LUCAS
I need to temper my desire, because there's an aggression behind it born of frustration and anger, mixed with relief that she's alive.
But Ava, my sweet mate, meets my passion at every step.
My fingers trail over Ava's skin, savoring each shiver, each gasp. Her pulse races beneath my touch, and the sweet scent of her arousal fills my senses. Aurum's already lost to it, demanding me to claim, to mark, to possess—but I force that primal urge down. Ava deserves better than a rutting beast.
Even if the bond in my chest tells me to leave every inch of her marked for my pleasure.
"Lucas." Her voice breaks on my name as I peel away her shirt.
A growl rumbles through my chest at the sight of her bare skin. The marks I left days earlier have already faded, and something dark and possessive inside me needs to replace them. "Mine."