Imril exhaled deeply as he looked down at the exquisite female that was now his, watching as she directed her people along the rocky shore of the island. Graceful and composed, she gestured at the women around her, speaking firmly but never quite raising her voice.

The humans behaved strangely around her. Some obeyed her right away, while others milled around and chatted, appearing excited rather than anxious.

So these were her people.

Humans.

Strange creatures.

And although she was right amongst them, Esania stood apart—regal, slightly aloof, a fraction taller than the others.

To Imril, humans and these so-called Primeans appeared to be one and the same, but he could now appreciate the subtle variations between them.

How different this Esania was to the deliciously wanton creature who had squirmed and writhed under his touch, the sound of her low, breathless voice driving him insane.

That version of her was reserved only for him.

Right now, her beautiful features were set in a look of intense concentration as she chatted with one of the other women. The golden glow of vir surrounded every single one of the humans, except for the two males.

And of course, the surly Vradhu stood guard, their deadly tails wrapped around their left legs, eyes darting suspiciously about the place.

Males did not give off vir.

Despite the intense energy radiating from the other women, he only had eyes for Esania. With the first tendrils of his elgida crowning her right hand, she looked magnificent, and now he could feel her through the bond.

It was faint, but the link between them was definitely there.

She was bound to him now, and there was no going back.

He had fed from her, pleasured her, and marked her.

Mine.

Lust pumped through his veins as he watched her, turning him into a savage creature. Power—her power—filled him, and it was glorious.

Her vir was unlike anything he’d ever tasted in his long life, and he wanted more, always.

Imril stared at her longingly, his erection straining against his armor-plate, his teeth clenched, Power radiating from his eyes, his hands.

Patience. You will claim her soon.

He couldn’t bear to be around her right now. He would lose control, and that would be dangerous… for her.

The thing he wanted most in the Universe was just outside his reach. He had to get away from here before he went insane.

So he would go and attack Ton Malhur, channeling his frustration into violence. He would raze the cursed city into the ground.

That always worked.

Below, Esania and her people started to make their way toward the South gate. A storm was brewing in the distance, and the wind whipped at her dark braids and fluttered her dress, revealing the sublime outline of her body.

Imril’s erection intensified, becoming almost painful.

Ah, fuck.

He’d never experienced this kind of torture in his life. She’d tolerated the elgida well. When he returned, he would just have to work faster, to get it to the point where it could absorb enough of his power to protect her from him.

The process of drawing the elgida was a highly erotic experience—for both the giver and the receiver, but Esania could only tolerate so much pain in a single session.

For now, he would have to be patient. Like the storm brewing on the horizon, a battle was imminent.

He had to get out of here.

Now if only that bastard Mael would hurry up and get here, so he could leave before he went completely insane.

As if in response to his thoughts, a veil of shadow rose up from below, stretching toward the brilliant sun.

“About time,” he muttered. He wasn’t going to greet Mael—not when he was like this. Filled with lust and frustration and seething anger, such an encounter would only end in disaster.

So he unfurled his wings and leapt out of the window.

The only way was up.