Sunlight filtered through the narrow window slits of the chamber, casting warm stripes across the tangled sheets. I stirred awake, my body aching in the best way—muscles sore from last night's endless ravages, skin marked with faint bruises and bite indents that throbbed deliciously.
Lirael's arm draped heavy over my waist, her breath steady against my neck, but even in sleep, she held me pinned, possessive. I shifted slightly, feeling the sticky remnants between my thighs, a reminder of how thoroughly she'd claimed me, over and over, until I could barely whimper her name.
My eyes fluttered open fully, taking in the morning light that turned the room from shadowy lair to something almost soft. But softness had no place here, not with her. As if sensing my wakefulness, Lirael's grip tightened, her fingers digging into my hip.
