“Forgive me,” he rasped. “I should never have allowed—”
“Ssh.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “We did what we had to do and now it’s over. All I care about is the future.”
Cyn cast a quick glance around the meadow, not particularly surprised to discover they were alone.
Styx would have insisted that Magnus return him to Chicago so Cyn could have privacy with his potential mate.
“Aye. The future.” He hesitated, knowing that the next few minutes were the most important in his very long life. “You know what I desire.”
She arched back, her eyes glowing with a heated awareness that made him instantly hard.
“Tell me,” she urged in a husky voice.
Hell. He needed to get her back to his lair.
He could spread her across his bed and gently remove the silk robe before . . .
Desperately he battled to control his primitive urges.
The next time he made love to this exquisite female, he fully intended for them to be formally bound together.
“I want us to be mated,” he bluntly admitted, his hand cupping her cheek as he gazed down at the female who’d become a necessary part of his life.
“You’re sure?”
He gave a short laugh, his chest feeling as if it were being squeezed by a painful vise.
“Princess, I couldn’t be more sure,” he said with a fierce sincerity.
“Then what are you waiting for?” she demanded.
He stiffened, half afraid that this was a dream.
“You want to go through with the mating ceremony?” he demanded, framing her face in his hands. He had to make sure she truly understood what she was agreeing to. “Once we exchange blood we can’t go back. We’ll be permanently tied together.”
Going on her tiptoes, she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
“Berserker, I couldn’t be more sure.”
Oh . . . hell.
Relief blasted through his heart, his fangs lengthened, the urge to sink them deep into her flesh an overwhelming force.
Only the knowledge that they could be interrupted at any time by her father allowed him to restrain his primeval impulse.
Leaning down, he kissed her with a barely leashed hunger. “Then let’s go home.”
“Home.” Her face lit with a smile of pure joy. A joy that was echoed deep inside of Cyn. “Finally.”
“Eternally,” he promised, holding her close as she formed a portal and the world melted away.
Epilogue
Every one of Viper’s numerous demon clubs was a direct reflection of his own taste.
Flamboyant, excessive, and dramatically over the top. But while all of them were guaranteed to please the most finicky demon, the Viper Pit in Chicago was by far the most exclusive.
The by-invitation-only club was hidden behind a subtle glamour that made it look like an abandoned warehouse to keep away the riffraff.
Inside, however, the public room was decorated with white marble pillars and glittering fountains that served as a perfect backdrop for the dew fairies who were performing a complex dance to the oohs and ahhs of the crowd of demons.
In the back of the club a line of tables had been situated where the guests could gamble. And for those searching for more . . . intimate entertainment, there were private rooms where they could join in the ongoing orgies or start one of their own.
Ignoring the excitement that rippled through the room at his entrance, Styx strolled onto the private balcony where Dante and Viper were seated at a table sharing a bottle of brandy from Viper’s private stock.
As usual, Dante looked like a pirate in his casual jeans and a leather jacket with a golden hoop dangling from one ear. Viper, on the other hand, was wearing a long velvet jacket with a lacy shirt that was more fitting for a Regency ballroom.
Styx had chosen his usual black leather.
Why mess with a classic style?
Both men gave a lift of their brows at his unexpected arrival, but it was Viper who said the words they were both thinking.
“If you’ve come here to tell us the end of the world is about to arrive then you can shove it. This is my night off.”
Styx chuckled. He didn’t blame his friends for giving him the hairy eyeball.
Over the past months they’d endured one disaster after another. The Dark Lord, an insane Anasso, a crazed Were spirit, Morgana la Fay, a vampire god . . .
Christ, it made him weary just remembering the enemies they’d faced.
They were all ready to take a break from impending doom.
Styx came to a halt beside the table, folding his arms over his massive chest.
“Is that any way to speak to your king?”
“Don’t expect me to kiss your ass,” Viper drawled, waving a slender hand toward the dance floor below where the crowd of demons was gazing up at the balcony with unabashed curiosity. “Your adoring masses are waiting for you down there. Up here you’re just another schmuck.”
“Thank God,” Styx muttered, taking a seat and reaching for the bottle.