Kael kissed her—not tender, but firm, grounding her panic. His mouth claimed hers roughly, silencing her sobs. At first she stiffened, but then melted beneath him, clutching at his shoulders with desperate need. Her legs shifted instinctively, opening to him, inviting what she knew had to come.
He growled against her lips, one hand sliding down her fever-warmed body, skimming the ridges of blackened veins that webbed her chest. Her skin quivered under his palm, every touch making her shiver harder.
"You feel it too, don’t you?" he muttered against her neck, teeth grazing her skin. "The corruption burning out when I touch you."
"Y-yes," she gasped, voice breaking between whimpers. "Please… don’t stop… I need it."
Kael’s mouth trailed lower, over the curve of her throat, down to her coll
