Chapter 10
At the end of the week the court assembled in the throne room to welcome Gaelin’s entourage back to the light court. I stood off to the side, trying to be invisible. The large doors opened and Gaelin and his men walked in with dominance and strength, demanding the attention of the room. He and the others knelt before King Lysanthier, waiting to be acknowledged.
“Rise, Lord Atros,” said the king. “What report do you have from the Kingdom of Doonak?”
Gaelin stood to his feet. “A beast the size of five men terrorized their lands,” reported Gaelin. “Taking their livestock, murdering anything that it came in contact with. It had large fangs that dripped with poison and a hide of armor.” The court gasped in shock. “We hunted and eliminated it as instructed. We lost two from the light court and one from the dark. As agreed, the dark court will conduct their research, then send the remains to our kingdom for our own discovery,” reported Gaelin.
“Very good, Lord Atros. We are glad to see you and your men in good health. The fallen will be honored this evening and we will have a feast to commemorate their sacrifice. Until then, welcome home.” The king waved his hand, releasing the court.
I rushed past the crowd, heading straight for Gaelin’s bedchamber. It was over thirty minutes before he finally entered. I was pacing with anticipation, barely able to contain myself. He closed the door, dropping his sword in its usual place. He looked at me and gave me a small, tired smile.
“Lilian? Did you find her? Is she still alive?” I blurted out.
He nodded and stepped closer towards me. “She is alive, and surprisingly doing well in her current situation.”
“What? How? What do you mean?”
He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking off his shoes. He winced in pain at the action. “She sings,” he replied. “You didn’t tell me she sings.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I demanded.
“They’re keeping her for entertainment. Apparently, the court likes the way she sounds.”
I exhaled, feeling relief rush over me like a cold wind. I sat on the bed next to him, reeling from the news that my sister was alive. “Is she…is she being harmed?”
“Not that I could assess.”
I laughed, not knowing how else to react. Gaelin’s eyes were heavy. “Thank you, so much,” I said, taking his hand in mine.
He smiled tiredly at me with a nod.
“And how are you? Are you hurt?” I asked.
He exhaled and pulled his jacket away from his side. Blood seeped through his shirt from bandages that wrapped a wound on his left side. I stood instantly, rushing for freshwater and cloth.
“Why didn’t you say something when you first came in?” I exclaimed.
He chuckled. “You didn’t really give me the opportunity.”
“I’m so sorry. Here, let me change those for you,” I said, kneeling in front of him. He painfully removed his shirt from his torso. I unwrapped the saturated bandage from his skin, revealing a gash about four inches across his side. “Do you have a healer or something that will quicken the healing process?”
He gestured to a dresser. “There’s a balm over there. It will help ease the pain while it heals. It should be gone by tomorrow morning.” I retrieved the balm and cleaned his wound gently. I felt his eyes on me, never straying. As I finished wrapping his side, his fingers trailed through the curls in my hair.
I remained kneeling and raised my hand to his bare chest, gently grazing the back of my knuckles over the skin. His hand trailed down the back of my neck, leaving goosebumps in its path. He cupped the side of my face as his traced thumb over my lips. I leaned into his touch, savoring the moment.
I met his beautiful golden gaze. Desire had replaced the pain and exhaustion in his eyes. I placed my hands on either of his knees, sliding them slowly up his strong muscular thighs. He took in a sharp breath as I rose over him. I softly straddled my legs around him, lowering myself onto him. I held his face in my hands, committing every detail to memory.
He had given me what I so desperately desired —the knowledge that my sister was safe. He had kept my secret. He knew what I was and yet he still wanted me. And I wanted him. gods, did I want him. I slowly pressed my lips to his face, kissing down each side before ending at his full lips. His grip on my hips tightened as our kiss deepened. My hand slid down his chest to his bandage. Remembering that he was hurt, I pulled away, feeling selfish.
“I’m sorry. We can wait until you’re healed. I don’t want to cause you any more pain,” I said.
He laughed under his breath. “Pain is not what you’ll cause me, Gen. I can promise you that. If you are willing, I see no reason to wait.”
I smiled down at him, slowly pushing him back onto the bed. He unbuttoned the back of my dress, sliding it over my shoulders, revealing my bare chest. He took all of me in. Studying the curves of my breasts and the flat surface of my stomach. He flipped me underneath him, ripping the rest of the dress clean off. He eagerly undid the latch on his pants, sliding them to the floor.
We scooted up towards the head of the bed. Without removing his lips from mine, he pulled at the small band of my underwear, tearing them off my body. As we lay against each other completely naked, he slid his cold hand down my neck to my chest, studying my body as if it was the most desirable thing he had ever seen. His fingers circled around my navel before moving to my thighs.
I arched my back at the sensation that each touch left on me. My body burned for him more than I had imagined. I closed my eyes as he explored every inch of me. I felt his nose softly graze against mine, bringing my focus back to him. I opened my eyes to see his face smiling back at me. He gently pushed the hair away from my face, then leaned down slowly, closing his eyes, and kissed me again.
His other hand parted my thighs. I inhaled nervously, allowing my legs to fall to the sides. He slid gently on top of me, and I felt the soft skin of his abdomen press against me as my body cradled his. I could feel the hardness of him between my legs, waiting for the right moment. He pulled away from our kiss, peering deep into my eyes. He slowly pressed the tip of his hard length against my pelvis, opening the center of me to receive him.
I gasped as my body warmed and tensed. He watched my face, studying my reaction. He continued to push inside of me until I felt like I was going to burst. I wrapped my hands around his arms, squeezing to relieve the tension. Gaelin slowly pulled back as he began kissing my neck and chest softly.
I took another deep breath as he pushed himself back into my body. This time, as he filled me completely, I moaned with satisfaction. My body relaxed under his as my hands began to glide over every muscle in his back. He quickened his pace, and my body became putty in his arms. I took his face, bringing his lips to mine, needing to taste him.
He moaned as he wrapped his arms around my waist, continuing to join our bodies as one. I could feel myself tightening around him as my insides throbbed with pleasure. My body felt like it was on fire in the best way possible. Suddenly, I felt my insides clamp down on him as my body shook from the most incredible sensation I had ever experienced. Gaelin pushed one last time to the very depth of me before he let out a roar of his own.
We were both panting, unable to catch our breath. He looked down at me with sated eyes and smiled widely before kissing my lips tenderly. He pushed himself off to the side as we both lay in silence. My face was frozen in a smile. I tried to move my legs, but they felt limp and heavy.
Gaelin turned to look at me. He sat up on his elbow, casually trailing his fingers between my breasts, down my abdomen, to the bundle of nerves in between my legs. I closed my eyes and moaned from the contact. His finger circled the soft tissue, sending floods of pleasure throughout my entire body. I could feel my heart begin to race as the heat and pressure from within me rose back up with fervency.
A release slammed through me as my back arched up toward the ceiling. I could feel my nipples harden and my breasts swell as the sensation devoured me. My insides contracted with each slow swirl of his fingers until my body collapsed back to the mattress, spent. The smile returned to my face as I turned towards Gaelin, pulling my legs into my stomach. He looked at me with tenderness as he skimmed my flush cheeks with the back of his knuckles.
“You felt so?—”
“Human?” I interrupted.
He smirked, leaning in to kiss me on my head. “In the best way,” he responded. “How was it for you?”
I sat up on my forearms. “Levos says your sense of smell can answer that question,” I said playfully.
“I think we need to limit your time with Levos, but yes, a certain pheromone is released if the partner is enjoying themselves.”
“And did I release any certain pheromone?”
He smiled, bringing his arm behind his head. “Yes, multiple times.”
“Well, there’s your answer, Lord Atros.”
“Your scent was remarkable,” he said, looking up at the ceiling.
“What do you mean?”
“Each person has their own fragrance, almost like a flower. You smelt of lavender and sandalwood. I’ve never experienced the two scents before like that. When they released it hit me like a massive force. I lost all control, which is why the session wasn’t as long as I would have liked,” he admitted.
I laughed. “It was perfect, Gaelin. Every part of it was perfect,” I said, lying next to him.
“May I have you again?” he asked softly.
I looked at him in shock. “You mean you can already go again? Doesn’t it take time to recover… after?”
“Maybe for humans, but not for alfar,” he said, placing his body over mine.
“I’m beginning to like the alfar more and more every day,” I said.
“And I like you more with every taste,” he whispered, silencing me with his mouth as he pushed himself back inside of my aching body. I inhaled at the motion, basking in the power and masculinity of his body.