14. Elzora
14
ELZORA
T he room— my soul? I have no idea how to refer to it—is practically pulsating with our love, our shared desire… my arousal.
It’s hard to focus on anything past the electrical charge that’s drawing Vexus and I closer together.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit nervous,” he murmurs, gently trailing his fingers down my cheek.
I shiver at his touch as my lips part ever so softly. His words seem to hit me on a delay. “You’re nervous for… sex?”
He smirks. “No. That part I have down.”
“You’ve done it before?” I ask, pressing closer to him. I’m interested in the answer.
I’ve only done it once, and both Ryes and I were virgins, so neither of us truly knew what we were doing. It felt amazing, but I wonder if it’ll be different because of his previous experience.
Horror fills Vex’s face, and he rapidly shakes his head as he almost lurches away from me. “Fuck no. I knew I had a mate out there, and I would—fuck, little love, no .”
I can hear the anguish in his words, the true horror that I could believe this about him.
Oops. I sometimes forget that we grew up in completely different worlds with such different expectations.
“Oh.” I wrap my arms around my waist, not sure what he’s scared of, then.
I wasn’t upset that he might have had sex with someone else, even if he is, but… what is making him so nervous?
Personally, the idea of having sex with him right now terrifies me . Not only are the rest of my mates back at… well, wherever, with my uncle , but we’re also in the middle of… my soul?
It’s not the most… well, actually, it kind of is. It’s romantic in a way that only he and I could ever appreciate.
“You’re spiralling a little, Zoe.” Vexus sounds amused.
“This entire situation is hurting my brain,” I mutter, and he laughs. I try to return the grin, but it drops from my face almost immediately. “I’m scared, Vex.”
“So am I,” he replies, and there’s a slight wobble in his words, portraying his nerves. “I’m scared I won’t be good enough. That your soul won’t want me.”
I gape at him. “How could you think that? You’re… Vex, you’re everything .”
He rubs the back of his neck, that blush somehow darkening. “Am I really, though? I know you the least?—”
“You might have had the least amount of time with me, but you know me far more than most of my men,” I offer, stepping towards him. “You know my soul , you know my heart…”
A slight tremor passes over him, his own vulnerability softening his gaze. He bends down, pressing his forehead to mine, and I smile up at him.
“You know me, Vex,” I say, taking his hands in mine, squeezing them softly, as I look into his bright blue eyes. “You understand my intellect, and my curiosity. You understand how to calm me when I’m anxious, and you always know what I need as I need it. You don’t judge, you don’t pry, you just… provide .”
“You’re everything to me, and simply providing for your needs isn’t enough.” He sighs. “I won’t ever be good enough for you.”
“I seem to have this conversation a lot with you guys,” I murmur, squeezing his hands. “You’re not a bad person, there’s no malice in your soul. You’re kind, patient, and so empathic. You’re more than worthy of me, Vexus—wasn’t it you who said that your soul was created to find a home in mine?”
He cups my cheek, hesitance still in his eyes. “I’ve killed people.”
I blush, but neither of us move from the way we’re clinging onto each other.
“So have I.” It feels shameful to admit.
“And yet, your soul is still pure.”
“And so is yours,” I say, tipping my head back ever so slightly to press a kiss to his lips. It’s soft, gentle, and full of the love we have for one another.
“You don’t need to prove yourself as worthy to me.” I whisper the words against his lips, holding onto him as tightly as I can in case he tries to pull away. “You’re mine .”
My magicae roars to life for the first time since we’ve been in this soul world of mine, and true joy spreads through me. My eyes fly open, and I beam at Vexus.
“I love you.” He blurts the words out, and it takes a second before his eyes widen, his soul darkening in horror. He jumps back, dropping my hands as if they’ve burnt him.
“Vex—“
“I didn’t mean to say that.” His words tumble out faster and louder than intended as he rapidly shakes his head. “I… I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
“Vex,” I cut in softly, reaching out to stop his rambling, but he moves out of my grasp once more.
“I know you need time,” he continues, voice thick with tension, as he railroads over me, “and I’d never want you to feel like?—”
“Vex.” I try to interject again, but he can’t hear me in his panicked apologies.
“I absolutely respect that you’ll need longer to get to?—”
“Vexus!” I raise my voice, practically shouting at the poor man, and he slams his jaw shut, his eyes wide and panicked. “I love you, too.”
“You do…?”
I grin, rejoicing in the feeling of my magicae finally being back to optimum levels. His theory— their theory—was correct.
My soul wasn’t complete. I wasn’t whole . For whatever reason, my magicae needs me to complete my bonds so badly, it was willing to kill me in the process of ensuring it would happen.
I shouldn’t be this overjoyed… but I am. Because my soul is getting closer and closer to being complete .
“Of course, I do.” My grin is blinding.
“But you’ve not said it to all of your other mates and?—”
“I have relationships that are progressing differently,” I say quietly.
This is a fear I’ve had myself, that some relationships are moving along at a much faster pace than others, but I’ve tried my best to not let that hold me back.
I trust that my men would come to me— most of them, at least —if they felt neglected or hurt, and I know that it’s normal for relationships to be different.
Vexus and I will be able to connect on a soul deep level, and as soulmates who are soul witches, that is a connection only he and I can truly understand together. It’s going to be one of the most powerful connections known, but that doesn’t mean the bonds I share with the rest of my men are lesser .
Etrix and I are in such a healthy place, and I truly do love the light witch, but he won’t ever be able to access this kind of depth. None of them will.
Necos and Jasper are still further out, both fighting the bond for reasons I can’t understand but desperately want to. Jasper and I were making progress, but it seems that ever since we moved into the castle, he’s retreating.
It’s not even been a week, and his mood seems to be getting darker, his energy less… happy. It’s hard, and I’m desperate to talk to him about it as soon as things calm down.
But the others? They’ve owned my soul since we were kids, and my love for them has only grown as each day passes and we learn who the other is as an adult.
Every single one of my men means the world to me, and there’s not a single one who is better than another.
“You’re so lovely,” Vexus says with tears in his eyes. “This whole moment is perfection. Thank you for letting me hear your thoughts.”
“Thank you for loving me.”
The soul witch rolls his eyes, and I notice that as he strides towards me, he gains confidence, losing the vulnerabilities he’s shared. His movements are more purposeful, his eyes intense, as he comes to a stop just in front of me.
We’re not touching, but the current between us is electrifying, and I know he’s got access to his own magicae again.
“We don’t need to do anything you aren’t comfortable with,” he says, and I nod as he tugs me onto the bed that has just randomly appeared in the middle of the… my soul .
The sheets are gold, unsurprisingly, and are so delicately soft. The pillows are a darker shade of gold to the bedspread, and as Vex connects our lips, the curtains around the four poster bed close.
I don’t recognise the music that starts to play, and when Vexus freezes above me, I don’t think he does either.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper as tears well up in his eyes.
I can hear the music growing louder, the melody drawing me in, and I’m surprised that I start to cry, too. Tears trail down my cheeks, my heart swelling with so much emotion I don’t understand.
Vexus hovers over me and uses his thumbs to wipe my tears away. “That’s our song, little love. Like with the way you can hear plants—this is us . Our song. ”
“Wow.”
Finally, finally , I have the same awe for this moment that Vex has had this whole time we’ve been in my soul.
We’re going to connect as one, we’re going to bond together, and then nothing will be able to take him from me.
“You’re beautiful.”
“You’re being very sweet.” I reach up to cup his cheek, grinning at the soft expression on his face.
We’re in the most beautiful bubble, and it’s so lovely being alone.
He bends down, his lips finding mine, as I feel a pressure inside me. It’s nice, warm, glowing .
“Our souls are merging,” he says, and I wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him, as our kiss deepens, and our bond forms.
It wraps around us, steady and grounding, yet it’s got an electric thrill that causes my heart to pound.
We’re in a place where only the two of us exist, and it heightens the physical connection—at least for me.
We’re one and the same, and it’s so beautiful, so raw.
So powerful.
I pull back from the kiss, looking into Vex’s light blue eyes. His body tightens over mine, his gaze tinged with uncertainty.
“I thought I understood what it meant to be connected to you, but this feeling… it’s overwhelming.”
His brows draw together. “In a good way?”
“In the best way,” I reply, pulling him back down, our lips meeting with an intensity it was lacking before. My hands wander down, pushing his t-shirt up, so I can touch smooth skin.
Vexus shivers at my touch, his own hands exploring tentatively. I whimper into the kiss, and he immediately pulls back.
“Are you sure about this, little love? We don’t have to?—”
I silence him with another kiss, pouring all my certainty into it. “I want this, Vex. I want you .”
A low groan escapes him as he presses closer. His lips trail down my neck, leaving a path of tingling warmth.
Every touch, every caress feels magnified in this place. I can sense his love, his awe, his need—all of it echoing through our newly formed bond.
Our clothes seem to melt away, either by Vex’s magicae or maybe my own, leaving nothing between us.
My heart is thudding excitedly, butterflies fluttering in my tummy, as the rightness of this moment builds.
I want this. I want him .
Vexus pauses, drinking in the sight of me. I can feel my cheeks heating up at the adoration in his gaze.
“You’re exquisite,” he breathes.
I blush deeper at his words.
Vexus leans down, pressing soft kisses along my collarbone, each touch igniting sparks beneath my skin. His hands explore my body with a tenderness that makes me shiver, and I can feel his erection pressing against my tummy.
I spread my legs ever so slightly, trying to adjust so I can feel him against me more intimately, desperate for some friction, some connection.
Vexus groans, his forehead dropping to rest against my shoulder, a shudder wracking through him.
He reaches down, feeling for his erection, and lines himself up with my entrance. The tip brushes against me, and I whimper, his name a moan on my lips.
“I love you,” he whispers, and I grimace as he pushes inside of me.
He’s thicker than Ryes, I think, and tears prick at my eyes at the burn. It’s uncomfortable, but he’s slow and gentle, offering praise and words of love.
It’s… nice.
He stops moving once his full length is inside, and I test clenching myself around him. I gasp, gripping his biceps, my nails pressing into the skin.
“You okay, little love?” he asks, and I can hear how desperately he’s trying to hold onto his control.
“I’m okay. Move, please!” I clench around him again, and he shudders.
“You’re an absolute temptress,” he mutters, grinning at me. I relax my grip, no longer feeling so tense.
Instead, I run my nails up the back of his neck, and he twitches inside me, still not moving.
There’s a dark look on his face, one that causes me to shiver at the intensity. There’s so much love, so much desire , and something I can’t even place.
“You want me, little love?” He murmurs the words, an arrogance to them that I shouldn’t love, but do.
I nod eagerly, clenching around him, as I press myself closer to his chest. “Please, Vex, please.”
He grins, so wicked and beautiful, and captures my mouth with his. He starts to move, slowly at first, a direct contrast to the ravaging he’s giving my mouth. Each thrust sends waves of pleasure through me, and I try to meet his movements.
Our bond is deepening. It’s almost as if it’s passing through each layer of skin, of body, to fully imprint upon my soul.
I can feel Vex’s love, his awe, his joy—all of it mixing with my own emotions until I’m not sure where I end and he begins.
“Zoe,” he moans, his pace increasing, and I meet him thrust for thrust. “You feel incredible.”
I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, the new angle causing me to gasp.
Our bodies move together in perfect harmony, as if we’ve done this a thousand times before, and I’ve only ever felt this at home as I do now one other time—with Ryes, when our bond completed fully.
The golden light around Vex and I seems to glow brighter with each thrust, our combined magicae swirling and shimmering in the air, desperate to not be outdone by the other.
His hands explore my body, caressing and teasing. Every touch sends sparks of pleasure through me, our magicae almost burning. I arch into him, desperate for more, desperate for the release that is building inside me.
“I love you,” he whispers against my skin, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips.
“I love you more,” I reply, gasping as I meet his movements. I can barely breathe, the awe of this moment unparalleled.
“I’m not going to last, Zoe,” he admits, his pace quickening. He’s going deeper each time, the intensity building, and I can barely keep up with him.
The pleasure builds within me, a coiling tension that is so nearly ready to snap.
“It’s okay,” I pant, my nails digging into his back. “I’m so… I’m so close, Vex. Please.”
He reaches between us, his fingers finding my sensitive bundle of nerves, and I jolt at his touch. It’s too much but somehow not enough at the same time.
Until he rubs my clit—once, twice, ah!
The added stimulation sends me over the edge, and waves of golden magicae burst out of me.
“Vex, Vex, Vex,” I cry out, waves of ecstasy crashing over me like a tidal wave.
My release triggers his own, and Vexus groans deeply, his hips shoving forward, pressing him so deep inside me, as he finds his completion.
His orgasm comes with another wave of power, his magicae coming out to join mine, and I feel a slight burning on my chest, just in the centre of my breasts.
I whimper, but I don’t stop moving against him as I ride out the waves of my orgasm. We’re both lost to the pleasure, to the power, to the connection.
When we finally break apart, his hands rest on either side of my face, his eyes searching mine for an answer I don’t think I have.
“You’re… you’re glowing,” he murmurs.
I giggle, feeling a little lightheaded, as pleasure-filled aftershocks race through me. “So are you.”
Vexus Coku is now my bonded soulmate, and not even fate is powerful enough to take him from me.
Two fully-bonded, matured soul witches now exist in a world where we’ve been hunted. The gold marking of my witchmea burns, my eyes no doubt glowing gold, as I hold Vexus’s gaze.
We’re going to survive.
Together.
All of us.
We’ll fix this world and provide every new soul the kind of support, love, and encouragement they need to flourish.
I blink, feeling a warmth radiating outward from my core, golden tendrils of light drifting around us. It’s as if our bond has taken on a life of its own, breathing, shifting, filling the space with a quiet hum of energy.
I hear our song playing in the background as I rest my head back against Vexus’s chest, letting him pull me in close.
I don’t know how much later it is before I feel a pull in my navel, but I don’t fight the feeling.
We’re being drawn away from… here, and that’s okay, because it means we’re going back to the other parts of my soul.
To the other men I love.
I close my eyes, pressing my cheek to his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
The pull strengthens, and the golden light surrounding us dims.
“Vex…” I whisper.
“Yes?” he asks, his voice as sleepy as my own.
“I love…”
And I’m gone.