With a growled curse, Calix snatched up the sheet and dragged me into the room. Sconces on the walls rattled when the door slammed shut. The balled up sheet struck me in the center of my chest, and I clutched it against my breasts, too stunned to say anything as I watched the prince pace in front of me.

"Do not," he said through gritted teeth, "ever expose yourself in a public space like that again."

The next stirrings of pain began, starting low and pulsing. I breathed evenly through my nose to ward them off. Nails tore through flesh as I dug them into my hands.

"That's rich, considering what went on in the palace this evening." I swayed and closed my eyes. This was the worst yet.

"Are you drunk?" Calix demanded. He gripped my shoulders and shook me, forcing me to look at him. Whatever he saw there stoked his rage. "How much Faerie wine did you drink to get the courage tot come down here and do that? Have you already been with my brother tonight? Is this his revenge for earlier? For putting my hands on what doesn't belong to me."

With every syllable he spit out, his fingers sank deeper into my skin until it is as if that barrier didn't exist between us. Bone against bone. But he was stronger and could break me.

"Or perhaps you waited too long and found my brother occupied. You figured you could settle for a prince for one night." His eyes flashed as he released me and stepped back. "I will not be second best. Not even for you."

"Calix, no," I panted. Then moaned as pressure built within me. He could push me over the edge. I knew he could. Even just being close to him made everything more intense. I pitched forward.

The prince was at my side before my knees struck the ground, and he carried me to his bed, laying me on the satin sheets with a tenderness that would have made me weep if I want already crying. He cupped my cheek, and I gripped his wrist, holding his hand in place as I arched off the bed with a scream. When I came back to myself, I opened my eyes and found true terror staring back at me.

"Luna..." He leaned back and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth as if he might be sick. "I told you not to eat the flowers."

"I didn't." I worked moisture into my mouth and ran my tongue over my dry lips. "I had nothing but wine and chocolate. I think it must have been in the chocolate."

"He wouldn't dare." He shook his head adamantly. "My brother is many things, but I cannot believe he would do that."

"I don't know that it was him," I said, my voice raspy and weak. "But I told him I wanted to talk to him before the party. I was going to tell him I wanted to go home."

Calix flew across his room and dragged his arms over a table near the fireplace, knocking dozens of stacked books to the floor. A half full goblet of wine smashed into the wall, sending a spray of red over the stones and scenting the air with the sweet scent of fermented grapes. He went on for at least a full minute, ripping and throwing whatever he could put his hands on before turning back to face me, his chest heaving as lightning cracked across a cloudless sky outside the window.

"Is there an antidote?" I asked when he calmed enough to sit next to me on the bed. His hands he kept carefully folded in his lap, almost as if he was afraid he might touch me.

"Humans—" His voice cracked. He swallowed and tried again. "I've only ever heard of a handful surviving this. Humans can rarely withstand the heightened pleasure the blossoms cause. It would be like putting you in a room full of clanging symbols and giving you the hearing of the Fae. Your body couldn't process it. You wouldn't know how to tune anything out. It would overwhelm you to the point of madness."

"It's not pleasure—" I gripped the sheet. "It's pain."

"It's because your human body and mind are resisting." He leaned over me and brushed a sweat dampened curl out of my face. "You can't come, can you?"

"No."

"Because your body knows that the climax is going to be so great, your heart could stop, but if you don't come—"

I writhed and bucked as the next wave overtook me. Calix held me down, pressing his forehead to mine and muttering desperately in a language I didn't understand.

"If I don't come, I'll die," I said when I could speak again.

"Yes."

"Help me. I've tried to make myself come, and I can't."

He shuddered. "Why me?"

"Because I trust you, Calix." And I would want you even without this. I wished I was brave enough to say it out loud, but on the off chance I survived this, I didn't want him to feel like I expected more from him than this.

"This could make it worse. It's happened before. Sex can make the waves of pain more intense and closer together. It could kill you faster if I can't make you come."

"I'll die if you don't try."

"You'll hate me tomorrow," he whispered even as he moved between my legs.

"I won't."

Hands on my thighs, he closed his eyes and muttered. I frowned, wondering if I heard him right, but before I could ask, he brushed his thumb over the heat between my legs and erased every thought from my mind. It had only been the faintest touch, but it had sent sparks straight to my core, nearly toppling me from the cliff. Finally.

"Holy hell," I cried out, resisting the urge to close my legs to escape the intensity of his soft strokes. "I don't think this is going to take much."

Which was kind of sad, strangely. While I'd prefer it if our first time together wasn't because of magical coercion, I couldn't lie and say I wouldn't be sad if it was already over. I'd seen the outline of the male's cock in his pants enough to know it would be a shame to not taste it or feel it inside me.

"Oh, little moon," Calix said, sliding down the bed on his stomach so his face floated just inches above my wet, swollen cunt. "One won't do it. Not even two. Every orgasm will release the blossom's magic from your blood."

"What are you saying?" I raised up to my elbows and stared down at him.

A bit of his devilish charm returned as grinned wickedly at me between my legs. "That this is probably going to take all night."