Chapter 12 #2
Her arms came up to wrap around his neck, her fingers tangling in his damp hair, and the trust in the gesture made his heart stutter. She was so small compared to him—he could span her waist with his hands—and yet she looked at him without fear, without hesitation. Like he was worthy of her faith.
He kissed her again, slower this time, exploring the taste of her while his hands began to wander.
Down the curve of her ribs, where the bioluminescence pulsed warm beneath his palms. Along the dip of her waist, tracing the elegant line of her hip.
Over the swell of her thigh, pulling her leg up to wrap around him and bring her closer.
She made a sound against his mouth—something between a moan and a whimper—and the noise went straight to his cock.
“Easy,” he murmured, nipping at her bottom lip. “I’ve got you. Let me learn you.”
He wanted to know every inch of her. Every spot that made her gasp, every touch that made her light flare brighter. He wanted to memorize the map of her body with his hands and his mouth and his tongue until he could navigate her pleasure blindfolded.
His lips left hers to trail down her jaw, her neck, the elegant column of her throat where her gill slits fluttered with rapid breaths. He pressed a gentle kiss to each one, marveling at the delicate flutter against his mouth, and she arched into him with a cry that echoed off the cavern walls.
“Sensitive,” he noted, filing the information away. “Good to know.”
“Valrek, please—”
“Please what?” He continued his exploration downward, lips tracing the ridge of her collarbone, the glowing patches that blazed hot beneath his mouth. “Tell me what you want, Ariella. I need to hear you say it.”
“I don’t—” She broke off with a gasp as his hand slid between her thighs. “I don’t know the words. I just want more.”
He gave her more.
His lips closed over a stiff peak, circling it with his tongue as his fingers found her center beneath the water, stroking through the slick heat that had nothing to do with the pool.
She was ready for him—so ready it made his beast roar with satisfaction—and when he pressed a single finger inside her, she cried out and clutched at his shoulders hard enough to leave marks.
“That’s it.” He worked her slowly, letting her adjust to the intrusion, watching the play of light across her skin as her pleasure built. “Let yourself feel it. I’ve got you.”
The star on her skin blazed brighter and brighter as he learned the rhythm she needed. His thumb found the sensitive bundle of nerves at her apex, circling with just enough pressure to make her hips buck against his hand.
“Valrek—”
“I know. I can feel how close you are.” He added a second finger, stretching her gently, and the sound she made was pure desperation. “Let go, Ariella. Let me see you fall apart.”
She shattered.
Her whole body arched against him, a cry tearing from her throat as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her. Her patches exploded with light, a brilliant gold that illuminated the entire cavern, and for a moment she looked like a supernova, a star going bright before it collapsed.
He held her through it, murmuring words he wasn’t even aware of speaking, pressing kisses to her temple and her cheek and the corner of her trembling mouth.
His beast was howling with triumph, demanding more, demanding everything, but he forced it down.
This moment wasn’t about his needs. This moment was about her.
When she finally came back to herself, her eyes were glazed and wondering.
“That was…” She trailed off, seemingly unable to find words.
“Good?”
“I didn’t know.” Her voice cracked. “I didn’t know it could be like that. I’ve read about it, but I thought… I assumed it was exaggerated. Stories. I never imagined…”
She sounded so bewildered, so overwhelmed, that his heart clenched with a protective fury that had nothing to do with the beast.
“No one’s ever made you feel like that before.” It wasn’t a question.
She shook her head, and something glittered in her eyes that might have been tears. “No one’s ever wanted to.”
He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her slender body and holding her against his chest. She fit there perfectly—like she’d been made for him, shaped by the universe itself to slot into the empty space he’d carried since his exile.
“Then they were fools,” he growled against her hair. “Every single one of them.”
She laughed, the sound watery but genuine. “Maybe. Or maybe I just needed to find the right person. To find you.”
They stayed like that for a long time, floating in the luminous water while the moonlight shifted overhead. He could feel her heartbeat slowing, her breath evening out, her body relaxing against his with a trust that humbled him.
Mine, his beast purred. Ours. Forever.
He didn’t argue.
When they finally emerged from the pool, the moon had risen high enough to flood the cavern with silver light. She was shivering slightly—not from cold, but from the aftermath of pleasure—and he wrapped his discarded tunic around her shoulders.
“We should get back,” he said, though every cell in his body protested the words. “In case Lilani wakes.”
She nodded, but she didn’t move to leave. Instead, she turned to face him, her skin still glowing a soft violet.
“Valrek.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” The words were simple, but the emotion behind them was anything but. “For showing me this place. For everything.”
He reached out to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing the delicate line of her jaw.
“You never have to thank me for that.” His voice dropped, rough with feeling. “When I touch you, it’s not something I’m giving you, Ariella. It’s something I need. Something my beast craves. You’re not taking from me. You’re giving me a reason to exist.”
Her eyes went wide, and he saw the moment the words truly landed. The moment she understood exactly how much this meant to him.
“I—” she started, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
“Don’t say anything now. Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.
” The words cost him, but they were necessary.
“Just know that I’m yours, if you’ll have me.
My beast chose you the moment I scented you on the beach.
But the male—” He tapped his chest, over his heart.
“The male chooses you too. Every day. Every moment.”
She kissed his finger, her lips soft against his calloused skin.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”
It wasn’t a promise, but for now, it was enough.
They made their way back through the narrow passage, his hand resting possessively on the small of her back. The evening air was cool against their damp skin, and in the distance, he could hear the soft rhythm of Lilani’s breathing, still deep in sleep.
Everything was peaceful. Perfect.
Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow he would ask her to stay. Truly stay, not just for visits and stolen moments but forever. Tomorrow he would tell her that she belonged here, with him and Lilani. Tomorrow he would ask her to be his mate.