Chapter 33
Iyana
Something burned in her chest as she watched Emmeric leave hand-in-hand with Kaz. It was too much like jealousy for Iyana’s liking. The emotion was forgotten as Altair leaned into her further, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. Goosebumps erupted on her arms.
“Do you want to go sleep in the bed I promised you?” His voice was low, husky. Her throat suddenly dried, but she managed a nod. Throughout their journey, Altair had kept his promise about not taking her for the first time on the forest floor. However, that hadn’t stopped him from pleasuring her in other ways, all the while never allowing her to touch or explore his body. Iyana swore he used magic in his fingers. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this amazing simply from a man’s hands. A shiver raced through her when he nipped at her ear.
Altair led the way up to their room, Iyana tucked into his side. Her stomach flipped in anticipation. Altair unlocked the door and guided her inside with a hand on her lower back. The room was small, but adorable and warm. A bed stood in the center of the wall opposite to the door, and a hearth was off to the right, a fire already blazing. Two wingback chairs faced the fireplace. A bathing chamber was on the left side of the room, and Iyana noticed the edge of a bathtub. The walls and floor were all a dark wood, completing the picture of a cozy northern home. She hadn’t seen the bar cart to the side of the door, but clinking bottles caught her attention. Altair stood there, pouring himself a finger of bourbon and slinging it down. In a silent invitation, he held the glass out to her, but she shook her head. Cider and wine she could drink, but anything stronger at the moment would make her vomit. Especially with the acrobatics her stomach was performing.
Altair stalked towards her. He didn’t scare Iyana, but the intensity in his eyes drove her backwards, taking a step away for every one he took towards her. Suddenly, the wall was behind her and Altair was in her space, sparks flying between them. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, hand sliding behind her neck as he inched closer until their bodies were flush. The butterflies in her stomach took flight, anxiety rising to the surface. Why should she be anxious? She trusted Altair with her life, and she wanted him badly, but now the moment was here and real. Iyana worried what it would mean. Would it change anything between them? Maybe he only wanted to do this with her once. Or maybe it meant nothing to him, when it would mean everything to her. It was too late for her to separate her emotions from sex.
“I should probably bathe,” she said, breathless. “We’ve been on the road so long, I’m disgusting.”
“You could never be disgusting, my star.” His golden eyes flashed brightly, dipping to her lips. “And the things I’m planning to do with you? We’ll be better off bathing later.” Heat bloomed in Iyana’s stomach, quickly dropping to her core. Altair stood there, lips a hairbreadth away from hers, waiting for her to close the distance. If she told him she’d changed her mind, she knew he would stop, no questions asked. And just like that, her nerves were gone.
Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his, softly. He kissed her back slowly, fingers tangled in her hair. Iyana smoothed her hands over his chest to behind his neck. The warmth in her core intensified. Pulling him towards her, she deepened their kiss, licking at his lower lip. Altair sighed and followed her lead. His tongue ran along hers while his grip on her hair tightened, tilting her head back to the exact right angle. Iyana moaned into his mouth.
Suddenly desperate, she broke away to tug his shirt off him, then removed her own before resuming their hungry kiss. They came together with primal desire—teeth clashing, tongues warring with each other. She nipped at his lower lip, and he growled in response. Altair picked her up, hands on her ass, and pressed her back against the wall. The cool wood was in direct contrast to the heat coming from Altair’s chest. Iyana wrapped her legs around him, feeling the hard length of his desire and rocking against it. Soft curves met hard muscle, and she relished the sensation of her skin against his. He trailed warm kisses down her neck and collarbone, sucking on the one spot that was simply divine, then lifting her enough to take her breast into his mouth. She threw her head back, moaning as he sucked on her nipple. Iyana threaded her fingers through his hair while he moved his mouth to her other breast. A hand left her ass to massage and pinch at her exposed nipple. The slight pain mixed with pleasure was heady. A primal need curled low in her stomach.
Soon she found herself thrown onto her back on the bed, Altair dragging her pants off. Fleetingly, she recognized the softness and comfort of the bed, but Altair had fully snared her attention. Sitting up, she reached for his pant laces, only for him to force her back down.
“Not yet, astalle,” he growled. He took her nipple into his mouth again, tongue swirling. Iyana’s back rose off the bed at the sensation. A firm hand kept her in place as he kissed and licked his way down her stomach. When he reached her core, he stopped, leering up at her with a wicked smile. Her breath caught at the sight. Then he was devouring her, his tongue licking up her center before sucking on her clit. A shock of pleasure ricocheted through her entire body. Iyana’s breathing grew erratic, and she tugged at Altair’s hair, keeping him right where she wanted him.
“Gods, you taste delicious,” he said against her, his words rumbling and vibrating, increasing the sensations. She cried out as he pushed a finger inside her, curling it just the way she craved. Iyana covered her mouth with a hand to keep the sounds inside her. The inn was small and their companions were on the same floor; she didn’t want them to hear everything. But Altair stopped his ministrations, removing his mouth and stilling that magical finger. She whimpered at the loss.
“Don’t you dare, astalle. I want to listen to you make those sounds.”
She shook her head, hand still over her mouth.
“I won’t continue until you remove your hand.” He slowly retracted his finger and blew a stream of cold air over her, causing her to gasp at the strangely pleasant sensation.
Iyana moaned. “You’re evil.”
He chuckled, but she relented, clutching the blanket in a fist and biting her lower lip instead.
Altair gave her another devilish smile. “Don’t hold back.”
Then he was on her and in her, pleasure piling on top of more pleasure until Iyana was sure she would burst from it all. The bundle of nerves at her core sent electric pulses through her body. Licking, sucking, tongue swirling. Gods, he was amazing. Two fingers replaced the one, filling her deliciously. A tingle ran down her spine, her toes curling. Heat built in her feet first and quickly traveled up her legs to the apex of her thighs, where Altair continued to devour her.
“Altair…” she moaned.
He hummed in encouragement. The release hit her hard and fast, starbursts in her vision, Altair’s name a prayer on her lips. He coaxed her through the orgasm, still licking and kissing her lazily. As she settled back into her body, Altair climbed on top of her and Iyana finally got to drink her fill of him. He hovered above her, letting her look. She ran her fingers over his chiseled chest and Altair shivered, his skin appearing to glow again, like when she had first seen him. He’d been tamping it down while they traveled, and she hadn’t realized how much she missed his ethereal otherness until that moment.
“You’re incredible,” she murmured.
“If anyone here is incredible, it is you, my star,” Altair said, gazing upon her with wonder. “Phaedros could take me now and dump me straight into his pit, but I’d go happily, having had this moment with you. My only regret would be that I couldn’t worship you the way you deserve every night of your life.” He ran his thumb along Iyana’s lower lip tenderly. “Because you deserve tenderness.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “And compassion.” Tears sprang to her eyes. Before they fell, Altair was kissing her again languidly, the tip of his cock teasing at her entrance.
Iyana had had enough of his teasing for the night. Shoving at his shoulder, he allowed her to roll them over, so she was straddling him fully, his hands resting on her hips. Altair’s glow increased as he watched her hungrily with a brow raised.
Running her hands over his sculpted chest, she ground her hips into him again. Altair swore softly, his head lifting off the pillow. “You’ve deprived me of touching you for far too long. It’s my turn.”
His eyes sparked gold. “Have your fun, starheart.”
A thrill ran through her, and she took her time licking and kissing down his glowing skin. There was a thin, silver scar over his left ribs she’d never noticed before. None of the deep scratches from the wolves had left any permanent marks—Iyana didn’t want to know what would be capable of scarring a star. She placed a gentle kiss over it, and he shivered beneath her. Her fingertips ran past the hard ridges of his abdomen, before grazing over the silky-smooth skin of his erection. A bead of his desire sat at the tip, and she smoothed it around the head; his cock twitching within her hand.
“Fuck,” Altair hissed.
Iyana’s lips continued their lazy perusal of his body, pressing kisses to his inner thighs. Then she ran the flat of her tongue up the underside of his considerable length, sucking him into her mouth. Altair gasped, and any semblance of control he’d had snapped, so fast she couldn’t track the movement; he suddenly had her pinned underneath his weight. Altair slid into her in one fluid motion until he was buried to the hilt. They both moaned at the feeling and stilled. For several moments, they only gazed into each other’s eyes, unblinking. Then Altair broke and was pounding into her. Iyana held onto his shoulders, unable to do anything but cling to him like a rock in a storm. Sensations and heat were rising again fast within her. With each stroke, Altair hit the perfect spot deep within her. Then his hand was between them, his thumb circling her clit with increasing pressure. Within moments, Iyana’s pleasure crested and crashed over. She dug her fingernails into his skin with her release, and with two more strokes, Altair buried himself within her—practically roaring as he came. Beams of golden light streamed off him, filling the room.
Altair scattered kisses over her lips, her cheeks, her eyelids, finally resting his brow against hers. He exhaled deeply, and his brightness dimmed. “Astalle…”
“Altair.” More words weren’t needed. Their emotions and the heaviness of the moment contained within their names on the other’s tongue.
He slid out of her, and she wanted to moan at the loss of him inside her. She had been complete. Whole. Sex had never made her feel that way in the past. Altair rolled onto the bed, tucking her in closely like he couldn’t bear to stop touching her, his fingers roaming over her skin.
“Does the bed live up to your expectations?”
Iyana huffed a laugh. “It’s everything I dreamed of and more.”
He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. It was the most tender thing he’d ever done. “Get some sleep, astalle. We can bathe in the morning.”
Several hours later, Iyana awoke alone in the bed, but the area Altair had occupied was still warm, so he couldn’t be far. Sitting up, she saw him in one of the wingback chairs, still naked, silhouetted by the banked fire. He appeared to be lost in thought, his head resting in his hand, and he hadn’t realized she was awake. He was gorgeous, his skin still with a faint glow, and his blonde hair artfully tousled from sex. Iyana grabbed the sketchbook he’d made her off the side table and began to draw him.
She became lost in the process, not realizing Altair was now watching her work until she had almost finished. She startled when she looked up again to find his intense golden gaze. It was difficult to read the emotions he was feeling in the moment, but he appeared conflicted. Iyana wanted to smooth out the fine wrinkles between his brows and ease any of his worries. She rose out of the bed, sheets sliding off her, not missing the way he drank in her still-naked body. Her drawings had always been her own escape, and she had never shared them with anyone—not even Imo. But she wanted Altair to see himself the way she saw him.
Wordlessly, she showed him the picture, waiting impatiently for his reaction. He stared at it for a while, eyes roaming over the entire paper. Iyana’s hands fidgeted, fighting the urge to snatch the book back from him.
“It’s beautiful, my star,” Altair said, breathless. “You have quite the hidden talent.”
She shrugged. “It’s nothing, just something I enjoy doing in my spare time and—”
“My love,” he interrupted, “it’s incredible. You’re incredible.” Iyana blushed, the earnest tone to his voice convincing her he was being sincere.
Fear prevented her from asking about the ‘my love.’ It wasn’t the first time he’d used the term, and her heart soared higher every time he uttered those words. But she convinced herself it was a turn of phrase, a term of endearment. It didn’t mean he actually loved her. He was an immortal star, and she was…her. Nothing special, regardless of this Aztia nonsense. A nobody healer without a tattoo from a tiny village in the desert. A small part of her hoped he meant it literally, though—that she was his. She couldn’t say she loved him, exactly, but she knew she was falling. And hard.
Altair interrupted her thoughts by setting aside the sketchbook and pulling her into his lap. He ran his thumbs along her cheeks until her hair tangled in his fingers. Gently tugging her toward him, he placed a light kiss on her lips. Iyana moaned into his mouth, feeling him harden underneath her yet again. Wetness pooled at her core, and she lifted herself up, settling down on Altair until he was filling her completely. She rocked her hips slowly at first, relishing the deepness while her clit rubbed against his stomach. Altair’s hands found their way to her hips, guiding her through the motions. When the pleasure spiked, she wanted to increase the tempo, but his large hands held her firmly to the slower pace.
“I want to savor you, my star.” He nipped at her lower lip, then trailed kisses along her jaw to her ear. “Gods, you’re perfect. You fit me just right, like you were made for me.”
Iyana’s heart rate doubled, a whimper escaping her. Altair only smiled, finally removing his hands and giving her free rein. She swirled her hips so his cock hit that one divine spot deep inside her, and she moaned. She moved faster, matching the racing pace of her heart, burying her head in Altair’s shoulder. Her core tightened.
“That’s it, love. Come for me.”
Iyana wanted to, desperately. But she hung at the precipice and wanted to draw this out, not knowing when they would have another chance at this. If they would have another chance.
“Now, Iyana,” he growled. That one word propelled her over the edge, and she cried out with her climax, biting down on Altair’s shoulder to muffle the sound. His own release followed, and he nuzzled into her neck, breathing heavily.
Iyana wanted to soak in this moment of bliss, but a thin layer of sweat and dirt covered her body. “Can we take a bath now?”
Altair chuckled. “Of course, astalle.” He rose, still buried within her, and walked them both to the bathing room, drawing them a bath, only then sliding free to lower her gently. A small mirror hung on the wall, and when she turned to climb into the hot water, something caught her attention. Three thick scars, raised and puckered, slashed across her back. Tears immediately sprang forward, falling down her face with silent loathing. Altair had told her some of the scars hadn’t healed completely, but she hadn’t been able to see them. Oh gods, they were ugly, marring her previously flawless skin. Iyana couldn’t tear her gaze away from them.
Altair ran a gentle finger down one of the scars, and Iyana hiccupped a sob. How could he possibly want her when this was what she looked like? He followed his finger with his lips, kissing down the length of the disfigurement.
“These do not define you, Iyana,” he said against her skin. Gentle kisses rained down onto the second defect, then the third. “They are a testament to your strength and fortitude. You survived. You’re free. Wear the scars with pride. Show Uther that he does not own you. You are master of your own fate, and so, so beautiful, my star. I’ll remind you of your beauty every day for the rest of time if I have to, just so you’ll stop looking at yourself as if this makes you lesser.”
Iyana wiped her tears free, Altair’s speech moving her beyond words. She wasn’t quite sure she believed him, but his words made her feel slightly more beautiful than a minute before. It would just take time for her to adjust to the new feature of her body. After a tender kiss, he helped her step into the tub then settled in behind her. The water was blissfully hot, and Iyana sighed, her worries of a moment before melting away. A small moan escaped her as Altair began washing her hair, fingertips massaging her scalp.
“Oh gods, never stop.”
He chuckled. “How is it I can get you to say that now, and not earlier?”
“You weren’t massaging my head like this earlier, otherwise I might have.”
“Duly noted. Scalp massages next time.” Next time. Iyana was elated; this wasn’t a one-night arrangement for him.
“What were you thinking about? While you were in the chair.”
His fingers stilled in her hair. Altair was silent for so long she didn’t think he’d answer her. “I was thinking about our path ahead. I worry about you, and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt.” He began shampooing her hair again. “Enough so, I contemplated going after Uther myself.”
“I thought you said you’d be banished back to the sky if you interfered directly.”
“I would.”
Iyana turned to face him, soapy water sloshing out of the tub. “Altair, you can’t do that.”
“It would be worth it if it kept you safe.”
Furrowing her brows, she shook her head. He would hate being back in the sky, confined, after tasting freedom. “I don’t want you to do that. I want you to stay. With me.” Iyana shut her lips tight. She hadn’t meant to voice that aloud, not knowing if he reciprocated her emotions. Suddenly, she felt more exposed than she had when she was laid out naked in front of him. This was her heart on a platter, placed at his feet in an offering.
“Then I’ll stay with you.” He kissed her tenderly, easing Iyana’s worries. He would stay.
But for how long?