House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

“Hunt.” The sun lit her eyes to a gold so brilliant it knocked the breath from him.

Bryce peered down the alley, lips swollen from his kisses, and some feral part of him howled in satisfaction to see that he had done that, he had brought that flush to her cheeks and wine-rich scent of arousal to her. She was his. And he was hers. Utterly fucking hers.

“All right. But I also want to know what you want, Hunt.” He met her golden stare. “You know what I want.” He couldn’t stop his voice from lowering again. “I’ve never stopped wanting it—wanting you. I thought it was obvious.”

Bryce met Hunt’s blazing gaze, her chest heaving, head a dizzy, starry mess. She said the only thing in her head, her mind, her soul. “I love you.”

Hunt gripped her thighs hard enough to bruise and she loved it, needed it; she drove her hips into his face, pushing his tongue into her, and then something zapped right at her clit, as if Hunt had summoned a little spark of lightning, and her brain and body lit up like white fire, and oh gods, oh gods, oh gods—

“I love you, too, Quinlan.”

Cormac motioned between her and Hunt. “You think I can’t scent what went down between you two?” Bryce leaned back against the cushions. “You mean, that he went down on me?” Hunt choked, and Ruhn let out a garbled string of curses. Ithan walked to the coffee machine and muttered something about it being too early.

It means that he’s going ballistic in the way that only mates can when the other is threatened. It’s what happened then, and what’s happening now. You’re true mates—the way Fae are mates, in your bodies and souls. That’s what was different about your scent the other day. Your scents have merged. As they do between Fae mates.

Athalar was dangerous before. But as a mated male, he’s utterly lethal.

“I love you undone like this,” he said, moving again. Setting the pace. “Utterly at my mercy.”

“Our love is stronger than time, greater than any distance. Our love spans across stars and worlds. I will find you again. I promise.”

The male stepped forward, tucking in his wings. He smiled slightly and said in the Old Language, in a voice like glorious night, “Hello, Bryce Quinlan. My name is Rhysand.”