16. CHAPTER 16
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Five o’clock arrived too fast, and I couldn’t sleep anymore.
My restless thoughts before sleep definitely didn't help.
My roommates were still sleeping peacefully, so I quietly and carefully left my room.
Instead of heading to the courtyard, I chose to go to level three, cross over, and then descend to level one.
The hall was lit with candles that seemed dimmer than during the day, which I took as a sign of magic.
I found his room, quietly opened the door, and walked inside.
I hadn’t noticed it yesterday, but I definitely felt like I walked through some kind of shield.
My dad had similar shields at our various homes while we were growing up.
Zane lay on his bed, sleeping on his side in only undershorts.
I paused to take in the scene. Unlike before, his wings were visible.
They were close to his body but not tucked in tightly.
They looked just as stunning as the day he first showed them to me.
I used to fear males with wings because it reminded me of that day.
When I looked at him, I did not feel fear.
My stomach tingled, and my heart thumped faster.
I smiled as I watched him breathe in and out.
His blonde hair appeared darker in the dimly lit room.
Like Blaze, he bore a striking tribal tattoo that descended his back and wrapped around his wings.
I wondered if he used magic to fill in the intricate details while masking them.
I approached the side where he faced outward, walking softly.
I knelt beside him, pressed my nose gently against his, and gave him a tender kiss on his lips.
His eyes fluttered open as he stirred, and he pulled me onto the bed with him, both of us lying on our sides, facing each other.
He returned my kiss with the same gentle tenderness.
“What if I were coming in here to assassinate you?” I smirked at him.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I mean, if I were someone else, you would've slept through me coming in.”
“Well, it would be foolish for someone to try to kill me. But most importantly, my room is warded, and only I can grant entry. I spent some time working on it yesterday so you can come whenever you want.”
He kissed me again and pulled me closer until my head rested against his chest. His heartbeat thudded steady beneath my ear, warm and grounding.
One arm stayed caught between us, but with the other I reached for his wing.
My fingertips brushed the edge, and he flinched—not in anger, but in surprise, almost tender.
I pulled my hand back fast, pulse stumbling. His wing shifted, uncertain, like he didn’t know if he wanted me to retreat or try again.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “Am I not allowed to touch?”
“Well, there aren’t strict rules,” he said, his tone careful. “But most of us don’t let others near our wings. Those who try usually don’t live to tell about it. Drusearons are territorial over them, much like dragon kind.”
“Oh…” My stomach dropped. Shit. I’d broken some unspoken law.
“But,” his voice softened, “in a trusted, committed relationship, we allow it. Wings are sensitive. Painfully so. I’ve never let anyone touch mine. Still—I’ve heard there are… places. Erogenous spots.”
“Are we in a trusted, committed relationship?”
“I thought that’s what we agreed to yesterday?” He pulled back a little, giving me a confused look.
“I mean, I said I wanted us to be exclusive, but you never really said anything. I can be insecure about relationships and where I stand with people.”
“I want you, and only you. You are a part of me. I know you said you didn’t want to label it, so you can call it whatever makes your heart happy. Honestly, I would go to a priestess to have our mating bond confirmed today. Hell, I’d marry you and shout it to the world.”
This time, I pulled back and looked up at him. Wow. I didn’t realize he felt so strongly about this, about us, about me. Wait, what did he mean by a priestess? My mom mentioned one too.
“What does a priestess have to do with it?” I asked him.
“Priestesses have special abilities with mating bonds. They can detect a bond and confirm it. Having it confirmed means they wouldn’t be able to separate either of us from each other—"
“Because our powers become diminished.” I completed his sentence.
He raised his eyebrows at me. “Yeah… How did you know that?”
“My mom—how did you know?”
“In one of the courses we took, it was briefly discussed. It’s a small section, and honestly, most people might not even pay attention or believe it. Your mom, huh?”
“Yeah… she wrote me a letter, and she’s known I’ve had a mate destined for me since I was weeks old…
” I pulled the letter out of my pocket and handed it to him.
He sat up to open the letter and began reading it.
I studied him, watching his face change from curious to a look of shock.
He had to be on the don’t trust your father section . Not that he did.
“That’s a lot to take in…” he said, looking down at it before handing it back to me.
“Tell me about it.” I shoved the letter back in my pocket.
“I guess you read that a little late, because we already had glorious sex and sealed the bond.”
I huffed a little laugh. “Regrets?” I teased.
“Ha. Not a fat fucking chance. You taste as glorious as you smell.”
“Mmmm.” I kissed his lips softly. “Soon I’ll taste more than your lips.” I gave him a little devious smile.
“Before we start something, because gods know that I want to do more. What do you think your mom meant about not trusting your dad or anyone? ”
“I don’t know. I truly don’t know what any of that means. My dad has always been my rock and protector. It’s making me question everything I thought I knew—everyone in my life. I’m honestly confused. Do you know something?”
“My dad suspected something had been going on that wasn’t above board, which is why he agreed for me to come here. He wouldn’t give me any details, though.”
“You’re in your third-year and haven’t seen anything?”
“Not really, when I was in the infirmary with you, there seemed to be a lot of secret meetings, which is odd during the summer. I also think too many instructors and officers know my true identity.”
“Oh. Also circling back, I’m not sure I am ready for wedding bells and all that, but I would get our mating bond confirmed.
I also don’t want to call you my boyfriend.
I feel like what we have is something much deeper and more intimate than that.
I also know if I start calling you my mate, it will start raising flags that maybe we shouldn’t be raising.
I’ll call you my partner or my love to others, until you formally propose to me. Lili knows you’re my mate though…”
“You told her already?”
“Yeah, she actually dropped the bag off on my bed when you and I were, you know… and I barely told her.”
“I guess I should find Alex and have that conversation today.” He ran his hand through his hair.
“Want to take a shower together?” I said, changing the subject.
“Like an actual shower, or is this code for you to take advantage of me in there?”
“Is it taking advantage if you want it entirely as much as I?”
Precisely as quickly as I finished what I was saying, he was scooping me up, taking my clothes off, and leading me to his bathroom.
I wrapped my legs tightly around him, my arms around his shoulders.
I sucked on his thick bottom lip, switching between wanting to suck on it and biting it.
He gave me his tongue, and I took it in and sucked on it.
He pulled his tongue back in, essentially taking mine with his, and he started sucking on mine.
We made it into the shower, which was easily double the size of the ones in the communal bathing chambers. He let go of one hand briefly to turn the water on, gripped my ass again and pushed me against the wall. My whole body quivered.
He kissed me, trailing down my neck. This time, I would be the one giving. I loosened my tight legs around his body and came to a stand. I started kissing down his body. When I came to his nipples, I twirled my tongue in a circular motion around them both before gently kissing down his abs.
His shorts were soaking wet from the water.
I pulled them down to his feet. This freed his cock, letting it spring up.
Gods, it was glorious and arduous as fuck.
I wrapped my hand around it, but my fingers didn’t quite connect, and he was a perfect eight inches.
He let out a groan and reached down to my head, placing his hand on the back of my head.
I licked the tip, playing with it, teasing him in every way as he had done to me. I dipped my tongue into the slit.
He let out a louder moan. I swirled my tongue around the top, making a circle, before dragging my tongue down the length. He was groaning, letting me know he was enjoying it. He grabbed a handful of my hair, pulsating it. I moved my tongue back up before taking him wholly into my mouth.
My mouth was watering all around him as I took him deep, swallowing him. Even with the grip on my hair, he was letting me control every part of this. I reached down with my right hand and rubbed my two fingers right behind his balls, as I moved his cock in and out of my mouth in a perfect rhythm.
He was groaning faster and louder, and his grip on my hair got tighter. Water showered down on both of us. He never masked his wings. They were behind him, slightly drooping. He reached down with his other hand and rubbed my nipple .
I was trying to focus on him. Him touching me made me slow down and pause with him in my mouth, taking his touch fully in. I snapped back to it and drew him out, stopping at the tip to tease him with my tongue again. His breathing became more ragged.
“Fuck, Auri. I am about to explode in your mouth.”
“That’s exactly what I am counting on, please fill my mouth with your delicious cum. Let it go.”