29. Kai’rin
29
KAI’RIN
T hrough the dim light of dawn filtering into my chambers, I watch the steady rise and fall of Aren's chest as she sleeps peacefully beside me. Dark waves of her hair spill across my pillows, and her dark skin glows in the soft light.
My fingers hover over the curve of her shoulder but don't touch - I don't want to wake her yet. Not after I thoroughly ravaged her last night. She's probably hoarse after all the begging I made her do, after the way I used her body as my own little offering and made her worship me.
And I'd do it all again. I plan to.
She looks so small, so delicate against the expanse of my bed. My wings shift restlessly at the thought, casting shadows across her sleeping form. The urge to wrap her in them, to shield her from the world outside these walls, claws at my chest.
"Little flame," I whisper, though she can't hear me. The nickname has taken on new meaning - no longer mockery, but something deeper that I'm barely beginning to understand.
A possessive growl builds in my throat as I imagine another's hands on her, another's voice commanding her prayers. The mere thought sends rage coursing through my veins, my magic crackling in violet sparks along my skin. My scars burn with remembered battles, but this - this is different. This isn't about conquest or dominance anymore.
I've broken countless spirits before her, taken pride in watching the light fade from defiant eyes. But Aren... her light only burns brighter. Even in submission, she maintains that inner flame that first drew me to her. The thought of that light being extinguished, or worse, burning for another, makes my blood run cold.
My fingers curl into fists. Having her pray to me, sleep with me, yield to my desires - it's not enough anymore. I need more. I need to bind her to me so completely that no one would dare try to take her. The magic in my blood pulses with the possibility, ancient and primal.
She shifts slightly in her sleep, a small furrow appearing between her brows. Without thinking, I smooth it away with my thumb, and her face relaxes again. The simple gesture sends an unfamiliar ache through my chest.
But my love is not enough. I want to give her more.
The morning sun bathes the temple steps in harsh light as I approach. My wings cast long shadows across the pristine stone, each step measured and deliberate despite the uncertainty churning in my gut. Warriors don't bow - not to anyone - yet here I am, about to grovel before the Praexa.
Inside, the temple air hangs thick with incense. My boots echo against marble floors as I approach the altar where Praexa Ananias stands in flowing black robes, her back turned to me.
"I require information about a soul binding ceremony." The words taste like ash in my mouth.
She turns, silver eyes narrowing. "The great Kai'rin, seeking to bind souls?" A cruel smile plays at her lips. "And am I supposed to assume it's with a human, no less."
My magic surges before I can stop it, violet energy crackling along my wings. The candles around the altar flare dangerously. "Watch your tone when speaking of her."
"Interesting." She circles me like a predator. "You'd tie your immortal soul to a creature whose life is but a blink compared to ours?"
My hands clench. "Can it be done?"
"The ceremony wasn't meant for-"
"Can. It. Be. Done?" Magic pulses with each word, making the temple walls vibrate.
She stops in front of me, studying my face. "Yes. Though few Nashai would dare perform it. The gods may have... opinions about such a union."
"I don't care about opinions. I care about results."
"Clearly." Her lips curl. "The great warrior, brought low by a human pet. How the mighty fall."
This time I let my magic flare fully, filling the temple with crackling violet light. The temperature drops as shadows writhe along the walls. "She is not a pet."
Praexa raises her hands in mock surrender, but I catch the calculating look in her eyes. "The ceremony can bind human and xaphan souls. If that is what you need to know."
"And you?" I study her. "Will you perform it?"
She seems to really consider the question before finally saying, "If I must."
"You do." I level her with a harsh glare, one I normally wouldn't dare give a Praexa. But she just nods, and I take that for as good as I'm going to get.
As I leave the temple, I am not so surprised to find Vhex and Mykael waiting for me. They must have seen me go in.
"Were you summoned?" Mykael asks.
But when I hesitate, it's Vhex who says, "No. We didn't think so."
And as much as I hate letting people in, these two are my closest friends. My brothers essentially. And I don't like the fighting that's been going on between us.
"I'm going to have her soulbound to me." Their shock flickers over their features. "She will no longer be human, nor a threat in that way."
"You are willing to tie your soul to hers?" Mykael hasn't recovered yet.
I only nod. I know it's a big undertaking, especially since it means I will never be able to harm her and share my power with her. Xaphan do not take mates like other species. We cannot break it off or go without our soulbound ever again.
But that's what I want with Aren.
"I want it more than anything."
Vhex looks between the two of us and then steps forward, clapping me on the shoulder. "Then, we are happy for you."
Mykael shifts on his feet. "We did not realize how deep your connection with her ran."
"But now?" I raise a brow.
"Now, we will support you and your soulbound."
I nod, clapping them each on the shoulder in thanks, and then I leave the compound. There is one last thing I need to do.
I find Aren in her usual spot in the courtyard, kneeling in prayer. Sunlight catches in her dark waves, creating a halo effect that makes my chest tighten. Her eyes are closed, lips moving in silent devotion.
For the first time in my existence, I drop to my knees before another being. The motion startles her - those deep brown eyes flying open, lips parting in shock. My wings curl forward instinctively, creating a private sanctuary around us both.
"Kai?" Her voice trembles.
"I need you." The words scrape raw in my throat. "Not just as mine to command. Not just as mine to possess." My fingers brush her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin. "I need you bound to me. Soul to soul."
She starts to pull back, but I catch her hands in mine. Violet energy crackles between us, making her gasp.
"Listen to me, little flame. This isn't ownership - it's protection. It's power." My grip tightens. "No one could ever hurt you again. No one could take you from me, and I..." My voice breaks. "I couldn't hurt you either. Physically couldn't. The bond wouldn't allow it."
"What are you saying?" Her pulse races under my fingers.
"I'm saying I'd cut my own heart out before I let anything happen to you." I press her hand against my chest, let her feel the thundering beneath. "I'm saying I want to give you power over me that no one has ever had. That no one will ever have again."
Her eyes search mine. "Why?"
"Because I love you. And I truly mean that. The thought of you not being here..." Magic surges through me, making shadows dance across the courtyard stones. "Because I can't be away from you anymore. Because you've become as essential as breathing."
I've never begged for anything in my life. But for her... "Let me bind your soul to mine, little flame. Let me protect you. Let me..." The word catches in my throat. "Let me love you."
Her breath catches, those deep brown eyes searching mine. Time stretches between us like pulled glass, fragile and sharp. Then she nods - a small motion that shatters my world and rebuilds it anew. "I would love nothing more."
Magic explodes from my skin in violent waves of violet light, crackling across my wings and casting wild shadows through the courtyard. My hands tangle in her dark waves, pulling her to me with a growl that's more beast than man. Her soft gasp is lost against my mouth as I claim her lips.
She tastes like sunlight and prayer, like everything I never knew I needed until she knelt at my feet. My tongue traces the seam of her lips, demanding entry, and when she yields - gods, when she yields - I devour her like a starving man. One hand grips her waist, fingers digging into soft flesh as I drag her closer.
My wings curl around us, blocking out the world beyond. In this moment, nothing exists but the slide of her tongue against mine, the perfect weight of her in my arms, the thundering of our hearts beating in desperate synchronization. She makes a small sound in the back of her throat that sets my blood on fire.
I break away only to trail hungry kisses down her throat, marking my territory with teeth and tongue. "Mine," I growl against her pulse point. Magic crackles between us with each touch, making her shiver. "Forever mine."
Her fingers thread through my hair, and the gentle touch nearly undoes me. I capture her mouth again, pouring centuries of loneliness and want into the kiss. She matches my intensity, that inner flame of hers burning bright enough to consume us both.
Let it burn. Let it destroy everything I was before her. I'll rise from those ashes a better man, worthy of the gift she's given me. Worthy of her trust, her submission, her love.