori ever survived as a couple is beyond me.

A wave of agony overwhelms my chest. Tor. My arms are heavy as my ineptness and incompetence drag down my mood. I want to hold her, kiss her, tell her I love her even though a shadow of pain lingers in her eyes when I do. I miss her. My sweet Torment.

I exhale harshly. That’s enough misery for one morning. Time to follow Valen’s instructions before I find out what “or else” means. I doubt I’d enjoy that punishment.

I chug down the blue potion and slam the glass down on the side table. Step one done. Now to move on to finding the bathroom.

I swing my legs out of bed and examine the bandaging over my knee. The white wrapping shimmers with some sort of magic, and I flex my leg without a hint of pain. Damn, Valen is really, really good at this. If he wasn’t such an arrogant asshole, Nora would probably love to chat with him about magical medical theory.

I groan as I ease into standing, not from the pain, but the bone-deep aching exhaustion all over. The bed calls to me, but that’s not on Valen’s obsessive list. I shuffle naked to the far side of the room where a door is open and waiting for me. Valen’s bedroom is as big as my apartment, and I roll my eyes at the enormous fireplace and decadent furnishings around it. One wall is lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that are perfectly organized. The whole thing screams neat freak.

There’s no way Tori could ever live with Valen. She loves her chaotic piles of crap everywhere, especially in her workroom. I’ve seen Valen’s home infirmary. One minute of Tori in there and Valen would lose his mind. A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. They would be at each other’s throats the moment the thrill of angry sex wore off.

I step into the bathroom. Fucking Weave, it’s huge and covered in black marble with silver fixings. Blue veins of various shades run through the stone and glisten in the soft light streaming through the misted, paneled, glass windows. The upkeep on the stone must be a pain in the ass, but it’s probably dripping with Preservation magic. I wiggle my wrapped fingers in hopes of discovering more, but a sharp pain stops me. My rings aren’t ready yet.

In the corner sits the oddest shower I’ve ever seen. The base is like a sunken pool that could fit at least five adults, and above are intricate pipes that end in multiple nozzles. My brows furrow. Seems excessive. Or perhaps it’s both a shower and a bath? I peer at Valen’s obsessively detailed note. He said “prepared”, and I’m sure he doesn’t think I’m competent enough to fill my own water. I tap a finger against the paper as I scan the room.

There, on the other side, is a smaller but still impressively large claw-foot tub filled to the brim with water. The shimmering ward over it flickers with the trapped, rising steam.

A massive ornate mirror lines the opposite wall with a vanity that gleams with polished marble. The potions, sachets, and a crumpet sit waiting for me on a silver platter.

I sigh and do my standard morning routine before coming up to the four corked bottles with numbers glowing on them. The temptation to touch one out of order lightens my mood. Valen probably hexed them so I’ll be zapped. A small laugh huffs from me, and I grab the correct bottle first.

I use my teeth to tug each cork top off and gulp the medicines down. I gag. Fuck, that’s horrifically pungent with an herbal bitterness that hits the back of my throat all wrong. I eye the crumpet distrustfully. With a groan, I shove the whole thing into my mouth and chew. It crunches. I press my hand against my mouth hard to keep from coughing up the chalky monstrosity that dares to ruin the good name of crumpets everywhere. Ugh, and it’s bland, and not in a good way after the bitter potions. Bland like eating dust.

I twist the faucet on and lean down to chug the water but stop halfway. Valen’s note mentioned nothing about permitting additional drinks and he’s just anal enough to include it if I was. My stomach rolls and the crumpet is stuck in my throat. Maybe… No. I shut off the faucet quickly. Testing Valen is not how I get healed. If Tori can survive being tortured in a statue, then I can keep down Valen’s awful cooking.

I pluck up the three sachets and resist the urge to sniff them. The ward around the bath pops at my touch and steam balloons out. The sachets plop into the water. Like tea, they seep out into the clear liquid, shifting the color to a pleasant, herbal green. The smell is very close to that of Nora’s apothecary and the familiarity eases some of my tension.

I step into the water and hiss. Shit, it’s hot, and my skin tingles horribly. Luckily, the sensation eases quickly to leave numbness in its wake as I lower myself down. Water ripples with my movement but it doesn’t spill over the edge. Instead, my skin lightly shimmers as the potions soak into my pores. The tingling hits again in sharp waves that leave sparks dancing in my vision. I grit my teeth and bear it while I continue to sink down into the water.

Do it for Tori. For Jinx.

A flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye has me pausing, my arms trembling to support my weight on the rim of the bath with my heavily bandaged hands.

I scan the full-length mirror with gilded rose edges in the corner of the room. I swear, I saw a flash of familiar coppery red among the black and silver in the reflection. Self-hatred tightens my face. I turn harshly away and splash messily into the bath. The shock of the flashing pins and needles steals my breath, the edge of the water licking at my jaw. It distracts me from my surging guilt and soon the periods of numbness grow longer and longer until, finally, my tight muscles yield.

A wave of full-body relaxation washes through me. I moan and sink back to rest my head against the lip of the tub, the ends of my hair floating in the light green water. All the pain disappears to leave behind a pleasant shivery sensation. I close my eyes and let myself breathe in the wafting steam. The herbal scent is not bad now that I’ve adjusted. The leeching at my chest eases, and I go limp.

Time becomes meaningless as my consciousness slips away. No more crawling dread. No more haunting memories. No more creepy leeching at my scar. Even my rings go quiet, the water slowly saturating their wrappings to ease into the tingling numbness.

For the first time in days, I permit myself the luxury of daydreaming while I soak in Valen’s healing bath.

I’m on a luxurious bed, with my sweet Torment stretching out naked, her beautiful body so soft against mine. She kisses me, her hands twisting in my hair, and I moan, hips surging up to rub against her. Her legs shift until she straddles me, and on the next roll of my pelvis, my tip breaches her. I grip her hips as my feet slide along black silk sheets. I bury myself to the hilt in her clenching heat. She moans deeply, hips tilting for more and more.

Her nails rake down my chest before she pushes against my pecs. My back flattens against the mattress, and my head lolls off the edge to hang heavy. I gasp, eyes squeezing shut as she uses me. It’s a fast, unforgiving pace and the rush of pleasure nearly tips me over the edge.

Clicking steps approach, and I blearily open my eyes. Valen approaches from the shadows. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, his black slacks matching his dark shirt. His blue eyes glow as they trail over Tori’s naked form, down to where our hips clap together, then over my chest before meeting my gaze.

I pant, shivering as I wait for his next move.

He stops before me with his hands in his pockets. The bed is high, and it brings my face in line with his pristine slacks. I throb, and Tori slides her hands up my body in a searing trail. Her voice is so seductive that I buck up into her.

“You can have him if you want, Lucas.”

I spasm, fantasy and reality blending as want and uncertainty swirl confusingly within me. I lick my lips, sucking in my lower one to bite. I’ve trusted the wrong men before. What if I’m wrong about Valen? I don’t want to be hurt.

Her touch is tender, the care soothing an old wound I didn’t know was still there. “If you can’t trust yourself, then you can trust in me. You are mine, Lucas. I would never allow someone else to break what is mine.”

Valen stands there watching me and waits while Tori slithers up me to whisper in my ear. “I trust him, Lucas. I trust him with you.”

I swallow and release Tori’s hip to grab Valen. He doesn’t move even when my fingers twist in his shirt. A dark desire I haven’t permitted myself to feel spreads through me like molten heat seeping through my center.

Tori presses soft kisses along my arched neck. “He would never hurt you that way unless you wanted.”

Valen’s head tilts and a small smile softens his lips. His hands leave his pockets and he strokes my face, his fingers catching on my lips.

I’m tired of being careful. I’m tired of denying myself pleasure out of fear. My past doesn’t get to take this from me. I rip open Valen’s shirt so his pale chest is exposed before I open his slacks. He strokes me gently the entire time I roughly expose him, and his thumb dips past my lips to press against my tongue. His cock is free, and I open my mouth wide.

I don’t know which of the three of us moans louder, but I almost come when Tori begins riding me again. The head of Valen’s dick slides into my willing mouth, and I grasp his hips to drag him forward, deeper.

Valen strokes my lips while enjoying the sight of me sucking and hums. “Such a greedy thing.”

I lick at the head and open my mouth wider when Valen’s thumb on my chin guides it. His low voice shivers over me. “Look at how hungry you are. Have you denied this needy throat from what it wants?”

Tori keens loudly when my hips snap up with a pulse of pleasure.

Valen’s fingers trail down my jaw. “Would you like me to satisfy your curiosity?”

I nod furiously and squeeze my eyes shut when Valen finally slides his shaft deep. I gag but don’t let him pull out. I shift my hold on him to grip his ass, my toes curling when he breaches my throat. Oh fuck, it feels so good. Tori is slapping down on my cock, and Valen is pushing forward more and more until I swallow him whole.

Then he moves slowly, my body shifting with his thrusts. His fingers trail along the column of my throat, back and forth, until he whispers, “You’re swallowing me down so well. You were made for this.”

My hands tighten and my feet slide along the silk as I try to thrust up harder into Tori.

“Do you like being ours, magician? Does it feel good to submit?”

It really does. It’s a part of me I haven’t let others see in years, and I’ve missed being played with.

His fingers press lightly on either side of my throat. “You are such a good fucking boy.”

I whimper, twitching, when Tori strokes as well. She moans, her pussy clenching me as she gasps. “Go faster, Valen. Give him what he needs.”

My eyes roll back as Valen uses my throat. My whole body pulses, my fingers and toes curling and flexing. My orgasm is hovering just out of reach, but I can’t come. Not yet. I want more.

Tori kisses along my neck, humming and licking at Valen’s fingers. She suckles, and her tongue curls over my straining tendons. “Heal him, Valen.”

My fantasy comes to an abrupt stop when the bedroom door clicks open. Soft, expensive shoes are nearly soundless as they approach the open bathroom door. I don’t bother looking as that familiar drawl hums, “What a good boy.”

A thrum of pleasure licks up my center. It’s so close to my fantasy that it’s a struggle not to grip my aching shaft. “I can follow directions sometimes.”

“Yes, I did make them so simple that a child could accomplish it.”

Valen’s shoes clip on the expensive marble tiles as he approaches. My heart thuds against my ribs, and my gaze flicks up when he comes to stand next to me with his hands in his charcoal gray suit pockets. He scans me clinically and nods his approval before sliding his hands free to unbutton his jacket. He steps away to shrug out of it and toss it on his vanity counter. “And you ate the crumpet after the potions?”

“Yes, and it was godawful.”

He slips off his cufflinks with glinting sapphires embedded in them. They clatter carelessly on the marble, and I try not to sneer. The cost of even one of those could feed a Southerner family for months. I grit my teeth and shove those thoughts away as Valen rolls up his white shirtsleeves past his elbows. He keeps his vest on, and it accentuates the whip-like strength of his slender frame. His forearms are corded with lithe muscles that make his movements so elegant. He slides his ring off his middle finger and sets it down next to the links carefully.

After withdrawing a pair of scissors from a drawer, Valen saunters back over to me, collecting a tall stool on his way. It clacks down beside the tub for him to prop on it. He unfurls an elegant hand towards me expectantly.

I stare at it, blinking.

He sighs. “Hand.”

I roll my eyes at his tone and lift my delightfully tingly numb right hand out of the water. His long fingers wrap around it and draw it towards him with unexpected gentleness. He snips at the bandages in quick, efficient clips and opens them up to inspect my rings. His brows lift. “Lovely.”

He pulls the bandages free, and I gawk. The blisters are gone. I wiggle my fingers, sensation slowly returning to them. No jolts of pain either.

Valen snaps, “Do not summon your magic.”

I glare and lie, “I wasn’t.”

He raps the back of my hand with the handle of the scissors. “Back in.”

“What is this stuff anyway?” I give him my other hand when he holds out his again.

He answers while he works. “A stronger, more potent version of the kind your apothecary friend made you. But still. No magic until tomorrow at the earliest.”

I frown. “That’s too long.”

“Correction. It’s too short, but I know asking for more would be setting myself up for endless irritation. So do try to work with me if you wish to get past Alasdair next time. I’d rather not have to break both you and Tori free by myself.”

I smirk. “You’d free me, too? Aw, V. I’m touched.”

“Don’t get too excited. I’d rather not deal with Astoria’s rage if I left her favorite pet entombed in stone. Though, I’ve seen lapdogs with more common sense than you.”

“Jealous? Would she even care if you were entombed after you chose the Order over her?”

A muscle flickers in Valen’s jaw, and he reaches for me. I flinch back, sitting up straighter and snatching his wrist tightly. Valen rolls his eyes but doesn’t rip out of my hold. “Spare me your theatrics, magician. I’m removing your chest bandage.”

I blink and look down at my chest where the bandage is stained green from the water. Heat floods my face. “Oh.” I drop his wrist. My chest seizes at the red mark left behind on his pale skin. “Sorry. You okay?”

Valen’s gaze trails over my face to my neck, and he rolls his wrist where the flushed outline of my grip fades. “Try to stay still.”

My heart pangs sharply as the echoes of plates smashing and a woman screaming fill my memories. A wave of sickness at my own small act of violence clenches my insides, and a voice that I wish I could silence whispers, You’re just like him.

I suck a breath into my too-tight chest and squeeze my eyes shut. I shove that thought viciously away. I may look like my father, I may have his rings, but I am not him.

Valen huffs. “I do not have the time or patience to give you basic obedience training.”

I smile to chase off any remnants of guilt and lure Valen into an exchange that will give me his special brand of distraction I find myself craving today. “But I’m already so good at the basics. Sit. Stay. Speak.”

Valen’s lips twitch, his shoulders loosening when he leans forward again. His low, rumbly voice washes over me. “Roll over and beg?”

“Only if you give me a treat.”

His eyes flash to mine. The bath is suddenly too hot, and some of the numbness fades away to leave behind a humming awareness. I shouldn’t have said it, but the words slipped from me before I could stop myself. I’m being reckless. I glance down at the bath water. At least the herbs have stained the water dark enough that only shadows of my body are visible. I don’t need Valen to know how pent up I am today.

His long fingers rest on my chest, and my muscles twitch. I’m too naked for all this bickering and flirting. It makes it too hard to resist watching him while he focuses on his task. His thumbnail picks at the edge of my chest bandage, his brows furrowed. It’s an oddly endearing expression, but there’s something under it that I missed before. Dark circles are visible on his smooth skin, and there are new lines around his eyes. My chest tightens, and I swallow.

The water sloshes as I lift my hand to touch his. Before I can ask again if he’s okay, he pulls free, taking my chest wrappings with him. He sighs harshly and tosses the bandage towards the trash bin. “I knew it, but it’s still so goddamn disappointing.”

My brows rise. “Excuse me?”

He nods towards my chest. “Alasdair is not easily dissuaded from his new food source.”

I look down and suck in breath through clenched teeth. Tori’s illusion is gone. Stitches hold my scar from shoulder to the end of my sternum closed, but they’re raised and bright red. I touch my stomach. The scar there to my hip is still closed. It’s so odd to see it after all these years of being hidden. Tori, who had been Aster to me back then, sat next to me on her worktable when I came to. I barely remember dragging myself to her shop after escaping Dimitar, but I had nowhere else to go.

Her cool hands touched my stomach, and her magic whispered over me in a wave of shivery electricity that crackled through my heart. Her eyes were wise beyond her years, and she whispered, “A fresh start so you don’t ever have to look back again.” Then her own illusion dropped, and waves of her long hair cascaded around her. We’d sat there in silence, Tori looking upon me like she saw me in a way no one else in my life ever had. All I wanted to do with my new life was be by her side. However she needed me. From that moment on, I was utterly and completely hers.

I clear my throat and say, “Do you think his curse is incomplete? I did rip out of his hold while he was distracted.”

Valen hums. “Perhaps. But he did enough damage.”

I touch the edge of the stitching. It’s hot, like an infection roars beneath. At least the potion I’m soaking in takes the pain from it. I click my rings together underwater as I follow the raised wound. I could crack this curse. I just need to penetrate it with my threads to map the web to solve it.

Lips brush my ear and goosebumps erupt down my neck. “Don’t even think about it.”

My breath catches, and I try to cover my reaction to his mouth being so close to my skin with a scoff. “It would be just a small bit of magic. I’ll even keep them under the water.”

Valen’s fingertips tilt my chin back, and suddenly all I can see are his glowing blue eyes. His fingers are soft as they brush my neck where the bruises are fading. “You are not to use any magic until tomorrow at the earliest, if you want to keep your fingers. This is your last warning. Do not make me repeat myself again, magician. I will tie you down if I must.”

A shiver ripples down me and the words slip free unbidden. “Promise?”

Those hands circle my neck and I swallow, my throat pressing against his palm when I do. He lowers his face and my eyes close. His lips touch my ear again. “For someone who doesn’t want to fuck, you seem to be begging for it.”

Shame sparks, but it’s overshadowed by this aching want that pulses through my veins. I am so hard that I’m scared to glance down in case the bath isn’t deep enough to hide it. Valen’s fingers shift and I shiver when he strokes the tip of my tattoo. Then he lets go, and my eyes snap open. I track his retreat to the cabinets and take advantage of his back to me to enjoy the sight of him.

“What can I say? I’ve picked up bad habits from Torment.”

That grants me a huff of amusement as Valen withdraws a basin and adds various other objects to it that I can’t see. He comes back and summons a small table beside my bath. “Your little name for her is oddly fitting.”

“Careful. You’re being too nice to me. Did Tor not warn you? I’m like a stray dog. I follow anything home with a bone.”

“You do seem to revel in suffering.”

He drags his stool behind my head. He takes another seat, and I tilt back to see him. Carefully, he gathers my hair from the water. The soft brush of his fingers has my heart jumping, and my shoulders shift with the pleasure that threatens to erupt.

“What are you doing?”

“I’d forgotten how unkempt you are when detailing out my instructions. Your hair needs to remain out of the water.” He summons a silver hand mirror and holds it before me. “It stains.”

Settle in with a love story.

Head to Lokepub for more romance novels.

The ends of my hair are a mix of blue and green pastel. It sets off my tanned skin nicely. “I kind of like it.”

“You’ll like it less when the magic crawls up to your scalp and your hair falls out. Partially bald isn’t a look that would suit you.”

“Fair enough. But what about the hair on the rest of my body?”

“A necessary sacrifice. It’ll grow back.”

I deadpan, “Great.” I tilt my head side to side to admire the temporary hue of my hair. “Look at that. It matches my bruises.”

Valen’s thumb brushes against the mottled green and purple of the magically healing marks along my cheekbone, trailing the pink line where my split-open cheek knit together under his care. My gaze leaves the mirror to meet his. His fingers linger along my jaw.

Movement out of the corner of my eye snags my full attention. I stare at my own reflection in the hand mirror with my heart in my throat. I could swear there was something in there, but maybe I’m wrong and it was just Valen’s hand moving.

Valen releases me to pull the stop on the bath. I go to sit up, but he drags me back down by my hair. My scalp erupts in shivery pleasure and Valen stares down at me.

“I did not say you were done. Stay.”

I couldn’t disobey even if I wanted. His hold on my hair is too tight for even a nod. I swallow down a different kind of aching in my throat. I need to stop that.

I take the hand mirror with me into the water to resubmerge my hand. A little droop of disappointment tugs at the corner of my lips when Valen doesn’t snap at me for damaging the silver with the herbal bath.

The feeling jolts out of me when he takes the basin that he’d brought over and places it in his lap behind me. Hot water pours over my scalp, and I gasp, “What are you doing?”

“Getting the potion out of your hair.”

His blunt nails angle just right so that they scrape against my scalp with each scoop of water from his hands.

I swallow, eyes closing briefly. “By washing it?”

“Obviously.”

The exasperated tone with a hint of condescension dances down my spine. The bath water lowers, the edge of it leaving a tickling sensation as it drags down my smooth, bare skin. The air is cold after such scalding water and my skin prickles, but it’s more than that. My eyes squeeze shut so Valen can’t see how much I enjoy him washing me. My hands flex and tighten, my toes curling. He’s so careful, so quiet as he focuses on his task.

Fuck, if only he would say something, anything to distract me from it. I’d rather bicker than fall into this warm comfort. It makes it too easy to forget why I said no to him in the first place.

The water’s edge tickles my stomach and my muscles contract. Shivers course down my exposed skin in ripples with each scrape of Valen’s nails.

The water is low enough that my hips and legs are exposed, and with them the very obvious reaction to his care. My teeth grind and my nails dig into my palms as my hard cock practically throbs in the cold air. With no more numbing herbs to mute it, a heat wave surges through my body as it wakes up after being numbed, flushing me until I’m shifting with the oddly enjoyable sensation.

My eyes shoot open and I gasp when water hits my chest. Valen leans over me silently, handheld nozzle in one hand and a small, soft cloth in the other. He cleanses the potion from my skin, each swipe taking the lustrous sheen from it.

I swallow, and my voice cracks when I say, “You don’t have to do this.”

He pauses immediately, gaze meeting mine. “Do you not want me to touch you?”

My fingers twitch when his hand lifts up in question, and I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. You can touch me. I mean, I can wash my hair. You don’t have⁠—”

“Stop talking.” The low, sensual command has my lips pressing together to hold in a whimper. “You need to heal, and I am healing you. This is part of the process. Now be good and obey me.”

A pulse in my cock sends a twitch through me, and my mind empties of all thoughts as each stroke of the cloth leaves behind a flushed, sensitive stripe of skin. I stare at the ceiling with hooded eyes, lips parted, as I lose myself in the pleasure of his touch. The scent of his cologne overpowers the herbal steam, and I gulp it down in hungry breaths.

He shifts smoothly to perch on the tub’s edge beside me, half leaning over to continue his quiet cleansing. The water hits the swollen head of my cock, and the hot pleasure after being numb has me jumping. My hands slam into the sides of the tub to grip for dear life, the hand mirror clanging against the porcelain as I do, but Valen doesn’t stop. He slides the cloth and water down my legs before dipping in to glide up my thigh.

His calm, controlled words finally draw out that whimper I was holding. “The potion sends your blood pumping through your body to speed up the healing. Are you feeling sensitive from it?”

I nod, eyes closing as my heartbeat pulses throughout me to pool in a building, maddening pressure between my legs.

“Interesting. Tell me, magician. Now that I’m nearly done with cleansing you, would you like me to alleviate some of this… other discomfort?”

I swallow, gasping when my cock twitches with a bolt of needy desire. The sides of the tub press against my legs, and I have no recollection of spreading myself. Oh fuck, I want that. I want that so damn much. Memories of our only time together flash before me, twitching my hips and increasing my pulsing heart. His talented hands, his skillful tongue, and his filthy fucking mouth.

But his letter. I don’t know how I’d handle the aftermath of just going back to being strangers afterwards. My heart is bruised. The memories of all I’ve lost are awakening to haunt me, my pain at leaving Tori and Jinx imprisoned ever present.

I blink my eyes open when his touch leaves me, and suddenly all I can see is Valen. I fall into his bright blue gaze, his hair escaping the pomade to fall forward. His hands are braced on either side of the tub so that he’s leaning over me, waiting for an answer.

My breath catches and a pressure builds when I whisper, “Would it be wrong with Tori trapped?”

His head tilts, but his gaze remains locked on mine. He replies equally softly, like he understands the deep fissures of vulnerability behind my question. “Biding our time while we wait in an enjoyable way does not mean we do not love and miss her.” He wets his lips, and a shadow flickers over his face to reveal a hint of hidden pain. “I will confess that I could use the distraction and…”

His lips part like he’s going to say something else, but he stops himself. I search his face, trying to unearth what it is that he’s holding back from. My chest hurts, and I guess at the word he couldn’t say. “Comfort.”

His jaw tenses, eyes flickering. His head jerks with a small nod, and the air in the room shifts. We no longer gaze at each other like two men who were forced together by our love for one woman, or by an intense sexual chemistry that haunts us. Valen flinches, but doesn’t withdraw from the vulnerability.

I pant, chest pumping, and growl, “Fuck it.”

I snap my arms around Valen’s neck, the stupid mirror still in my hand, but I can’t seem to let it go. I half haul him down, half arch up into him, as our mouths collide. The kiss is hot, consuming, and fuck, is it damn good. I’m stronger than him and use it to pull him down. Valen gasps and tumbles into the slicked porcelain with me, the last few inches of potion water splashing as it continues to drain. The tub is so large, it’s like we’re hidden from the world by its tall sides. We moan into the kiss, and Valen eases his fully clothed body on top of mine, my thighs framing his hips and my cock throbbing when his trapped erection presses against mine.

I grumble against Valen’s lips, “You better make this worth it.” And I let go of his neck to grab his stupidly decadent shirt and vest. I rip them open, buttons raining down on me and clattering against the porcelain. I am more than ready to have the orgasm of my life.

Valen smiles into my kiss and lifts up, only to whip off his ruined shirt and vest and toss them over the side of the tub. “I swear. I’ll make you see the Weave. How do you want me, magician? My hands? My mouth? My cock? In you? On you?”

“All of it. Just give me all of it.” His slacks are soaked from the water spraying from the abandoned nozzle and it hinders my process of yanking them down his hips.

He hums and takes my hands in his, kissing my palms. “No matter how much I’d love to be inside you, or vice versa, I worked very hard on healing you, and need your knee to stay well. Once the bandage falls off, it will be fully better. But for now…” Valen releases my hands to smooth his palms down my thighs to encourage both to remain wide open. His heated gaze rakes up and down me. “Stay as you are and let me help you.”

I bite my lip viciously to keep a deep moan from escaping, but it’s no use. It echoes within the marble bathroom as Valen grips my shaft. Our eyes meet, and he strokes slowly. My head clunks against the tub as I gasp, hips shifting. He stares at me with those glowing eyes of his and drinks in my pleasure.

Then he releases to slide trailing fingers down to press against my ass. And waits.

I nod furiously. “Yes. Whatever you want.”

His wet middle finger penetrates me, lips parting and eyes brightening when I desperately rock against it. “Fuck, magician. You are my good boy, aren’t you?”

A strangled moan is all I can manage as the gentle burn gives way to pleasure. He’s slow, teasing, and I want him hard and punishing. I want him to fuck me to the edge of my life. I want to forget everyone and everything and fall into the headiness that is Valen’s body.

But guilt-filled thoughts fill my head. As Valen’s long finger rubs inside me maddeningly slow in time with his pumping hand, all I can think of is Tori trapped in a statue. And I’m here, spread out like a whore begging for pleasure. Shame hits me hard, and I meet Valen’s gaze to ask him to stop. I don’t deserve this.

The words catch in my throat. Valen is gazing down at me with a desperate, starved look on his face. He’s so hard, so flushed, and I remember that this isn’t just about me. No, this is about both of us. Valen needs it, too, and that thought eases my guilt and brings me back to him.

I lick my lips. “Valen.”

“Say it again.”

“Valen,” I gasp.

He groans and stops stroking my cock so he can lean forward to trail his lips along my neck to suck and nip, the little jolts mixing with his quickening fingers. I’m sucked back down under into a pleasurable madness and wrap my arms around his neck, the mirror nearly hitting me in the face. Our chests press together, and a choked cry from my throat echoes in the room. Oh fuck, he feels so good in a way that has my chest aching. I rock against his fingers, encouraging him to go faster and deeper. He adds another finger and I arch into him. “Fuck, Valen!”

“Do you wish it was my cock, magician?” he asks against my throat. “You want me to fuck you until you can only think and breathe me?”

I nod desperately. “Yes. Do it. Fuck me.”

“Hm, perhaps not.” His wicked smile curls against me when I practically bark from the surge of pleasure when his fingers work faster. He tsks. “Are you that cock starved? Are you going to roll over to beg for it with your ass up? Because the answer will still remain the same.”

“Are you sure about that, blueblood?” I smirk, my voice a low growl heavy with challenge. “I bet you if I did roll over and beg, you’d be coming all over yourself.”

Those blue eyes light bright, giving away his surging excitement. His lips brush mine. “Tell me. How does your deviant mind wish for me to take your ass? On your stomach? On your side? Or just like this?”

He shifts, curling more over me, his arm looping around my thigh to draw it higher. I’m aching, rolling back against his hand, my voice going breathless. “Yeah, like this.”

He searches me, a muscle in his jaw flickering. “Are you certain? You don’t feel any pain right now?”

“Trust me. Pain is the last thing I feel right now.” My heart pounds, hardly believing I’m actually getting my way.

He hesitates, and I reach for him again. I resume my fighting with his wet clothes, and this time he helps me, his fingers slipping from me in the process. He summons a bottle from the vanity. He nails me with a firm look. “You are to stop me if you hurt. Do you understand? Say it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell you.” Unless I like it, but I keep that to myself.

His eyes narrow. “Magician.”

“You’re such a tight-ass. I’ll be fine. I’ve done it before. Trust me. I can take it.”

He doesn’t stop me when I snatch the lube from him and pour it over his hard cock. I pump it and grin when he moans, hips shifting into my fist. He licks his lips. “I can rub us together. It will still feel amazing.”

“For fuck’s sake. Do you actually want me to beg? Because that’s how desperate I am.”

“Hm, that would be a good start.” He stretches over me, his arm hooking around my thigh again to curl me more. His lips brush mine. “Go ahead. Tell me how much you need me inside of you.”

I swallow, nerves and arousal mixing headily. I guide him, my heel hooking around him to pull his hips forward until he presses against my hole. “Fill me, blueblood. Show me what you can do.”

“That’s not begging,” he whispers, and his lips capture mine.

I moan deeply, then my eyes flare when he breaches me. I gasp into the kiss and he pauses, but I snap my arms around his neck and kiss him back. I push onto his cock, panting into our kiss, the burning melding with the aching pleasure perfectly. He rocks into me, the gentle push and retreat lighting up pleasure that builds shockingly fast as he thrusts deeper and deeper.

I close my teeth on his lower lip and drag back with a low groan. “Fuck, V. I get it.”

His forehead presses against mine. “What do you get?”

“Why Tor misses you so much.”

He pauses before laughter bursts from him. Pleasure pulses when he leans back, his smile bright. It’s almost unfair how attractive he is when he smiles. He shakes his head, his hair falling forward. “Hold onto me, magician, and I’ll really show you.”

Now I laugh when he drags me down by my thighs. He leans over me, curling me tightly. It changes the angle, my eyes widening at how deep he is. Valen begins to move again, slow at first, then growing faster and longer, and pleasure crackles through me with each surge and retreat. My head thunks back on the porcelain, my hips rolling. “Holy fuck, V.”

I clutch him as I fall into pleasure.

His forehead rests against mine, his eyes squeezed shut. Tremors vibrate through his lithe frame, small sounds of needy pleasure building in his throat. When his eyes open, his irises are so bright, his lips parted in a heart-stopping look of raw pleasure.

A thrill shivers through me, and my smile takes a feral edge when I say, “What’s wrong, blueblood? Can’t hold out?”

He shivers. “Magician—Fuck.”

I huff, my smile wild. “You going to come so soon?”

But then Valen’s smile turns wicked. Like an animal in heat, he begins to pound into me, his movements short and fast against that spot he’s found. Pleasure explodes through me, and I practically swallow my tongue. “Oh shit. I’m going… I’m going⁠—”

“Now who’s having a hard time controlling themself?”

My eyes roll up, my back arching and toes curling. I’m panting, twitching in time with the snap of his hips.

His hands slide over me, his breathless voice giving away how much he’s enjoying himself. “Say my name, magician. Beg for it.”

“Valen!” I cry out, hips bucking but not getting the reprieve I need to slow my building pleasure.

He’s growing harder, thicker, and I shiver when the last of my tension slips away. He strikes deep, and my resulting cry of pleasure echoes.

He moans, sucking my neck as he grinds into me like he’s savoring every inch of being buried inside. I spasm, and his hips rock, teasing that spot he’s found until my body clenches around him rhythmically.

His fingers trail up my straining erection, pleasure flooding my system with my body willing and open for his use. Then they leave and realization hits me. “You’re not going to stroke me?”

He laughs, his eyes so bright they reflect in the white porcelain. “Beg for it.”

Then his hips snap as he picks up the same hard pace as before, but he’s deeper, my body even more sensitive, and my cries fill the space. But no matter what I say, he doesn’t stroke me, and my cock strains from neglect. I can’t stop trembling, goosebumps that have nothing to do with the coolness of his magic tingling down my legs as he pins me in place to take all of him. My orgasm is coming too soon, but I can’t tip over. Not without a hand pumping me. But he refuses, moaning and sucking my neck.

I can’t stand it. I need to be touched and if he won’t do it, then I’ll break his magical hold on me and do it myself.

My rings flicker with a twinge, and Valen’s gaze snaps to my hand on his shoulder. The anger that tightens his features has me gasping, throbbing on him. With a low growl, he slides a hand around my throat. “Don’t you dare.”

My eyes widen, and I convulse. Valen slows his hips, his eyes meeting mine before searching my face. He wets his lips and loosens his hold in question, his magic on my arms releasing.

I let go of his shoulder and snatch his wrist. I keep him there, staring deep into his eyes as I shift his hold higher on my neck. “Do it.”

His eyes dart to the bruises from Alasdair choking me and back. “Are you sure?”

My heart hammers and I nod. “Make me forget.”

Thank all the gods in existence that Valen understands. His expression shifts, his irises nearly white, as he tightens his hold. “I won’t go too hard. You need to heal.”

“I won’t break.” I use my grip on his wrist to encourage him to push, but he resists.

“I am aware, but I have no desire to see where that line lies.” His thumb and fingers squeeze against the sides, and my hips jerk with the jolt of resulting pleasure. “Trust me. I’ll give you what you need without damaging you.”

He pants. “Drop the mirror if you need me to stop.”

Valen’s hand tightens, and I jerk in his hold. Oh fuck, he’s good. He’s so damn good. I’m going to come first without him stroking me, and I barely care. I tremble, my body pulsing. Valen moans, lengthening his thrusts so he can slam back in harder and harder, “Lucas, oh, fuck.”

I convulse, the mirror in my hand rattling.

“Do you like that? Do you like being my favorite human to fuck and play with?”

I choke, hips jerking with the needy, aching throbs. I do. I really do, my pride be damned. I need him to come. I want to feel him.

“Oh fucking hell, Lucas. Take it. Fucking take all of me.”

Then his hand releases my throat, and I suck in air like I’m resurfacing from the depths of the ocean. Pleasure slams into me, wiping out my mind, darkening my vision, as Valen cries out, the sound echoing all around. He’s coming, trembling and gasping. I clutch him desperately, practically sobbing as my own orgasm slams into me, Valen stroking that pleasurable spot over and over as we both become lost in the moment.

The mirror slips from my hand and crashes into the porcelain, shards going everywhere. Valen stops, jerking back to search my face, but I drag him back.

“Don’t stop,” I beg, pleasure throbbing so powerfully it brings on a surge of emotions. “Please. Please, don’t stop.”

He kisses me and I moan, his hand sliding between us to grip and pump my throbbing cock, wringing out every last drop of pleasure from our sweat-soaked bodies.

Finally, he releases me, and we kiss slowly, lips lazily stroking each other. The spray from the bath’s nozzle and our breaths are the only sounds.

He trails his lips down to my neck. “Are you alright? Any pain?”

I hum softly as his kisses map where his hand held my neck. My heart tightens, the sensation building in my throat. He took me how I wanted, and instead of the pain and lingering dark thoughts that would usually swirl for days after, I feel nothing but softness. He was rough but careful, checked with me to ensure I was alright while fulfilling my desires.

A sharp sting on my shoulder has me shifting. My voice is rough, and I clear it before trying to speak again. “I think the mirror cut me.”

Valen lifts just enough to check. “You’re bleeding⁠—”

He cuts off, his post-orgasm softness disappearing. I turn to inspect my shoulder, too. “What… the fuck?!”

In the shards of the mirror is Tori’s face staring back at us, equally shocked.