21. Allied Hearts
~ YILAN ~
When everything righted, Melek was sitting on the floor and had me in his lap, one long arm laid up my spine and his hand clamped on the back of my neck, the other hand between us, furiously positioning himself, then pulling me down onto him.
Straddling him like this was new. I’d only done it once before.
I had to find my balance and his rhythm.
I had to hold onto his shoulders to balance.
But he pulled me closer with a low, puttering growl and then we were rocking together.
The position pulled me down onto him and my entire skin thrummed with each rolling peak.
I let my head drop back, but wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my breasts against his chest, holding him, almost weeping with relief because I could feel him—in the bond, and his body—softening towards me.
“Yilan,” he croaked, his fingers digging into the back of my neck.
“No more distance, Melek, be angry if you must, but… you’re mine. You’ll always be mine. And I want this—I want you. I want everything.”
Something in him swung open. I felt the rush of him through the bond, a wave of resistance, resentment, fear that broke like a dam giving under the pressure behind it.
Still clinging to his neck, I buried my face under his jaw and kissed that vulnerable skin as he growled and moved again, lifting me, getting to his feet without leaving me .
I whispered his name against his throat and wrapped my legs around his waist as he straightened and turned, a strange low rumble in his chest as he turned circles, looking. Then moved us with that whip-crack speed he had at times.
My ass hit the dresser and he groaned as he planted me on it.
His wings unfurled behind him and something nearby crashed to the stone floor, but we both ignored it as he lifted his head to meet my eyes, one hand in my hair, the other cupping my ass, holding me there as he thrust again, and the dresser, despite its size and weight, began to thunk against the wall with the force of him.
Our eyes locked and even though my vision was beginning to blur, something about having his eyes on mine opened my heart—and the bond.
We both groaned as the bond spiraled and whipped, lashing us with light and power that pulsed and throbbed in time with our lovemaking.
I plunged both hands into his hair, grabbing his warrior’s length with one, fisting the shorter strands with the other and arched into him, panting as he took me again and again.
“Melek… please…” I whispered.
He shook his head, but his eyes never left mine.
“Melek, I love you.”
“You’re mine.”
“Yes—and I want to be—”
Tearing his eyes from mine with a snarl, he grabbed me up again and turned us both, dropping me onto the bed so fast, I lost my grip on his hair and my upper-body bounced.
I barely had time to gasp before he grabbed my waist and yanked me towards him, the fur tickling my skin as he pulled me onto him, then held my hips, driving into me with a long, low putter of frustrated need.
Ass half-off the bed, and my body plundered, I was helpless and could only grip the furs and let him drive into me, watching as his gaze dropped to my breasts and his eyes flashed with need, his cock thickening within me so my mouth fell open.
When he tipped forward, I reached for his chest, but he grabbed both my hands and lifted them over my head, pinning my wrists, manacling them in one of his hands, grabbing my hip with the other and pulling me up to meet him as he drove into me again, so hard that I cried out .
I was bowed backwards, my body extended, and Melek growled and groaned, dropping his head and nipping my breasts as he rocked into me again and again.
But the bond was thrumming, singing, alight with joy, and there was ragged relief in him that hadn’t been there when we started.
With time, we were moving together, and his thrusts grew less aggressive, and longer, our bodies undulating together.
“Melek… I want to touch you,” I whispered, clamping down on him because he made me feel so much.
He groaned and released my hands, standing back, pulling my legs tighter around his waist and holding my thigh on one side to keep me positioned as he stared down at me, his eyes glazed with lust, and his forehead sheened in sweat.
“You’re so beautiful, Yilan,” he croaked, reaching for my breast with his free hand, cupping it, teasing my nipple with his thumb. “These days have been… God…”
“I know. I know,” I almost sobbed, I felt so full. “Me too.”
“I need you, Yilan. You can’t do that to me again.”
“Together—we have to do this together .”
I was reaching for him, stroking his arms—ridged and lined like steel bars because of his tension. “I need you…”
“You have me!”
“Then kiss me. Tell me you still love me. Please.”
With a strangled groan, he pitched forward, falling over me, both elbows braced over my shoulders, his hands cupped over my head. His jaw twitched and rolled, fighting the pleasure. But his eyes… his eyes were pained.
With a clench of grief in my chest, I reached for his precious face, cupping his jaw and holding him there so he didn’t break eye-contact.
But he didn’t fight me. He was searching my eyes now, his thrusts becoming longer, rolling questions—reaching for me from within.
“Yilan… I have to know if you’re true.”
“I’ve told you everything.”
His forehead lined and he groaned, his body shuddering as we moved in unison, the bond pulsing in time, light blazing between us. I couldn’t have looked away from his eyes if I’d wanted to.
He dropped one hand from my hair, gripping the furs over my head, his jaw dropping and his arm trembling as he braced.
He was going to come .
“Yilan… God, don’t ever leave me—”
“I won’t!” I gasped. “Don’t turn your back on me!”
And then, as he tilted his hips and sought me, my pleasure peaking.
Unable to resist, I locked both arms behind his neck and pulled myself up, taking his mouth, delving, tangling tongues and groaning as a frayed cry broke in his throat and one hand came up to cup the back of my head, holding me into the kiss.
My entire body was alight, my skin prickling, my blood afire. I needed him, and with every thrust, he pushed me higher. Every touch sent tingling pleasure that danced across my skin to dive deep inside and meet the glorious bliss he was wrenching from me from within.
I pulsed, and he growled.
He would have turned his head, but I gripped his hair and kept him there, our lips hovering, breaths rushing, both of us trembling.
And in a final, terrifying risk, I reached for his mind, almost weeping when he was open to me, and showed him every image I could conjure of my surrender to him—my body in his hands, his body within me, my utter helplessness against loving him.
Mine… you’re mine.
Oh, how I yearned to say those words in his mind. But whenever I linked with him, it was as if some invisible barrier stood between us. Was it because he still didn’t fully trust me?
The fragile thoughts faded when Melek shuddered. The rush of his approaching climax skated down my spine and ignited the fire for mine.
We both cried out, desperate, frantic, rocking together as that wave of pleasure crested, then crashed over us.
He bellowed and I swallowed it, holding him to me, my breath stopping utterly, as my body snapped and twitched and my cries mingled with his ragged roar.
We slumped, panting. I had tears in my eyes with relief and joy.
His body shook as he pressed me down into the bed, groaning, and almost lost his feet.
Picking me up, Melek held me to him as he crawled up onto the mattress, then collapsed over me, arms curled over my head, our legs tangled, and our hearts… thrumming.
Together.
He kissed me, open mouthed, shaking, clinging to me, his breath breaking as he tilted his head and took my mouth like he was owning me all over again. I reveled in it, locked both arms behind his neck and held him into the kiss.
When he finally drew back, just far enough to meet my eyes, his hair messy and tangled, his warrior’s length twisting against his shoulder, I stroked his face and smiled, almost crying with relief and sheer joy.
He still trembled from head to toe, still searched my eyes… but that resistance was gone. The wall between us finally torn down.
I combed his hair back from his face with my fingers, tucking the longer strands behind his ears and stared deep into his eyes.
“Tell me,” I whispered.
His brows pinched down over his nose and his gaze was clouded, but he hadn’t let me go.
“I cannot see my way through this. I do not know how to lead one nation, let alone two.” My heart sank, but he shook his head.
“I also cannot let you go. I can’t. If God put us together I have to believe there is a reason for that.
So you better start praying, my dear, because this is going to get very fucking hairy. But we will meet it together.”
I’d been preparing so long for his rejection it took a second for the words to land as he stared at me, fires still blazing in his.
My eyes went wide. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure that you’re my mate, decided by God, and that I will not leave you. Yes.”
I was holding my breath. “And the crown?”
He growled and shook his head. “The crown—your crown, and apparently mine—is a complete mind-fuck.”
“But… you won’t deny it?”
He inhaled deeply and shadows flickered in his eyes. But then he shook his head. “I can’t deny it,” he growled.
I gasped and threw my arms around his neck, leaping into his chest and trying to kiss him—but even though he didn’t let go of me, he jerked his head back with a warning look.
I went still, arms wrapped around his neck and one foot already curled around his leg. “What?” I whispered.
“Even together… we might not be strong enough for this, Yilan.”
I inhaled sharply, but I couldn’t deny it. I nodded. “I know. But…”
“But?”
“But I also know that I would rather try and fail with you, than give up alone. I love you, Melek.”
“I love you too, Yilan. God help me, I love you. ”
He kissed me again, softer and slower this time. Then dropped his head to lay over me, his breath rushing against my neck.
And I didn’t think I’d ever felt more relief than laying there with him alone, stroking his hair, his back, his body and whispering all the ways that I was grateful for him. And all the promises he needed to hear.
And when his arms tightened around me, my heart was as full and satisfied as my body.
Everything would be well.
I didn’t know how. I didn’t have a fucking clue how we would get through this. But I knew, with him at my side, we could do it.