The demon lord gripped her neck. The action that once terrified her now made desire bloom in anticipation of what he'd do. Deidre waited.
The fire flared brighter, lighting up his body. When she looked up, he was watching her. He made no move to bite her or kiss her, simply studied her, his thumb stroking the pulse in her neck.
"You're not changing your mind, are you?" she asked uncertainly.
His slow, cunning smile was not what she wanted to see. His hand dropped. He peeled off his shirt. Instinctively, she reached out to feel his warm skin and trace the ridges of his abdomen. Darkyn turned his other side to her, and Deidre stared.
The familiar demon blood bond script ran down one arm from his shoulder to his elbow. Except that, on his body, it was her name written in black.
D
E
I
D
R
E
Speechless, she traced her fingers down the letters then looked into his eyes. She had been over every inch of his body numerous times without seeing the marking. He held her gaze without speaking.
"How long has it been there?" she managed.
"Under a day."
"So at any point up until then, you could've …" She swallowed hard.
"You were mine the night I let you drink from me. This is a formality of unwritten terms only," he said.
Stunned, she was silent, trying to digest what he was saying. He was serious when he claimed to want her. She was more than an obligation, if he chose to keep her when he didn't have to. She didn't exactly feel grateful to him, though, not with the emotional trauma he put her through. But the idea he did want her was almost a relief, another sign he was capable of providing at least some form of affection. She wasn't going to spend her eternity with someone who didn't care for her.
Darkyn replaced his shirt. When he was finished, he pulled her into his body and bit her hard.
Deidre winced. The pain soon turned to pleasure, and she melted against him. He didn't drink long, and she nuzzled his neck then found his lips with her own. This time, there was more than insatiable lust and need in his kiss. There was passion and a deep longing she innately understood only she was able to fill. Deidre felt tears on her cheeks once more. Incapable of human emotion, Darkyn was nonetheless expressing what demon emotions he had. His hands ran down her naked body possessively.
He withdrew and pressed his cheek to hers.
"Will you stay?" she asked, touched by the change in him.