When she woke up the next morning, her lashes fluttering, she was still naked. And so was he.
Damien’s mouth was on her nipple, sucking and nibbling, his cold breath sending a ripple of pleasure across her entire body. It wasn’t a dream. He was really there—wrapped around her.
She ran a hand down his face, her fingers brushing the sharp edge of his cheekbone before curling into his hair. "Well, good morning to you too."
But his mouth was too full for a response. His muffled growl vibrated against her chest, making her giggle even as heat pooled low in her belly.
Seeing that she was awake now, he got even hungrier. His lips smacked gently against her bare flesh, suctioning her nipple deeper into his mouth, tongue lapping. His fingers found her other breast, squeezing it.
Luna let her head fall back into the pillow, her fingers trailing over his shoulder and down his back. The soft sheets twisted around their hips, a testament to a night neither of them would soon forget. It was a nice way to wake up—body fired up and rearing to go.
He sucked and sucked for minutes on end. And Luna let him. If that gave both of them pleasure, so be it. They had nowhere to be. Not yet. The coronation could wait.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. The room was still bathed in the heavy hush of early morning light, the high curtains letting in only slivers of rose gold across the sheets. Luna opened one eye, her fingers still tangled lazily in Damien’s hair where he lay pressed against her chest, clearly uninterested in being disturbed.
Damien made no move to get up. His cold breath continued to fan against her warm skin, and his grip only tightened slightly as if silently reminding her that he wasn’t done. Luna, amused and not entirely surprised, sighed and threw the thick velvet sheets over both of them with one hand, wrapping her other arm protectively around his shoulders. Her voice was a little husky from sleep, but still composed. "Come in," she said.
The door creaked open gently, and in walked Doctor Thessa, dressed in her usual medical robes, her black satchel slung over her shoulder, and her sharp eyes scanning the scene without judgment. The aroma of sterilized tools and rich iron filled the air as she stepped closer, holding up a pack of blood and a small silver-tipped IV set.
"Good morning, your highness," she said with a polite nod.
Luna offered her a sheepish smile, lips curling slightly in embarrassment, though her expression betrayed no real regret. With a small, subtle gesture, she signaled downward toward Damien, who was still comfortably hidden beneath the sheets, his movements unapologetic and rhythmic. "He’s... occupied," she murmured, her tone laced with dry humor.
Thessa chuckled under her breath and nodded with perfect understanding. Without missing a beat, she moved to Luna’s side and skillfully inserted the IV into her wrist. The blood began to flow from the crimson pouch, threading through the clear tubing and into Luna’s veins. Despite the intimacy of the moment, everything about the doctor’s movements was professional.
The soft beep of the drip monitor added a faint hum to the room’s charged stillness. Damien didn’t pause even once. Thessa didn’t comment. This wasn’t the time to mess with the honeymooning prince.
As soon as she secured the tape and confirmed the steady flow of the blood, Thessa gave Luna a brief smile, bowed her head respectfully, and let herself out with barely a sound. The heavy door clicked shut, returning the room to its private sanctum.
As soon as the door shut, Damien released her nipple from his mouth with a final, indulgent kiss and began to trail lower. His mouth left a damp trail across her stomach. Luna’s breath hitched in anticipation, her fingers tightening in the sheets now pulled taut across her hips.
Then he moved between her thighs. He spread her legs just wide enough to fit his broad shoulders through, his hands curling around her thighs. His tongue darted out, tasting her.
Luna jerked in response. "Almighty goddess."
The gasp tore from her lips, a whisper tangled in the sharp pleasure blooming between her thighs. Her body arched slightly, heels digging into the bed as she struggled to remain grounded. The mattress dipped beneath her hand, her knuckles pale against the sheets as she tried to anchor herself, but the storm inside her kept rising. The slow, steady trickle of blood from the drip above continued its rhythmic descent into her wrist, a quiet contrast to the erratic pulse thundering in her veins.
Damien held her thighs in place. His fingers curved around the soft flesh, spreading her open, anchoring her even as she thrashed beneath him. His lips remained locked to her center, relentless and unrepentant. There was nothing rushed about his movements.
His mouth was everywhere—his tongue tracing the softest folds, teasing her with maddening slowness, then quickening in sudden bursts that made her tremble. His lips sealed over her clit, tugging gently, again and again, drawing the breath from her lungs. Luna was writhing, her spine arching as if trying to escape the intensity, even though her soul begged for more. It was too much—and not enough.
Then his fingers joined the party.
She wasn’t prepared. The stretch, the curl, the delicious pressure of his fingers as they slid inside her and began to scissor with a knowledge that only a bonded mate could possess. He was mapping her, remembering every gasp, every clench, every whispered plea. His tongue continued its merciless rhythm on her clit while his fingers pulsed deep inside her, curling just right, making her cry out his name in a voice that cracked at the edges.
Luna let out a long cry. Her other hand tangled in his hair, fingers curling tight as if she could force him closer—though there was nowhere left for him to go. Still, she pressed his face against her, hips rolling instinctively, chasing the edge with wild abandon. She was gearing to explode, her soul thrumming with the ache of euphoria as she called his name, a million times in a minute.