Reign of Blood

Chapter Forty-Five

"You took your time," Annaliese said from the bed where she laid waiting for him. Gods. She was waiting for him. Chronos' heart thundered in his chest. Had anything ever felt this good?

"Did I fuck," He hissed playfully. "I'll bet you didn't even finish your countdown."

"Details, details. What took you so long?"

"Just a quick catch up. But it's done with now." He grabbed her leg and tugged her down the bed towards him. "Let's show everyone who I belong to. My blood Queen. By the end of tonight, the whole damned Other World will know I'm yours."

"Chronos, I don't know what's happened to you, but you're saying all the right things tonight." She smiled at him before humming. "But you should stop speaking. You're wasting more time."

"You're impatient."

"Eager was the word I was going for." As he tugged her up from the bed—fresh sheets and all—she started popping his buttons open. "Try not to scratch too hard. I know your kind get those savage urges, but my skin is delicate."

"I'll be careful."

"You'll be careful."

"I'll be careful."

"Hmm. You're still talking too much." He smirked and slanted his mouth down over hers. "That's better. And I know you're lying."

Chronos smirked.

Annaliese was right. There'd be no being careful tonight. This hell Queen could take anything he threw at her. He'd already come to learn she liked it rough. The dominating Queen needed to be dominated.

He was going to mark her tonight. He was finally going to mark her, and then he'd have a claim to her that no one could fight him on. She'd be his forever. His mate. His woman. His fucking wife before the year was done.

Chronos had gone full witch. There'd be no going back.

Hell, if her good for nothing Squire had still been alive, even he'd have sensed the claim radiating from her. Chronos almost wished he hadn't killed him just so the bastard could feel it. And then he'd have the pleasure of killing him all over again.

When she was done with his shirt, Annaliese pushed him up against the dresser, her eyes alight with lust. He loved the look on her. Her hair had her looking wild.

"Finally," He groaned as her lips started down his chest. "I'm going to get the chance..." She started on his zipper, languidly dragging it down. "To torture you..." She sighed, sweetened by him. "The way you've..." Abruptly, she yanked his trousers down until they bunched around his ankles. "Been torturing me."

"Torturing you?" She scoffed. "Unlike some people, I never tried to kill you."

No, but she'd be the death of him.

He dragged her back up from the ground before she could get ahead of herself and sat her down above the dresser.

Her hands returned to his broad shoulders, her lip hooked between her teeth.

"You've tortured me since day one," He accused, the silk of her dress bunching beneath his claws. "Every. Damned. Day."

She moaned when he tugged the dress off of her, shivering beneath his worshipping gaze.

Chronos had been in this position no end of times with women of all different species waiting for him to do something—to touch them or to taste them. But with Annaliese, the roles felt reversed. Here, he was dealing with an equal. Hell, she was his superior. His evil Queen with a wicked tongue.

Even now, she seduced him. With her hands on his shoulders, kneading his flesh, he closed his eyes and groaned.

"I haven't tortured you," She insisted. "Not since the gas."